This journal issue contains a series of papers concerned with exploring the role that adult education can play in developing communities. The first paper, "Major Challenges and Prospect of Adult Education for the Year 2000" (T. M. Sakya), provides an overview of adult education in Asia and the Pacific, emphasizing the vastness of the region, the fact that 63 percent of the total world population live within it, and the rapid change that has characterized this region during the past decade. In the second paper, "The Role of Adult Education in Community Settings," W. M. K. Wijetunga points out that lifelong learning is not new to Asia and draws on his knowledge of Buddhism as an illustration of this fact. He emphasizes that adult education should always be focused on the disadvantaged members of societies with the aim of giving them the means to overcome their situation and gain equality. The remaining six papers were written by adult educators in countries of the region and outline the role that adult education is playing in each of these countries and what each hopes to achieve in the future. The papers are: "The Role of Adult Education in Community Settings--The Japanese Experience" (Makoto Yamaguchi); "Some Aspects of Nonformal Education Development in Indonesia" (Kusumadewi); "Trends in Korean Adult Education" (Korean Association of Adult Education); "Adult Education for the Year 2000, Challenges and Prospects: Thailand" (Sunthorn Sunanchai); "Adult/Continuing Education in Macau" (Lawrence Tsui); and "Chinese Adult Education" (Department of Adult Education, Beijing). A list of organizations involved in adult and nonformal education in Asia and the Pacific is included in the document. (KC)