Danish Adult Education Association

Dansk Folkeoplysnings Samråd (DFS) is a Danish cross-political umbrella organisation for folkeoplysning — the Danish tradition of non-formal, voluntary adult education and popular enlightenment. According to its official website, DFS is "folkeoplysningens paraplyorganisation" and works to make folkeoplysning accessible to everyone and to strengthen and make visible its relevance. It serves its member associations and is the umbrella for around 40 national folkeoplysning organisations plus eight associated organisations. Each national organisation in turn has a number of folkeoplysning schools or associations as its members. DFS is led by a board and has a national secretariat. The organisation was established on 8 March 1941 at a general assembly at Christiansborg, the Danish parliament, on the initiative of Oluf Bertolt, then secretary of the workers' education organisation Arbejdernes Oplysningsforbund (AOF). The founding organisations included AOF, Danmarks Biblioteksforening, Danmarks Lærerforening, Dansk Aftenskoleforening, Dansk Kvindesamfund, Folkeuniversitetsudvalget, Foreningen for Folkehøjskoler og Landbrugsskoler, and Samvirksomheden for landbrugsfagligt Oplysningsarbejde. The aim was to promote free popular enlightenment among the Danish people and to support efforts to spread knowledge of the Danish language, nature, culture and character, at a time when assembly, meeting and association freedoms were seen as threatened under the German occupation of 1940–1945. DFS's work spans advocacy and representation before politicians and authorities, cross-cutting cooperation between member organisations, and international cooperation. It has been represented in numerous national bodies — including the Danish UNESCO National Commission, the Danish Evaluation Institute (EVA), the Council for Human Rights, the Adult and Continuing Education Council (VEU-rådet), the Danish Cultural Institute and the Board of the Danish Board of Technology — and internationally in the European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA) and the International Council for Adult Education (ICAE). Since 1975 it has had its own secretariat and has run several enlightenment campaigns for the Folketing, including on information technology, biotechnology and the EU. DFS's member organisations cover a broad spectrum of Danish civil society and popular education: workers' and liberal education associations, folk high schools, evening schools, amateur theatre and orchestra associations, women's organisations, international and UN associations, local archive and local radio/TV associations, and green and ecological enlightenment networks. The organisation publishes a newsletter with articles on new forms of activity and teaching, partnerships, funding opportunities, conferences, seminars, political decisions, international experience and cooperation opportunities, issued roughly every other week. Its chairpersons have included Lars Bækhøj (1941–1944), J. Th. Arnfred (1944–1957), Johannes Novrup (1957–1960), Hans Bagge (from 1961), Ole Vig Jensen, Eva Møller (1991–2005), Naser Khader (2005–2007) and Per Paludan Hansen (from 2007).

Dansk Folkeoplysnings Samråd (DFS) was established on 8 March 1941 at a general assembly held at Christiansborg, the Danish parliament. The initiative came from Oluf Bertolt, who was secretary of the workers' education organisation Arbejdernes Oplysningsforbund (AOF). According to Bertolt, it was important to gather all of the country's popular enlightenment organisations in order to safeguard freedom of assembly, meeting and association, which was seen as threatened during the German occupation of Denmark in 1940–1945. The foundation of the new organisation was laid at a meeting at AOF's office in Copenhagen, where, besides Bertolt, representatives of several other popular enlightenment activities gathered: the chairman and vice-chairman of Foreningen for Folkehøjskoler og Landbrugsskoler (H + L), the heads Lars Bækhøj (Ollerup Højskole) and J. Th. Arnfred (Askov Højskole), and the member of parliament Christian Christiansen. Under the agreement between them, the organisation's chairman was to be linked to H + L and the secretariat to AOF. The founding organisations were Arbejdernes Oplysningsforbund, Danmarks Biblioteksforening, Danmarks Lærerforening, Dansk Aftenskoleforening, Dansk Kvindesamfund, Folkeuniversitetsudvalget, Foreningen for Folkehøjskoler og Landbrugsskoler, and Samvirksomheden for landbrugsfagligt Oplysningsarbejde. DFS's overarching aim (§ 2) was "to promote free popular enlightenment work among the Danish people and to support all endeavours for the spread of knowledge of the Danish language, nature, culture and character." Its first chairman was Lars Bækhøj (1941–1944). The first representative council included, among others, the National Bank director C.V. Bramsnæs. In its early years the organisation's work covered information, university courses for folk high school teachers and book publishing. DFS's first assignment was to write a brochure titled "Højskolen kalder" (The Folk High School Calls) to encourage young people to attend folk high schools; it was printed in 12,500 copies and distributed through various youth organisations. DFS has had its own secretariat since 1975 and has carried out several enlightenment campaigns for the Folketing, including on information technology, biotechnology and the EU. Over the decades it has functioned as the cross-cutting body between member organisations, as a channel for international cooperation, and as the representative of its members and their interests before politicians and authorities. In Sweden, the equivalent organisation is Folkbildningsrådet. DFS's chairpersons have included Lars Bækhøj (1941–1944), J. Th. Arnfred (1944–1957), Johannes Novrup (1957–1960), Hans Bagge (from 1961), Ole Vig Jensen, Eva Møller (1991–2005), Naser Khader (2005–2007) and Per Paludan Hansen (from 2007). The organisation has been represented in a wide range of national bodies, including Bibeskæftigelsesnævnet, the approval committee for the Lifelong Learning Programme under the Ministry of Research (Cirius), the representative council of Danmarks Evalueringsinstitut (EVA), the Danish UNESCO National Commission, Det Danske Kulturinstitut, Dommerudnævnelsesrådet, Folkeuniversitetsnævnet, Offentlighedskommissionen, Pressenævnet, Rådet for Menneskerettigheder, Rådet for Voksen- og Efteruddannelse (VEU-rådet), the cooperation committee between the enlightenment associations, DUF, sports, KL, the folkeoplysning committees and DFS, Søfartsstyrelsens Fritidssejlerudvalg, the board and representative council of Teknologirådet, and the Ministry of Education's EU special committee. Internationally it has been represented in the European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA) and the International Council for Adult Education (ICAE). Today DFS describes itself as the umbrella organisation of folkeoplysning, working to make folkeoplysning accessible to all and to strengthen and make visible its relevance. It serves its member associations and is the umbrella for around 40 national folkeoplysning organisations and eight associated organisations; each national organisation has a number of folkeoplysning schools or associations as its members. DFS is led by a board and has a national secretariat. Its newsletter contains articles on new forms of activity and teaching, partnerships, funding opportunities, conferences, seminars, political decisions, international experience and cooperation opportunities, and is published roughly every other week.

• 2007

  Per Paludan Hansen becomes chairman (from 2007).

• 2005

  Naser Khader becomes chairman (2005–2007).

• 1991

  Eva Møller becomes chairman (1991–2005).

• 1975

  DFS establishes its own secretariat.

• 1966

  J. Th. Arnfred and Hans Bagge publish "Dansk Folkeoplysnings Samråd 1941-1966".

• 1961

  Hans Bagge becomes chairman (from 1961).

• 1957

  Johannes Novrup becomes chairman (1957–1960).

• 1944

  J. Th. Arnfred becomes chairman (1944–1957).

• 1941

  DFS founded on 8 March at a general assembly at Christiansborg, the Danish parliament, on the initiative of Oluf Bertolt.

• 1941

  Lars Bækhøj becomes the first chairman (1941–1944).

Cross-political umbrella organisation and representative body for Danish folkeoplysning, working to make popular enlightenment accessible to all and to strengthen its societal relevance.

• Umbrella representation for around 40 national folkeoplysning organisations and eight associated organisations

• DFS newsletter (published roughly every other week)

• Event calendar of conferences, seminars, debate meetings and courses

• International cooperation via EAEA and ICAE

• Enlightenment campaigns for the Folketing (e.g. information technology, biotechnology, EU)

1. 1DFS - folkeoplysningens paraplyorganisationdfs.dk
2. 2Dansk folkeoplysnings samråd (Wikidata)wikidata.org
3. 3Dansk Folkeoplysnings Samråd (Swedish Wikipedia)sv.wikipedia.org