The Basic Leadership Development Course (BLDC) for 2009 was held 5-10 Oct in Chiang Mai, Thailand with 28 participants from member organizations from 14 countries in the region.This year is the second year the ESD framework has been included in the curriculum highlighting that the course continues to evolve with ESD becoming a crucial component of the content. A key component of the BLDC was the understanding of core frameworks for transformative adult learning in the context of advocacy work. The three core frameworks referred to during the 2009 course were ESD, Gender Mainstreaming and a Rights Based Approach. The inclusion and expansion from its first introduction in 2008 of ESD in the course curriculum gave participants a more holistic understanding of adult learning and how it fits into the regional advocacy efforts of EFA and MDGs.