Over the past few years a constellation of social movements and organisations concerned with issues of globalisation and world poverty have exploded onto the world stage. They have mobilised demonstrations, organised mass gatherings and conferences, created e-networks and websites and become major players in international political lobbying and policy change. There are strong historical linkages between social movements and adult education. In this author's view, popular adult education has always been, and still is, central to movements pledged to social and political change. He believes that there is still a challenging agenda of social and political change in the UK, which adult educators and social movements can address together, and that the emergence of new movements against globalisation and world poverty is an opportunity to force democracy and social justice back onto the mainstream education agenda.