Learning is both an individual and a social process. It is an interactive process shaped by the social, cultural, physical and emotional context in which it occurs. In this document we will pay special attention to learning as "community-based development" through the identification and valorisation of its assets. Lifelong and lifewide learning is defined as the development of individuals and groups through continuous acquisition, use and production (renewal) of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values in order to achieve a sustainable economic development and social inclusion to generate

• active and creative citizens
• productive and creative workers
• caring parents, family members and community members

Every learning community is building on the foundations laid by previous generations, earlier community initiatives, and its commitment to learn how to build partnerships, foster participation, and assess its performance and progress towards learning targets and socio-economic objectives that the community has set. Gradually more community members are aware that they are engaged in a collective and transformative learning process. It is a process that shifts their community from a conventional individualistic model dominated by a traditional education approach to a new paradigm of community in which learning in all its forms is recognized, celebrated and invested in as a social and empowering process for all.

In order to achieve this goal, it is critical to identify all the assets that, within a community, contribute to its development, then to exploit properly all those assets. This approach differs radically to the traditional view of looking at "ROI" (return on investment) as the metric for assessing the effectiveness of efficiency of a system, especially a learning system. The danger with such a concept is that it focuses the attention on the cash flow and the short term. The scope of ROI is very narrow. When thinking "return on assets", one has to think globally and take into accounts the whole environment. Contrary to the proverb "the devil is in the detail", one could say that the devil is in the inability to see the big picture. This is why we suggest that the concept of ROA (Return on Assets) should supersede the concept of ROI, especially in the field of education and learning, and even more in that of lifelong and lifewide learning.

An analysis of a lifelong and lifewide learning environment may be analyzed at three levels: the micro, the meso and the macro levels:

• the micro refers to the environment closest to the learner - the family
• the meso refers to the school, the community, and the workplace
• the macro refers to the societal, national and global contexts

Figure 1 - A Vision For Accessible Learning In Museums, Archives And Libraries Source : http://www.mla.gov.uk/action/learnacc

While it is clear that these levels interact with each other, this document will focus on the community level as place for integration of learning, the development of intellectual and social capital through community learning. At this level people understand the importance of non-formal and informal learning, often more readily than some educators.

There is recognition that the learning resources of all sectors should be used, not just those of the education system:

• civic, public - e.g. health, libraries, recreation and arts councils
• economic - private and cooperative
• educational and training
• voluntary and community

Social Capital and Systems Change

Researchers interested in empowering people in poverty have focused attention on social capital and the way its development can lead to positive life change. Social capital refers to the "collective ties, norms values, interactions, networks, and relationships reflecting the involvement of human individuals in a common life based on family and community." Specifically, individuals and communities rich in social capital have strong and vibrant communities in which individuals connect with others who have information and expertise that can help them integrate into the community and economic circles more fully. Social capital plays a role in community and leadership development, the ability of social service, charitable, and non-profit organizations to administer their programs and the acquisition of jobs and better wages. The following attributes are particularly important when considering the function social capital plays in the development of human potential:

• Horizontal Networks: links between individuals who share significant similarities (racial, ethnic, economic social, etc.). Generally these links are most often based on reciprocity.
• Vertical Networks: links between individuals who may or may not share significant similarities. They differ from horizontal links in that they link individuals of differing economic and social class and may not be based on reciprocity.
• Strong and weak links refer to the proximity of network connections. Strong network links are typically those that found in close proximity to an individual (neighbourhood, family, community) whereas weak links are between individuals distant from each other (friends in other cities, towns, countries).

Important for the reduction of poverty is Putnam's suggestion that weak-vertical links are crucial because they form bridges between individuals of differing social classes and can potentially expose advantaged people to resources and opportunities that they would not have access to in the absence of such ties. People in poverty often lack the social capital necessary to change their circumstances. Source: http://www.easternidahoprosperity.org

Cross-sectoral partnerships to achieve common objectives should be strongly supported. Learning within governments as well as in communities must occur if true partnerships and sustainable change are to be realized. These strategies incorporate learning-based community development for a variety of inter-related purposes for communities and individuals from early childhood to senior life-stages such as:

• citizenship education
• health promotion
• economic development
• environmental/ecological safeguarding
• rural/urban development
• social planning and development

Learning communities are those that use the intangible assets of social capital (trust, networking, and shared values) in practical yet imaginative ways to multiply the benefits of human capital (e.g. education, training) as well as build upon the stock of social capital within a community. Further, they build upon the intellectual capital of their communities as they tap the goodwill, the know-how, and the communication infrastructure (formal and informal) of their local human organization.

One of the strengths of asset based community development is its ability to serve as a catalyst to relationship building. As people begin to identify what they can bring to the community in the form of their own strengths and gifts, and others learn about it, relationship building occurs and connections are made. One key asset in the context of community learning is leadership. While there is considerable talent, know-how, trust, shared values and networking in most communities, local leadership is limited and too often becoming over-worked and exhausted. This issue should be addressed in any lifelong learning policy.

The need to renew and rebuild the concept of community, in which people are empowered and provided the opportunity to develop their innate leadership abilities within their own surroundings, is among the most important items on the agenda as it prepares for the twenty-first century. Citizen leaders will be required to shape positively a new environment, the post- industrial society; or else the current volatile mix of demographic, economic, and technical forces will continue to drive the country toward a human capital deficit, threaten the competitiveness of economic institutions, and act as a barrier to the individual opportunity of all.