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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.

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.