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This report is a synthesis of the Midterm Review of the Fifth International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA V), a systematic effort to determine how recommendations made at CONFINTEA V in 1997 have been implemented and its commitments met by examining activities carried out worldwide in the field of adult education and learning since 1997. The introduction states that a series of thematic workshops addressed such adult education contexts and approaches as democracy, poverty, literacy, work, gender, health and environment, higher education institutions, teacher training, and museums, libraries and cultural heritage; five sessions were held on regional views; and four working groups highlighting major issues were devoted to the following: (1) rethinking of and advocacy for adult learning in the light of international agendas; (2) policy: structuring, finance, partnerships; (3) monitoring adult education; and (4) increasing participation in adult learning. An analysis of adult education and learning since 1997 includes findings in the following areas: (1) understanding adult learning; (2) making policies for adult learning; (3) structuring adult learning; (4) adult learning for what?; (5) participating in adult learning; (6) enhancing the quality of adult learning; (7) cultivating partnerships in adult learning; and (8) investing in adult learning. The document also contains sections concerning challenges to adult education and learning and a call for action and accountability. (MO)

This document consists of 12 papers from an international roundtable on creative and inclusive strategies for lifelong learning that focused on the following topics: the need to redefine lifelong learning; ways lifelong learning can aid critical understanding of globalization and its problems; and ways lifelong learning can be a transformative aspect of building knowledge societies. The following papers are included: "Report of the International Roundtable on Developing Creative and Inclusive Strategies and Partnerships for Fostering a Lifelong Learning Culture" (Toshio Ohsako); "Summary of Discussion" (Gillian Youngs, Carolyn Medel-Anonuevo); "Lifelong Learning: Implementing a Generally Accepted Principle" (Elisabeth Bittner); "The Islamic Roots of Lifelong Learning Culture: How to Make Use of Them in Creating an Inclusive Learning Environment" (Nadia Gamal El-Din); "Towards the Creation of Lifelong Learning Culture in Africa" (T.O. Fasokun); "A Youth Contribution to Lifelong Learning" (Nina Hansen, Cornelius Brokelmann); "Technological Change in Asia: Women's Need of Life-long Learning" (Govind Kelkar, Dev Nathan); "Societal and Cultural Enabling Environment, Spaces, Knowledge, and Agency for Lifelong Learning" (Gudrum Lachenmann); "Human Memory" (Lars-Goran Nilsson); "Lifelong Learning in Uncertain--or Threatening?--Times" (Fulvia Rosemberg); "Addressing Challenges on Lifelong Learning for Girls" (Mariama Sarr-Ceesay); and "Questions of Agency and the Internet: A New Way of Learning" (Gillian Youngs). Many papers include substantial bibliographies. (MN)

This document contains six papers about and from a roundtable discussion of poverty alleviation, work, and adult learning. The "Introduction" (Madhu Singh) presents an overview of the roundtable. "Work-Related Adult Education: Challenges and Possibilities in Poverty Areas" (Enrique Pieck) describes work-related adult education strategies and argues that training alone is insufficient for poverty areas. Competence reform in Norway is examined in "The Future of Work and Adult Learning: The Norwegian Case" (Ole Briseid). "The New Role of Adult Education Institutions: From Schools to Learning Agencies" (Peter Krug) explains why educational institutions must become open learning centers and act as facilitators of the transition between schools and universities and continuing education. "Trade Unions and Adult Vocational Learning for the Informal Sector" (Christine Nathan) discusses the situation of women construction workers in India and suggests how trade unions can help them through adult education. Adult vocational education's responsiveness to those it serves is considered in "Ethical Implications of Contemporary Trends in Work and Adult Vocational Learning" (Richard D. Bagnall). Concluding the document are abstracts and the tables of contents of two United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Education publications on work-based learning. (MN)

This booklet discusses the future directions of adult education in the field of population issues. Particular emphasis is on the continuing need to interpret the post-1994 Cairo conference paradigmatic shift, from a strictly demographic focus towards a new vision of development and gender rights. Section 1 discusses reproductive rights in the post-Cairo context and the key role adult education should play in providing women and men with the information about their options and in empowering them to make reproductive choices. Section 2 addresses how reproductive choices and information available will be conditioned by different cultural contexts and, in particular, by different belief systems. Section 3 stresses that the subject of sexuality should be treated as private and confidential in the adult learning context. Section 4 focuses on the relationship between men and women and emphasizes that women's empowerment is crucial. Section 5 considers AIDS education and how it is closely linked to issues of reproductive rights, women's empowerment, responsible sexuality, and adult learning. (YLB)

The booklet reports a shift of emphasis in international cooperation from assistance to partnership, participation, networking, and mutuality. Workshop participants stressed that these concepts, which are central to adult learning, need to be taken all the more seriously at a time of increasing economic globalization and accelerating development in the field of information and communications. The booklet concludes that international cooperation will be based on existing institutions, structures, and networks. According to the booklet, the challenge of a global economy must be met through global cooperation by doing the following: (1) promoting lifelong learning, taking into account advantages in terms of flexibility, diversity, and availability at different times and in different places; (2) enhancing the new vision of adult learning that is holistic and cross-sectoral; (3) expanding the capacities of governments, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector; (4) promoting an understanding of international human rights as the framework for the global society; and (5) governments must act on the consensus of multinational organizations that all development projects should include adult learning components. (KC)

The booklet reports on a new vision of the economics of adult learning. The vision considers adult learning to be not an expense but an investment that can be analyzed and managed as such. According to the booklet, governments in many countries, therefore, are adopting a steering role and are giving more direct responsibilities to institutions at the local level in promoting effective and efficient use of adult learning resources. Individual and social benefits from adult learning that the booklet identifies include new thinking skills, economic independence, parental transfer of education to children, reduction of reliance on welfare, and rehabilitation of prisoners. The booklet concludes that adult learning should be reassessed as a productive asset and its benefits to society as a whole should be promoted. (KC)

This booklet examines adult education needs and opportunities for incarcerated persons from the perspective of experts and former inmates. The booklet considers adult learning a basic human right and a crucial step towards the reintegration and the rehabilitation of prisoners and that there is a great demand for learning in correctional institutions. At the same time, conference workshop participants felt that the demand was not being met appropriately. Future strategies and the issue of the right to adult education for inmates were raised. In addition, the workshop explored ways to continue and improve cooperation and networking among those who are involved in prison education. The booklet concludes that it is imperative to recognize prisoners' right to learn and to provide programs and curricula that can facilitate their learning. (KC)

This booklet examines adult education needs and opportunities for persons with disabilities. It reports on the following: the changing perceptions and definitions of disability in both developed and developing nations, the rights of disabled persons, the need for educational policies for adults with disabilities, and the inclusion of people with disabilities in the community. The booklet concludes that educational opportunities for people with disabilities can be promoted only by making all forms of learning and training accessible to them, fostering institutional policies that ensure equal access and intervention with appropriate learning technology, and involving agencies, as well as policymakers, that are supporting the handicapped. (KC)

This booklet addresses the growing importance of health in adult learning and the interest in joint action. Section 1 describes the context, one in which substantial, but unevenly spread, progress has been made in improving global health. Section 2 examines the social aspects of health and explains how what is defined as health or sickness depends not only on individuals and biological factors but on the social and cultural environment within which individuals live, work, and interact. Section 3 defines health promotion, which builds on a social and cultural understanding of health and illness, as the process of enabling people to increase control over their health through advocacy and intersectoral action; health education as a component of health promotion; and community action as a key component of health promotion policies. Section 4 discusses the closeness between health education and adult learning as reflected in the similarity of goals and principles that characterize both contemporary adult education and health promotion policies. Section 5 focuses on health as a basic human right. Section 6 defines health literacy. Section 7 describes projects in Nepal, Germany, and Bolivia that illustrate the links between health and adult education. Section 8 outlines policies and aims that adult education programs for health promotion should include. (YLB)

This booklet provides an overview of the growing demands for adult education as well as other social services in helping migrant workers move out of poverty and succeed in cultures other than their own. Issues raised included questions about migrants' access to education and about building solidarity networks for ensuring basic human rights. A comparative view of migrant education practices in Asia and Europe and general issues relating to the problem of refugee education were also considered. The booklet concludes that it is possible to support the right of migrants and refugees to education by providing comprehensive education and training opportunities that promote their political, economic, and social participation and enhance their competence and their cultural base. Initiatives for these efforts already exist. Recommendations are made to develop and implement programs to help host populations to understand the rights and conditions of migrants and refugees and to enroll nomadic populations in education programs. (KC)

This booklet examines new learning technologies' place in providing opportunities for the democratization of education, for enhancing learner-centered flexibility, and for reaching out to unserved communities. It also raises questions as to who controls technology, and why, how, and for whom the technologies are being used. The booklet concludes that the main problem in the development of new technologies is not whether they can be used but how to ensure wide access to information. Recommendations made by workshop participants include the following: (1) governments should not reduce their support for social and cultural public services; (2) all countries should be not merely consumers but also producers of software; (3) software and courses should reflect national and local identities as well as cultural requirements; (4) new technologies and conventional ones should be integrated; and (5) the dissemination and use of information technology should be open to public debate. (KC)

This booklet presents an overview of the growing demands for adult education, as well as other social services, because education is seen to play a vital role in enabling the growing population of older people to remain independent and lead more fulfilling lives. It reports on the following issues: the educational needs and demands of older people, the current education policies for older people in various countries and regions, and the planning of future approaches and activities at the regional and international levels. The booklet concludes that older adults have wisdom that should be valued and that efforts need to be directed towards overcoming an image of the elderly as distinct and different from the rest of society. It recommends that governments make adult education for the elderly a priority and that older people be given the right to make decisions about their own learning. (KC)

This booklet reviews the current situation of women's education in different formal and nonformal educational settings, in different regions and contexts. Section 1 looks at the continuing gender gap in educational participation. It discusses the following reasons for the imbalance in South Asia: (1) little attention is paid to implementing reforms; and (2) tensions between the allocation of a special status to gender issues and the integration of these issues into adult education. The following reasons are cited for Africa: (1) literacy programs are not linked to women's and girls' multiple roles outside the educational field; (2) insufficient attention is given to social and cultural barriers; (3) poor curricula; (4) inadequate textbooks; (5) ill-trained teachers; and (6) badly managed programs. Section 2 stresses the need for strong advocacy for the girls' and women's education movement. Section 3 focuses on adult education in nonformal settings and uses the Women's Institute in Chile as an example of an organization in which adult learning deals with women's issues in an interdependent and interdisciplinary way. Section 4 emphasizes that adult education should recognize the experiences of women at the local level, taking into account the forces of globalization that are creating more competitive relations among people, groups, nations, and regions. Section 5 discusses the importance of subjectivity in adult learning. (YLB)

This booklet examines the role of museums and libraries in providing adult education, both as informal individual learning as well as structured learning activities for groups of learners. The booklet presents an overview of how museums and libraries offer different types of educational opportunities for adults. Most museums have pedagogical programs, including gallery talks, lectures, guided tours, and publications for distribution. In addition, visitors can engage in individual informal learning by touring the museum alone. Museums and libraries also offer structured courses and partner with schools to provide longer-term educational opportunities for adults as well for traditional-age students. The booklet concludes that museums and libraries are special sites of learning that offer open-ended learning situations that can provide a range of meaningful experiences for adults. The following recommendations are made to enhance and bring to the fore the contributions of museums and libraries to adult education: (1) such institutions need to be strengthened and appropriately funded in order to develop as adult learning resources; and (2) the conservation and use of cultural heritage as a lifelong learning resource needs to be promoted and methods and techniques for strengthening heritage and cultural learning need to be developed. (KC)

This booklet reflects on how, in this period of change and transition, work-related adult learning should respect the unity of human beings as citizens, individuals, and workers. Section 1 deals with the most significant changes taking place in the world of work, including globalization; technological innovations; changing employment patterns; and the changing organization of work. Section 2 discusses work-related adult learning and considers investment in adult learning of workers as essential for competitiveness and growth and considers adult learning as an important commodity that is capable of making a profit. Section 3 addresses how a system of adult learning linked to the informal sector would sustain its development Section 4 focuses on the following three issues at stake in diversification and reform of national training systems: (1) devising flexible and continuous adult learning and training systems to meet the learning requirements of the entire labor market and all active populations; (2) mobilizing greater investment by building partnerships; and (3) ensuring equitable access to adult continuing education. (YLB)

This booklet discusses the present state of environmental adult education and its major difficulties and shortcomings and develops recommendations for further development of this field. Section 1 discusses linking environmental and social issues and locating environmental problems within the context of one's daily life and action. Section 2 focuses on strengthening collaboration between environmentalists and adult educators. Section 3 addresses environmental education as a central theme for adult education. Section 4 highlights the urgent task of environmental education to overcome misconceptions about a conflict between economic growth and sustainable development. Section 5 considers one main issue that women's projects address: the consumption of fuel for cooking and heating and the use of environmental-friendly resources for the whole community. Section 6 describes the global dimensions of current environmental problems. Section 7 emphasizes the need to promote and build on local knowledge and indigenous traditions in environmental education. (YLB)

Although adult literacy programs exist in almost every country throughout the developing world, comprehensive information on their capacity, performance, and impact is seriously lacking. This deficiency has direct consequences for the effectiveness of developing countries' national literacy education policies. Reasons for the lack of data include the popular character of adult literacy programs with their grassroots, bottom-up, participatory approach and the fact that, in some countries, the private sector has taken over adult literacy. The knowledge base on adult literacy programs must be improved and broadened to enable policymakers and donor agencies to understand literacy programs' context, grasp learners' needs, and discuss programs' effectiveness and relevance by capturing the continuum of literacy abilities that goes beyond the simplistic literacy/illiteracy dichotomy. Effective monitoring and evaluation are needed to ensure the quality of adult literacy programs. The International Adult Literacy Survey is a good demonstration of how to use the best of education assessment technology to gather data on a broad range of individual literacy skills and examine basic skills from a continuum or scale perspective. In assessing requests for assistance, donor agencies are interested in research, evaluation, and statistics regarding the planning and implementation of adult literacy programs. (MN)

Because of the significant political implications of first and second language policy, many decision-makers have been reluctant to review language policy in the context of literacy work. Issues that must be considered include the following: whether mother tongue literacy should be a precondition for introduction of a second language in school-based and nonformal settings; conditions under which mother tongue literacy should precede second language literacy; and effects of policies regarding language of instruction on literacy after schooling. In Latin America, the value of native languages and cultures is recognized; the value of culture in bilingual literacy is promoted; and local languages and cultures are being integrated into the educational process. In Africa, on the other hand, African languages are in grave danger, and extra support for them is needed in the schools. Among the issues that must be addressed when imparting language skills in a global language of communication are the following: learners should immediately experience the applicability of their newly acquired language skills; development of simple language units requires cooperation in international research; new didactics and methods must be developed that give equal consideration to everyday use of the language of communication and learning environments outside the school system. (MN)

This booklet reflects issues raised at a workshop on women's education and empowerment held at the Fifth International Conference on Adult Education. It focuses on promoting empowerment for women in educational contexts ranging from formal education systems to literacy and poverty alleviation programs. Section 1 discusses two perspectives on women's empowerment: one that advocates improving women's position and equity without radically altering the existing structure of gender relations and another that sees women's advancement as necessarily involving the transformation of an excessively male-dominated society. Section 2 focuses on how educational opportunity is not necessarily translated into personal, social, and economic gains for Caribbean women. Section 3 uses the women's program, Mahila Samakhya, implemented in the Banda district of India, as an example of empowering women through participatory adult learning. Section 4 deals with new radical discourses in adult literacy work dealing with the issues of violence and creating safe adult learning environments for women. Section 5 highlights the following challenges for adult learning: (1) giving a voice to women who have suffered violent experiences; (2) informal learning; (3) the learner's role in determining the curriculum; (4) breaking discrimination barriers; and (5) connecting formal and nonformal systems of women's adult education within the perspective of lifelong learning. (YLB)

A review of past trends in adult literacy in developing countries shows that the following factors have been crucial to achieving large-scale literacy results: the state as the prime mover; political will or national commitment; a favorable development context; continuous mobilization activities; a broad conception of literacy; broad collaborative involvement; central coordination; postliteracy and other follow-up efforts; and dual strategy combining universal primary education and adult literacy. Despite the arguments against large-scale adult literacy campaigns by nongovernmental organizations and international agencies, well-resourced, well-planned initiatives have taken place in Latin America, Africa, and India. Learner- and community-based approaches are becoming more popular; however, the World Bank's policies regarding adult literacy have had a detrimental effect on efforts to link adult and child literacy through intergenerational approaches. Although the need for literacy teaching is greatest in developing countries, literacy remains a concern in industrialized countries. The literacy of tomorrow should not be a static condition inasmuch as the level of literacy required to function in everyday life is constantly shifting upward. The challenge is to provide citizens with lifelong access to literacy and learning-rich environments. Meeting this challenge requires removing the word "remedial" from the literacy vocabulary and coordinating hitherto separate fields of education. (MN)

This booklet, which was produced as a follow-up to the Fifth International Conference on Adult Education, examines the politics and policies of the education of adults in a globally transforming society. After a brief overview of the three-part workshop from which the booklet emerged, the following issues and challenges facing adult education within the context of global economic transformation are considered: the diminishing validity of the old paradigm of development as an endless upward path; transformation in former socialist countries; transformations in work; processes of democratization throughout the world; and erosion of the nation state. Discussed in an examination of the crucial role of adult learning in addressing the key issues confronting societies are the following topics: promoting political skills and active citizenship; networking among adult learning initiatives; new roles for adults that require higher level competencies; a broader view of adult learning; and policy strategies. The following are among the points made in the booklet's conclusion: (1) the present global transformation is far from being an equitable and sustainable development; (2) the issues confronting adult educators are structural, legislative, and distributive rather than technical or curricular; (3) local experiences should guide practice and policy; (4) sharing experiences and learning from others are increasingly important. (MN)

This booklet, which was produced as a follow-up to the Fifth International Conference on Adult Education, examines literacy in the world and its major regions. After a brief overview of the workshop from which the booklet emerged, the need to reconceptualize literacy as a tool for learning throughout life is emphasized. Discussed next are the following: the sharp differences between literacy rates in industrialized and developing countries and the relationship between illiteracy and other aspects of human and social development; literacy rates and literacy education trends and needs in Africa, the Arab States, and Latin America; lessons learned from large-scale literacy programs; the role of local communities, associations, and businesses in making literacy education a component of local development; and strategies for using literacy education to improve the situation of women and to help them gain responsibility and autonomy. The following are among the points made in the booklet's conclusion: (1) practitioners must be trained to recognize the problems in development; (2) development agencies and educators must understand each other's language; (3) institutions and structures must be created in the context of initiatives; (4) the human, financial, and institutional capital elements of local development must be emphasized; and (5) literacy must be imparted in the local and national languages before being imparted in global languages. (MN)

Literacy is embedded in social practice and has social meanings. Research and practice in adult literacy are demonstrating that, in order to bring about cultural and social transformation, literacy must be seen as an activity embedded in social and cultural practice. The traditional paradigm, which considers literacy as input for development and tends to see literacy primarily in terms of measurable literacy skills to be attained and the numbers to be made literate, must be replaced by a new paradigm based on the assumption that even small communities can begin their own process of literacy and make it part of the fabric of their own way of life. The notion of societal literacy is central to the new paradigm. The extent to which a community uses literacy as an integral part of life varies greatly, depending on the local, national, and international contexts. In the future, literacy provision must reflect the specific and diverse contexts in which literacy is acquired and used. These contexts include the following: what learners already know, want, and bring to the learning experience; learners' mother tongue; learners' identities in terms of gender, class, religion, and race; and learners' social, economic, and cultural contexts. (MN)

This booklet, which was produced as a follow-up to the Fifth International Conference on Adult Education, examines the role of universities in adult learning. The booklet begins with a brief overview of the conference workshop on which it is based. The following issues and challenges facing universities are considered: inequalities within universities; the need for universities to open their doors to a broader range of adults; community needs; and economic needs. The next several sections cite examples of university adult education programs in various countries and illustrate how different countries are doing the following: defining the concept of university-based adult and continuing education; redefining universities' role in view of economic and technological changes; responding to the unique needs of different groups of adult learners, including members of indigenous populations; seeking to attract more students from minority groups and to increase their emphasis on community-based learning; conducting and sharing the results of community-based research; and developing partnerships with industry and business. The examples presented are drawn from South Africa, Australia, the United States, and Norway. Concluding the booklet are overviews of the dilemmas posed for university education by economic and social changes and the need to "mainstream" university adult learning. (MN)

Although technology is not the answer to all educational problems, it is proving to be a useful tool in improving the quality and efficiency of literacy provision in the formal, nonformal, and informal education sectors. Adopting technology demands a selection process for determining which technology is appropriate, by and for whom it will be used, and for what kind of communication and content. It is important to view technology in the wider political, social, and economic context rather than merely in terms of hardware and software packages. Principles in planning the integration of technology into literacy programs include the following: depart from existing strategies and structures; focus on affordability of initial investments in setting up systems; include a training program on using technology; and be flexible about time schedules. Television, radio, computers, and the Internet can all be important tools for facilitating lifelong and lifewide learning. Technology often raises the fear of inequality. Analysis of experiences with educational technology appears to indicate that, although it may initially widen the gap between those with and without access, it holds great potential for making adult and literacy education more affordable and accessible to broader audiences. (MN)

This booklet, which was produced as a follow-up to the Fifth International Conference on Adult Education, examines literacy and learning strategies. After a brief overview of the workshop from which the booklet emerged, the new convivial approaches to literacy that are being developed through experimentation in many developing countries are described. The learner- and community-based approaches fuse literacy and empowering processes through a single, well-structured participatory methodology. Presented next is a discussion of the importance of basic needs and productive work support that advocates the following: (1) developing activities that respect local knowledge, promote on-the-job training, and relate to people's contexts and cultures; (2) developing an understanding of the pedagogy of the informal sector; and (3) using an integrated approach linking competencies for economic survival with the social equipment for greater effectiveness at the local level. Concluding the booklet are the following four steps toward putting participatory ideology into action: (1) decentralize the creation of books and programs; (2) promote basic learning needs through nonformal strategies; (3) recognize that in addition to reading and counting skills, adults also need functional skills to be self-reliant and productive in local economic development; and (4) promote communities' own knowledge and learning traditions. (MN)

This booklet, which was produced as a follow-up to the Fifth International Conference on Adult Education, examines the need to establish a global community of adult learning through information, documentation, and development of a network of networks. Among the topics discussed are the following: issues and challenges emerging from uneven distribution of adult education documentation and resources in industrialized and developing countries and by geographical region (the knowledge explosion, the problem of uneven access, and the diversified nature of information); strategies for improving communication between centers; the complementary nature of electronic and conventional approaches to information dissemination; the need to strengthen collection of unpublished research papers and reports from all countries; ways of linking information dissemination and policymaking; and the role of adult learning information and documentation specialists. Concluding the booklet are the following: (1) a list of the agencies/organizations represented on the steering committee formed to guide the development of a global network of information and documentation centers that would counteract current imbalances in the collection and dissemination of literature/media and information on adult learning in different regions; and (2) suggestions for facilitating global exchange of information and documentation. (MN)

This booklet, which was produced as a follow-up to the Fifth International Conference on Adult Education, examines monitoring adult learning for knowledge-based policymaking. The following are among the topics discussed in the booklet: (1) the need to reconstruct the reality of adult learning in consideration of the concepts of lifelong learning and formal, nonformal, and informal learning; (2) key issues in monitoring adult learning; (3) the importance of developing a framework for adult education indicators; (4) the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) framework for adult education indicators, which includes indicators related to area (contextual data, input, process, outcome) and levels (individuals, institutions, and region); (5) learning modalities that could possibly be included in the OECD framework; (6) development of a multilayered monitoring and information system and data collection avenues to be included in the system (administrative and institutionally based statistics and survey-based approaches and specialized household surveys); (7) shortcomings of surveys and the importance of process information from the practice of adult education; (8) key results of the first International Adult Literacy Survey; (9) implications of surveys for policymakers; (10) the need for complementary qualitative interpretations; and (11) workshop participants' recommendations regarding improving existing monitoring of adult learning. (MN)

This booklet, which was produced as a follow-up to the Fifth International Conference on Adult Education, examines cultural citizenship in the 21st century: adult learning, and indigenous peoples. The booklet begins with an introduction and overview of the current situation of indigenous peoples throughout the world, including recent changes in thinking with regard to indigenous peoples. Three approaches to human rights for indigenous peoples are considered: the concept of universal human rights; the system of protection of minorities within existing states; and peoples' rights to self-determination. The following four pillars of learning with regard to indigenous peoples are explored: (1) learning to be (the right to self-identification and self-definition); (2) learning to know (the right to self-knowledge); (3) learning to do (the right to self-development); and (4) learning to live together (the right to self-determination). The six recommendations for follow-up that conclude the booklet include calls for the following: (1) making basic educational competencies in indigenous languages and in the national and global languages of communication a fundamental entitlement; (2) including bilingual intercultural education in national adult learning systems; (3) having indigenous peoples participate in the design of adult learning opportunities and materials; and (4) addressing indigenous peoples' cultural heritage and histories in curricula. (MN)

This publication documents the presentations, papers, and discussions of two workshops. On theme 4, "Adult Learning, Gender Equality and Equity and the Empowerment of Women," of the Fifth International Conference on Adult Education: "Women's Education: The Contending Discourses and Possibilities for Change" and "Raising Gender Issues in Different Educational Settings." An introduction is followed by "By Way of Introduction to Workshop 1" (Nelly Stromquist) that discusses what gender means. "Two Different Voices on Education for Women's Empowerment" (Sara Hlupekile Longwe) reflects on the two contending discourses on women's education and empowerment. "Learning Literacy Strategies from Indian Women" (Malini Ghose) describes innovative strategies that evolved with women in literacy classes. "Incorporating Women's Experiences of Violence in Literacy Work" (Jennifer Horsman) expounds on the importance of addressing the issue of violence against women. "Women's Education in the Caribbean: Issues and Possibilities" (Anne Marie Smith) maintains that access to education equals access to the labor market by showing a picture of the Caribbean situation. "Discussion of Workshop 1" explores numerous topics raised by the papers. Workshop 2 is composed of six papers. Two papers, "Some Reflections on the UNESCO PROAP [Principal Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific] and ASPBAE [Asia South Pacific Bureau of Adult Education] Research on Girls' and Women's Education" and "Bridging the Gap between the Intention and Action: An Overview of Girls' and Women's Access to Basic Education in South Asia" (Vimla Ramachandran) share results of a four-country research project that indicates many excellent policy documents have been developed but not implemented. "Engendering African Education: Some Reflections" (Essi Sutherland-Addy) highlights the Forum of African Women Educationalists and gives the author's thoughts on African education. "Engendering African Education: A Concept Paper" (Sheila Parvyn Wamahiu) underscores the importance of including gender in the development of education. "Addressing Emotional Subordination in Our Education Work" (Lean Chan Heng) points out the importance of empowering women workers. "Enabling Women's Leadership in Chile" (Alejandra Valdez) shares experiences in conducting women's leadership training, raising the importance of addressing identity and individuation issues. "Discussion of Workshop 2" concludes the publication. (YLB)

This booklet, which was produced as a follow-up to the Fifth International Conference on Adult Education, presents examples of key areas where research is currently being conducted by various public and nongovernmental agencies and recommends ways to enhance communication among researchers. The first 75% of the booklet reviews recent research on the following topics: participation in adult education; gender issues; lifelong learning; teaching and learning processes; adult basic education in industrial countries; staff development; and learning attainment. The examples cited are drawn from Spain, India, Japan, and the United States. The trend toward diversification of theoretical frameworks, approaches, and methodologies in research on adult learning is examined. Discussed next are the following: prerequisites for international dialogue among educational researchers, barriers to the development of adult education research, and new developments in adult learning that must be reinforced in research on adult education. The following are among the six recommendations for future cooperation among adult education researchers that conclude the booklet: (1) consider the diversity of approaches and trends in adult learning research around the world; (2) avoid imposing research formulae; and (3) seek new ways to promote debate on adult education among researchers, practitioners, and institutions.(MN)

The workshop, "Adult Learning, Democracy, and Peace," had the important role of examining the relationship among adult learning, democracy, citizenship, gender, civil society, and a culture of peace. The speakers expressed a variety of opinions on the issue of globalization. Some rejected it as aggravating existing social tensions and inequalities and as leading to increased marginalization, while others partially acknowledged that globalization offers fresh possibilities and opportunities. Speakers discussed the following topics: adult learning strategies that are required to meet democratic aspirations and foster a culture of peace; understanding the local, the national, and the global stages and the tensions among them; adult learning for democracy; gender justice; moving from cultural confrontation to intercultural communication; adult learning for an active civil society; adult learning for gender democracy; pedagogical challenges for promoting democracy and a culture of peace; and pedagogical exercises dealing with conflict situations and reconciliation. (YLB)

This booklet, which was produced as a follow-up to the Fifth International Conference on Adult Education, examines communication among minorities and nonminorities in adult education programs. The booklet begins with a sketch of the situation of minority group members around the world and a list of 10 ways education policy and legislation can advance minority rights. Discussed next is the importance of allocating resources for education so that the different levels of need and different barriers in areas are taken into account. The importance of recognizing minorities' learning systems is underscored. The following are among the eight recommendations for adult learning by and for minority communities: (1) include minority knowledge, culture, language, religion, lifestyle, and history in curricula in a manner promoting mutual respect and understanding between communities; (2) recognize the role and value of minorities' traditional out-of-school learning processes; (3) link educational activities with minorities' local economy, geography, and demography; (4) teach through different media; and (5) promote minorities' participation in an active learning environment. Concluding the booklet are lists of six elements of intercultural learning, nine formal and informal methods of intercultural adult learning, and three areas of follow-up in adult learning. (MN)