Report and analysis of the preparatory meeting for Africa
CONFINTEA VI
Rudy Klaas and Agatha Van Ginkel
SIL International 2009
SIL Forum for Language Fieldwork 2009-001, June 2009
Abstract
Contents
Intro d uc tio nPro c e ss
The g lo b a l p ro c e ss
The Afric a re g io na l c o nfe re nc e p ro c e ss
The c o untry re p o rts a nd d ra ft summa ry re p o rt
Fro m summa ry re p o rt to Fina l O utc o me Do c ume nt
Ana lysis o f the p ro c e ss
O utc o me s a nd issue s
Po lic ie s
Fina nc ing
Inc lusio n
Pa rtic ip a tio n
Mo nito ring to o ls
O the r issue s
C o nc lusio n
Ab b re via tio ns
Introduction
The p re p a ra to ry me e ting fo r Afric a C O NFINTEA VI wa s p a rt o f a se rie s o f re g io na l me e ting s o rg a nize d a ro und the wo rld to p re p a re fo r the Sixth Inte rna tio na l
C o nfe re nc e o n Ad ult Ed uc a tio n (C O NFINTEA VI), whic h will ta ke p la c e Ma y 2009 in Bra zil. The c o nfe re nc e in Bra zil will fo c us o n thre e ma jo r o b je c tive s:
1. To p ush fo rw a rd the re c o g nitio n o f a d ult le a rning a nd e d uc a tio n a s a n imp o rta nt e le me nt o f a nd fa c to r c o nd uc ive to life lo ng le a rning , o f whic h lite ra c y is the fo und a tio n;
2. To hig hlig ht the c ruc ia l ro le o f a d ult le a rning a nd e d uc a tio n fo r the re a liza tio n o f c urre nt inte rna tio na l e d uc a tio n a nd d e ve lo p me nt a g e nd a s (EFA, MDG s, UNLD, LIFE, a nd DESD);
3. To re ne w p o litic a l mo me ntum a nd c o mmitme nt a nd to d e ve lo p the to o ls fo r im p le m e nta tio n in o rd e r to m o ve fro m rhe to ric to a c tio n. (C O NFINTEA VI C o nfe re nc e p ro g ra m , p . 2).
The re g io na l p re p a ra to ry c o nfe re nc e s fo c us o n the ir re g io na l sp e c ific issue s in a d ult le a rning . The the me o f the Afric a n re g io na l me e ting wa s ‘ The p o we r o f Yo uth a nd Ad ult le a rning fo r Afric a ’ s d e ve lo p me nt’ .
This re p o rt a na lyze s the Afric a re g io na l p re p a ra to ry c o nfe re nc e fo r C O NFINTEA VI in te rms o f p ro c e sse s, o utc o me s, a nd issue s. It is me a nt to info rm p e o p le a nd
o rg a niza tio ns tha t ha ve a n inte re st in a d ult e d uc a tio n, b ut who d id no t a tte nd the c o nfe re nc e . It sho uld g ive a c le a r o ve rvie w o f wha t the c o nfe re nc e wa s a b o ut, ho w info rm a tio n wa s p ro c e sse d , a nd wha t the o utc o me s a nd issue s a re . Mo st o f the info rm a tio n use d in this p a p e r c o me s fro m d o c ume nts ha nd e d o ut d uring the c o nfe re nc e in Na iro b i. O the r so urc e s a re se p a ra te ly a c kno wle d g e d .
Process
The global process
The Afric a re g io na l p re p a ra to ry c o nfe re nc e is the mo st re c e nt ste p in the p ro c e ss o f c o lla b o ra tive c o nfe re nc e s, the ma tic me e ting s, re vie ws, re se a rc h-b a se d e vid e nc e c o lle c tio n, a nd ne two rking . This p ro c e ss inc lud e s the e ffo rts o f ma ny sta ke ho ld e rs (UNESC O Me mb e r Sta te s, Unite d Na tio ns a g e nc ie s a nd inte rna tio na l d e ve lo p me nt p a rtne rs, c ivil so c ie ty, re se a rc h institutio ns, a nd the p riva te se c to r) a nd will c ulm ina te in a g lo b a l c o nfe re nc e , C O NFINTEA VI in Bra zil, Ma y 2009.
Fig ure 1 O ve rvie w o f the info rm a tio n tha t will fe e d into the G RA LE (UIL, 2008a )
The re c o mme nd a tio ns o f the re g io na l c o nfe re nc e s sho uld b e tra nsla te d into na tio na l stra te g ie s a nd se rve a s a b a sis to e nsure the fo llo w-up to the re g io na l c o nfe re nc e a nd imp le me nta tio n a t b o th na tio na l a nd re g io na l le ve ls.
The ma jo r o utp ut o f C O NFINTEA VI w ill b e a g lo b a l ‘ Fra me wo rk fo r Ac tio n’ , inc lud ing ke y stra te g ie s/ re c o mme nd a tio ns a nd b e nc hm a rks. It sho uld , ho w e ve r, b e ke p t in p e rsp e c tive tha t the re sult o f this c o nfe re nc e is a d viso ry to a nd no t b ind ing up o n g o ve rnme nts. Po litic a l will a nd re so urc e a va ila b ility re m a in im p o rta nt issue s fo r the im p le me nta tio n o f the se re c o m me nd a tio ns, a s w ill b e sho wn in this p a p e r.
The Africa regional conference process
The country reports and draft summary report
The c o untry re p o rts a re a ma jo r so urc e o f inp ut fo r the g lo b a l a nd re g io na l c o nfe re nc e s. The y will a lso sup p ly c ritic a l d a ta fo r the G RALE (UIL 2008b ). It is the re fo re im p o rta nt tha t the c o untry re p o rts ha ve a c c ura te a nd re le va nt info rm a tio n. In o rd e r to g a in the ne c e ssa ry d a ta a b o ut Ad ult Le a rning a nd
Ed uc a tio n (ALE) fro m the c o untry re p o rts, the UNESC O Institute fo r Life lo ng Le a rning (UIL) sup p lie d a fra me wo rk fo r the c o untry re p o rts:
1) Po litic s, le g isla tio n a nd fina nc ing ;
2) Q ua lity o f Ad ult Le a rning a nd Ed uc a tio n: Pro visio n, Pa rtic ip a tio n a nd Ac hie ve me nt;
3) Re se a rc h, Inno va tio n a nd G o o d Pra c tic e ; 4) Ad ult Lite ra c y;
5) Exp e c ta tio ns o f C O NFINTEA VI a nd future p e rsp e c tive s fo r ALE.
c o rre sp o nd ing , inte g ra tio n, p o lic y p rio ritiza tio n a nd a llo c a tio n o f re so urc e s fo r a d ult le a rning a nd e d uc a tio n, e ithe r na tio na lly o r inte rna tio na lly” (UIL 2007b :1). DVV Inte rna tio na l furthe r sta te s tha t “ Sinc e the la st C O NFINTEA me e ting in 1997, the re ha s b e e n little o r no inve stme nt in a d ult e d uc a tio n a c ro ss Afric a , Asia a nd La tin
Am e ric a ” (DVV Inte rna tio na l 2008:99). If, ind e e d , the re ha s b e e n so little p ro g re ss sinc e the la st C O NFINTEA me e ting a p p a re ntly d ue to la c k o f will o n the p a rt o f so me ma jo r sta ke ho ld e rs, d o we no w ha ve re a so n to b e lie ve tha t the ne xt d e c a d e will b e a ny mo re p ro m ising ? Ha s the re b e e n suffic ie nt c ha ng e o f he a rt o r e c o no mic
c irc umsta nc e to a ssure tha t a ny re c o mme nd a tio ns re sulting fro m C O NFINTEA VI will like ly b e imp le me nte d ? Suc h a re the limita tio ns tha t c o uld re stric t p ro g re ss d e sp ite the p ro mising p re p a ra tio ns ma d e a t the Afric a re g io na l me e ting .
Abbreviations
ALE - Ad ult le a rning a nd e d uc a tio n
C BO - C o mmunity b a se d o rg a niza tio n
DESD - De c a d e o f Ed uc a tio n fo r Susta ina b le De ve lo p m e nt
EFA - Ed uc a tio n fo r All
FBO - Fa ith b a se d o rg a niza tio n
G RALE - G lo b a l Re p o rt o n Ad ult Le a rning a nd Ed uc a tio n
IC T - Info rm a tio n a nd c o m munic a tio n te c hno lo g y
MDG - Mille nnium De ve lo p me nt G o a ls
NG O - No n g o ve rnme nt o rg a niza tio n
NQ F - Na tio na l Q ua lific a tio ns Fra me wo rk
UNLD - Unite d Na tio ns Lite ra c y De c a d e
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