There were many stimulating talks and presentations at the last IASCE conference in Manchester, England. Each day there was an increasing awareness of how cooperative learning is being developed all over the world. We learned that many of our problems are similar, and were encouraged to learn of the creative solutions offered by various institutions, people, and countries. It was clear from these contacts that everyone would benefit from learning more about the particular experience of every country. With the energy and enthusiasm of the conference still vivid in our minds, the IASCE Board established a forum of regional representatives.

The major goal of the forum is to continue the global exchange of ideas among IASCE members about how we all go about teaching, training facilitators, conducting research, and disseminating co-operative learning. By continually gathering and sharing information about how co-operative learning is developed and sustained in various countries we would enable IASCE members to benefit from the collective experience forum members represent.

The first item on the forum’s agenda is to give all IASCE members the chance to know more about co-operative learning in each country. Forum members were asked to describe how they learned about co-operative learning, why it is important for them, how they went about developing it, and what they do in that context.

The following "calling cards," by Giorgio Chiari in Italy, Egle Pranckuniene in Lithuania, and Ghazi Ghaith in Lebanon are the first contributions by Forum members. More will be published in future issues. Please contact Yael Sharan yaelshar@zahav.net.il for more information about the Forum.