Montréal: Capital of Adult Education in 2015

MONTREAL, June 10, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - From June 11-June 13, Montreal will be the site of the largest international gathering of civil society in adult education. The Montreal-based Institut de coopération pour l'éducation des adultes (ICÉA) has been mandated by the International Council for the Adult Education (ICAE) to organise its 9th World Assembly which will be held at the Université de Montréal.

Close to 600 people, a third party of whom are from outside Canada, will participate in 66 workshops proposed by the participants on 5 major themes related to education throughout life. It is an important occasion for these people from across the globe to come together and exchange on their common experiences.

The World Assembly will include many areas of discussion and interaction, through plenary sessions and small group meetings, as well as thematic discussions on issues relating to the UNESCO's Post-2015 Agenda for Education and its implementation.

Schedule of the World Assembly

The official opening, on Thursday evening, will emphasize the collaboration between the women's movement and adult education, from a perspective of fighting exclusion. The plenary "Indigenous Women and the Decolonization of Education" will bring together Aboriginal women from Quebec and Guatemala, as well as activists from the United States, South Africa and elsewhere. This activity is open to the public; a voluntary contribution is suggested. Passes are available on the website of the World Assembly at: www.waam2015.org.

On Friday morning, discussions will take place on the Post-2015 Agenda for Education as it faces the challenges of climate change. Under the theme "Think globally, act locally to create the world we want," the second plenary will be a conversation between the International Council for Adult Education (ICAE) and Patrick Bonin of Greenpeace Canada.

The last day, Saturday June 13, will begin with the plenary "Voices in Dialogue" which will bring together members and partners of the adult education movement in an intergenerational dialogue to discuss issues of the movement in the context of the objectives of the UNESCO's Post-2015 Agenda for Education.

These three plenary sessions will be broadcast live on the web thanks to the collaboration of webtv.coop on the website of the World Assembly at the www.waam2015.org.

In the afternoon, dozens of workshops organised by participants from here and abroad will foster discussion and interaction in relation to the concerns of these adult education networks, focussing on the themes of the World Assembly

Celebration of the social integration enterprises

The 9^th World Assembly will not only showcase several social integration enterprises but will also celebrate them through a banquet in their honour on Friday night.

The ICEA, by selecting these enterprises as suppliers of products and services for this international meeting, has provided them an opportunity to demonstrate their expertise.

Thus, the Assembly's document bags have been made by Les Petites Mains, printing of posters and programs entrusted to Imprime-Emploi and catering service for lunches, the opening cocktail and the banquet to La Corbeille. Each of these organizations are members of the Collectif des entreprises d'insertion du Québec.

The ICEA and its partners

On the eve of its 70th birthday, the Institut de coopération pour l'éducation des adultes (ICÉA) has been able to count on the support of its members and partners to bring about this important Assembly. In addition to funding from the Government of Quebec, more than 40 sponsors have responded to the call of the ICEA. These represent not only education and union groups from Quebec and the rest of Canada, but also the Organisation internationale de la francophonie, the Canadian Commission for UNESCO and UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning.

The ICEA also wishes to thank the Université de Montréal, which has agreed to host this important delegation of more than 500 people within its walls. In addition, our team was able to benefit from their expertise in order to make the World Assembly 2015 an eco-responsible event.

For more information in the World Assembly, please visit the website at: www.waam2015.org

SOURCE FACULTE DE L'EDUCATION PERMANENTE DE L'UNIVERSITE DE MONTREAL

Marie-Ève Adam - ICEA, 514-668-3645, [email protected]