Opinion
Columns and essays in ELM Magazine approach current issues from personal and engaging perspectives. The series of columns "I argue" features texts written by researchers, each presenting a well-argued statement on a topic of their research.
Adult education and civil society organisations: Learning spaces in times of democratic turbulence
Nils-Eyk Zimmermann, in his column, argues that adult education addressing civic competence and active citizenship should be better supported. According to him, civil society organizations play a key role in bringing about social change and solving problems in societies.
Making health literacy everyone’s business: How Ireland got adult and health literacy on the government agenda
Helen Ryan, in her column, tells how a crucial strategy by the new government played a vital role in prioritising health literacy on the national agenda in Ireland. According to her, the most successful way to promote health literacy issues among health professionals was by telling about people’s lived experience. Data and statistics were important, but it was the human stories that resonated the most.
How can European adult education best support Ukraine? Is reconciliation with Russia even conceivable?
In her column, Tetyana Hoggan-Kloubert emphasises the importance of collaborating with European adult education institutions as a means of supporting Ukraine. She also delves into the complex question of reconciliation with Russia.
Development aid a must for building democracy in Palestine
Anne Tastula, in her column, brings attention to an important matter: the allocation of development aid to the Palestinian territories. Concerns about the potential misappropriation of funds and their alleged connection to terrorist groups have raised questions about the sustainability of aid from European countries. However, Tastula emphasizes the imperative need to recognise the crucial role that development aid plays in addressing the stability of the area.
From basic skills to competence overkill
In his essay, Michael Sommer looks at the history of competences from the 19th century until today. Like all living beings, humans are learning organisms that must constantly build, expand and adapt their competencies.
Adult education needs shame busting
Shame is often at the heart of resistance to adult learning, writes Professor Jude Walker. We need to drag shame into the daylight to diminish its power. The text is a Speakers’ Corner column written for issue 3/2022 on Resistance.
The EU Year of Skills, opportunity or tokenism?
2023 is a great opportunity to campaign for the European Year of Skills to go beyond the idea that education only exists to serve the labour market, writes Andrea Lapegna. The text is a column in the Speakers’ Corner series.
Local Government can create communities of learning for sustainable development
Local authorities play a key role in lifelong learning provision both as a provider and also as partner with other stakeholders, writes Emer Costello in her column in the Speakers’ Corner series.
Online communities are shifting our means of learning
More people are moving to online environments to create their own learning communities beyond institutional structures, writes Pascale Mompoint-Gaillard. The text is a column written for issue 2/2022 on Learning and Making.
Moving through new landscapes of learning
Doing an Erasmus MA during the pandemic taught Viktoriya Ivanenko that studying online cannot replace engaging with a new culture.
