The EAEA annual conferences are always an excellent opportunity for professionally engaging and enjoyable gatherings of key representatives in ALE on the European and, to some extent, global scale. The association has 120 members – institutions from 43 European countries. The rich mix of 150 participants at this year’s conference leads us to conclude that nearly all of us made it to Helsinki in June. With great interest, three representatives from the SIAE joined the event as well.
Two leading ICAE members took on important roles: President Robbie Guevara as co-host and co-moderator and Secretary General Dr Katarina Popović, who spoke on the final panel. The new director of UIL, Isabell Kempf, impressed the audience with her passionate speech on the role of ALE in strengthening skills for effectively responding to global changes. Unfortunately, I did not notice any representatives from the European Commission, despite the fact that they co-funded the event.
The new director of UIL, Isabell Kempf, highlighted the importance of awareness-raising (how to make ALE as recognisable as possible) in her speech. The central theme of the day was community: the importance of community, community learning for all kinds of transformations and transitions, and the best foundation for understanding the needs of people and society. We eagerly absorbed examples of good practice in this area and exchanged experiences and contact details for future collaboration during the valuable coffee breaks. At the same time, we experienced validation of our achievements and efforts.
Everything we discussed led to the same conclusion: continuous education and professional development of educators are essential for all of the above.
We gathered several guidelines that are worth considering when planning a new development strategy or upgrading our unique solutions and working methods.
Sivistys – a 150-year-old, eternally relevant principle
Our Finnish hosts gathered us at the Helsinki Conservatory of Music, where the event also celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Finnish Lifelong Learning Foundation (KVS). Their leader, Lauri Tuomi, emphasised their commitment to lifelong learning, which unites people throughout their lives and enables individual development while also fostering care for one another and the environment. In 2024, with the support of their Ministry of Education and Culture, they have further highlighted the concept of Sivistys, which they have fiercely advocated since 1874. This Finnish concept cannot be directly translated – the closest equivalent would be the German term Bildung, and in Slovenian, it could be described as an education in the broadest sense or the process of self-fulfilment.
Laura presented examples of projects and communities that operate according to these principles, most of which address green issues. However, soon, we participants were no longer just listeners but became actors. Initially, we got to know each other in pairs and then formed communities. Our task was to act out what connects us and what we believe in. While other groups skilfully devised their scenarios and brought them to life, our group was left without a coherent theme, let alone the division of roles and agreement on their execution! A community without an identity?! When our moment came, and the attention turned to us, we were momentarily speechless out of embarrassment. Then, one member, who had not previously been the most vocal or active, began to speak/perform. We immediately responded and supported her. At that moment, it dawned on me that for a community boldness and the courage of the person who takes the lead are also crucial.
The Finns prefer to represent Sivistys with two intertwined meanings or purposes:
- It is a general societal aim and value – the path to enlightenment or enlightenment itself.
- It refers to an individual who is civilised and well-mannered, who lives in harmony with other people, wider society and nature, and who is able to contribute to the preservation and development of communities, the environment and humanity.
These aspects, true to the title Transforming Lives, Communities and Society, were the focus of the full-day event on 12 June, which is excellently summarised in the EAEA article.
Amid the challenges of preparing and leading the project Raising Awareness for Lifelong Learning, attending the EAEA Annual Conference was indeed a balm for my soul.
In projects where we often hear the word first (the first national media campaign on lifelong learning, the first public procurement of media space, the first regional coordinators for raising awareness for lifelong learning, etc.), it’s beneficial to look beyond our own borders and discover how others think and work. And perhaps we can also plant some seeds of wisdom (carefully studied and adapted) at home.
Attending the conference reaffirmed the core concept of our project – even Europe’s focus is on connecting and empowering professionals in adult education.
Participating in the workshop Learners’ Voice in Action strengthened our awareness of how important it is to listen directly to learners and their needs. A direct result of this was that we conducted a survey as part of the project, which asked the target group directly about their habits and needs.
As usual, the most important part was meeting new people, learning new ways of working and building connections – Estonia has undertaken a similar project, and they were happy to share their knowledge with us. As you well know, there are always opportunities to learn; we just have to seize them. 😊
Learning for the future – as individuals and active members of the community/society
Speakers and participants confirmed the importance of ALE for an inclusive and sustainability-oriented future – not only as a response to changes but also as a catalyst for them. In light of current global events, the pursuit of peace and harmony was also emphasised. These efforts can emerge in small, local communities and, through small steps, lead to significant transformations, with active, democratic citizenship as the driving force behind them. However, this should not be merely a politically charged, distant concept, but rather, as Isabell Kempf mentioned, it should mean: “… creating active spaces where people can meet, socialise and learn together.”
In the final panel, speakers raised the challenging question of how to measure and holistically demonstrate the impacts of ALE. Both quantitative and qualitative indicators of empowerment provided by ALE are equally valuable, though the scales tend to tip in favour of the latter. “We have stories, we know how to use convincing words, but we lack methods for accurately measuring and showcasing the effects, which is also important, and not only because funders expect it from us,” emphasised Alex Stevenson from the UK’s Learning and Work Institute.
The conference concluded with Gina Ebner, EAEA’s Secretary General, stating: “We need to create a vision that is progressive and forward-looking but has roots in the everyday lives of learners and educators. To this end, we must collaborate at all levels [. . .] and trigger small snowballs that grow larger as they roll.”
Zvonka Pangerc Pahernik, MSc (zvonka.pangerc@acs.si), SIAE