Society in the Palestinian Territories faces many internal and external challenges. That is why adult education is so important there. Community centres can become important places of learning. Recently, the interest of civil society and communities, as well as many individuals in adult education, has grown. DVV International explores people’s learning needs and the environments in which they live, collectively with the Ministry of Education, communities and NGOs.
Experiences in adult education
DVV International promotes sustainable learning opportunities in community-based adult education centres that are connected to communities and civil society institutions. DVV International strives to train ALE managers and moderators so that they can manage the centres. It must also be ensured that these centres can access various local resources in the interests of sustainability. Ola Issa, Country Director of DVV International in the Palestinian Territories, explains that the municipal adult education centres in Palestine have become an important pillar of lifelong learning (LLL). They are the only centres of their kind that offer learning opportunities for all people. “The centres play an important role in local development,” says Issa. “On the one hand, they empower people to compete in the labour market. On the other hand, they create spaces where people can come together, nurture their culture, discuss problems and find solutions. DVV International hopes that these centres will make a strong contribution to sustainable local development.”
The mujawarat learning approach and its implications
The Palestinian people, who find themselves in an extremely difficult situation, want to learn in order to improve their living conditions. The community-based ALE centres have recognized the importance of providing support to community members to fulfil these aspirations. They began developing the mujawarat approach, which aims to ensure that each individual retains faith in the importance of lifelong learning. A participant who attended a mujawarat in one of the centres puts it in a nutshell: “The mujawarat creates the necessary space for learning, research, reflection and inspiration.”
Huda Nawahda, the director of the Al Yamoun Centre, explains that the mujawarat approach also connects the participants with each other. They meet in the open air to communicate with others, to acquire knowledge, to discuss and to develop new ideas.
Is lifelong learning feasible in Palestine?
The skills acquired in the formal education system are often different from those required for later life. Pupils are not always taught to be ready for lifelong learning. Therefore a different approach is needed. Aden Jawabreh, a volunteer supervisor at the Al Karmel Centre, says she is a lifelong learner. “A person must not stop learning. It is a way of life and today’s generation of young people must constantly evolve to catch up with the next generation of learners. This is important to avoid creating a knowledge gap between generations, like we’ve seen in the past,” she adds. Attempts are being made in several centres to establish lifelong learning. The volunteers working at these centres are key players in this. Initial successes have already been recorded. The impact on community development is palpable.
DVV international will continue to support the centres and spread the concept of lifelong learning to enable sustainable development for the Palestinian communities.
Hadil Taher
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