Over the years, adult educators have increasingly turned to systems thinking as a means to make sense of and respond to the complex realities faced by individuals, communities, and societies. Linking Issues, Learning and Action: A Systems Thinking Approach builds on this momentum by offering a thoughtful and timely resource for educators working in community-based and adult learning spaces across Africa and beyond.

Rooted in a long tradition of social pedagogy and popular education, the booklet foregrounds systems thinking not as an abstract theory, but as a practical approach to adult learning—one that links issues, learning and action in ways that are participatory, grounded, and transformative. Drawing on the legacy of Harbans Bhola and others, it invites educators to move beyond fragmented responses to social, economic and ecological challenges, and instead embrace a more integrated and holistic perspective.

At its core, this resource recognises the interconnected nature of the struggles our communities face—from poverty, food insecurity and health disparities, to climate change, inequality and the ongoing call for a just transition. These are not isolated problems, but part of a broader system shaped by structural and historical forces. By using systems thinking as a lens, adult educators are encouraged to design learning spaces that reflect this complexity, and to do so in ways that empower learners to make meaningful change in their own lives and communities.

The booklet is not prescriptive. Rather, it offers a framework for reflection, dialogue and co-learning—supporting educators and learners in co-creating knowledge that is both rooted in lived experience and oriented towards action. It champions key values that are essential to transformative adult education: justice, mutuality, respect, and the recognition of diverse ways of knowing, including indigenous knowledge systems and experiential learning.

Linking Issues, Learning and Action is both a resource and an invitation—to deepen our practice, to engage more fully with the realities around us, and to build learning processes that are aligned with the vision of a just, equitable and sustainable world.