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

18.06.2026 digitalisation

The transformative power of education in closed environments

Education is a fundamental right. But for people living in prisons, detention centres, and other closed environments, that right often remains out of reach. At the EAEA Annual Conference in Warsaw, a workshop brought together adult education practitioners to explore what it takes to make education (including digital education) a reality behind closed doors and how ALE can contribute actively to systemic change.

18.06.2026 digitalisation

Competence development with the help of technology: practical examples for educators

While the benefits of emerging technologies in adult education have already been recognised, educators still lack support to effectively integrate them in (non-)formal education contexts. Within the ETHLAE project, we have made a toolbox consisting of five learning areas with each two learning scenarios available to help educators in providing learner-centred support to adults in vulnerable situations.

16.06.2026 EAEA General Assembly

Welcome new members!

EAEA welcomed eight new members at the General Assembly on the 9th of June in Warsaw, Poland. The new members come from Kosovo, Ukraine, Malta, Ireland, Portugal, and Bulgaria.