If you are interested in learning the latest developments in social education / social pedagogy, or in telling other professionals about developments in which you are involved, the AIEJI Congress in Copenhagen on 4-7 May 2009 is the place for you.
AIEJI has a long track record of organising excellent conferences, and this year’s should be no exception. Both the International President of AIEJI, Benny Andersen and the Secretary, Lars Steinov, are from Denmark, and they have the backing of a strong organisation. They have already published a journal of articles on the Congress theme. Click here to read it.
Readers in the UK may not have heard of AIEJI, which is the International Association of Social Educators. Because, historically, Britain has not adopted social education or social pedagogy as its basis for professional child care, there have been very few AIEJI members from the UK. Now, however, the growing interest in social pedagogy in Britain could result in a growth in membership. Certainly, if the concept interests you, Copenhagen will offer good networking opportunities, and there is still time to offer to run a workshop.
In case you are confused about the difference between social education and social pedagogy, the simple solution is to assume that they are the same thing. Obviously, definitions, training systems and so on vary from country to country in continental Europe, but the main difference between the two is that social education is the term used broadly in Southern Europe (and by AIEJI) and social pedagogy is the northern European term.
And Copenhagen should be a beautiful place to be in May.
If you want to know more about AIEJI, click here.