International Council for Adult Education (I.C.A.E.)
AONTAS is an associate member of the I.C.A.E, which represents the worldwide adult education movement of non-governmental organisations working at the grassroots, national and regional levels.The International Council for Adult Education (ICAE) is the international body responsible for lobbying and promoting adult learning on a global scale. It is an important body of which AONTAS is a member. Working with ICAE ensures that we are part of the global adult and community education movement that is committed to adults having equity of access to quality learning opportunities. AONTAS is currently working with ICAE and its global partners in preparation for UNESCO's Sixth International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VI). Further information on this important conference is available here.
Established in 1973, ICAE is a global partnership of adult learners and adult educators and their organizations, and others who promote the use of adult learning as a tool for informed participation of people and sustainable development. In the emergence of knowledge-society the ICAE promotes lifelong learning as a necessary component for people to contribute creatively to their communities and live in independent and democratic societies. Adult and lifelong learning are deeply linked to social, economic and political justice; equality of gender relations; the universal right to learn; living in harmony with the environment; respect for human rights and recognition of cultural diversity, peace and the active involvement of women and men in decisions affecting their lives.
The work of ICAE concentrates on three areas which have specific strategies identified in order to realize that goal. These areas will shape the work of the organisation from 2006-2008
- The right to education and lifelong learning in the new global social agenda
- Poverty Eradication and Adult Education: agreements with civil society organizations, networks and cooperation
- Strengthening of global civil society actors
- Citizens' watch on the right to education and lifelong learning
- Functioning as a learning system network: learning and unlearning
- Gender perspective and education for inclusion: developing a systematic interlinkage analysis between poverty eradication, health, adult literacy and gender
- Organization and implementation of IALLA III, IV and V
- Capacity building and partnership consolidation
- Developing ICAE as a global learning space
- Communications and information
For further information on the work of ICAE please visit their website www.icae.org.uy
International Academy of Lifelong Learning Advocacy (IALLA)
The International Academy of Lifelong Learning Advocacy (IALLA) is a training course for lifelong learning advocacy leaders which is organized by the International Council of Adult Education (ICAE). In its third year, a call for applications was made in April 2007 and from a response of ninety, 30 participants were chosen. The three week course focused on generating a broader vision on adult education within the framework of human rights and active citizenship and developing linkages with the most important globalization issues that affect the world. This global perspective was discussed in relation to the national and local level contexts of the participants that hail from 26 countries.
Montevideo, Uruguay in the southern part of Latin America is home to ICAE and last year's IALLA course, which was held from September 24 - October 12. Niamh O'Reilly, Membership Development Officer, attended this course, a feature in Explore Issue 8 outlines her experience. The next IALLA course is due to commence in South Africa from October 27 to November 12 for more information please see the ICAE website www.icae.org.uy
CONFINTEA VI
UNESCO's Sixth International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VI) will be hosted by Brazil in 2009. This important 
conference will put adult and community education back on the global political agenda. It is vital that the adult and community education sector are aware of this conference and feed into the various processes in the run up to, and during, the event.
The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), as the UNESCO unit in charge of adult learning, non-formal education and lifelong learning, is coordinating the preparation of the conference, in cooperation with UNESCO Headquarters and Regional Bureaus and the CONFINTEA VI Host Country.
- The objectives of CONFINTEA VI are:
- To push forward the recognition of adult learning and education as an important element of and factor conducive to lifelong learning, of which literacy is the foundation;
- To highlight the crucial role of adult learning and education for the realization of current international education and development agendas (EFA, MDGs, UNLD,LIFE, and DESD); and
- To renew political momentum and commitment and to develop the tools for implementation in order to move from rhetoric to action. CONFINTEA VI will focus on improving the quality of adult learning and education as a field in itself, and concentrate on three to four priority issues.
In preparation for the conference each country must provide a national report on the state of the art of adult learning and education under the leadership of the UNESCO National Commissions. To view the guidelines for these reports and see those already submitted please click here.
Furthermore, a regional preparatory meeting will take place in Hungary in December 2008. AONTAS will be contributing to all processes before CONFINTEA VI so to ensure that the views and needs of adult and community education providers and learners in Ireland are well represented. If you would like to know more about AONTAS' involvement in CONFINTEA VI please contact Niamh O'Reilly.
