What is the current state of affairs internationally with regard to adult education for indigenous peoples? How are different countries and different regions tackling the issues? What are the problems, the programmes and the policies being put into place? And how are indigenous peoples themselves becoming involved in the planning of their own educational futures?

To this end the UNESCO Institute for Education initiated in 1999 an international survey on adult education and indigenous peoples. From the outset, the survey was conceived as a participatory venture involving the views and perspectives of indigenous peoples themselves. A network of focal points was established  and where possible these were indigenous organizations themselves. Where this was not  possible research centres close to indigenous organizations were involved as focal points.

The aim of the survey was to provide:
•    A reference document for indigenous peoples to help them identify similarities and differences with regard to adult education policy as well as provision and participation patterns in different regions of the world.
•    Recommendations and proposals for policy makers , international agencies and NGOs to develop new directions for adult education in cooperation with indigenous peoples.
•    A theoretical and conceptual framework in which to place the discussion of adult education for indigenous peoples.

Research was undertaken with financial support from the Government of Norway and from DANIDA. The UNESCO Institute for Education gratefully acknowledges this support, which made the participation of researchers around the world possible. 
(From the foreword)

As a result from this survey, the following country studies are now available (in pdf-format):
 
 

Bolivia	200 kB
Brazil	97 kB	Norway	204 kB
Canada	188 kB	Mexico	564 kB
Ecuador	224 kB	Philippines	90 kB
Guatemala	185 kB	Russia	154 kB