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

08.07.2026 activism

Resilience means giving genuine decision-making power to local actors - EAEA's annual event's panel discussion

On June 10th, EAEA’s members reunited for the Annual Event, this time in Poland, hosted by the NGO organization sTOP. The Panel discussion titled ‘‘Resilient Communities in Times of Crises’’ saw the participation of Benedetta Perego (lawyer admitted before the Italian Supreme Court and founder of Strali), Musa Kirkar (President of CEIPES and EAEA’s Board Member), Oleg Smirnov (Director of DVV International Ukraine and EAEA’s Vice President), and Irena Lipowicz (lawyer, professor, and ex diplomat for the United Nations).

06.07.2026 advocacy

Democracy and coalition-building

At the Feminist Futures Festival in Brussels, participants explored how feminist perspectives, coalition-building and transnational solidarity can strengthen democracy and social inclusion.

30.06.2026 EAEA Annual Conference

EAEA Annual Conference 2026: Supportive communities grow the roots of resilience

The EAEA Annual Conference 2026 explored resilience as a collective process, highlighting the role of adult learning in strengthening communities in times of uncertainty.