III Edition of the International Festival “Generative Pedagogy and Thinking Communities”
Generative Learning and Emancipation. Authentic Life between Kairós and Kronos
The UNESCO Chair in Generative Pedagogy and Educational Systems to Tackle Inequality, held by Professor Emiliana Mannese, is promoting and organising the third edition of the International Festival “Generative Pedagogy and Thinking Communities”, which will take place on 6, 7, and 8 May 2026 at the University of Salerno. In a global context characterised by profound changes and increasing inequalities, the Festival acts as a scientific and public forum for international dialogue, dedicated to the themes of emancipation and authentic knowledge, with the aim of critically examining the role of education systems in creating fairer societies. “Generative Pedagogy and Thinking Communities” represents a specific theoretical and methodological approach. Generative Pedagogy, developed by Mannese, views education as a transformative and generative process, capable of fostering free, responsible subjectivities oriented towards constructing one’s own life project and the World-System. From this perspective, Thinking Communities are conceived as collective mechanisms for reflection and action, in which learning becomes a generative experience of emancipation.
The theme of the 2026 edition, “Generative Learning and Emancipation. Authentic Life between Kairós and Kronos”, invites reflection on the relationship between the time of efficiency and the time of experience, between measurement and meaning, focusing on the possibility of forging authentic life paths grounded in desire, freedom, and responsibility.
Marco Impagliazzo, President of the Community of Sant’Egidio, will attend the opening ceremony to deliver a speech on the value of community as a space for empowerment, in dialogue with the Festival’s educational and social perspectives. A particularly significant opening event will be the discussion between the Public Prosecutor of Naples, Nicola Gratteri, and Emiliana Mannese, scheduled for 6 May at 2.30 pm at the “Filippo Alison” University Theatre. The discussion, entitled “Emancipation, Constitution and Knowledge”, is one of the most important moments of the Festival and will connect the themes of legality, public accountability and justice with educational issues, highlighting the strategic role of education in building a democratic, informed society oriented towards the common good.
The programme comprises three days of events at the Teatro di Ateneo, featuring scholars, institutional representatives, and experts from the educational and social sectors, both nationally and internationally.
Key events include plenary sessions and round-table discussions on generative learning, guidance, and educational policies; presentations by leading figures from academic and institutional sectors; the awarding of the ‘Generative Pedagogy and Thinking Communities’ Award to Prof. Patrizio Bianchi; the Spring School ‘Generative Pedagogy and Guidance. Building Thinking Communities’, led by Prof. Maria Grazia Lombardi; the Symposium on artistic and creative expression at the University’s Central Library ‘E.R. Caianiello’; concerts by leading ensembles and artists, as well as theatrical performances; and the presentation of the Guidance-Emancipation Hub for the Culture of Peace (O.E.C.P.), promoted by the Permanent Commission on “Educational Strategies” of the Network of Italian UNESCO Chairs (ReCUI). There will also be a focus on film culture as a pedagogical tool for emancipation, in collaboration with the Giffoni Film Festival, which will present an award to the documentary film ONE LOVE. This film, the result of the E.Q.U.A.L.I.T.Y. project (Educating and Qualifying Humanity through Art and Transformative Interdisciplinary Languages for Young People), will be presented as a significant case study of action research developed by the UNESCO Chair, serving as an exemplary model for combating educational poverty through artistic languages.
Over three days, the Festival will combine institutional events, academic sessions, workshops and artistic activities to link research, education and public engagement.
As a Third Mission initiative, the Festival serves as a platform for disseminating scientific knowledge and fostering public engagement, promoting an educational culture focused on addressing inequalities and building more equitable, generative and sustainable education systems.
In line with UNESCO’s priorities, the initiative aims to strengthen dialogue between universities, schools, institutions and local communities, promoting education as a common good and a fundamental infrastructure for human development.
System to Tackle Inequality