It is becoming increasingly clear that our ability to face the challenges of the 21st century will depend on our capacity to learn and unlearn - as individuals, as communities, as societies. It is also becoming clear that the 19th century model of factory-schooling is not only dysfunctional but is also destructive against the vast diversity of processes, knowledge systems and contexts in which human learning and growth takes place. There is an emerging discussion around the world about the need to develop/connect different kinds of spaces and opportunities to nurture a fuller range of human potentials and human relationships. Unfortunately, this discussion has been limited to education experts and elite policy circles. Further, it is in danger of being dominated by technocratic and techno-centric visions of progress in which learning only serves elite interests and corporate profit motives. For just and humanizing learning societies to unfold, many more people and their experiences must be involved in the process. We would like to invite you to join us in the discussion.

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UNFOLDING LEARNING SOCIETIES CONFERENCE - September 3-7, 2007 - Tehran, Iran
read some of the background notes and reflections from the gathering

UNFOLDING LEARNING SOCIETIES CONFERENCE II - JANUARY 15-21, 2004 - Mumbai, India
see images from our recent gathering!  Download Other Worlds of Power (in PDF form)

UNFOLDING LEARNING SOCIETIES CONFERENCE - DECEMBER 18-22, 2002 - Udaipur, India
check out stories, images, questions, reflections, etc. from our dialogue!  Download If the Shoe Doesn't Fit? (in PDF form)

ALTERNATIVE DISCOURSES IN EDUCATION - JANUARY 21, 2003 - Porto Alegre, Brazil

DIVERSITY IN WAYS, SETTINGS, THOUGHT AND DISCOURSE ON LEARNING - OCTOBER 14-17, 2003 - Beirut, Lebanon   check out the Beirut workshop report

 

Some resources about Learning Societies for you to challenge and build upon:

• Reflections on Now Activism. April 2007. Udaipur, India: Shikshantar.
• Co-Learning with Kanku. June 2007. Udaipur, India: Shikshantar.
• Other Worlds of Power. Special Issue Vimukt Shiksha. July 2004. Udaipur, India: Shikshantar.
• If the Shoe Doesn't Fit? Special Issue Vimukt Shiksha. July 2003. Udaipur, India: Shikshantar.
• Unfolding Learning Societies: Experiencing the Possibilities. Special Issue of Vimukt Shiksha. June 2002. Udaipur, India: Shikshantar.
• Unfolding Learning Societies: Deepening the Dialogues. Special Issue of Vimukt Shiksha. April 2001. Udaipur, India: Shikshantar.
• Unfolding Learning Societies: Challenges and Opportunities. Special Issue of Vimukt Shiksha. March 2000. Udaipur, India: Shikshantar.

• J. Botkin, et al. 1979. No Limits to Learning. Oxford: Pergamon Press.
• S. Pimpare. 2003.Developing Learning Communities: "Liberate School" . Paris, UNESCO-Aide-et-Action.
• B. Ellis. 2003. Lifelong Self-Learning Movement: White Paper. Coalition for Self-Learning. USA.
• M. Fasheh. 2000. "The Trouble with Knowledge: the relevance of knowledge-the process of its selection-the issue of power."
• E. Faure, et al. 1972. Learning to Be: The World of Education Today and Tomorrow. Paris: UNESCO.
• L. Murphy. 2000. "Transnational Advocacy, Global Civil Society?"
• W. Priesnitz. 2000. "Towards a Learning Society". Challenging Assumptions in Education. Ontario, Canada: Alternate Press.
• M.K. Smith. 2000. "The Theory and Rhetoric of the Learning Society", The Encyclopedia of Informal Education.
• R. Smyre. 2002. "Rewiring a Community's Brain for the 21st Century: Aligning the Cosmic Dance".

• Creating Learning Societies: Participation, Citizenship and Governance, World Social Forum, Porto Alegre, Brazil
• Creating Learning Cultures: Next Steps in Achieving the Learning Age - the second report of the National Advisory Group for Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning
• The Manchester Metropolitan University: The Development of UK Academic Library Services in the context of Lifelong Learning Final Report
• Global Dialogue No.7: Building Learning Societies Knowledge, Information and Human Development EXPO 2000 - Hannover, September 6-8, 2000.
• Reflections on the Global Dialogue on Building Learning Societies: Knowledge, Information and Human Development

• Swapathgami (Walkouts-Walkons) Network
• Multiworld and Taleemnet
• Communities of the Future
• The 21st Century Learning Initiative
• the informal education homepage - learning society
• New Horizons for Learning
• Learning Development Institute
• Coalition for Self-Learning
• Learning to Transform
• Pioneers of Change
• Learning Without Frontiers
• Berkana Institute
• Center for Personalised Education Trust
• Center for Evolutionary Leadership
• Society for Organizational Learning
• Other Worlds Are Possible

 

Some Tools for Unfolding Learning Societies:

• Open Space Technology
• Appreciative Inquiry
• More on Appreciative Inquiry
• World Cafe
• Asset Based Community Development
• Leadership Circles
• Future Search
• Experiential Learning
• Study Circles