The experiences of three 18th-century working class writers illustrate how elements of pure chance contributed to their success or lack of advancement. Their stories raise questions about the motives behind and the issues raised by today's policy initiatives to address poverty. (SK)

At a British community college, students with physical disabilities formed a group focused on expanding educational opportunities in the mainstream for people with disabilities and to change community attitudes. (SK)

UNESCO's Assistant Director-General for education urges adult educators to advance beyond advocacy by embracing promising trends (such as private sector involvement), establishing priorities for action, and seizing opportunities to develop human and social capital. (SK)

Grassroots communities in Northern Ireland are undertaking learning initiatives aimed at conflict reduction and community building. Efforts include replacing prejudice with knowledge, offering antisectarian education, building healthy individual communities before transcending differences, and celebrating cultural traditions. (SK)

There is no substantial difference between adults' and children's learning processes: both use task-conscious and learning-conscious methods. The difference in teaching adults and children lies in differential power relationships between teachers and learners, the identities they construct, and the ways in which power and identity affect teaching…

In Britain, archaeological fieldwork is being used for both educational and research purposes. Training is provided for adult learners from a range of backgrounds, with the goal of increasing public participation in and ownership of archaeological outcomes. (SK)

Clean Break is a theatre group offering learning opportunities to women with mental health problems or criminal justice involvement. The women act as peer researchers, conducting interviews to elicit information on mental health issues that is used to provide appropriate support. (SK)

A community project in England teaches gardening to low-income people interested in growing their own food. The workshops also provide informal basic skills training. (SK)

After years of conflict, Sierra Leone has critical educational development needs including trauma healing and conflict resolution, rebuilding of the educational infrastructure, and citizenship and capacity building. Citizenship education in this context must be redefined as developing individual agency and encouraging active participation. (SK)

Defines global self-esteem (sense of efficacy, purpose, responsibility, self-acceptance) and trait self-esteem (confidence in specific abilities or talents). Gives examples of how low self-esteem impedes participation in learning and how learning can raise self-esteem. (SK)

Six articles in this special feature provide background information on the Workers' Educational Association (WEA) in Britain, including its founding in 1903, its role in the post-World War II social and cultural settlement, problems during the post-war years, its continuing work, and its involvement with women's empowerment. (JOW)

A Birmingham (England) Museum and Art Gallery program helped visitors view hidden objects in artworks and understand how museum representations depict and interpret culture. More informal learning opportunities were developed as a result of the program. (SK)

A British project identified key factors for successful transition to work of people with learning difficulties: manager support, employment as a realistic goal, individualized training packages, and matching of learner interests and employment opportunities. Limited funding for transitional programs made partnerships and strategic planning…

Accounts of prisoners of war, Holocaust survivors, and refugees elucidate ways that educators might help learners understand, reframe, and overcome extreme experiences. They expand the meaning of learning beyond instrumental outcomes to its most fundamental moral purposes. (SK)

A survivor of a disaster discusses stages of trauma and processes of recovery and addresses the role of education in offering opportunities for information, discussion, and understanding. (SK)