October 29 - November 1
If you would like to attend the 5th International Active Learning Biennale, please reach out directly to Elisa Gambardella, Education and Lifelong Learning Coordinator at elisa.gambardella@solidar.org.
Organised by Convergence(s) pour l’Éducation Nouvelle (a collective comprising 100 international associations and federations from 35 countries around the world), the 5th International Active Learning Biennale will take place in Verona (Italy) from Thursday 29 October to Sunday 1 November 2026. At a time when nationalist, authoritarian and far-right forces are on the rise, and when the logic of identity-based isolationism, competition and the undermining of fundamental rights is gaining ground, advocating for an emancipatory education is a profoundly political act.
In the face of ideological offensives that seek to discredit critical pedagogies, restrict spaces for pedagogical freedom or impose uniform visions of culture and citizenship, it is our responsibility to resist. Not out of nostalgia for an idealised past, but because we know that education is a crucial arena for democracy.
This is the commitment we are all making, collectively, by organising the Biennales. As a truly activist gathering, they provide a space for meeting, reflection, training and engagement. They help to sustain an international network of individuals who are convinced that transforming education is inseparable from the transformation of society. By affirming this shared ambition, we are choosing hope, solidarity and collective action in the face of the isolationism and resignation of our times.
A unique Biennale with multiple themes
As the first biennale to be held in a non-French-speaking country, its international dimension will be greatly enhanced, prompting deeper reflection on the role of languages. Four days of meetings to facilitate exchanges between activists from the various movements that make up Convergence(s) but, more broadly, with teachers and educators interested in the challenges of active learning. A biennale event offers the chance to take part in debates, experience practical activities, enjoy cultural events and share moments of camaraderie.
This 5th edition will address a key, socially engaged theme: ‘Re-humanising education’. The utopian vision of Active Learning, which spanned the 20th century, has faced – and continues to face – considerable opposition: privilege, classicism, ethnocentrism and a conception of education and learning that separates theory from practice, the mind from the body, and emotions from knowledge. Even more so in this historical phase, Active Learning is committed to building humanity’s awareness in order to care for the world. Active Learning works to ensure that every individual is able to read and interpret the present, capable of exercising critical thinking – including in terms of social critique – and of imagining possible futures. It aims to develop an awareness of the responsibility that comes with belonging to a single global community in the context of globalisation, the digital age and the rise of new forms of inequality.
Combining lectures, debates and the sharing of experiences (practical workshops or personal accounts), the Biennale provides an opportunity for practitioners of Active Learning to compare their approaches, stimulate their thinking and strengthen their skills. Five key issues will be addressed in particular:
- The universal right to education for every individual and every people.
- Simplifying thought: the tensions between opinions and knowledge.
- Social and environmental sustainability.
- Family education.
- The commitment of professionals to Active Learning.
In addition, a training programme on Active Learning will take place at the same venue on 27 and 28 October, in support of the International Biennale. The objectives of this programme are:
- To facilitate mutual understanding and the sharing of ideas and training practices amongst educators and teachers from Convergence(s)’ member organisations.
- To identify, on behalf of Convergence(s), the core principles of training that address the following question: How can the training of educators and teachers contribute to rehumanising education?
Time & Location
Gran Guardia, Verona | Thursday 29 October 2026 – Sunday 1 November 2026
