18.01.2026

Call for Action: Towards a rights-based, human- and planet-centered ALE in times of digitalisation and AI

The European Association for the Education of Adults has joined the Call for Action: Towards a Rights-Based, Human- and Planet-Centered Youth and Adult Learning and Education (ALE) in Times of Digitalisation and AI, together with ASPBAE, DVV International and ICAE, to reaffirm the central role of adult learning in shaping a fair, democratic and inclusive digital transformation.

The background

Rapid advances in digital technologies and artificial intelligence are profoundly reshaping how people learn, work and participate in society. While these developments can expand access to learning and create new opportunities, they also risk deepening inequalities, reinforcing discrimination, undermining critical thinking and placing excessive power in the hands of a few technology actors.

EAEA joined this Call for Action because adult learning and education must be part of the response to these challenges. A technology-driven transition that overlooks adult learners, non-formal education and lifelong learning risks excluding large parts of the population and weakening democratic participation.

 

By endorsing this initiative, EAEA commits to:

  • advocating for rights-based, human-centric and ethical digital and AI policies in youth and adult learning and education;
  • promoting critical digital skills that go beyond technical competences, empowering learners to understand, question and shape digital systems;
  • contributing to cross-sectoral and international cooperation to ensure that digitalisation in education supports social justice, inclusion and climate responsibility;
  • strengthening the capacity of educators, providers and learners to navigate digital transformation in a way that upholds fundamental rights and democratic values.

 

Our engagement in this call reflects its mission to promote lifelong learning for all and to ensure that digital and AI-driven changes in education are guided by public interest, social responsibility and sustainability, in line with international commitments such as SDG 4 and the Marrakech Framework for Action on Adult Learning and Education.

See the full text here.

Text: Greta Pelucco

10.02.2026 EAEA Annual Conference

Introducing EAEA’s 2026 Annual Theme: Resilience and Community-Building

EAEA'S 2026 annual theme is closely linked to current EU priorities, especially the Democracy Package - including the Civil Society Strategy and the Democracy Shield initiative. At a time of rising Euroscepticism and threats to democratic values, adult education has the power to strengthen democracy by promoting civic engagement, critical thinking and participation.

09.02.2026 climate

How learning and action shape a more sustainable society: golden nuggets from neuroscience to foster a constructive climate change debate

On February 4-5, EAEA participated in a learning symposium and keynote speech around climate education research and action, in Geneva, Switzerland. The events were organised in the context of the Horizon Europe LEVERs project, in which EAEA is a partner.

04.02.2026 digitalisation

Remote work: Challenges and opportunities for ALE in the digital world

EAEA’s Communication, Capacity-building and Membership Officer, Marina Sakač Hadžić, attended a conference on the topic of Remote Work & Social Change, taking place at the University of Antwerp on the 20th and 21st of January. She combines her work at EAEA with a PhD in law, bringing together insights from non-formal adult learning with ethnographic research.