Addressing global citizenship education in adult learning and education (background paper)

It can be argued that the areas of GCED and ALE cover a very broad range of themes and concepts. Moreover, while GCED in school curricula has received much attention, in ALE it is still a neglected policy area. This paper provides a substantial conceptual analysis of the two domains and their commonalities and differences. It begins by unpacking the ambiguous, slippery and contested concepts of GC and GCED and proposes a critical vision on GCED, within a global social justice framework. On this ground a structural link to ALE is found. Then, it explains why it is imperative to address GCED in ALE, and how this can be done. First, GCED and ALE are interlocked at both conceptual and ethical levels. Second, ALE can play an important contribution to fostering GC. Third, both GCED and ALE share the SGDs Agenda as a top priority and find a common goal, particularly in target 4.7. On this ground, rather than seeing GCED as a key topic in ALE, the paper develops an argument to endorse a perspective of ALE as GCED, which overcomes the functionalist view considering GCED as a key issue of ALE. This means that ALE and GCED, when interpreted in a particular and non- neutral way (addressing social transformation, equity, social justice in a non-western centred view), share some structural and key elements. Correspondingly, an original ‘four-dimensions approach to ALE as GCED’ model is advanced to potentially inform policy-makers, practitioners and researchers. It is made of four basic components of ALE as GCED: aims (what for), contents (what), processes and pedagogies (how), actors and learning environments (who). Fittingly, the paper also points out some implications, and makes ten recommendations for policy-makers, practitioners and researchers, while recognising the need for a multi- stakeholder approach to successfully implement ALE as GCED.