From 4 to 6 June 2025, the seventh Andean Meeting for Adult Learning and Education (Encuentro Andino) took place in the city of Azogues, Ecuador, bringing together over 100 representatives from governments, universities, civil society, the private sector, and practical education projects from six Latin American countries and Germany. The event was organised by DVV International Ecuador in collaboration with the National University of Education (UNAE).
Under the motto “Bridges between the Formal and the Non-Formal”, the meeting fostered intersectoral dialogue aimed at strengthening inclusive, transformative adult learning and education (ALE). The programme featured keynote speeches, roundtables, world cafés, workshops, and educational field visits. Topics such as migration, peace, gender, climate change, and interculturality were explored, encouraging participants from various sectors to exchange ideas and build networks. Discussions also highlighted the need for improved data collection on the ALE sector, increased funding, greater recognition and certification of educational experiences, and stronger intersectoral partnerships to bridge the divide between the formal and the non-formal sector.
Keynotes from DVV International South America and the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) highlighted core elements of transformative, holistic education. Both contributions agreed on the necessity of more flexible education systems that can respond to societal change and complex challenges, while simultaneously playing an active role in shaping that change – through educators, learners, and their communities. Only in this way can ALE provide meaningful responses to the pressing issues of our time and contribute significantly to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Impetus for transformative adult learning and education
The day dedicated to “Rutas Pedagógicas” (Pedagogical Routes) field visits showcased what transformative educational programmes can look like – programmes that enhance participants’ self-efficacy and promote social, ecological, and political transformation. Organised by students from UNAE’s ALE Master’s programme and supported by local governments and grassroots organisations, the field visits demonstrated the educational potential of rural areas and the value of close collaboration between academic research and practical application.
The meeting concluded with concrete proposals and commitments. The education ministries of Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador expressed their intent to intensify efforts to recognise and certify learning outcomes from the non-formal education sector. UNESCO reaffirmed its commitment to ALE and proposed the establishment of a UNESCO Chair at UNAE. The event clearly showed that the ALE sector must innovate, reinvent itself, and present a unified voice to assert its role as an essential driver of change in the pursuit of the SDGs.