A Summary, By Antero Benedito Da Silva Of Untl, Of The Presentations In The Stream 'adult And Popular Education' At The Conference 'transforming Timor-leste' In Dili, July 2009

Adult and Popular Education KEY LESSONED LEARNED AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER DISCUSSIONS Notes by Antero Benedito da Silva JULY 7, 2009

outline • • • • • • • •

Introduction Analysis of Context Theoretical basis Strategies Methods Challenges Other issues of concern Recommendations

Introduction: • This Conference notes will address adult and popular education in two areas; First, literacy Campaigns and; Secondly, other relevant issues of adult and popular education

Context •

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The history of popular education traces back to UNETIM and FRETILIN popular education in 1975; GFFTL re-started literacy campaign since 1999; followed by Oxfam, Brazilian educators and Ministry of Education in cooperation with Cuban Government in 2006 which formally started in April 2007; Popular education has moved to outside of FRETILIN in the post Indonesian occupation Minister of Education Dr Joao Cancio Freitas stated that Illiteracy rate remains high in Timor-Leste. Eradicating illiteracy by 2015 is therefore one of the national objectives. About 50 percent of Timorese population today is illiterate and some 40 percent or so are women, this contributes to the prevalence of social and economic poverty. According to Dr. Rui Gomes of UNDP, the highest rate of poverty is found in the coffee growing districts such as Ermera, Aileu, Ainaro and Same. Same district is regarded as the poorest district in the country. According to Dr. Rui Gomes also achieving MDGs by 2015, for Timor-Leste is impossible, partly because of cultural factors, political factors and also because Timor-Leste only adopted the MDGs 2 years after it was initiated. Daniel Shuguransky. an Adult and Popular Educator from Canada further pointed out that, however, adult education (eg. Education for workers and farmers) are sidelined in the international initiatives, and this includes in the MGDs.

Theoretical basis: Education for transformation (Dr. Daniel Shuguransky “Education for transformation” refers to adult and

popular education which has objectives such as; 1) personal transformation; 2) social transformation which includes promoting ecological, social and an economic sustainability; Julius Nyerere, the late former President of Tanzania is seen as the founding father of adult education (see Dar e Salam Declaration). And the “dialogical approach of popular education can be used by government ….and people in terms of influencing the state policies that might affect their lives as citizens,…for participatory democracy…Citizens need to crate spaces for dialogue. The World Social Forum is an example of creating spaces.”

Strategies and Methods • State-Led Literacy Campaign: Minister Joao Cancio reaffirmed the government’s policy to eradicate illiteracy; and defended the Cuban method, SIM EU POSSO, as the best method proved, to eradicate illiteracy; • Dr. Bob Boughton, advisor to Cubans from the University of New England Australia defines a National Campaign as having three components: socialization, literacy and post literacy; • In line with the Minister, Ms. Filomena of GFFTL insisted that it is important that to make literacy campaign differs from a literacy program. Literacy campaign puts illiteracy as a national cause that must be fought strategically by both the state and the civil society and social movements. • Filomena of GFFTL stated also that GFFTL has been using popular education as basis to do literacy and post literacy programs; Literacy as means for consciencializacao.

• Post Literacy has at the moment two possible approaches: the Cuban post literacy method “Sim, eu quero continuar” and or hakat ba oin and “equivalence,” which needs further research and discussion. • Oxfam has further developing ‘process based” appraoch in developing popular curriculums for learning; • The role of civil society and social movements are important both in literacy campaign and post literacy. GFFTL and Oxfam have involved developing programs and methods for literacy and post literacy. • The government budget on literacy was raised as an issue as well as a strategy to eradicate illiteracy • Mobilizing Universities and students to participate in Literacy eradication campaign was urged by UNDIL student Cezaltina

Agents for change • State/Government • Social Movements and Civil Society Organizations • People: local communities • International solidarity and adult and world popular education movements

Challenges to Literacy Campaign 1. How to make literacy into a national cause? 2. Mobilization of resources including institutional, human and financial resources; (Minister Joao Cancio admitted the limit of state budget for education including nonformal/adult education); 3. National coordination eg. Establishing a National Commission for Adult and Popular Education

Relevant popular education questions • Developing a comprehensive evaluation of literacy campaign/program • Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) has developed PPL (agriculture field workers or extensionistas) trained in Adult Education to be sent to all districts. They are recruited from the former Indonesian PPL; • Cerilio Babo representing the coffee farming in Ermera stated that they have been struggling for land reform in the former Portuguese government coffee plantations known as Fazenda and Sociedade Cafe; they have identified about 18.000 ha of the coffee plantation and have organizing popular cooperatives and popular extensioistas; • Cerilio criticizes also that fact that the government is importing hybrid seeds. He called hybrid seeds as “fini bainaka-guest seeds” and further stated that “seeds is culture”; and that Timor-Leste has local seeds that should be sustained and developed as a form of cultural development.

• Radio Popular Kolele Mai Bucoli and its operational challenges were discussed; • Aboriginal justice and reconciliation process and its cultural exchange with Timor-Leste reconciliation process; “wisdom of the elders and spirits of the young” (Jack BeetsonAboriginal leader) • Reconciliation as a political process that involves divergent ideas in the international politics; interests of nation states and people to people relationship (Antero) • A question was raised that Ministry of Education did not allow Non-Formal education section to participate in the ‘Transforming Timor-Leste’ Conference???? • Citizenship education

Recommendations from Adult & Popular Education Stream 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Mobilizing universities and students to participate in the literacy campaign (Ms. Cezaltina of UNDIL/Student Solidarity); To develop a comprehensive evaluation of literacy Campaign in Timor-Leste; (to Government and Popular education groups); To further research and discuss available methods for post literacy campaign/programs (to Government/UNTL and Popular Education groups) Popular education movement to support Radio Popular Kolele Mai Bucoli; Holding Timor-Leste Social Forum in December 2009 prior to World Social Forum in Brazil (Popular Education groups/movement); Timor-Leste to participate inc Civil Society International Forum prior to CONFINTEA VI UNESCO Adult Education Forum in Brazil December 2009 (Suggested by Prof. Daniel Schugurensky of Canada) (NGOs/Popular Education movement); Re-establish popular education network (after evaluating Dai Popular); to UNTL-Victoria University: To jointly and regularly (every two years) organize conference similar to this one in the future; Organise study exchange programs between Timorese youth and students and Australian Aboriginal youth and students to share experiences of development

Specific Recommendations for Government: 1. Mobilize university staff and students to participate in the national adult literacy campaign (Ms. Cezaltina of UNDIL/Student Solidarity); 2. Develop a comprehensive evaluation of literacy Campaign in TimorLeste (prof. Daniel S); 3. Develop a nationally-co-ordinated and integrated post-literacy strategy with NGOs to consolidate the new skills of the neo-literates who complete Los! Hau Bele 4. Work with UNESCO and NGOs to develop a national report and obtain funding for Timor-Leste to participate in UNESCO International Adult Education Forum (CONFINTEA VI) in Brazil December 2009 (Suggested by Prof. Daniel Schugurensky of Canada); 5. To ensure funding for literacy campaign in order to meet target of eradicating illiteracy by 2015. 6. Work with UNTL, NGOs and UNESCO to develop a nationallycoordinated adult and popular education workforce development strategy for the training and certification of the national adult and popular education system workforce, for example people working in adult literacy, equivalence, agricultural extension, health promotion, human rights and citizenship education and job training