From literacy and youth and adult basic education to lifelong learning

ICAE TRANSLATION (NON OFFICIAL TRANSLATION).

Montevideo Declaration
Towards CONFINTEA VI

Montevideo, November 20th, 2009

In accordance with:

3. The celebration of the Sixth International Conference on Adult

Education (CONFINTEA VI) convened by UNESCO, in Belém, Brazil, December 1-4.

4. The Declaration of the Regional Conference on Adult Education convened by UNESCO, held in Mexico in September 2008.

The Ministers of Education of MERCOSUR consider that:

10. Education is a fundamental human right and a public and social good that enables the real exercise of other rights. In this sense, guaranteeing the exercise of these rights constitutes a duty that States cannot forsake.

11. Education should promote reflective, critical-minded and autonomous human beings, capable of practicing justice, solidarity, freedom, democracy, social inclusion, the defense of the environment, pacific coexistence and non discrimination.

12. Education should assume the gender perspective, the different needs and interests and the social, cultural and economic contexts; recognize the cultural diversity of individuals and the ethnic and ideological plurality in order that all persons be able to appropriate and develop - at local, national and international levels - the different ways of expression, creativity, and artistic, scientific and technological innovation, taking part in a formation that guarantees the access to decent and liberating work.

13. In the global context, deep poverty and marked social inequalities are put into relief. They become more acute in an increasingly globalized and globalizing world where different forms of discrimination and unjust distribution of income exist. Peace is constantly beleaguered by different type of conflicts within the framework of an arms race.

14. At a time of the largest food production, the number of people who suffer and die of huger is the largest too. Unsustainable consumption models reflect the most alarming environmental deterioration that threatens the very existence of the human species.

15. Latin America is a "is a profoundly heterogeneous region with great specificities, with very diverse realities in every sense"*, where "educational exclusion and political, economic and social exclusion are sides of the same coin". In this region, changes and actions in the society and in education are being implemented. Consequently, the conditions of the region are more favorable to contributing towards transformative processes.

16. Youth and Adult Learning and Education (Y&ALE) developed from literacy policies to youth and adult basic education. Nowadays, the new "lifelong learning" paradigm is being promoted. Therefore, we are confronted with the challenge of transforming education and lifelong learning into tools for the construction of a more just society and the achievement of a better quality of life.

17. The countries of the region have developed collaborative and integration strategies within the framework of complementarity, which resulted in significant advances in literacy and youth and adult education towards lifelong learning.

18. Progress has been made in the implementation of specific programmes for young people and adults in coordination with social organizations, other ministries, African-descendant groups, indigenous peoples and others.

The Ministers of Education of MERCOSUR at CONFINTEA VI urge the adoption of the following recommendations:

13. To ensure the right to free and quality education for all throughout life, in all countries, with the aim of empowering individuals to exercise their rights.

14. To consolidate inclusive education systems that work effectively and efficiently, coordinately, and with the participation of all those people who are directly involved in the process and of the different actors of society.

15. To create and offer possibilities and alternatives to all young people and adults who wish to rejoin and continue formal education

16. To guarantee, update and broaden pertinent quality lifelong education proposals that promote access and participation, particularly of people who did not complete the compulsory education levels and who neither study nor work.

17. To recognize and foster the interlinkage of youth and adult education with different sectoral public policies, and promote cross-cutting articulation among them.

18. To strengthen and broaden non formal education, including young people and adults, with special emphasis on an integral and integrating education that fosters the development of people and the community.

19. To create and further organizational methods within education systems which make possible the achievement of the hereby expressed objectives and challenges.

20. To create and further programmes for the monitoring and evaluation of the education processes and the results of youth and adult learning.

21. To promote the reflection, debate and agreement on the profile of youth and adult educators as well as on their initial and continuing formation.

22. To ensure specific funding for education policies, allocating the necessary resources to the various youth and adult education programmes and projects.

23. To strengthen the various regional cooperation mechanisms specialized in youth and adult education, supporting countries´ initiatives to adopt the recommendations issued by CONFINTEA VI.

24. To promote the reflection upon mass media´s social responsibility in the formation of young people and adults.

Montevideo, November 20th, 2009.