Education systems in many of the world's poorest countries are now experiencing the aftershock of the global economic downturn says the 2010 Education for All Global Monitoring Report.

Which programs have actually worked out in the field of women’s education? This was the main question of a workshop entitled “Education, Gender and Poverty” organized by the Popular Education among Women Network (REPEM), an activity part of the parallel activities at CONFINTEA VI.

Paul Bélanger, President of the International Council for Adult Education (ICAE) spoke on the last day of CONFINTEA VI held in Belém. "The planet will not survive if it’s not a learning planet” he said and called to review the armament budgets in favor of investment in education.

A strategy meeting of the organizing committee of the International Civil Society Forum (FISC) in which more than 50 volunteers took part, discussed the logistics of what will be a three-day event that brings together civil society representatives working with adult education.

The Global Action Week (April 20 to 26th), organized by the Global Campaign for Education is now in motion. This year the focus is on Youth and Adult Education and "The Big Read" is the action planned on this occasion.

The International Civil Society Forum (FISC, for its Portuguese acronym) is an international event on Youth and Adult Education, to be held in Belém, capital of the state of Pará, Brazil, between May 16th and 18th, 2009.

In a crowded room with an intense participation of the public, the National Campaign for the Right to Education launched the publication "Funding education within the government Lula".

Despite much progress since 2000, millions of children, youth and adults still lack access to good quality education and the benefits it brings.

The opening rally took place on the 27th. Under pouring rain, thousands of people walked along the streets of Belem for around 5 hours, and rain did not discourage them from dancing, singing and parading with enthusiasm and excitement.

The International Council for Adult Education (ICAE) is organizing a series of workshops and meetings at the World Social Forum in Belem to pave the way towards the VI International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA).