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ASPBAE THIS MONTH November 2014 www.aspbae.org

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End of the ‘Decade of Education for Sustainable Development’ marked in Aichi-Nagoya

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Education and lifelong learning events in Australia celebrate ASPBAE’s 50th

Full article

AFE Mongolia marks its 5th National Education Forum with a strong call for good quality public education

Full article

ASPBAE congratulates Nani Zulimarni of PEKKA for winning the 2014 Global Fairness Award!

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Member of the month Human Rights Education Institute of Burma

The Human Rights Education Institute of Burma (HREIB) is a non-governmental organisation that facilitates a broad range of human rights training and advocacy programmes for grassroots organisations and community leaders in Burma. HREIB is dedicated to building a peaceful, democratic, and just society where people possess a critical human rights consciousness, enjoy political and social space to take action to promote dignity, and are empowered to initiate rights-based solutions to social problems. To know more, please visit the HREIB website at http://www.hreib.com/.

ASPBAE’s 50-year celebrations culminate in a vibrant Festival of Learning in Yogyakarta ASPBAE’s 50-year celebrations culminated in the Festival of

Learning that took place in Yogyakarta. ASPBAE’s members,

partners, donors, and friends gathered together to celebrate

ASPBAE’s journey and to plan a path ahead for education and

lifelong learning in the Asia Pacific in a post-2015 world.

Read more

Reflections on civil society’s participation and engagement in the conference on Education for Sustainable Development in Nagoya This is a reflection piece by Takafumi Miyaki, of the Japan NGO

Network for Education (JNNE), on civil society’s participation in the

Nagoya conference.

Read more

Supporting the post-2015 education development agenda in the Asia Pacific This article is an assessment of the regional EFA architecture

written by UNESCO-Bangkok’s Min Bista and Malisa Santigul.

Read more

Korean education coalition meets with UNESCO and ASPBAE The meeting was an opportunity for the Korean coalition to get an

update on civil society participation in the World Education Forum

(WEF) to be held in Korea in May 2015 and on interaction

opportunities before and during the WEF.

Read more

Announcement

EFA Global Monitoring Report consultation for the 2016 Report

Read more

http://www.aspbae.org/

http://www.hreib.com/


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Photo of the month

ASPBAE’s 50-year celebrations culminate in a vibrant Festival of Learning in Yogyakarta 18-22 November 2014, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

ASPBAE’s 50 year celebrations culminated in the Festival of Learning that

took place in Yogyakarta. ASPBAE’s members, partners, donors, and

friends gathered together to celebrate ASPBAE’s journey and to plan a

path ahead for education and lifelong learning in the Asia Pacific in a post-

2015 world. The Festival was hosted by PEKKA, ASPBAE’s member in

Indonesia.

The Festival of Learning, with the theme - Asia Pacific Civil Society,

Defining Education for the Future - saw the participation of 126 people

from 32 countries representing 66 national civil society organisations and

networks, partner and donor organisations, and individual ASPBAE

members. It was held at a time when the global education community

prepares to agree on a new global education agenda and framework of

action during the World Education Forum to be held in Incheon, Korea, in

May 2015.The Festival of Learning was a space to strategise Asia Pacific

civil society coordinated action in this important global policy space -

defining civil policy asks and advocacy strategies on the proposed goals,

targets, indicators, the financing, governance, planning, and monitoring

modalities and the role of civil society organisations. It was a platform to

deliberate on the overall context and policy climate that define education

and lifelong learning work in the region.

An upbeat and lively opening ceremony set the tone for the 4-day event.

Participants were introduced by their sub-regions while they displayed

their colourful flags representing their organisations and coalitions. Nani

Zulminarni, Director of PEKKA, Dina Lumbantobing, ASPBAE Executive

Council Member representing South East Asia, and the ASPBAE

ASPBAE’s Festival of Learning comes to Yogyakarta!

(L-R) ASPBAE President, Robbie Guevara, Chief Guest, Dr. Hermanto, Head of Quality

Assurance of Education, Ministry of Education and Culture, Government of Indonesia, and

Dina Lumbantobing, ASPBAE Executive Council member, officially declare the Festival

of Learning open!



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President, Robbie Guevara, welcomed the participants to the Festival of

Learning. ASPBAE Secretary-General, Maria Khan, gave her opening

remarks where she presented the main messages coming out of the

national consultations on the post-2015 education agenda organised by

ASPBAE’s members throughout the year. The Chief Guest, Dr. Hermanto,

Head of Quality Assurance of Education, Ministry of Education and

Culture, Government of Indonesia, offered inaugural remarks and formally

opened the Festival of Learning through a traditional Indonesian ritual, the

sounding of the gong.

Participants then got a unique Indonesian experience as they collectively

played the traditional Indonesian instrument called the angklung. With

such a wide representation at the Festival of Learning, the sound of the

angklung reverberating through the large conference room truly

represented harmony in diversity.

The Festival of Learning was organised along various modalities of

learning and exchange: in discussions and debates on education policy

advocacies, workshops on contemporary themes of adult education,

conversations to reflect and debate on the contextual regional challenges,

and innovative ways of harnessing the opportunities to advance civil

society and ASPBAE’s work in securing the right to education and lifelong

learning in the Asia Pacific region.

In the session called ‘The Changing Milieu’, discussions focussed on

defining the new context; the trends and complexities faced by education

activists and advocates of the right to learn. The Keynote Speech was

delivered by Prof. (Dr.) Melani Budianta, Faculty of Science and Culture,

University of Indonesia. Prof. Budianta shared her views on the challenges

and opportunities for realising the right to education for all in the Asia

Pacific. She also focused on lifelong learning and highlighted that the

essence of lifelong learning was to acquire the skills, knowledge, and

critical awareness to survive and strategically position oneself in a fast-

changing local and global environment.

Rajesh Tandon, President of PRIA (Society for Participatory Research in

Asia), then led participants in “Regional Conversations” where they were

divided in four sub-regional groups. The groups identified pressing issues

in their contexts and new stakeholders they should be working with to push

the case for education. Some of the key issues presented by the groups

were (1) education for resilience and change (2) education for critical

awareness, thinking skills, and consciousness (3) citizenship education (4)

women’s literacy (5) quality of education (6) financing for quality education.

Some of the new education stakeholders identified by the groups for

greater engagement by education advocates are: (1) BRICKS countries:

universities/higher education institutions (2) ASEAN government

ministries of education (3) parliamentarians (4) inter-faith organisations,

even fundamentalist groups (5) the corporate sector. The aim of this

exercise was to characterise development issues and highlight the varied

contexts and diversity of the region. It also aimed to articulate the

Harmony in diversity – participants play the angklung, a traditional

Indonesian instrument, at the opening ceremony of the Festival of Learning.

Prof. (Dr.) Melani Budianta (Faculty of Science and Culture, University of Indonesia) delivering the Keynote

Speech where she shared her views on the challenges and opportunities

for realising the right to education for all in the Asia Pacific.

Rajesh Tandon, President of PRIA led participants in “Regional

Conversations” where they identified pressing issues in their contexts and

new stakeholders they should be working with to push the case for

education.



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education agenda of the Asia Pacific for the future that is premised on the

right to education and lifelong learning, which can then be translated into

policy.

In a session dedicated to ‘New Ways of Being’ (Town Hall Meeting),

deliberations focussed on the functioning of civil society and possible new

ways of working. It drew lessons from the 50-year experience of ASPBAE

and debated on the new ways of working civil society should consider. The

first session recognised and honoured luminaries who played a part in

shaping ASPBAE over the years. Several past and present ASPBAE

presidents, Secretary-Generals, and Executive Council members took

centre stage to reflect on the roles that ASPBAE as a regional civil society

organisation played through different historical periods for education,

development, and civil society - in advancing the right to education and

lifelong learning. The luminaries were - W.M.K Wijetunga (ASPBAE

Secretary-General, 1985-1995), Heribert Hinzen, Director, DVVI South

and South East Asia Regional Office, Lao PDR, Rajesh Tandon (ASPBAE

President, 1991-2000), Usa Duongsa (ASPBAE President, 2001-2004),

Sandy Morrison (ASPBAE President, 2005-2008), Robbie Guevara

(ASPBAE President, 2009 to date), Maria Khan (ASPBAE Secretary-

General, 1995 to date), Nani Zulminarni, Jerald Joseph, and Shaheen

Attiqur Rehman (ASPBAE Executive Council Members, 2001-2008).

Following a session dedicated to the 37-year partnership of ASPBAE and

DVV International, where Uwe Gartenschaelger of DVV International

addressed the gathering, participants broke in to groups to brainstorm on

civil society’s roles in the future and ASPBAE’s work beyond 50 years. The

discussion topics included Education for Sustainable Development,

Mitigating threats to Civil Society and Democratic Spaces, New

Partnerships for Civil Society and Education Activists, The New ICTs and

Social Networking for Education and Organising, New Literacies, Youth

Education and Governance.

To learn more about education and lifelong learning in the Indonesian

context, participants of the Festival of Learning went on Learning

Exchanges to different local organisations in Yogjakarta where they

interacted with communities in their contexts. Some of the visits were to

organisations working with women, children, and youth, and on issues

such as religious studies for the trans-gender community, community-

based disaster preparedness, and trade.

A policy seminar on the Post-2015 Education Agenda was held in

collaboration with the Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, one of the

oldest universities in Indonesia. The Dean of Faculty, Dr. Erwan Agus

Purwanto, opened the seminar with a Welcome Address. The seminar

presented civil society analyses on the post-2015 scenario, highlighting

the debates, gaps, and areas of contention in the current development and

education agenda discourses. Prof. Hubert Gijzen of UNESCO Jakarta

delivered the Keynote Address where he highlighted that education for a

Several ASPBAE luminaries took centre stage to reflect on the roles that

ASPBAE as a regional civil society organisation played through different

historical periods for education, development, and civil society.

Participants at the Festival brainstormed on civil society’s roles in the future and ASPBAE’s work beyond

50 years. Some of the discussion points included discussion topics

included Education for Sustainable Development, Mitigating threats to

Civil Society and Democratic Spaces, New Partnerships for Civil Society and

Education Activists.



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sustainable future encompasses knowledge and awareness, as well as

preparing future generations for their role in the green economy.

Other speakers at the seminar included Ushio Miura of UNESCO Bangkok

who focussed on ‘Updates on the Post- 2015 Education and Development

Processes’; Maria Khan, ASPBAE Secretary-General, who provided a

‘Civil Society Analyses on the Post-2015 Education Agenda and

Processes’; Alan Tuckett, President, International Council for Adult

Education (ICAE), who spoke about ‘A Lifelong Learning Framework

Within the Education and SDG Post-2015 Agenda’; and Robbie Guevara,

ASPBAE President, who presented the ‘Outcomes of the World

Conference on Education for Sustainable Development’ held in Nagoya,

Japan, in November 2014. This panel was chaired by Heribert Hinzen of

DVV International. A session was also dedicated to understanding the

Indonesian education context with a panel comprising Satryo Soemantri

Brodjonegoro, Former Director General of Higher Education, Ministry of

National Education, Indonesia; Abdul Waidl of NEW Indonesia who

addressed ‘Coalition Perspectives on the Indonesian Education Agenda

Post-2015’; and Dina Lumbantobing of PESADA who highlighted ‘CSO

Practice on Lifelong Learning in Indonesia’. Prof. Gabriele Lele, Lecturer,

Department of Social and Political Sciences, UGM, chaired the panel.

Rene Raya, ASPBAE’s Lead Policy Analyst, then led a plenary session on

‘Privatisation Trends in Education in the Asia Pacific Region’.

Three parallel workshops on education financing – Official Development

Assistance (ODA) in Education, Country Case Studies on Privatisation of

Education, and Domestic Resource Mobilisation - were also organised

within the seminar. The aim of the workshops was to review key trends,

issues, and challenges in these areas that should inform CSO lobbying on

education financing during the World Education Forum 2015 in Korea.

The fourth and final day of the Festival of Learning was devoted to

planning advocacy strategies for the post-2015 processes. Sabine Detzel,

of the EFA Global Partnerships Team, UNESCO Paris, began the day with

an introduction to the Framework for Action for education post-2015. The

participants then formed groups to debate targets and indicators for - Basic

Education, Adult Literacy and Skills for Life and Work, Teachers and

Quality, Governance and Financing, and ESD and Citizenship Education.

Rasheda Choudhury, Board Member, Global Campaign for Education

(GCE), chaired a session on ‘Framing the Architecture of the New

Education Agenda’ where Valerie Liechti, Education Policy Advisor, Swiss

Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), reflected on the ‘EFA

Global Architecture’, ASPBAE’s Cecilia Soriano presented the reflections

on the ‘Regional EFA Architecture’, and David Archer, Action Aid

International, and Civil Society Representative in the Global Partnership

for Education (GPE), reviewed the ‘Existing Financing Mechanisms for

Education’.

Prof. Hubert Gijzen, of UNESCO Jakarta, delivered the Keynote

Address at the Policy Seminar on Education Post-2015 held at the University of Gadjah Mada. He

highlighted that education for a sustainable future encompasses

knowledge and awareness, as well as preparing future generations for their

role in the green economy.

Participants took part in parallel workshops at the Policy Seminar focusing on Official Development Assistance (ODA) in Education,

Country Case Studies on Privatisation of Education, and Domestic Resource

Mobilisation.



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Dominic D’Souza, ASPBAE Executive Council Representative from South

Asia, moderated the session on ‘Key Civil Society Moments from Now to

Incheon and New York 2015’.

Katarina Popovich, ICAE Secretary General, Maria Khan, ASPBAE

Secretary-General, and Anjela Taneja, Head of Policy, GCE, presented

the plans different civil society formations, notably the Global Campaign

for Education, the UNESCO Collective Consultation of NGOs on

Education for All (CCNGO/EFA), and the International Council for Adult

Education.

The Festival of Learning concluded with agreement on a ‘Statement of

Commitments’ and closing remarks by ASPBAE President, Robbie

Guevara, where he stressed the importance of harmonising engagements

in education with a holistic approach and strengthening collaboration

amongst each other.

The Festival was also a space for cultural exchange as participants

displayed their traditional costumes, songs, and dances representing the

richness of each of their diverse backgrounds and contexts. PEKKA, who

hosted the Festival of Learning, was an outstanding host. Their

commitment and dedication to bringing the event together was unmatched

in the lead up to and throughout the Festival, and mirrored their hard work

and devotion to their own campaign for women’s empowerment.

The Festival of Learning was truly a memorable occasion for ASPBAE as

participants were excited and enthusiastic throughout the event and

contributed to the sessions and deliberations with high energy and

passion. The gathering was a unique opportunity for ASPBAE’s diverse

membership and larger family to come together and celebrate the lively,

dynamic, and vibrant culture of the education movement in the Asia

Pacific. [BACK]

The 2014 UNESCO World

Conference on Education for

Sustainable Development (ESD) in

Nagoya, Japan, marked the end of

the UN Decade of ESD (2005-2014)

and launched the Global Action

Programme (GAP) on ESD.

End of the ‘Decade of Education for Sustainable Development’ marked in Aichi-Nagoya 10-12 November 2014, Aichi-Nagoya, Japan

“We cannot wait to be invited, we need to create the spaces for civil society

organisations to participate.” This was how ASPBAE President, Robbie

Guevara, summarised the mood of the civil society participants from

ASPBAE, International Council of Adult Education (ICAE), Global

Campaign for Education (GCE), and members of CONCORD, who

attended the debriefing conducted after the World Conference on

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) on 12 November 2014 in

Aichi-Nagoya.

While the civil society organisations present at the debriefing

acknowledged that there were major wins in terms of significant inclusion

of proposals from civil society in the Aichi-Nagoya Declaration on

ASPBAE Secretary-General, Maria Khan, presenting plans of different

civil society formations and responses of civil society from the region on the

post-2015 processes.

Participants give feedback on their discussions on targets and indicators for Basic Education, Adult Literacy & Skills for Life and Work, Teachers &

Quality, Governance & Financing, and ESD & Citizenship Education.



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ASPBAE is one of the Centres of

Excellence for ESD that was

awarded at the start of the Decade

of Education for Sustainable

Development in 2005. ASPBAE

received the recognition as part of

its commitment to build capacities

of its member organisations to

advocate for stronger links

between the Education for All

(EFA) goals and ESD.

Education for Sustainable Development (click here for the Declaration),

there were serious concerns raised with the conference accreditation

process. Two Japanese non-governmental organisations, Development

Education Association and Resource Center (DEAR) and the Japan NGO

Network for Education (JNNE), both active members of ASPBAE, were

not officially accredited to attend the main conference events. However,

this did not stop them from organising parallel meetings alongside the

conference.

Some of the ASPBAE members who were accredited included - Kazi

Rafikul, Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM), Bangladesh; Timote Vaioleti,

ASPBAE Executive Council member representing the South Pacific;

Robbie Guevara, President, ASPBAE; and Sandy Morrison, former

ASPBAE President, Waikato University, New Zealand.

Robbie Guevara facilitated a workshop on Local communities in action:

lifelong learning for sustainable development that was organised by the

UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning and the City of Okayama, Japan,

based on the outcome of the Kominkan-CLC International Conference on

ESD. On the final day, Robbie spoke at a seminar organised by the New

Vision Education project/World Economic Forum and the Global

Partnership for Education (GPE) on Catalysing support for ESD.

ASPBAE is one of the Centres of Excellence for ESD that was awarded at

the start of the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development in 2005.

ASPBAE received the recognition as part of its commitment to build the

capacity of its member organisations to advocate for stronger links

between the Education for All (EFA) goals and ESD. It was observed that

while the link between ESD and the post-2015 development agenda has

become stronger and evident in the Nagoya Declaration, the link to EFA

continued to be weak. This was one of the key reminders that was

emphasised at the conclusion of the debriefing, to ensure that ESD is more

prominent in the on-going EFA processes, as other regions conduct

regional consultations in the lead up to the World Education Forum in

Korea in May 2015.

The World Conference was attended by more than 1000 participants,

which included representatives of UNESCO Member States, civil society

organisations, university academics, the private sector, and UN agencies.

It was acknowledged to be the largest gathering of education ministers

which included 75 Ministers and 28 Vice Ministers.

Aside from the Aichi-Nagoya Declaration on Education for Sustainable

Development, the World Conference launched the Global Action

Programme (GAP) on ESD (click here for more information on GAP),

which aims to “generate and scale up action in all levels and areas of

education and learning to accelerate progress towards sustainable

development”. Click here to access the full report on the UN Decade of

ESD, entitled Shaping the Future We Want. [BACK]

ASPBAE members with Susan Hopgood, President of Education International, during the Welcome

Reception at the Nagoya conference. (L-R) Eno Nakamura, Development

Education Association and Resource Centre (DEAR), Japan; Takafumi Miyake, Japan NGO Network for

Education (JNNE); Timote Vaioleti, ASPBAE EC member representing the

South Pacific; Susan Hopgood, President, EI; Robbie Guevara,

President, ASPBAE; Sandy Morrison, former ASPBAE President, Waikato

University, New Zealand.


http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002310/231074e.pdf




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Civil society organisations could

not apply for accreditation of the

conference on Education for

Sustainable Development in

Nagoya. Only NGOs and

academics who were invited by

UNESCO, the Government of

Japan, and local hosts could be

accredited, apart from national

delegations and UN agencies.

Reflections on civil society’s participation and engagement in the conference on Education for Sustainable Development in Nagoya 7-8 October 2014, Paris, France

By Takafumi Miyake of the Japan NGO Network for Education (JNNE) and

former ASPBAE Executive Council Member

Civil society organisations could not apply for accreditation of the

conference on Education for Sustainable Development in Nagoya. Only

NGOs and academics who were invited by UNESCO, the Government of

Japan, and local hosts (Nagoya city and Aichi Prefecture) could be

accredited, apart from national delegations and UN agencies. Some

teachers and students of UNESCO Associated Schools in Japan were

also invited.

Furthermore, only accredited participants could apply for side events. Due

to pressure from Japanese civil society organisations, they are allowed to

apply for side events only one month before the due date of the

application. Nevertheless, applications from the Development Education

Association and Resource Center (DEAR), Japan, ASPBAE and the

International Council for Adult Education (ICAE), and the Global Campaign

for Education (GCE) were not selected. Only ESD-Japan and civil society

organisations of hosting cities of Nagoya and Okayama were selected

among Japanese applications. As a result, Japanese civil society

organisations were excluded and segregated. DEAR and the Japan NGO

Network for Education (JNNE) could not pursue lobby efforts directly since

they could not access the conference rooms. Even copies of the final

report of the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD)

were not distributed to non-participants. International civil society

organisations were invited and visible, but the selection process of civil

society representatives was not clear.

In spite of rumors that a draft declaration was not negotiable, partly due to

pressure from civil society organisations, a drafting committee was set up.

It included six member states, one member of civil society represented by

Education International, and one private sector representative from

Microsoft. The first draft of the declaration was distributed at the opening

session. ASPBAE President, Robbie Guevara, provided DEAR and JNNE

a copy of the draft for them to give their comments which were submitted

by ASPBAE members and other civil society organisations who were

participating in the conference.

There are lessons learnt from this. First, it is important to formulate a civil

society forum from the host county, preferably one year before the

conference. Japanese civil society organisations did not form a civil

society forum for this conference, which resulted in – (1) no consultation

with the Japanese government on the participation process of Japanese

civil society organisations, and (2) no influence on the draft outcome

R-L - Takafumi Miyake of the Japan NGO Network for Education (JNNE), ASPBAE President Robbie Guevara,

Eno Nakamura of DEAR Japan, at Nagoya.



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document before the conference in spite of the fact that Japan was a part

of formulating the draft as the host country.

Second, the meeting venue helps communication and cooperation among

different civil society organisations. Since I could not attend the

conference, I was able to be present at a space where Japanese tea and

sweets are provided to non-accredited participants. It is there that we as

civil society met and exchanged information.

Third, a one-page paper with policy asks was prepared by DEAR before

the conference and was very helpful towards our lobbying efforts. DEAR

widely distributed the paper to both accredited and non-accredited

participants. This turned out to be the basis for ASPBAE and JNNE’s

comments on the draft declaration, and could influence participants’

remarks.

The following are some inputs from ASPBAE, DEAR, and JNNE on the

first draft of the outcome document –

Clarify the process of ESD policy formulation based on ESD

principles.

Ensure citizen’s participation in ESD policy formulation.

Acknowledge the different education sectors, including both

formal and non-formal education.

Strengthen the current statement to make sure ESD is an integral

part of the education goal in the post-2015 development agenda.

[BACK]

Supporting the post-2015 education development agenda in the Asia Pacific An assessment of the regional Education for All (EFA) architecture

By Min Bista, Education Advisor and Coordinator a.i., UNESCO-

Bangkok, and Malisa Santigul, Programme Officer (Education for All),

UNESCO-Bangkok

Any global agenda is ultimately implemented at the regional, sub-regional,

and national levels. How effectively and efficiently these global

development agendas are implemented depend on the extent of the

national commitment, coordination, and funding of countries. In this

regard, regional coordination mechanisms have a role and play this role in

numerous ways. Regional coordination mechanisms help countries

internalise and understand global development agendas, provide

technical support, mobilise financial resources, provide support in

monitoring and evaluation, and bring agencies together, all in support of

Member States. UNESCO in particular, as a neutral entity, creates a

platform for governments, nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), and

civil society organisations (CSOs) to come together.

Civil society representatives in Nagoya. DEAR Japan circulated a one-page paper with policy asks that was

the basis for ASPBAE and JNNE’s comments on the draft declaration.

Regional coordination mechanisms help countries internalise and

understand global development agendas. UNESCO in particular, as a neutral entity, creates a platform for

governments, NGOs, and civil society organisations to come together.



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ASPBAE has been an active

member of the EFA Thematic

Working Group and has played a

key role in mobilising partners and

governments in pursuit of the EFA

goals and for policy change in

education.

Likewise, any regional work requires institutional frameworks. UNESCO’s

Asia-Pacific Programme of Education for All (APPEAL) was established in

1987 to promote basic education for all in the region. However, for the

larger coordination and within the framework of the United Nations and the

Asia-Pacific Regional Coordination Mechanism (RCM) for the coordination

of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which is chaired by the UN

Deputy Secretary-General and convened by the Executive Secretary of

the UN Economic and Social Commission in Asia-Pacific (ESCAP), the

Thematic Working Group (TWG) on EFA was created. The TWG on EFA

consists of voluntary members from UN agencies, civil society

organisations, international NGOs, and academia. TWG on EFA members

meet to share and exchange information on EFA-related activities and

have been effective in working together on major EFA activities in support

of Member States in their EFA work at the regional, sub-regional and

national levels, including the mid-decade assessment of EFA and the

recent national EFA 2015 reviews in the Asia Pacific.

With 2015 approaching, UNESCO has mobilised partners in the region,

convening governments, and key stakeholders to discuss the progress

made towards the achievement of the EFA goals, to examine remaining

challenges and gaps, and to reflect on future priorities and strategies for

the region at consultative meetings and conferences, including the Asia

Pacific Regional Education Conference (APREC) in August 2014;

UNESCO’s first regional preparatory conference before the 2015 World

Education Forum (WEF) in Incheon, Republic of Korea, next May. The

APREC produced the Asia Pacific Statement on Education Beyond 2015,

or the Bangkok Statement.

In view of the Muscat Agreement and the Open Working Group’s

Recommendations, the new post-2015 education agenda will assume a

broader stance on education, and thus, larger, institutional responses are

needed. A more inclusive and robust regional body to support countries is

needed to implement the new agenda. At the recent TWG on EFA meeting

on 28 November 2014 at UNESCO Bangkok, members discussed the role

of the group in supporting countries in their implementation of the new

education agenda and how to improve and increase the effectiveness of

the working group. The TWG on EFA will revisit its terms of reference and

where needed, will aim to refocus its objectives and efforts to better align

with the post-2015 education agenda and future priorities of countries.

ASPBAE has been an active member of the TWG and has played a key

role in mobilising partners and governments in pursuit of the EFA goals

and for policy change in education. Not only were ASPBAE members part

of the pool of experts that reviewed the national EFA 2015 review reports,

but its members were also present at the APREC. ASPBAE was also part

of the Drafting Group of the Bangkok Statement, representing the voice

and role of civil society organisations in education development in the Asia

Pacific. [BACK]

UNESCO has mobilised partners in the region, convening governments, and

key stakeholders to discuss the progress made towards the

achievement of the EFA goals, such as during APREC, UNESCO’s first

regional preparatory conference before the 2015 World Education

Forum in Incheon, Korea.


http://www.unescobkk.org/fileadmin/user_upload/epr/APREC/Presentations/APREC_Bangkok_Statement_Final.pdf


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Education and lifelong learning events in Australia celebrate ASPBAE’s 50th There are reasons to celebrate as the end of significant global education

commitments are being reached, namely, Education for All (EFA), the

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and the Decade of Education for

Sustainable Development (DESD). However, there are many more

reasons to maintain commitment to access to quality education as a right

for all. These messages were acknowledged by the speakers and the

conversations that occurred as part of events hosted by ASPBAE

members in Australia, together with the European Union Centre at RMIT

University, as their contribution to the celebration of ASPBAE’s 50th

Anniversary.

Education for Sustainability Forum at Melbourne Knowledge Week

28 October 2014, Melbourne, Australia

The EU Centre at RMIT University hosted a public forum entitled Lifelong

Learning and Education for Sustainable Development as part of a larger

celebration called Melbourne Knowledge Week. Heribert Hinzen, Director,

DVV International, Regional Office South and Southeast Asia, argued that

EFA remains an unfinished agenda, in particular around issues of access,

equity, and quality. He identified emerging global trends around the shift

from a focus on teaching to learning; no more boundaries between

learning, working and living; greater emphasis on foundational skills; less

distinction in the transition from school to work, and a continued emphasis

on employability. These trends have a significant impact on what will

become relevant education and skills development in the future. He

concluded that the current education goals proposed in the Muscat

Agreement and that of the Open Working Group, though slightly different,

do recognise and address these trends.

Susan Hopgood, President of Education International (EI), identified

reasons to celebrate in terms of significant reduction in youth who are out

of school, less child labour and more girls in schools, to name only a few.

But she also called attention to very worrying statistics about issues of

access, quality, and equity and emphasised that while the current

formulation of both the Muscat Agreement and the Open Working Group

were very positive, we need to continue to be vigilant and press our

respective governments to prevent the slide of these proposed goals.

Sally Thompson, Chief Executive Officer of Adult Learning Australia (ALA),

emphasised that educational achievements, particularly in the area of

adult education, were mainly in spite of, rather than by, the current

government. She translated the global trends to an Australian context

where there is equally a greater focus on the formal at the expense of the

non-formal and informal learning settings; an emphasis on learning for

work, rather than learning for life; where learning is only valued if

recognised or accredited. She effectively argued that all these are false

L-R – Sally Thompson, Adult Learning Australia; Susan

Hopgood, Education International; Heribert Hinzen,

DVV International; Robbie Guevara, ASPBAE – at RMIT

University.

RMIT University hosted an invitational conversation - Speak Up, Speak Out - that focused on situating Australian education within the context of the

global education policy discussions around lifelong learning and

sustainable development.



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Three conversations at the Speak Up Speak Out event on Equitable

Quality Education, Inclusive

Quality Education, and

Partnerships for Lifelong Learning

were facilitated by educators from

different contexts in Australia.

binaries, perpetuated by a policy approach that is based on human capital

theory and neo-liberal economics.

ASPBAE President, Robbie Guevara, participated in the event and

provided a synthesis of the deliberations by the speakers. ASPBAE

Executive Council Member for the South Pacific, Timote Vaioleti also

attended the event.

Speak Up, Speak Out: Australian Voices for Global Education Advocacy

30 October 2014, Melbourne Australia

RMIT University hosted an invitational conversation - Speak Up, Speak

Out - that focused on situating Australian education within the context of

the global education policy discussions around lifelong learning and

sustainable development. The conversation, preceded by an online

discussion hosted by Adult Learning Australia (ALA), was opened by

Heribert Hinzen, Director, DVV International, Regional Office South and

Southeast Asia, who reiterated the message he delivered at Melbourne

Knowledge Week with a greater emphasis on the argument that there can

be no development without learning.

Three conversations were then conducted based on the current

formulation of the Muscat Agreement education goal – Ensure equitable

and inclusive quality education and lifelong learning for all by 2030. Each

conversation was led and facilitated by educators from different contexts

in Australia. Elena Sheldon, from Springvale Community House, led a

conversation on Equitable Quality Education, which was facilitated by

Sally Thompson from Adult Learning Australia. David Rothstadt, School

Principal at North School, led a conversation on Inclusive Quality

Education, which was facilitated by Allie Clemans from Monash University.

And Jan Simmons, from the Australian Community Learning Network

(ACLN), led a conversation on Partnerships for Lifelong Learning, which

was facilitated by Dorothy Lucardi from Adult Learning Australia.

Outcomes of each of the conversations were then shared and key themes

identified.

Firstly, quality education and lifelong learning needs to be defined “to

context’. A number of characteristics were identified, namely that the

starting point for learning is not always the same, that education addresses

unmet needs, that it has flexible outcomes decided by the community, and

at times could itself be challenging the dominant vision and therefore

aspirational.

Equitable education and lifelong learning is not only about access in a one-

off sense, but how access is sustained throughout one’s life. It has equity

as both elements of participation and representation not just in education

but within the broader society.

In the Speak Up Speak Out event, participants highlighted that an important factor for Equitable

education and lifelong learning was how access is sustained

throughout life and how it should encompass broader society as

well.



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ASPBAE Australia’s Bernie

Lovegrove described the series of

activities in the lead-up to the

Incheon, Korea World Education

Forum in May 2015, and the

importance of further advocacy for

an all-encompassing education

goal.

Inclusive education and lifelong learning acknowledges that education is

for all people, and also acknowledges the continuum across learning,

living and working as opposed to the current ‘siloed’ policy and the lack of

trust between the formal education as represented by the school and the

non-formal as represented by the community.

Partnership implied a level of mutual engagement; reciprocity that involved

mutual learning and trust that is the foundation of relationship building. It

involves a level of hospitality, where everyone is invited into learning,

recognising that maybe we often make decisions about who are our

natural partners and that some are just waiting to be asked to partner.

Finally, there were observations around the broader identify of educators

that included dimensions of being a social worker and an advocate.

A panel of speakers from the different member organisations spoke about

how to operationalise these themes into actions.

Bernie Lovegrove from ASPBAE Australia described the series of activities

in the lead-up to the Incheon, Korea World Education Forum in May 2015,

and the importance of not only vigilance in keeping what we have obtained

via the current education goal in the Muscat Agreement secure, but further

advocacy. Linda Simon from Women in Vocational Education (WAVE)

spoke about how the discussions have allowed them to see a stronger link

between their current national level issues and advocacies with the global

education advocacies. Susan Hopgood, Education International,

reminded the participants of the danger of a slide in the education goal

and therefore the importance of finding out the key contacts within the

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as they will be the ones making

the final recommendations for their representatives at the UN in New York.

Sally Thompson, Adult Learning Australia, concluded with a sobering note

on how it is necessary to be realistic about what is possible within the

current political context in Australia and strongly supported the earlier

observation about our roles as not just teacher, educators, or facilitators,

but also as advocates.

The day concluded with a celebration of ASPBAE’s 50th birthday with

cupcakes that participants designed themselves during the lunch break.

The conversation was organised by ASPBAE members - ALA, WAVE, and

RMIT University (with the support of the EU Centre at RMIT) - and

attended by members of the Australian Coalition of Education

Development (ACED), including Save the Children, and RESULTS.

[BACK]

AFE Mongolia marks its 5th National Education Forum with a strong call for good quality public education 4-5 November 2014, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

With the participation of approximately 300 people, the “All for Education!”

National Civil Society Coalition in Mongolia (AFE Mongolia) held its 5th

The event concluded with the celebration of ASPBAE’s 50th

anniversary with cupcakes designed by the participants.



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National Education Forum in Ulaanbaatar where there was a particular

focus and urgent call to improve the quality of public education in the

country.

The main topics discussed at the Forum were -

General overview and framework for education quality

Situation of Mongolian teachers and the need to ensure their

labour rights

The state of school dormitories and related child protection issues

in schools

Determining education quality indicators in the context of

Mongolia

Advocating for greater financing for good quality public education

Updates on the ongoing coalition research on the ‘Voucher

system and its impact on public education and the right to

education’

The coalition shadow report on EFA (Education for All), with

particular focus on equity

Findings and recommendations of the ‘Good School’ assessment

with focus on school governance conducted by the coalition

Civil society participation in the review of the EFA goals and post-

2015 education agenda processes and discussions

There was eager participation throughout the event, especially on the

importance of pressuring the government to commit to good quality public

education as a public service rather than a commodity in light of the

privatisation trends in Mongolia. Participants also stressed the need to

protect the labor rights of teachers to support them in delivering good

quality education as a way to developing active citizenship and

strengthening critical thinking skills.

ASPBAE’s Helen Dabu presented efforts of civil society organisations from

the national, regional, and global levels in the EFA review process and the

development of the post-2015 education agenda. In particular, the active

involvement was highlighted of those in the Asia Pacific such as ASPBAE,

AFE Mongolia, and other education campaign coalitions to influence the

outcomes of the Global EFA Meeting (GEM) held in Muscat in May 2014,

and the Asia Pacific Regional Education Conference (APREC) held in

Bangkok in August 2014.

The AFE Mongolia Education Forum was the biggest platform for local civil

society organisations to engage and discuss with different education

stakeholders in the country. Participants and speakers included advisors

to the Speaker of the Mongolian Parliament, Members of Parliament,

officials from the National Education Evaluation Centre, National Centre

for Lifelong Learning, Teachers Professional Development Institute, and

Ulaanbaatar City Education Department, researchers and students from

universities, local civil society organisations from 21 provinces, political

parties, INGOs, UNESCO, teachers and principals from public and private

The “All for Education!” National Civil Society Coalition in Mongolia, AFE

Mongolia, held its 5th National Education Forum with a focus and

urgent call to improve the quality of public education in the country.

The AFE Mongolia Education Forum was the biggest platform for local

civil society organisations to engage and discuss with different education

stakeholders in the country.



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schools, Teachers Union leaders, Parents-Teachers Associations,

organisations of people with disabilities, and representatives from the

private sector. [BACK]

ASPBAE, with funding from the

Foundation Open Society

Institutes (FOSI), is providing a

support role as the Korean

coalition develops its capacities

and builds its coalition. This has

included meetings to strategise on

effective and inclusive member

participation to ensure there is a

vibrant and informed Korean

education civil society presence at

the May events in Incheon.

Korean education coalition meets with UNESCO and ASPBAE 7 November 2014, Seoul, Korea

The fledgling Korean civil society education coalition held a meeting in

Seoul with Sabine Detzel, Programme Specialist, EFA Global

Partnerships Team, UNESCO Paris, and Bernie Lovegrove, ASPBAE Civil

Society Education Fund (CSEF) Regional Coordinator.

The meeting was an opportunity for the Korean coalition to be updated on

the plans of the UNESCO Collective Consultation of NGOs (CCNGO)

regarding civil society participation in the World Education Forum to be

held in Incheon, Korea, in May 2015, and the preceding civil society event

that will be organised by the CCNGO. The meeting was also an

opportunity for the Korean coalition to update on developments in

establishing the coalition, raising awareness of Korean civil society

organisations, and to discuss plans for interaction opportunities with

Korean education civil society organisations before and during the World

Education Forum and civil society pre-meeting.

Organisations present included Better World, KoFID, KCOC, World Vision,

Hope is Education, REDI, Korean Human Rights Foundation, Seoul

National University Global Education, Good Neighbours, Music for One

Foundation, and Education for Better Development.

ASPBAE, with funding from the Foundation Open Society Institutes

(FOSI), is providing a support role as the Korean coalition develops its

capacities and builds its coalition. This has included meetings to strategise

on effective and inclusive member participation to ensure there is a vibrant

and informed Korean education civil society presence at the May events

in Incheon.

As a follow-up support initiative, ASPBAE invited three members of the

Korean coalition to participate in the Festival of Learning and the Regional

Meeting of national coalitions in Yogjakarta two weeks later.

The Korean coalition is now in the process of choosing its Steering

Committee and appointing a Programme Coordinator. [BACK]

The meeting of Korean education coalitions with UNESCO and

ASPBAE was an opportunity for the coalition to be updated on the plans

of the UNESCO Collective Consultation of NGOs (CCNGO)

regarding civil society participation in the World Education Forum to be

held in Incheon, Korea.



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ASPBAE extends its warmest

congratulations to Nani for

winning the Fairness Award and

for her outstanding work for

women’s empowerment in

Indonesia.

ASPBAE congratulates Nani Zulminarni of PEKKA for winning 2014 Global Fairness Award! 24 November 2014, Washington D.C., U.S.A

Nani Zulminarni, founder of PEKKA (Indonesia) and former ASPBAE

Executive Council Member (2000-2008), has won the 2014 Global

Fairness Award in Washington D.C., USA!

The Fairness Award was created in 2010 to recognise the role of

collaborative leadership in removing the barriers to economic and social

opportunity for poor and marginalised communities around the world. It

also "honours exceptional leaders whose work and life have opened

opportunity and access for the working poor throughout the world". Click

here for more information on the Fairness Award.

Nani has been working on women’s empowerment at the grassroots level

since 1987, when her career began as a field worker and community

organizer at The Centre for Women’s Resources Development (PPSW).

In 1995, she was appointed as the director of PPSW and currently sits on

their advisory board. In 2001, with the support of PPSW and as part of the

National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan),

Nani formed PEKKA, which organises poor women heads of households

in post-conflict areas with the goal of economic empowerment and

leadership development of the grassroots women. PEKKA currently works

in 19 provinces of Indonesia, facilitating the growth of more than 1,200

organisations. PEKKA delivers a wide set of services such as village-level

capacity building trainings, savings and loan schemes, and education, but

economic empowerment is the pillar of the organisation.

Each year the Global Fairness Initiative selects honourees from the

“grasstops” who have enabled and supported marginalised communities

and from the grassroots who have led communities in building a stronger

voice and finding a place in the global community. Apart from Nani, the

Fairness Award also honoured Robert B. Zoellick, former President of the

World Bank Group (2007-2012), and Karl-Johan Persson, President and

CEO of H&M Hennes & Mauritz AB.

By honouring these outstanding individuals, the Global Fairness Initiative

hopes to inspire a new generation of leaders to dedicate themselves to

economic justice, fairness, and equality. ASPBAE extends its warmest

congratulations to Nani for winning the Fairness Award and for her

outstanding work for women’s empowerment in Indonesia. [BACK]

ANNOUNCEMENT EFA Global Monitoring Report consultation for the 2016 Report The Education for All (EFA) Global Monitoring Report (GMR) team is in

the process of completing the last EFA report (2015), a stock-take of

Nani Zulminarni of PEKKA has won the 2014 Global Fairness Award that

“honours exceptional leaders whose work and life have opened opportunity

and access for the working poor throughout the world.”


http://www.fairnessaward.org/


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Starting in 2016, a new series of

Global Monitoring Reports (GMR)

will monitor the state of education

in the framework of the

anticipated Sustainable

Development Goals (SDGs) to be

finalised by the UN in September

2015. The GMR team has initiated

a public consultation process on

the Concept Note of the 2016

Report, which will continue until

28 January 2015.

achievements and remaining challenges, which will be launched in early

April 2015.

Starting in 2016, a new series of reports will monitor the state of education

in the framework of the anticipated Sustainable Development Goals

(SDGs) to be finalised by the UN in September 2015. The first report in

this series, the 2016 Report, will focus on ‘Education, sustainability and

the post-2015 development agenda’, as decided with the strong support

of the GMR Advisory Board. The 2016 report will carefully consider how

education and major development sectors are inter-related, and determine

which education strategies, policies, and programmes are most effectively

linked to the economic, social, environmental, and political priorities of the

new sustainable development agenda. The report will also establish a new

monitoring framework for education, and examine key financing and

governance challenges for the post-2015 era.

As for each EFA GMR, the team has initiated a public consultation process

on the Concept Note of the 2016 Report, which will continue until 28

January 2015. Click here for more information.

The GMR team is keen to hear your views on the themes and specific

issues outlined. Your comments will contribute to thinking on education’s

role in advancing the sustainable development agenda, and will help

shape the contents of the 2016 report. The team is particularly interested

in hearing from experts in non-education development sectors. They invite

comments from researchers, policy analysts, practitioners, teachers, non-

governmental organisations, and aid donors who focus on education. If

you have a strong interest in education and development, please consider

sharing your views. Should you need any further information, please

contact the GMR Team at [email protected]. [BACK]

Photo credits: Some photos used in this Bulletin have been sourced from the internet and belong to international NGOs, networks, and individual photographers.

For more information on the ASPBAE Bulletin, please write to Medha Soni, ASPBAE’s Information and Communications Coordinator, at [email protected]


http://2016educationreportconsultation.wordpress.com/

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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