Albania

*** 2003 ***

Information on Learning festival 2003 in Albania coming soon. See also the Southeast European Regional Lifelong Learning Festival 2003 in Skopje, Macedonia!

*** 2002 ***
Based on the successful first week in October 2001, the second Albanian Lifelong Learning Week took place on 19 - 25 October 2002. The events of the week were organized around a one-day symposium on "The Value of Adult Education in Albania as a Means of Overcoming Insecurities" ("Java e te mesurarit gjate gjithe jetes"). While activities during the week in 2001 were centered in the capital Tirana, this year's festival embraced the entire country.

The Ministries for Education, Work and Culture as well as a large range of NGOs contributed to the prepration and execution of events, and contacts were established with partners from international organizations. The events included - apart from the central opening ceremony - an adult education fair, a national competition of learners, a symposium, and a film festival. One day each of the Lifelong Learning Week was dedicated to a special theme in relation to learning: information technology, foreign languages, traditions and cultures - and many more...

Background...
Initiated by the Institute for International Cooperation of the German Adult Education Association and supported by the national Ministries of Education & Science, of Employment & Social Affairs, and of Culture, as well as by the City of Tirana, the first Albanian Festival of Lifelong Learning was organized on 21 - 27 October 2001. The activities took place in Tirana, as one third of the entire population of the country is living in the capital, and more than half of all adult learning opportunities are offered there. The week started with a media event on the occasion of the opening ceremony and, following a symposium on the broad issue of lifelong learning, a full day each of the remaining time was dedicated to different topics, such as vocational training and re-training, foreign languages, and cultural traditions from the municipality of Tirana.

Against the background of the need for increased individual responsibility and ongoing vocational training created by the recent democratic changes and the introduction of a market economy, the objectives of the Festival of Lifelong Learning are to sensitize a large public as well as political decision makers and education providers for the fact that formal education is no longer sufficient. Participating institutions also had the opportunity to present their work, and to exchange among each other and arrange future cooperation. It is foreseen to extent events in the framework of the Festival of Lifelong Learning to the entire country in the coming years.

Contact:
Jochen Blanken / Sokol Avxhiu
Project PARSH
Institute for International Cooperation/German Adult Education Association
PB 8153
Tirana
Albania
tel +355-42-57477
fax +355-42-57476
IIZPARSh@albaniaonline.net
www.inebis.org