LLinE Lifelong Learning in Europe

Editorial Paul Ilsley: Citizenship and inclusion

The LLinE conference in October 2005 was based on the provocative themes of employability, social inclusion, active citizenship and personal fulfilment. Conference members participated in forums to determine what these themes mean and how they should be attained. The themes are widely discussed in the halls and around the tables of conversation of the EU (see especially the Lisbon Accord of 2002) and are supported by various legislative bodies and national ministries of education, labor, foreign affairs, etc. These four themes recently gained attention because of their significance in staving off impending social problems of unemployment, social issues regarding immigrants, and anomie.

The vision is to build stronger ties among organizations and countries and to enrich quality of life for European residents. The Lisbon Accord offers insight along these lines especially regarding the role of adult education in creating an enriched future locally, nationally, and globally. What is interesting about these themes is how, in their ideal state, they are mutually dependent. Their very definitions depend on how the others are defined. They are interconnected.

Another significant feature about them regards their process. It is one thing to define them well, with consistency and mutuality, but it is quite another to decide how to attain them. Who ultimately defines the terms? To what extent can social inclusion be legislated? How do we best teach active citizenship? Or, rather than risking overstructure, is it better to do nothing and leave it all to the invisible hand that defines all civil societies? As they say, morality cannot be legislated – it takes time, effort and buy-in before a public accepts new principles of quality of life, even when those principles could be mutually beneficial. These ideals cannot be attained through teaching content, or through any top-down process. Rather, at times process matters more than content and here this is certainly the case.

The process is about building forums for the examination of social values and for continued vigilance of human rights. To build a spirit of inclusion, and for us to examine the intricate social webs that drawl people together, we designed the conference with an eye on participation in critical discussions and providing an answer to the challenge of the Lisbon Accord. Deliberation of these themes provides an opportunity for adult educators to realize visions and to coalesce around time-honored and relevant social principles of democratic adult education and building an active and fair civil society. We invite you, Dear Readers, to join in the discussions. Let us know your views and stay tuned for more.

This issue presents points of view and research that both guides and informs according to these aims. Philippe Leliaert deliberates on what it means to manage workers in the knowledge economy. His argument is that these are new times demanding new strategies. Karine Terlemezyan and Araksya Margaryan report the latest issues of continuing education in Armenia. They wage a critical connection between continuing education and Armenian self-governance. Marjo Vuorikoski provides her conceptions of gender identities and how teachers’ predeterminations influence classroom practices. The interview in this issue features the widely read author and influential social philosopher John Shotter. Jussi Onnismaa interviews Shotter about solving enormous social problems through new conceptions of social constructionism and inspired, humane conceptions of psychology. Want to learn about the connections between photograph and emancipatory education, autobiographical work and social transformation from marginality to active citizenship? The Camera Obscura group and Aino Hannula have used photography to identify social issues, leading to social transformation, while Francesca Landi and Loredana Golob tell us how autobiographies, diaries and life stories can lead to new conceptions of active citizenship. The project, “Raccontare l’Europa” was awarded recognition for involving marginalized groups of people into active citizenship activities, and bringing out their experiences of “feeling European”. Who should educate the public regarding active citizenship and civic education? Seppo Niemelä recounts an innovative Finnish movement that involves the Ministry of Justice and the media, opening up new possibilities for all educators, no matter where they come from. Finally, Dan Bar-On and Sami Adwan inform us about a social experiment that places Palestinian and Israeli citizens side-by-side to build co-existence and mutual cooperation through greater appreciation of deep historical themes of coexistence.

We hope you enjoy this issue.

Professor Paul Ilsley, University of Tampere
Professor of adult education and educational research, University of Northern Illinois
Member of the LLinE International Editorial Board