With the first edition of the Slovenian LLW in September 1996, Slovenia joined the group of six countries, which until then had organised at least one learning festival: UK, Australia, Belgium (Flanders), Jamaica, South Africa and Switzerland. The Adult Learners' Week - ALW model served as a starting point for the conceptualisation of the Slovenian festival, however, from the very beginning, the scope of our campaign was lifelong learning. This concept has gained grounds, and in the following years, through international projects, it has been transferred to countries of South-Eastern Europe as well as to Spain. 

From its very start, the Slovenian LLW has been member of the international learning festivals' movement known also as the International Adult Learners' Week (IALW) movement. In 1999, the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) Hamburg assumed coordination of this movement by setting up a joint website encouraging the exchange of experiences, information and ideas, organising periodical meetings of national coordinators, and - in cooperation with them - expanding and strengthening the movement by creating opportunities for advocacy, lobbying and other kinds of support.

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Due not only to its rather long tradition but also to systematic and innovative approaches, the Slovenian LLW has contributed to the international learning festivals' movement and exchanged ideas and experiences with other countries:

In 2012, the cooperation of seven EU countries within the two-year Grundtvig Learning Partnership named 'Sowing the Learning Seeds' (SLS project) came to its end. More >>

In April 2009, the Edinburgh conference A time for learning: Paving the way for CONFINTEA VI: The voice of learners organized by the Scotland's Learning Partnership provided grounds for a lively debate among practitioners, politicians and learners. It resulted into the establishment of the Global Learners' Network (see their bulletin) which eventaully produced the International Adult Learners' Charter presented at CONFINTEA VI in Brazil, December 2009.
 
In 2008, we hosted a study visit of Estonian ALW coordinators to Slovenia. More >>