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The "Hamburg Declaration on Adult Learning and Agenda for the Future" (UNESCO, 1997) is perhaps the most utopian statement about adult learning and education (ALE) in recent times. Grounded in the ideas of radical educators Paulo Freire and Ivan Illich, it built upon two earlier influential and inspiring reports that promoted general adherence to the values of helping to build a sustainable world, promote peace, celebrate diversity, and defend human rights. Analysis of the previous chapters demonstrates that the utopian ideals and goals of the "Hamburg Declaration" are still far from being achieved. The earlier chapters suggest several common issues that the author wants to address further. The first concerns the political dimensions of adult education--an aspect that lies at the heart of the "Hamburg Declaration" and fundamentally shapes the contexts in which adult education takes place. From a review of the developments since CONFINTEA V, it is easy to conclude that there is little confidence that the goals of the "Hamburg Declaration" will be realized any time soon. Yet one task of progressive educators is to unveil opportunities for hope, no matter the obstacles (Freire, 2004). In that vein, the author lists some of the more positive changes that have taken place since 1997 and conclude with some suggestions about how to reaffirm and reenergize the hope and promise of the "Hamburg Declaration."

The 12-yearly International Conferences of Adult Education (CONFINTEA) organised by UNESCO are significant events in the ongoing global dialogues about adult learning and education (ALE) and its role within society. Thus, the latest conference held in Brazil in 2009 offered a major opportunity to consider and review developments about ALE policies and practices worldwide and encouraged both national governments and non-governmental organisations alike to examine their approaches to adult education and lifelong learning. After a review of the process that Canada adopted in following the UNESCO guidelines for preparing its country report, this paper focuses specifically on the involvement of Canada's major academic adult education organisation and details its concerns with both the development and the substance of the report. Comparing it with the country reports of Finland, Sweden and the UK, the authors analyse the Canadian report and provide some explanatory reasons why, in their opinion, both the process and the result provided a less than complete picture of ALE in Canada and, in so doing, fell short of UNESCO's aspirations for CONFINTEA.

Writing recently in this journal, two of Canada's veteran adult educators contemplated the "death" of the Canadian adult education movement. I disagree and argue that adult education in Canada is as vital an activity as ever and one that still fully justifies being called a movement. Specifically, Selman and Selman (2009) list five trends that they assert have brought about the adult education movement's demise: a general retreat from collaborative activities and collective action; a concern about "missionary" activities; the structure, values, and rewards within universities and other institutions of higher education; a shift toward "lifelong learning" as an organizing concept; and the movement somehow becoming less Canadian. In this paper, I consider each trend in some detail and provide examples to counter the Selmans' analysis. Instead, I show that adult education continues to be a critical and vital movement in Canadian society and one very far from dead.

As Canadian universities are pressured to exhibit a range of organizational accountabilities, their various academic, administrative, and support units are required to adopt more integrated and inclusive approaches to assessment and planning. Within the purview of university continuing education units, individual program areas are expected to not only demonstrate their effectiveness and efficiency in response to a multiplicity of pressures, but also to display some form of quantifiable improvement. At the same time, limited resources compel continuing education as a whole to find ways to show evidence of and display their organizational achievements and outcomes. In 2006, Continuing Studies at Simon Fraser University (SFU) began modifying their unit-wide and external review processes for individual programs to bring them more in-line with academic faculties and departments, which are subject to external reviews on a regular basis. This article explores SFU's approach to external reviews through a case study of one particular program review, noting the key findings and decisions made as a result of the reviewer's recommendations. (Contains 1 table.)

In the Fall 2007 issue of CJUCE, Scott McLean reviewed and analyzed the public claims made by university continuing education (UCE) units about the purpose of their work. He hoped that his survey would promote informed reflection and dialogue about these purposes and generate debate about the future direction of UCE in Canada. This article takes up that challenge and suggests ways in which we might rekindle some of the earlier passion and commitment to a broader and more explicitly social orientation.

In this study, we examined the provision and development of lifelong learning within institutions of higher education in British Columbia and explored some of the institutional characteristics that enable or discourage it. The results suggest that most lifelong learning opportunities are directed toward enhancing employment and career opportunities rather than citizenship development. Yet, as the demand for higher education and the number of adult learners enrolling in programs continue to increase, these institutions are well-positioned to develop new forms of education that acknowledge, accommodate, and respect the concerns and interests of lifelong learners.

Social class is a major determining factor of accomplishment in most educational, employment, and social arenas and still one of the best predictors of who will achieve success, prosperity, and social status. Yet, despite its continued significance, social class is rarely as well considered as the related analytic vectors of gender and race, particularly within U.S. adult education. So why do scholars so significantly acknowledge class less than its counterparts and why is it so underrepresented in adult educational theory? This article explores the development of social class and its relationship to several different arenas of adult education practice. It highlights the links between adult education, the material and social conditions of daily and working lives, and the economic and political systems that underpin them. The article also reaffirms the salience of class in shaping the lives we lead and the educational approaches we develop.

In summarizing earlier arguments for privileging a class perspective on adult education, this chapter considers that perspective's practical relevance and suggests resources for further reading.

The author introduces the importance of class, providing a historical overview of the concept and discussing its applicability to the study of adult education.

Given the roots of critical theory in Marxist analysis of class and economy, it is essential that critical educators not lose sight of the importance of these factors to everyday practices.

Definitional journals (n=25) and concept maps (n=15) of adult education graduate students were analyzed. Identifying terms and linking them in concept maps helped students gain understanding of the field. Students tended to choose terms and design maps descriptive of others' conceptualizations, neglecting their own knowledge and experience. (Contains 26 references.) (SK)

A British Columbia off-campus program enables cohorts of adults to undertake graduate study at a distance. Groups promote transformative learning and continuing professional development. Key principles include adult-centered learning; diverse, inclusive groups; learner participation in program design; and collaborative learning. (Contains 49 references.) (SK)

Discusses the importance of ongoing adult education, summarizing four books that provide a comprehensive guide to the themes and concerns of contemporary adult educators, considering various issues raised in the books (borders and boundaries of adult education, impact of economic restructuring, and emphasis on learning) and examining how the scholarly development of adult education is captured in the books. (SM)

A richer understanding of teaching adults would be gained by linking micro aspects of teaching and classroom interaction with macro influences of educational and social systems. This is illustrated by a study of adult basic math classes, in which teachers focused on the syllabus, dominated classroom decision making, and limited opportunities for learners to develop motivation. (SK)

How Do We Tell the Workers? The Socioeconomic Foundations of Work and Vocational Education. By Joe L. Kincheloe. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1999. 450 pp. $69 cloth, $21 paper. Vocational [...]