Editorial of the January 2024 Global Education Coalition Newsletter by François Taddei, President of the Learning Planet Institute
Dear Members,
In a fast and ever-changing world, lifelong learning is the key to adaptability and is a human right, as proposed by UNESCO’s Institute for Lifelong Learning. We must learn how to learn and be able to choose what and how we learn, with “Nothing about us, without us” as a key policy design principle for learning environments at all ages. It is essential to provide agency to learn to care for oneself, others, and the planet. In this way we foster our ability to become “planetizens” – citizens of the world able to respect our planetary boundaries and nurture our planetary commons.
Together we must work to enable the individual and collective flourishing of future generations – matching learning needs with available expertise to create vibrant learning communities and transforming common learning needs into a resource by researching and co-creating new solutions.
Today’s institutions adapt too slowly to enable learners of any age to rise to the challenges of our time – we need to build open-source R&D resources for the evolution of lifelong learning. Here we can share the best tools, methods and content to learn about our rapidly changing landscape, focussing research on the multiple dimensions of ‘learning transitions’, the transitions of learners, learning and structures that govern our lives.
Imagine if we can co-create an AI-powered, internationally-supported institution co-designed with learners – with a mission to empower all lifelong learners to become learning planetizens, capable of finding purpose while rising to the challenges of our time. This “Planetizen University” would not only drive effective learning on how to heal oneself, others, and the planet, but learners would co-create the R&D and open learning ecosystems necessary to enable these transitions.
Members of the Global Coalition for Education, I hope such dreams can become reality quickly enough to impact the transitions our planet desperately needs. I know we share these same values and missions and together we can explore the future of lifelong learning.
François Taddei,
Chief Exploration Officer, Learning Planet Institute
Learning Planet Festival – 24-27 January 2024
Launched on 24 January 2020 by UNESCO and the Learning Planet Institute to celebrate the International Day of Education, the LearningPlanet Festival is the annual gathering of a global community of educational organizations and individuals uniting to transform education. Under the overarching theme “Learning to take care of oneself, others and the planet”, the fifth edition of the Festival is free and open to all. It brings vital attention to new narratives and actionable solutions through hundreds of online and on-site events. Mark your calendars for 24–27 January and discover the full programme.
