THE HAMBURG DECLARATION ON ADULT LEARNING 1.

We, the participants in the Fifth International Conference on Adult Education, meeting in the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, reaffirm that only human-centred de elopment and a participatory society based on the full respect of human rights !ill lead to sustainable and e"uitable de elopment. #he informed and effecti e participation of men and !omen in e ery sphere of life is needed if humanity is to sur i e and to meet the challenges of the future. $. Adult education thus becomes more than a right% it is a &ey to the t!enty-first century. It is both a conse"uence of acti e citi'enship and a condition for full participation in society. It is a po!erful concept for fostering ecologically sustainable de elopment, for promoting democracy, (ustice, gender e"uity, and scientific, social and economic de elopment, and for building a !orld in !hich iolent conflict is replaced by dialogue and a culture of peace based on (ustice. Adult learning can shape identity and gi e meaning to life. )earning throughout life implies a rethin&ing of content to reflect such factors as age, gender e"uality, disability, language, culture and economic disparities. *. Adult education denotes the entire body of ongoing learning processes, formal or other!ise, !hereby people regarded as adults by the society to !hich they belong de elop their abilities, enrich their &no!ledge, and impro e their technical or professional "ualifications or turn them in a ne! direction to meet their o!n needs and those of their society. Adult learning encompasses both formal and continuing education, non-formal learning and the spectrum of informal and incidental learning a ailable in a multicultural learning society, !here theory- and practice-based approaches are recogni'ed. +. #hough the content of adult learning and of education for children and adolescents !ill ary according to the economic, social, en ironmental and cultural conte,t, and the needs of the people in the societies in !hich they ta&e place, both are necessary elements of a ne! ision of education in !hich learning becomes truly lifelong. #he perspecti e of learning throughout life commands such complementarity and continuity. #he potential contribution of adult and continuing education to the creation of an informed and tolerant citi'enry, economic and social de elopment, the promotion of literacy, the alle iation of po erty and the preser ation of the en ironment is enormous and should, therefore, be built upon.

-. #he ob(ecti es of youth and adult education, ie!ed as a lifelong process, are to de elop the autonomy and the sense of responsibility of people and communities, to reinforce the capacity to deal !ith the transformations ta&ing place in the economy, in culture and in society as a !hole, and to promote coe,istence, tolerance and the informed and creati e participation of citi'ens in their communities, in short to enable people and communities to ta&e control of their destiny and society in order to face the challenges ahead. It is essential that approaches to adult learning be based on people.s o!n heritage, culture, alues and prior e,periences and that the di erse !ays in !hich these approaches are implemented enable and encourage e ery citi'en to be acti ely in ol ed and to ha e a oice. /. #his Conference recogni'es the di ersity of political, economic and social systems and go ernmental structures among 0ember 1tates. In accordance !ith that di ersity and to ensure full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, this Conference ac&no!ledges that the particular circumstances of 0ember 1tates !ill determine the measures go ernments may introduce to further the spirit of our ob(ecti es. 2. #he representati es of go ernments and organi'ations participating in the Fifth International Conference on Adult Education ha e decided to e,plore together the potential and the future of adult learning, broadly and dynamically concei ed !ithin a frame!or& of lifelong learning. 3. 4uring the present decade, adult learning has undergone substantial changes and e,perienced enormous gro!th in scope and scale. In the &no!ledge-based societies that are emerging around the !orld, adult and continuing education ha e become an imperati e in the community and at the !or&place. 5e! demands from society and !or&ing life raise e,pectations re"uiring each and e ery indi idual to continue rene!ing &no!ledge and s&ills throughout the !hole of his or her life. At the heart of this transformation is a ne! role for the state and the emergence of e,panded partnerships de oted to adult learning !ithin ci il society. #he state remains the essential ehicle for ensuring the right to education for all, particularly for the most ulnerable groups of society, such as minorities and indigenous peoples, and for pro iding an o erall policy frame!or&. Within the ne! partnership emerging bet!een the public, the pri ate and the community sectors, the role of the state is shifting. It is not only a pro ider of adult education ser ices but also an ad iser, a funder, and a monitoring and e aluation agency. 6o ernments and social partners must ta&e the necessary measures to support indi iduals in e,pressing their educational needs and aspirations, and in

gaining access to educational opportunities throughout their li es. Within go ernments, adult education is not confined to ministries of education% all ministries are engaged in promoting adult learning, and inter ministerial co-operation is essential. 0oreo er, employers, unions, non-go ernmental and community organi'ations, and indigenous peoples and !omen.s groups are in ol ed and ha e a responsibility to interact and create opportunities for lifelong learning, !ith pro ision for recognition and accreditation.