Trainings in Danish Folkhighschools start with singing a song. What is the ration behind this strange tradition? In their book “The Nordic Secret”, Lene Rachel Andersen and Tomas Björkman claim that the success of the Nordic countries is closely linked to their concept of education. The journey of the Nordic countries from being one of the poorest and remotest regions in Europe to being a forerunner in many aspects seems to be closely linked to the success of the folkbidning concept. It creates an adult learning culture based on humanistic concepts of individual growth and the holistic development of communities and societies. This concept represents an interesting alternative to the instrumental view on adult learning, as it was dominant throughout the last decades.

The event aims to explore the potential of the folkbildning concept and the ideas, which shaped the concept, for the further development of the ALE sector. We will ask whether the current challenges around climate change, pandemic, digitalization and coherence in the society create the need for rethinking our concepts and creating new formats, which enable citizens to reflect, act and shape the transformations in their life, communities and societies.  Additionally, a set of good practices from Germany and other European countries will inspire.

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