ALE approaches in the Middle East region
Adult learning and education (ALE) is vital for personal and professional growth as well as for community engagement. Innovative educational approaches support the learning process. DVV International Middle East has developed dialogue-centered ALE models that enhance employability but also inspire active civic engagement through critical reflection, hands-on learning, and participatory techniques. In Jordan and Palestine, the project model is implemented in cooperation with local ALE institutions.
Jordan: The Tafakur approach – From identifying resources and opportunities to the capability to invest in them
Tafakur (meaning contemplation and reflection) is a flexible and adaptable approach across different learning contexts and diverse target audiences. Developed by DVV International in Jordan, it is used to motivate and energise individuals from different communities and enhance their capacities to engage in continuous learning and self-development, to seek employment, or to actively participate in community work.
Tafakur is a learning journey in which facilitators work with participants through a learner-centred, dialogue-based process that encourages participants to think critically, question and wondering their reality. The main objective of the Tafakur approach is to enhance an individual's awareness of themselves, their reality, and their surroundings, help identify the challenges and needs of daily life, identify personal needs, and understand the requirements of the labour market and the needs of the wider community.
Tafakur is a conscious turning point for participants to redefine their individual aspirations, whether they relate to further vocational training, personal growth, entrepreneurial development, or community participation.
Palestine: Mujawarat – An empowering approach for the orientation of adult learners
Mujawarat is an adapted adult learning approach that builds on Paulo Freire’s philosophy of emancipatory popular education, and the contextualized educational thought and practice of Palestinian educators Khalil Sakakini and Muneer Fasheh. A Mujawara is meant to create an environment of good neighbours (which is the literal meaning of Mujawara) who listen to each other, embrace the stories, appreciate the experiences, and reflect on their meaning to everyone.
DVV International adopted and developed the Mujawarat approach as a method to create relevant ALE possibilities that can respond to the extremely challenging context in Palestine. Throughout the past years, the local community centres for youth and adult education in Gaza and the West Bank have been implementing this approach.
In the beginning, Mujawarat focused on promoting the notion of “education for hope”. It was necessary to support the centres with a way to maintain people’s hope that lifelong learning and the consequent action will eventually lead to better possibilities. The Mujawarat approach later evolved from the concept of restoring hope to a participatory and empowering method for the orientation of adults’ learning. One of the core services that the partnering ALE centres defined for themselves was not only providing offers for learning, but also orientation of participants to be able of investing better in their learning.
Tafakur and Mujawarat: Powerful tools for unlocking the potential of adult learners
The European Training Foundation (ETF) conducted case studies to assess the benefits of the learning approaches of DVV International Middle East. The ETF concludes: “The Tafakur and Mujawarat approaches are powerful tools for unlocking the potential of adult learners and fostering community resilience. By emphasizing dialogue, critical reflection, and participatory methodologies, these approaches help individuals develop the skills and confidence needed to thrive in today's rapidly changing world.”[1]
Read the summary of the case studies:
Read the full version of the case studies:
Full report Mujawarat (Palestine)
[1] Unlocking Potential: The Tafakur and Mujawarat Approaches to Adult Learning | Open Space