Welcome to Coyote number 11! We thought issue number 10 was the biggest, but it looks like number 11 will provide even more insights, experiences and discussion.

This is perhaps not surprising as the theme for this issue is one so close to readers’ hearts. Non-formal education and learning – and its recognition in society - is perhaps the common denominator for many of us.

You will find in this issue a range of perspectives on non-formal education: A policy perspective in the “Milestones” article from Hans Joachim Schild and Mannfred; a rural perspective from Marit Kannelmae from Estonia; a Youth Forum perspective from Peter Torp Madsen; an information perspective from Bob Payne and Raluca Voinea from Eurodesk and a South East Europe perspective from Darko Markovic. My hope is that you will use these different inputs to develop your own perspectives.

We hope too, that this issue of Coyote will also contribute to the debate about recognition of non-formal learning. So much is happening already in this area and some of them are covered in the articles in this issue. The challenges now of course are to keep the momentum, to avoid “reinventing the wheel” and to learn from the experience of others.

The updates continue the theme of non-formal learning with news of celebrations of the Barcelona Declaration and the Euromed Youth awards and the development of the Youthpass and the European Knowledge Centre. And the spiritual dimension of Coyote continues with two articles linked to peace: Szillard Strenner challenges our treatment of participants on training courses – or indeed any event or meeting, and Alan Hayes encourages us to recognise the peaceful warrior in each other.

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