UNESCO statement 2

Memorandum II

TO: Adult Education Organizations - Government Officials - Other Cooperating and Interested Individuals and NGO's (Non-Governmental Organizations)

FROM: Alexander N. Charters, Coordinator, U. S. Participation (private sector) on Fifth UNESCO Conference on Adult Education

This memorandum may help you to keep current on the Fifth UNESCO Conference to be held in Hamburg, Germany, July 14-18, 1997.

1. It is hoped that each of you representing an organization in COLLO (Coalition of Life Long Organizations) and each of you mentioned in these memoranda will inform officers and members of your organization of the developments of the Fifth Conference. In most cases you are the only person to communicate with them. You may use any of the available materials as a basis for action of your organization, for publicity in your newsletters and periodicals or for other activities.

Memoranda are being sent to all persons on the mailing list given by COLLA to the Coordinator.

2. William A. Langner, recently retired as a Senior Staff Member of the Division of Adult Education and Literacy, U. S. Department of Education, continues to be active in issues related to adults with disabilities. He is one of the organizers of the First Symposium on Lifelong Learning for Adults with Disabilities to be held at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC, March 16-21, 1997. It is planned to report the results to the Fifth International Conference in Hamburg, July 14-18, 1997.

The sponsors of the Symposium are: International Council for Adult Education (ICAE), International Center on Lifelong Learning, Disabled People International (EPIO), and Gallaudet University.

3. Laubach Literacy International is planning to send a memorandum to UNESCO on major issues and developments in Literacy/Basic Education in the U.S. with particular reference to NGO's (Non-Governmental Organizations). It is a collaborative arrangement with AAACE (American Association for Adult and Continuing Education), COLLO, and the National Coalition for Literacy.

Peter A. Waite
Executive Director
Laubach Literacy Action
1320 Jamesville Avenue
Box 131
Syracuse, NY 13210

4. In Memorandum I, Item 9, it was stated that the Coordinator was to be in communication with Dr. Daniel Wagner related to literacy and U. S. participation. His address was inadvertently omitted. Contact him directly if you have some input. Please keep me informed.

Dr. Daniel A. Wagner, Director
National Center on Adult Literacy (ILI/NCAL)
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6216
TEL: 215-898-2100
FAX: 215-898-9804

5. In Memorandum I, Item 11, William Draves was listed as the COLLO representative to I.C.A.E. Dr. Draves has been replaced by the current President, Dr. Judith Koloski.

Dr. Judith Ann Koloski
President
Coalition of Lifelong Learning Organizations
444 N. Capitol Street, Ste. 422
Washington, DC 20001
TEL: 202-624-5250

6. Dr. A. W. A. Yousif, Chief, Literacy and Adult Education Section, UNESCO, has informed me of the following information reflecting UNESCO interest in U. S. organizations:

A. Johns Hopkins University
School of Hygiene and Public Health
615 N. Wolfe Street
Baltimore, MD 21205
UNESCO contribution: $500,000 over a five year period

B. Columbia University in the City of New York
205 Low Memorial Library
New York, NY 10027
UNESCO contribution: $100,.000 for 1996.

Dr. A. W. A. Yousif
Chief
ED/BAS/LIT
UNESCO
7, Place de Fontenoy
75352 Paris
France
TEL: (33-1) 45 68 10.00
FAX: (33-1) 45 68 56 26

7. Dr. John T. Comings has informed me that a grant has been made by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement to fund a new National Center for Adult Learning. He also stated to me that they are interested in the United States Participation in the Fifth Conference.

Dr. John T. Comings
Director
National Center for the Study of Adult Learning
Nicholas House
Graduate School of Education
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA 02138
TEL: 617-495-4843
FAX: 617-495-4811

8. I have talked with James Olson, Vice President of United Nations Association of the U.S.A. I sent him some materials about the Fifth Conference and hope that he will give information about the Conference to the members of UNA.

Dr. James Olson
Vice President for National Programs
United Nations Association of the U.S.A.
485 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10017
TEL: 212-697-3232
FAX: 212-682-9185

9. Dr. Richard Connoley of Rockland Community College is exploring with Dr. Belanger a project to have some presentations and discussions using videoconferencing, documentary video and videotaped oral histories to link the Fifth Conference from Hamburg with some groups of adults in the United States and perhaps other countries.

Mr. Richard Connoley
Rockland Community College
6 South Broadway
Nyack, NY 10960
TEL: 914-574-4221

10. The International Reading Association (IRA) is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with Category B status in UNESCO. It has as its mission the promotion of literacy worldwide. With headquarters in the United States, it has 94,000 members in over 70 countries.

UNESCO awards a series of literacy prizes on September 8th of each year. The IRA is the senior member of three donor organizations making the awards. It is particularly interested in literacy and reading. It has been involved directly with UNESCO in some preparatory activities of the Fifth Conference on Adult Education.

Mr. A. Farstrup
Executive Director
International Reading Association
800 Barksdale Road
PO Box 8139
Newark, DE 19714-8139
TEL: 302-731-1600

11. The Fifth Conference has been briefly discussed with Dr. Bret Lovejoy of the American Vocational Association. He expressed interest and materials have been sent to him.

Dr. Bret Lovejoy
Executive Director
American Vocational Association
1410 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
TEL: 703-683-3111 or 1-800-826-9972
FAX: 703-683-7424

12. As previously mentioned, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's) wishing an invitation to the Conference in Hamburg should write directly to Dr. Paul Belanger. You should indicate that the Organization is a not for profit organization; is in the field of Adult Education; and has a commitment to international cooperation. You should also describe the purpose, membership and other items. Please state that your organization wishes to be invited as a U.S. participant and that you are communicating with the Coordinator. Please send me a copy of your communications. Official invitations will be sent from UNESCO, Paris. Each NGO participant from the U. S. is responsible for travel, accommodations and other expenses. There are no registration fees.

Dr. Paul Belanger
Director
UNESCO Institute for Education
Feldbrunnenstrasse 58
20148 Hamburg
Germany
TEL: 49 40 448041-0
FAX: 49 40 41077-23

NGO's accepted for participation will be notified by the UNESCO office in Paris.

13. At the Fifth Conference in July, two items will be recommended for action by the Voting Delegates.

1. Declaration

2. Agenda for the Future/Plan of Action

These two items are being put into draft form. About the middle of February 1997 the draft copies will become available. They will be sent to you along with information about the channels for you as an individual or NGO to make an input, if you wish.

14. The Coordinator is calling a meeting of U. S. participants before the first scheduled meeting of the Fifth Conference on July 14, 1997.

The Untied States will not have voting privileges but individuals may participate in the sessions. It seems appropriate for the U. S. participants to meet each other as a group and take action as wished.

15. Please, you are encouraged to offer any comments and suggestions. If you know of other organizations who may wish to receive the Memoranda or other materials, let me know. Also, please let me know of your activities including your comments related to the Conference.

16. Dr. Paul Belanger and I are in close communication,.

17. Report of Coordinator

As Coordinator of the U. S. Participation (private sector) for the Fifth UNESCO Conference on Adult Education, I attended the Regional Pan European Conference, held in Barcelona, December 12-14, 1996. Dr. Ronald Pugsley participated as a U. S. Government Official.

It was one of five Regional Conferences as part of the preparation for the Fifth UNESCO Conference on Adult Education. The 250 attendees from 40 countries representing Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's) and governing were in 1 of 5 groups: Intellectual rights and responsibilities of citizens; Developing and democratizing adult education; Adult learning in transitional economies; Creativity of agents and new social issues; and New possibilities for expression: the media and new information technologies.

The reports from each group were put into one report which was briefly summarized by Mr. Joan Majo at the final plenary session: 1) Awareness of deep concerns in areas of work, employment, inequality, gender equality; 2) Social/economic transformations with European community; 3) Awareness of Europe's responsibility to other areas of the world; 4) Desire to advance new individual rights: rights to information, training, education; 5) Personal (national) commitments to adult education and learning; 6) Continuous developments in education: teaching people to live better; 7) Multi-disciplinary nature of adult education, requires ministerial cooperation; and 8) New range of opportunities in adult education through technology; technology is also a major factor in social exclusion between "knowledge haves and have-nots." The Coordinator plans to send the report to you if and when it is received from the Reporter, Mr. Joan Majo.

Among the speakers at the plenary sessions were: Mrs. Angela Miquel i Anglarill, President of the Organizing Committee, General Director for Adult Education; Mr. Michel Rocard, former Prime Minister of the French Republic; Excm. Mrs. Esperanza Aguirre, Minister of Education and Culture of the Spanish Government; Excm. Mr. Joan Majo, former Minister of Industry of the Spanish Government; M. H. Mr. Jordi Pujol, President of Catalonia; and Excm. Mr. Federick Mayor Zaragoza, Director General of UNESCO.

The Conference officials were most cordial and expressed their strong interest in having the U. S. re-enter UNESCO. The individual representatives clearly articulated this same sentiment.

My personal sense was that the literate may be becoming more literate while the ignorant may be becoming more ignorant. The difference is not acceptable at any time but particularly in a global society. Lifelong learning is a positive force that can lessen the dichotomy. We cannot wait 15 years for children to grow up and resolve the problems, so adult learning is an essential and urgent task now.

It was a fine learning experience that was an excellent prelude to the Fifth UNESCO Conference to be held in Hamburg, July 14-18, 1997. I feel certain that U. S. participants will find it personally productive and that it will enhance the field of Adult and Continuing Education nationally and worldwide.