Adult Education in the Middle East: A Mediterranean Perspective
Introduction
This article explores the landscape of adult learning and education (ALE) in the Middle East, viewed through a Mediterranean lens. It acknowledges the diverse cultures, economies, and educational profiles within the Mediterranean region and surrounding Basin, encompassing parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia. A key question explored is whether a distinctive "Mediterranean" approach to ALE can be identified and whether ALE can foster more meaningful intercultural engagement in the face of increasing migration flows. The article considers historical and contemporary aspects of ALE in the region, relating them to broader trends in education globally.
The Mediterranean as a Construct
The term "Mediterranean" is not merely a geographical designation but a cultural and political construct. There is a risk of ethnocentric projections, often focusing on European perspectives. The modern-day mindset tends to represent the Mediterranean within a Eurocentric imaginary. Therefore, it’s important to highlight the region’s features in keeping with what can loosely be identified with “the South”, including parts of the “Global South” - as in the “South-North” construct.
Geographically, the Mediterranean is a semi-enclosed area bordered by "southern" Europe, "North" Africa, and "Southwest" Asia. This region includes approximately 23 countries. Climate plays a crucial role in shaping cultural production and lifestyles, fostering similarities in climate, colors, landscapes, and vegetation. Throughout history, events and landmarks have led to a degree of hybridisation. The European Union (EU) has also played a significant role in more recent times.
The Mediterranean experienced a decline in global geopolitical importance after 1492, which was later tempered by oil discoveries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). While exchange was a long-standing feature of the region, the Mediterranean Basin was also the site of conflicts that have shaped the surrounding cultures. More recently, the potential for conflict has made the Mediterranean an important focus of international relations. The 1975 Helsinki conference on security and co-operation in Europe (CSCE) represented a turning point. The Helsinki Accords called on non-member states to cooperate for nuclear disarmament and conflict reduction in the Mediterranean.
Significant ALE Moments and Processes
The Mediterranean region has a rich history of ALE, characterized by hybrid experiences and grassroots efforts. ALE in the region has often arisen from the specific circumstances of communities and their everyday struggles, alongside adapted experiments from elsewhere. However, it has sometimes been imposed or financially driven. "Northern"/"Central" European-influenced forms of lifelong learning (LLL) coexist with communal learning traditions, with the degree of imposition or blending depending on financial conditions.
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Educational policies, however well-defined, do not always translate smoothly across different levels of governance, from supranational entities (e.g., the EU) to national, regional, and local levels. This process involves negotiations and mediations, often leading to policy changes.
Funding and Relevance of ALE
Funding for adult and popular education in the Mediterranean comes from various levels of government, including regional and municipal entities, as well as local councils. In the Palestinian context, community-based centers for youth and adult education receive assistance from foreign donor agencies, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, universities, and local businesses.
In many cases, funding is provided by central sources, such as in Slovenia, where the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport provides 20% of the funding for non-formal education, and other ministries such as Labour and Social Affairs (37%). Other funding sources include the EU (through the European Social Fund, Erasmus and Interreg), and a small amount from municipalities and private ALE providers. There is often an imbalance between urban and rural centers. The bulk of funding is regularly spent on ALE for the acquisition of vocational competences.
Historical Experiences of ALE
Examining local historical experiences of ALE reveals their originality, relevance, and contextual roots. These communal experiences often have a collective and holistic dimension that does not easily align with contemporary funding models. They can offer an alternative to the individual LLL approach, which is based on market and individual responsibility.
The setting and pace for this type of learning are often conditioned by the climate features found throughout the Mediterranean. Cultural manifestations, with their underlying learning dimensions, cannot be divorced from their climate conditioning. These factors should be considered in contemporary sociological research in education, including ALE.
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These factors need to be borne in mind as we explore ALE initiatives intended to foster greater understanding and mutual valuing of people from different cultures, who are, despite historical antagonism, attempting to live in the same geographical space as a result of strong migration flows. To this end, ALE is able to draw on a greater knowledge of different traditions of learning that have been carried across the globe - a “portability of cultures”.
Literature on ALE in the Mediterranean
The Mediterranean, particularly the "South" Mediterranean, receives limited attention in English-language ALE literature. One of the first major volumes on ALE in the region resulted from a conference held in Malta, in 1984, on “Lifelong Education Initiatives in the Mediterranean”. It was organised in connection with UNESCO and brought together scholars and activists. The Mediterranean dimension of the Malta conference was partly characterised by a focus on ALE for participation in the context of three “southern” European countries that had recently emerged from periods of dictatorial rule: Greece, Portugal and Spain.
Other compendia with a focus on the Mediterranean in ALE were produced by DVV International, which brought together practitioners and academics in ALE in a series of seminars in Cyprus, Malta and Egypt to discuss issues in adult education from eastern and southern Mediterranean perspectives.
The Arab House for Adult Education and Development (AHAED)
The Arab House for Adult Education and Development (AHAED), based in Beirut, Lebanon is a regional innovation initiative. It was born out of strategic and long-term partnership between the Arab Network for Popular Education (ANPE), the Arab Network for Literacy and Adult Education (ANLAE), the Arab Campaign for Education for All (ACEA), the Arab Network for Civic Education (ANHRE), and in partnership with the International Cooperation Foundation of the German Association for Adult Education (DVV International). Established as a formal network in 2019, AHAED serves as an umbrella for many institutions and bodies concerned with adult education and learning in the Middle East and North Africa.
It focuses on advancing dialogue on adult education and learning in the region, providing space for networking, sharing best practices, and expanding the work of its members across the region. The Arab House has become a global and regional reference for adult education learning in the Arab world, fostering peaceful-interactive reference. Its success is measured by its ability to develop and renew thought, experiences, and approaches to adult learning. Its strength stems from the work of its founding members, partners, and participations in the Arab Academy over the years.
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