Danny Wildemeersch​, Εmeritus ​Professor of ‘Social and Cultural Pedagogy’, University of Leuven

‘Emancipation has been one of the driving forces for adult education theory and practice until today. It has had many names and took various shapes over time. Basically, emancipation is rooted in the philosophical tradition of the enlightenment that emphasized values such as autonomy, independence, critical thinking. It has inspired various social movements and educational practices aimed at achieving social justice, equality, human rights, the abolition of slavery and different kinds of discrimination. Today a debate has emerged about the limits of the enlightenment ideas and practices. The limit situation with which humans are now confronted may make them aware that they are not the ‘masters of the world’, but that they are very much dependent on the continuation of diverse forms of life on the planet.

In my presentation, I will look at concepts and practices of adult education that engage with such new approaches, whereby the awareness of interdependence is being explored. Such awareness requires new experiences of time and space and new forms of aesthetic practice’.