The History of the UNESCO International Conferences on Adult Education--From Helsingor (1949) to Hamburg (1997): International Education Policy through People and Programmes

This paper starts with the founding of UNESCO and the fundamental belief that humanitarian, social and political deficits in given societies can be corrected by means of education. The history of the UNESCO International Conferences on Adult Education (Elsinore, Montreal, Tokyo, Paris and Hamburg, 1949-1997) demonstrates the changes in perceptions of adult education, from literacy to lifelong learning, in which adult education is seen as both part of the continuum of education and an entity in itself. In course of time, the position of participants (governments, NGOs and experts) has changed likewise. Since the author was a member of the German delegation at several of these conferences he feels competent to analyse the proceedings and to describe the atmosphere as well. (Contains 13 notes.) [Abstract presented in English, Spanish, and French.]