ASPBAE successfully organises its Fourth General Assembly and Festival of Learning, culminating its 40th Anniversary commemorative celebrations

From December 13 to 18, ASPBAE organized a Festival of Learning in Yogyakarta, Indonesia on the theme “Learning is Freedom”. A total of 158 participants from 24 countries from the region attended this event.

Dr. Usa Duongsaa, outgoing-President of ASPBAE and Maria Khan, ASPBAE Secretary General, welcomed all the participants on behalf of ASPBAE. Two powerful speeches presented by renowned social activists and Magsaysay award winners kicked off the Festival activities. Admiral Ramdas, the former Indian Navy Chief and current India Chairperson of the Pakistan-India Peoples Forum for Peace and Democracy and Pramoedya Ananta Toer, celebrated Indonesian novelist, short-story writer, essayist, and critic – presented the keynote addresses. A brief retrospective video outlining the rich legacy of ASPBAE's 40 years of existence was screened to commemorate the occasion.

The Festival provided a platform for several concurrent regional workshops on the thematic focus areas of ASPBAE's work - HIV/AIDS Education, Citizenship Education, Indigenous Peoples' Education, Peace Education and Conflict Prevention, Education for All (EFA) Advocacy, Migrants Education, Adult Literacy and Social Justice and Community Organising and Popular Education. Gender Mainstreaming approaches were integrated into the design of the workshops.

Several of these workshops culminated earlier processes undertaken in the last 1-2 years or updated on the priority activities of ASPBAE. The discussions and recommendations of these workshops will inform ASPBAE’s strategic and thematic directions.

To provide the participating CSO activists with an insight to and flavour of the dynamism of the local CSO movements in Yogyakarta exposure visits were organised to local communities of domestic workers, urban poor saving group, street vendors groups, traditional medicines and farmers, street musicians, self-help community groups, organic farmers and female and transvestites sex workers.

The Education Network for Justice Indonesia launched its study on Privatisation of Education during a Public Dialogue organized within the Festival of Learning (FOL). The Study revealed important interrelations between the privatisation of education, poor quality education and the debt problems of Indonesia. E-NET J also used the Festival as an occasion to extend its support to the anti-debt movement with a public awareness T-Shirt campaign. With the slogan ‘Debt Cancellation, Education for Girls now!!’ the campaign aimed to highlight people’s concerns on the impact of debt on reducing education budgets in Indonesia

The Festival also provided a space for several cultural events. All participants were invited to prepare exhibition booths displaying their work in adult education in their respective countries. The Exhibition was officially launched by the Indonesian Education Minister, Bambang Sudibyo. A concurrent documentary film festival was also organized to showcase important Asia Pacific civil society issues. Two ASPBAE publications were launched on this occasion:

(1)     Citizens & Governance: A Citizens Education Action Learning Guide

(2) A Road Less Travelled: The Story of Gender Mainstreaming in ASPBAE

ASPBAE successfully organises its Fourth General Assembly and Festival of Learning, culminating its 40th Anniversary commemorative celebrations (contd.)

The Festival also provided the space for discussions around ASPBAE’s past achievements, challenges and future prospects led by Maria Khan, ASPBAE Secretary General. Former ASPBAE President, Rajesh Tandon participated in these discussions and offered his insights and suggestions on ASPBAE’s future roles. ASPBAE also took this opportunity to thank its longest-standing partner in international cooperation - the Institute for International Cooperation of the German Adult Education Association (IIZ/DVV) – for 26 years of support and partnership.

The Turnover ceremonies marked the official hand-over of responsibilities to the newly elected Executive Council of ASPBAE (2005-2008) headed by the incoming President, Sandra Morrison.

ASPBAE’s Festival of Learning was a mosaic of workshops, book launches, speeches, documentary films, exhibition booths, cultural events, meetings, field visits, site seeing and shopping interwoven together to create a culture of serious deliberation, reflection, ceremony and festivities that best reflected ASPBAE as a buoyant and dynamic popular adult education movement rooted in the hopes and aspirations of its members and representing the genuine concerns of the marginalized populations that form its primary constituency. It was a celebration of the rich and diverse culture and traditions of the Asia-Pacific Region. A befitting commemoration to ASPBAE’s 40 years journey as a premier adult education organization in the region and a celebration of civil society solidarity in promoting transformative adult education practice in the region.

Video and text based documentation of the Festival of Learning and Workshops are available. The ASPBAE Retrospective is also available in CD format.  For a summary of the main discussions and outcomes of the Festival of Learning and Workshops you may refer to our website at http://www.aspbae.org

Newly-elected ASPBAE Executive Council Meets in Dhaka, Bangladesh from 8-10 March, 2005

The first meeting of the newly-elected Executive Council was held in Dhaka, Bangladesh from 8-10 March, 2005. The Executive received and reviewed the Report of the Secretary-General for the year 2004 and deliberated on Plans for the coming year.

Significantly, the Executive reviewed the thematic focus areas of ASPBAE and called for renewed priority to issues of migrant workers along with other displaced groups such as victims of human trafficking, refugees, and others. Based on the assessment of its current work, the Executive also agreed this year would be a timely occasion for a strategic appraisal of ASPBAE’s future possibilities and options. A special meeting of the Executive will be organized within the year, for this purpose.

The Executive also met with members in Bangladesh and attended the launch of CAMPE Bangladesh’s Education Watch 2004 Report.

Newly-elected ASPBAE Executive Council Meets in Dhaka, Bangladesh from 8-10 March, 2005

(contd.)

We take this opportunity to introduce to you our new Executive Council members:

President: Sandra Lee Morrison

Sandra Lee Morrison is Chairperson and Senior Lecturer at the School of Maori and Pacific Development in Hamilton, New Zealand. Sandy’s association with ASPBAE began in 1998 through the Indigenous Education programme which she eventually steered for several years. An activist on Maori and indigenous people’s rights, Sandy represents in various government and international bodies and platforms advancing education and learning rights of indigenous people. She was co-convenor of the Indigenous Maori and Pacific Adult Education Charitable Trust (IMPAECT) and is currently initiating the formation of the Maori Adult Education Association. She is also a member of Te Whariki Tautoko, a Maori Counsellors Network. Sandy has facilitated several of ASPBAE’s South Pacific and regional workshops and was Course Director of the Basic Leadership Development Course from 2001.

Sub-region 1:

Shaheen Attiq-ur-Rehman

Shaheen is Senior Director of Bunyad Literacy Community Council, Pakistan. Her association with ASPBAE began in 1996. She has held several senior positions in Pakistan’s women’s literacy and community development programmes. She has been Minister of Social Welfare & Women’s Development of the Government of the Punjab Province from 1985 to 1987. She has represented ASPBAE is several international policy events.

Kazi Rafiqul Alam

Kazi Rafiqul Alam is the Executive Director of Dhaka Ahsania Mission, Bangladesh.  He is also a consultant to UNESCO on non-formal education. He is a member of several committees formed by the Government of Bangladesh on education and has been instrumental in setting up several charitable and educational institutions. His association with ASPBAE began in 1989. He has represented ASPBAE in several international platforms and has co-ordinated Dhaka Ahsania Mission’s participation in several ASPBAE literacy and adult education policy research studies.

Newly-elected ASPBAE Executive Council Meets in Dhaka, Bangladesh from 8-10 March, 2005

(contd)

Sub-region 2:

Yu Jun

Yu Jun is an Associate Professor at the Beijing Foreign Studies University. She is also Director of the International Co-operation Department of the China Adult Education Association. Her association with ASPBAE began in 1997 and has previously been a co-opted representative on the Executive Council from 1997 to 2000. In 2003, she assisted in organizing and hosting the Seminar on International Co-operation in Adult Education as part of the 25 years celebrations of ASPBAE-IIZ/DVV’s co-operation.

Takafumi Miyake

Takafumi Miyake is currently Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanti Volunteer Associaton, Japan. He is also Secretary General of the Japan NGO Network on Education and a member of the Japan Society of Adult and Community Education. His association with ASPBAE began 1996. He represented ASPBAE on the Governing Board of the Global Campaign for Education (2002-2004).

Sub-region 3:

Nani Zulminarni

Nani Zulminarni is Chairperson of the Centre for Women’s Resource Development (PPSW), Indonesia. She is also the National Co-ordinator of the Female-headed Households Empowerment Programme and Chairperson of the South East Asia Popular Education Programme. Her association with ASPBAE began in 1996. She has been a trainer facilitator in several in-country and regional workshops, Chaired ASPBAE’s Gender Mainstreaming Committee (2001-2004) and was a key organizer of ASPBAE’s Festival of Learning.

Jerald Joseph

Jerald Joseph is Training Consultant and Co-ordinator of the Peoples Communication Centre (Pusat Komas), Malaysia. He specializes in human rights education and community based popular education training methodologies. His association with ASPBAE began in 1996. He has facilitated several ASPBAE regional workshops on peace education, indigenous people’s education, citizenship education and basic leadership training. He has been Course Director of the ASPBAE Basic Leadership Development Course and with Nani, a key organizer of ASPBAE’s Festival of Learning.

Newly-elected ASPBAE Executive Council Meets in Dhaka, Bangladesh from 8-10 March, 2005

(contd)

Sub-region 4:

Matatumua Maimoaga Vermeulen

Mua (as she is popularly known) is Founding Trustee and Information and Liaison Officer of the Matualeoo Environment Trust (METI), Samoa. She is a Founding Member of the Samoa All Peoples Party and the Samoa Civil Liberties Society. She is an active practitioner of participatory learning approaches with rural women’s groups. Her association with ASPBAE began in 2001 as focal point of ASPBAE’s CSO Capacity Building Programme for Education Advocacy in Samoa.

John Salong

John Salong belongs to the island country of Vanuatu in the South Pacific. He has a background in economics, policy studies and business administration. After his studies in the United States and Canada, he returned to Vanuatu and worked in the capacity of Director/Consultant/Trainer-Animator in several developmental programmes. His association with ASPBAE began in 2002 as a facilitator of a CSO Workshop on learning Circles – A Tool for Adult Education. He has since supported and facilitated ASPBAE’s education policy work in Vanuatu and the South Pacific. He has represented ASPBAE in the UNESCO Institute of Education (UIE) Seminar on Adult Education, Democrac y & Active Citizenship in Hamburg, Germany in June 2002. 

For the contact details of our Executive Council Members please link to aspbae@vsnl.com  

ASPBAE Responses to the Tsunami Disaster in Asia

The Asian Tsunami disaster of December 26, 2004 caused death to hundreds of thousands in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Myanmar - and untold misery and suffering to even more. Several ASPBAE members lost property, family and many loved ones, in Aceh, Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka.

On December 31, 2004, ASPBAE issued an appeal for donations to assist victims of this disaster. On January 5-13, Executive Council members for South East Asia, Jerald Joseph and Nani Zulminarni travelled to Aceh to meet with our members, review the situation in the area first-hand and propose concrete areas of relief support ASPBAE can pursue:

Their visit confirmed that assistance towards enabling civil society organisations to re-build and re-organise themselves was most relevant and strategic. Several NGO activists in Aceh - having lost everything and coping with great personal tragedy - were nonetheless very keen to get back to work, directly participate in the ongoing relief and rehabilitation work and be in the mainstream of redefining the future course of development and reconstruction in Aceh.

ASPBAE Responses to the Tsunami Disaster in Asia (contd.)

It also underscored that woman victims of the tsunami remain a very vulnerable sector given the highly conservative social setting in the area. Relief support to women - many of whom are still in refugee camps - and longer term assistance to strengthen women's capacities to assert their specific needs and priorities in the rebuilding of Aceh, need special consideration.

There is also need for support in trauma management for NGOs and women's groups.

Community level work shops and trainings for NGOs and women to  organise  rehabilitation responses: restoring livelihoods, infrastructure and housing, re-starting schools, strategic planning for NGOs, post-disaster - are increasingly demanded as people start rebuilding their lives.

Donations received in response to the ASPBAE appeal are being disbursed in support of the above priority areas, and in a manner that responds best to on-site developments and emergent needs of NGOs and women in the ongoing relief effort.

Relatedly, ASPBAE President, Sandy Morrison, Executive Council Member from the South Pacific, John Salong and Secretary General Maria Khan  travelled to Canberra, Australia where ASPBAE, Adult Learning Australia (ALA) and a remarkable team of volunteers organised a benefit dinner for the tsunami victims of Aceh. 

ASPBAE will continue needs-based, regionally-mobilised support for its members and affiliates operating in the tsunami-affected areas of the region with a special focus on strengthening CSO capacities for their substantial involvement in policy, decision-making processes and the implementation of reconstruction and rehabilitation plans in the disaster-ravaged areas of Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

A Regional Training on Trauma Management and Psycho-social support is planned for May 2005 in Malaysia. This will be followed by country-level community training workshops, customised around specific needs. Capacity-building work in support of education monitoring in post-disaster reconstruction will also be explored in Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

Updates on ASPBAE involvements in the Global Campaign for Education (GCE)

Participation in the GCE World Assembly: ASPBAE participated in the GCE World Assembly held from November 27 to December 5, 2004 in Johannesburg, South Africa. This culminated a set of preparatory processes including the Asia-Pacific Regional Consultation for the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) jointly organized by ASPBAE and Oxfam GB East Asia office in Bangkok last October. Several national coalitions from the Asia Pacific were represented in the Regional Consultation and the World Assembly in Johannesburg.

The Assembly agreed on the campaign priorities for GCE in the following years. It also deliberated on a set of strategic changes in the organization, notably a number of organizational measures aimed at strengthening the Southern voice in the campaign. The Assembly agreed to shift the GCE Secretariat from Brussels to South Africa. It also agreed to strengthen the capacities of the Secretariat with the appointment of additional programme and staff support to an International Campaign Coordinator based in South Africa. Funds allowing, regional campaign coordinators will also be appointed – with priority to Asia. These measures are all intended to build from (not duplicate) existing work and initiatives of GCE’s members and constituents towards making GCE a more effective and dynamic campaign body for education, world-wide.

The Assembly also elected a new Board. Mr. Elie Jouen was elected Chairman and Mr. Kailash Satyarti, President of GCE. CAMPE, Bangladesh (represented by Rasheda Choudhury) and ASPBAE (represented by Maria Khan) have been re-elected as regional representatives on the Board.

Real World Strategies Project in Asia: ASPBAE continues to coordinate the Global Campaign for Education programme on CSO capacity-building for education advocacy called the Real World Strategies (RWS) project. Through the RWS, ASPBAE continues to provide significant support to CSOs and national education coalitions to build their capacities for meaningful and effective education campaigns. The countries supported by the RWS initiative are Nepal, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea.

The Asia Regional Steering Committee which reviews work in each of the RWS countries and charts out the course of action of the project, convened on 26-28 February 2005 at the office of the Global March Against Child Labour in New Delhi.

Committee Members include Suman from Global March, India, Maria Khan of ASPBAE, Rasheda Choudhury, GCE Board Member and Director of CAMPE, Bangladesh and Aloysius Mathews, Asia Pacific Coordinator of Education International (EI).  National coalitions supported by RWS also attended the meeting, along with ASPBAE and RWS staff.

The Steering Committee reviewed the implementation of RWS in all project countries. By the end of 2004, the RWS has directly contributed to creating 3 national coalitions for education advocacy: the Education Network of Justice, Indonesia, Coalition on Education for the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea Education for Advocacy Network. It also supported the work of already existing EFA coalitions notable, Education Network Philippines and the National Coalition for Education, India. These coalitions – in varying degrees – launched local campaigns and lobbying efforts during the year. They also held workshops for initiating local level policy analysis and policy tracking exercises.

Updates on ASPBAE involvements in the Global Campaign for Education (GCE)

(contd.)

ASPBAE also supported education advocacy capacity-building initiatives in other (than countries covered under the RWS) South Pacific countries namely: Vanuatu, Samoa and the Solomon Islands through the Vanuatu Education Pacific Advocacy Coalition in Vanuatu and the Alliance for Education Advocacy in Samoa.

RWS support helped CSO coalitions deepen analysis of policy issues in education in imparting/popularizing analytical and practical tools and guides to assist groups and communities undertake local-level action, in tracking budgets and education spending, in tracking gender-biases in education provisioning, and in participatory mapping exercises to assess education issues in communities and build awareness on education rights.

The Steering Committee approved the RWS plans and budgets for 2005. They also agreed on sub-regionally defined capacity-building activities focused on issues of education financing. A campaign focus in 2005 on girls and women’s education was also underscored, recognizing that this is the year the first set of EFA gender targets fall due.

The meeting also presented the opportunity to follow-up on the regional activities identified by the participants of the last GCE Regional Consultation: the Education Watch project in Asia and the School Report card on Southern governments. The coalitions also updated on the plans for Global Action Week 2005 and the plans of the Global Call for Action Against Poverty (G-CAP).

ASPBAE calls on all its members and friends to participate in Global Action Week scheduled from 24 to 30 April 2005. This year the global slogan is “Send My Friend to School.” For details on GAW 2005 activities visit the GCE website at http://www.campaignforeducation.org

Updates on the UNESCO NGO Collective Consultation on EFA (NGO CC/EFA)

Participation in the NGO CC/EFA Assembly and in the International Seminar on CSO Capacity-building for EFA Advocacy: More than a hundred CSO representatives attended the World Assembly of the UNESCO NGO Collective Consultation on Education for All (EFA) held in Beirut, Lebanon on December 9-11, 2004. The event was jointly hosted by the Arab Resource Collective and the UNESCO Beirut office.

ASPBAE was represented in the meeting by Executive Council members, Kazi Rafiqul Alam, Executive Director of Dhaka Ahsania Mission and Vice President of the Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE), Bangladesh; Shaheen Attiq ur Rehman, Executive Director of Bunyad, Pakistan; and ASPBAE Secretary General, Maria Lourdes Almazan Khan. ASPBAE Programme Manager, Bernie Lovegrove and ASPBAE member, Vera Razon from the Philippines also participated. Representatives of two other EFA national coalitions: Raquel Castillo of Education Network, Philippines and Aquino Hayunta of E-Net for Justice Indonesia were also present. ASPBAE member PACADE, Pakistan represented by Inayatullah also participated.

Updates on the UNESCO NGO Collective Consultation on EFA (NGO CC/EFA) (contd.)

The assembly discussions focused on a review of EFA progress to date and CSO involvement in the EFA policy processes over the last period. The Assembly also reviewed the work of the CC NGO /EFA as a mechanism within UNESCO, especially in relation to the priority areas defined by the Assembly in 2003 in Porto Alegre. Three platforms for EFA advocacy were discussed in greater detail: the Global Campaign for Education's Global Action Week activities and the 2005 Global Campaign Against Poverty (G-CAP); the UNESCO Literacy Initiative for the Excluded (LIFE) and the 2006 Global Monitoring Report which will focus on Adult Literacy. The assembly likewise updated on financing issues in EFA, with discussions led by Abhimanyu Singh, Director International Coordination and Monitoring for EFA of UNESCO.

Prior to the Assembly an International Seminar on Capacity Building for EFA Advocacy was organized on December 7-8 2004 at the same venue.

This provided a space for the different CSO representatives - mainly from regional and national EFA coalitions - to interact and share approaches in relation to 1) tracking and monitoring education policies; 2) coalition-building for EFA campaigning; 3) capacity-building for education advocacy. ASPBAE developed an analytical paper, ‘Changing the rules of the game’: Building capacity for policy engagement and Asian South Pacific CSOs in education’, authored by Vera Razon as on of the main discussion papers presented during the International Seminar. This document codifies very useful lessons in CSO involvement in policy work which need wider dissemination and popularizing.

ASPBAE organized the Workshop on Tracking Education policies where the experiences of CAMPE's Education Watch approach and E-Net Philippines' budget tracking initiative were presented by Kazi Rafiqul Alam and Raquel Castillo respectively. The presentations were very well received and the subsequent discussions underscored the fact that much can be gained in sharing 'tools' and 'approaches' developed by different CSO groups, which can then be customized and refined to suit other contexts.

In conclusion, the Assembly reaffirmed priority to the strategies identified in Porto Alegre.

The Assembly further made specific recommendations to UNESCO to enable it to better play its leadership role in the EFA follow up process.

Specific recommendations were likewise made to the UNESCO LIFE and the Global Monitoring Report 2006. The body likewise endorsed participation in GCE's Global Action Week 2005.

The regions and international CSOs also selected their focal points to the Coordination Group of the NGO CC/EFA. ASPBAE remained the focal point for the Asia Pacific region.

Updates on the UNESCO NGO Collective Consultation on EFA (NGO CC/EFA) (contd.)

Submissions to the EFA Global Monitoring Report 2006 on Literacy: ASPBAE participated in a joint Action Aid-GCE study designed to help determine ‘Benchmarks of good practice and costs in adult literacy programmes’. The resulting benchmarks are envisaged to become definitive reference points for policy makers, practitioners and donors supporting adult literacy programmes. They will also be a key input into the 2006 EFA Global Monitoring Report which will focus on literacy.

ASPBAE’s participation in this was also augmented by an electronic discussion run in late 2004, on Financing for Adult Education. This discussion was developed around a discussion paper drafted by Alan Rogers, underscoring the considerations to be mindful of in defining ‘benchmarks’ that have wide application as a basis for calculations of adult literacy financing requirements. The final ASPBAE submission to the GMR 2006 was developed from this process.

Participation in the World Social Forum

At the World Social Forum held in Porto Alegre from 26 to 31 January 2005, ASPBAE collaborated with the International Council for Adult Education (ICAE) in its organising of workshops related to education. The ICAE also used the opportunity of the gathering to hold its Executive Council Meeting. ASPBAE was represented by its Executive Council member from South East Asia, Jerald Joseph. He made a presentation on the situation of Aceh based on his visit to the area post Tsunami. ICAE has endorsed support to ASPBAE’s relief and rehabilitation plans pertaining to CSOs working among the Tsunami affected communities of Aceh.

Updates on Policy Research & Policy Papers, Case Studies & Publications

Policy Research & Policy Papers

§      Virtual Discussions on:

(1) Resourcing for Quality Adult Literacy,  17 September-5 October, 2004

(2) CSO Capacity Building for Policy Engagement on EFA, 15 October-19

      November 2004

§      Impact Studies on Adult Education & Poverty Reduction by Dhaka Ahsania Mission, Bangladesh and Migrants Forum Asia, Philippines

§      Paper on “Resourcing for Quality Adult Literacy”, by Prof. Alan Rogers

§      ‘Civil Society Engagement in EFA in the Post-Dakar Period: A Self-Reflective Review’, by Susanne Schnuttgen, and Maria Khan, a Working Document for the Fifth EFA Working Group Meeting (20-21 July 2004) 

§      ‘Changing the Rules of the Game: Building Capacities for Policy Engagement and Asian South Pacific CSOs in Education’ , by Vera Razon, Analytical Paper from the Asia Pacific for the UNESCO NGO CC/EFA International Seminar on Capacity-building for EFA Policy Engagement, Beirut (7-8 December 2004)

In-Country

§         Research on Privatization of Education in Indonesia

§         Research on Privatization of Education in the Philippines

§         Policy Discussion papers on tracking donor financing in education, quality holistic education, adult literacy and tracking commitments to gender equity in education in the Solomon Islands.

§         Policy Discussion Papers on the tracking the education budget, curriculum reform, holistic education and effects of foreign aid on the education system in PNG

§         Developing Benchmarks for Quality Education, A Pilot Study in Sumatra

Updates on Policy Research & Policy Papers, Case Studies & Publications (contd.)

Case Studies

o         Indigenous Peoples Education from India, Nepal, Malaysia, Burma, New Zealand

Publications

1. Divide & Connect: Perils and Potentials of Information and Communication Technology in Asia and the Pacific

2.  A Road Less Travelled: The Story of Gender Mainstreaming in ASPBAE

3.   Citizens & Governance: A Citizens Education Action Learning Guide

4.   Updating Bridging the Gap in Girls and Women’s Education in South Asia (in process)

5.   Carrying the Education Torch: Girls and Women’s Education in South Asia 2004 (in process)