BLDC 2023
Feminist Leadership for Transformative ALE in the Asia Pacific region
October 16 to 21, 2023
ASPBAE’s Basic Leadership Development Course (BLDC) this year will focus on building capacities ofemerging leadership in ASPBAE’s member organisations to build feminist leadership approaches
and facilitate structured reflection and exchange on adult learning principles and lifelong learningperspectives that are transformative, gender just, rights-based, contributing to sustainable
development and a just peace.
The main aim of ASPBAE’s BLDC this year is to strengthen interaction between practitioners of youth
and adult education and advocates of right to education to appreciate and engage feminist
leadership approaches for transformative ALE and equity in education.
Specific Objectives••••Within the context of the Asia Pacific region, build a critical understanding of thehistorical development of global ALE policies and programs leading to the Marrakesh
Framework for Action and the spaces to advocate for ALE at the national andtransnational levels
Orient on principles of feminist leadership that enable building of transformative
ALE approaches
Enhance networking and advocacy skills to mobilise leadership among practitionersof transformative ALE and right to education policy advocates
Gain a better understanding of ASPBAE’s work towards strengthening of a core ofadult educators and policy advocates

Learning Process
In keeping with ASPBAE’s commitment to experiential and participatory learning, the BLDC will bedesigned to build on the experiences of the participants and to be attentive to their learning needs
and priorities. The BLDC will employ innovative methodologies to facilitate active engagement ofparticipants in the learning process based on principles of feminist leadership.
The language of instruction of the BLDC will be English.
The learning process will be divided into the following three phases:
1. Preparatory Phase
The selected participants will be contacted by the Course Directors by email to advise theparticipants on pre-Course work in preparation for the residential phase.
2. Residential Phase

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The residential phase is of 6 days duration with highly interactive sessions designed to tap
into the rich and diverse experiences of the participants as valuable resources in theprocesses of learning. The structured sessions will use a combination of popular education
methods, brief lectures, group discussions, and interactions with local groups in Malaysia.
3. Application of Learning Phase
All participants are expected to implement their self-designed Action Plan, as a demonstrated
commitment to apply the learning from the BLDC in the on-going educational work of theirorganisation. The Action Plan endorsed by the head of their organisation has to be completed
within three months from the completion of the BLDC. ASPBAE will offer mentoring support
to all participants while the other resources required to implement the Action Plan will beprovided by the respective organisations.
Participant selection criteria
The BLDC will bring together selected participants from member organisations of ASPBAE.
Preference will be given to individuals who:
● Have at least five years of experience of working on education and lifelong learning within
their organisational or country contexts● Have the potential to take up leadership roles in their organisations● Have good fluency in English, which is the working language of the BLDC
Nomination and Selection
The completed Nomination Form should be sent to the ASPBAE Secretariat latest by August 25,
2023 to aspbaebldc2023@gmail.com
The Selection Committee, constituted from among the ASPBAE Executive Council, will make the final
selection of the participants.
We encourage nominations from persons with disabilities; with diverse gender & sexual identities
and from ethnic/indigenous communities.
Selected participants will be notified not later than 15 September 2023.
Registration Fees
A Registration fee of USD 100 for all participants is stipulated this year.
BLDC Costs
Grants received by ASPBAE will be used to cover the costs for the BLDC this year. However, costsharing by members will be highly appreciated to maximise this learning opportunity for ASPBAE
members. Cost-sharing can either be in the form of the nominee’s organisation covering the airfare2

OR the local costs of USD $ 400, which will cover accommodation, meals on all the days of the BLDC
and airport transfers in Kuala Lumpur.
All participants are expected to bear their visa and terminal fees, home country airport transfers,
any other overlay/transit costs, RTPCR tests costs and travel insurance, as these will NOT be coveredby ASPBAE for any participant.
Host organisation
Pusat KOMAS is a human rights popular communications centre set up in August 1993 to empower
the indigenous peoples, urban poor, workers and civil society organisations to advocate for humanrights in Malaysia.
Pusat KOMAS has produced many educational videos and publications on various human rights andsocial causes. Core programmes include training, workshops, film screenings, resource material
production and advocacy.
BLDC Faculty
Meenu Vadera (Course Director) is an ASPBAE Executive Council member representing South Asia.
She is the founding member of Azad Foundation and Sakha Consulting Wings, a social enterprisethat supports resource poor women to gain livelihoods with dignity and creates safe employment
options for women professional drivers. She has also led an innovative initiative in India - Aagaaz
Academy, the transformative leadership school for elected women representatives of village
councils.
Amartuvshin Dorjsuren (Course Director) is an ASPBAE Executive Council member representing
East Asia. He is the Associate Professor at the National University of Mongolia and also serves on
the Board of the Beautiful Hearts NGO, which has been a long-standing and founding member of Allfor Education, the national education coalition of Mongolia. Beautiful Hearts works on issues ofgender-based violence, especially sexual violence against children.
Anita Borkar (Anchor) is the Regional Coordinator of ASPBAE’s Training for Transformation Programand organises need-based leardership capacity building on ALE for ASPBAE members.
Resource Persons will be drawn from the expertise within the ASPBAE membership and strategic
partners of ASPBAE
For more information, please contact:
ASPBAE at aspbaebldc2023 @gmail.com
Please address your queries to:Anita Borkar
Regional Coordinator
Training for Transformation (TfT) Program
ASPBAE3