Harnessing Lifelong Learning and the Voluntary Sector in Asia and Europe

From 1-3 October 2010, in Brussels, Belgium, 20 researchers, experts and practitioners from various universities, international and voluntary-based organizations participated in the Workshop “Creating Skills and Competence for Living and Working in the Asia-Europe Meeting-ASEM Area”. Some of the networks that participated were NICE Japan, Coordinating Committee of International Voluntary Services (CCIVS), International Civil Service (ICS), Association of Voluntary Service Organizations (AVSO) and the IAVE Youth Office in Catalonia (IYOC), represented by Meghann Villanueva. 

The general objective of this workshop was to build future cooperation between research in Lifelong Learning and the voluntary sector in ASEM countries. Participants analyzed the relationship between both sectors and identified challenges and opportunities for integrating the contribution of civil society organizations to the current ASEM approach to research-based policy making. The workshop was part of the larger “4 Connecting Civil Society Conference” (CCS4), an official side event of the 8t Asia Europe Meeting Summit (ASEM8), which was attended by more than 150 conference participants from universities, think tanks, NGOs, media, youth organizations, business and civil society organizations.

This project aimed to set the basis for multi-sector cooperation and formulated recommendations for future Asia-Europe initiatives, including a strategic development of key actions through the use of non-formal education. International voluntary service projects between Asia and Europe can facilitate lifelong learning processes at a personal and professional level while developing communities. Participants agreed that living and working in the ASEM increasingly demands new and more complex skills. The tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Volunteer (IYV+10) was mentioned as an important opportunity to enhance the development of research in the field of volunteering and lifelong learning.

The workshop aspires to harness voluntary service for Lifelong Learning through the following key recommendations there were put forth by the participants:

• That the development and maintenance of professional and social skills as well as competency through lifelong learning is required to build and enhance constructive and closer cooperation in the ASEM region.

• That through the redesigning of relations between educational and working activities, the development of a sustainable and participatory learning society is possible. This can be done through lifelong learning.

• That by merging formal and informal learning and by recognizing prior learning and voluntary activities, lifelong learning strengthens civil society.

The workshop was co-organized by the CCIVS and the ASEM Education and Research Hub for Lifelong Learning and the CCS4 was organized by the Asia Europe Foundation-ASEF  in co-operation with the Europe-Asia Policy Forum, including the International Institute of Asian Studies, the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, the European Policy Center, with the support of the Belgian Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs, the European Commission and the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.