Californian Association of Freirean Educators (CAFE) is a group of students, of graduation and post-graduation, belonging to UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) and which works in partnership with Paulo Freire Institute (PFI). CAFE searches to gather students, academics, activists and professors inspired by Paulo Freire’s pedagogy to promote advance and reinvention of freireans educational theories.

Since 2006, the annual Conference of CAFE is an initiative of students and for students of Department of Education. It wasn’t possible to realize the event only last year due the International Meeting of the Paulo Freire Forum that, in this newly edition, was under responsibility of UCLA/PFI, in partnership with Paulo Freire Instiute of United Kingdom. During last years, besides cultural circles and lectures, the event also counted with theater, music and other forms of expression. In 2013 the annual Conference returned to CAFE and PFI schedule, this time reflecting on the Education as Critical Consciousness, on 12 and 13 April, 2013.

On 12th, a Friday, the first speech of the Conference was entitled Media Spectacle and Insurrection, 2011: from the Arab uprisings to occupy everywhere. “Media Spectacle” it is a key to interpret contemporary culture and politic. Many events of war, terrorism and media are constructed and presented as spectacles of the media, such as in 2011, the democratic insurgences. Douglas Kellner discussed how the democratic insurgence in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya produced new models of political transformations diffused to all the surrounding as a spectacle of media and generating new intensive conflicts, as well as he discussed the sense of the Arab insurrections are or are not revolution and how these insurgences impacted political movements in Spain and Greece. He also caught attention to the role of Al-Jazeera as the voice of democratic revolution in these insurgences and closing his speech reflecting on how, in which manner, the year of 2011 is understood by him as a historical mark of political insurrection.

Douglas Kellner

Douglas Kellner is from the Philosophy of Education, emeritus teacher at UCLA and author of many books about Social Theory, Politic, History and Culture, including Political Chamber: the politic and ideology of the contemporary cinema of Hollywood; Critical Theory, Marxism and Modernity; and Jean Baudrillard: from Marxism to post-modernity and beyond. In 2012, he published “Media Spectacle and Insurrection, 2011: from the Arab uprising to occupy everywhere”.

Teresa McCarty

The second speech was of Teresa L. McCarty and was called “A place of right”: contesting speeches of deficiency in the teach of indigenous language and appreciation/ recovering. For Paulo Freire, the main leveraged for self strengthening of community is the language. In the whole world, indigenous and other minorities people are fighting for the rights of their languages of origin against a historical background of linguistic and cultural oppression and a contemporary context of globalization, standardization and socioeconomic stratification. The focus of Tereza McCarthy is in the teaching of languages and its recovering between American indigenous, under the premise of empowerment of its speakers. Expanding the notion of Ramathan (2010) of “un-citizenship”, for her these practices of labeling may create a logic that makes “small” languages, not dominant and endangered produce “un-citizens”. Through comparative ethnographic research, she explored the manners which indigenous communities are interrupting these practices of labeling through bold efforts for a new language teaching inside and outside the school.

Teresa L. McCarty is from the field of Education and Anthropology of UCLA. Anthropologist and Education Linguist, she has been teacher and coordinator of programs in education for American indigenous (in local, state and national levels). Her research and teaching is focused on political language, education for indigenous minorities, language/ideologies and practices of language of youth, studies of literary critics and ethnographic Education studies. In 2010, she received the Award George and Loiuse Spindler from the Anthropology and Education Council.

Dr. Hardings

On Saturday there was one more speech, from researcher Sandra Harding, called Point of View as Critical and Pedagogical Methodology, and during the two days many presentations of researchers interceded the speeches. For further information, PFI has a blog with some historical registers from others editions of the Conference (http://pfiucla.blogspot.com.br).

But What Would Paulo Freire do?

California is one more of the members of freirean community that has intensive activities at the moment, also accumulating projects during all the beginning of 2013. Besides the Annual Conference of CAFE, one more formative event happened in Los Angeles. Promoted by CAFE and by PFI, the Workshop CAFE for Educators will have as central theme the reflection What would Paulo Freire do? Narrative/Storytelling/Telling Intercultural stories, Democracy and Social Change.

The formative meeting happened on 13 April, 2013, at UCLA, having as facilitator Dr. George Tanaka. The workshop was free and open to public and to all students of UCLA, despite being a space available for a maximum of 35 people.

The event started with a short lecture, “Are USA in an economical depression already? So what would be to do Freire today?”. The first workshop, which happened right after this lecture, had as content Intercultural Storytelling as a Foundation for Social Change (Narrative/storytelling/Telling Intercultural stories as a Base for Social Change). Even during lunch there was an activity: Towards a Freirean Democracy. In small groups, participants established a dialogue, and after that, described elements for construction of a Democracy more freirean in USA, modeled after the Forum of Porto Alegre, in Brazil. The second workshop was called Re-context of the freireans ideas and the Praxis and small groups presented their perspectives and the entire workshop was around the dialogue on the ideas that have been brought.

Dr. Greg Tanaka participated of creation of the first intercultural university in USA and teaches investigation on Leadership, Methods of Qualitative Research, Race and Education at Mills College. He has a bachelor by Williams College, MBA by Harvard, studied Law in Georgetown and he has a Ph.D in Education (1996) and Anthropology (2002) by UCLA. The interventions complemented by him in the creation of the first intercultural University are described in his book, “The Intercultural Campus: Transposing Culture and Power in the American Higher Education”.

He has already crossed the country helping 20 faculties and universities to create more intercultural campuses, in which participants can learn with and share differences, where there isn’t domination of any culture. He has already taught in USC, Loyola Marymount University, Pacific Oaks College and in Post-degree of UCLA. He likes to inform that he likes fishing salmon, that exercise of interaction that is called “creative writing” and to play with ukulele (ukulele is a musical instrument, with strings, that has a doubtful origin, between Portuguese and Haywain). At the moment, he is involved in a study on how to construct a “participative” democraticy in USA.

CAFE Staff – UCLA

Paulo Freire Institute of Italy is a nonprofit association established in 30 December, 2005. Emphasizes, among its principles the assertion of creative and liberating potential of Education as a practice oriented for the change and as dialogic form by excellence of communication. Overall, IPF Italy sees in adult’s education and other social and cultural activities the main tools for promotion and development of people and communities, with a view to “be more”, according to the famous expression used by Paulo Freire.

For the month of March 2013, IPF Italy thought in two concomitant actions to realize the emancipatory purpose of the institution.

Young People and the Participation – activing new forms of citizenship and democracy is the theme of the lecture that was conducted by Frei Betto on 19 March, 2013, in the Community of Novello, Piedmont region, province of Cuneo, Italy. The lecture is an initiative in partnership of Paulo Freire Institute of Italy, the Training Center Milton Santos – Lorenzo Milani and YEPP (Youth Empowerment Partnership Programme, also from Italy).

Founded in 2003, Training Center Milton Santos – Lorenzo Milani is an articulation between civil society entities in Brazil (Curitiba – PR) and in Italy (Piedmont – Cuneo). Together the entities share challenges and seek ways out to maximize the resistance and the struggle of workers for decent living conditions by construction, dialogue and systematization of knowledge. The basic principle of the Training Centre is appreciation and use of popular knowledge: popular education is for them one of the main paths to awareness and to the search for alternative answers to discriminatory logic of the market economy, especially when it occurs through the construction of new human relations based on solidarity and respect for differences.

In Brazil the entities that integrate Training Center Milton Santos – Lorenzo Milani are “CEFURIA – Centro de Formação Urbano Rural Irmã Araújo” (in English, Urban Rural Training Center Irmã Araújo), a civil society organization, nonprofit, which its proposal is to strengthen the popular organization and people’s struggles, involves works in the areas of health, transport, sanitation etc.); “CEPAT – Centro de Pesquisa e Apoio aos Trabalhadores” (in English, Center for Research and Support to Workers), which has links with the Jesuits; “MST – Movimento dos Trabalhadores Sem Terra” (In English, Landless Workers’ Movement); “CPT – Comissão Pastoral da Terra” (in English, Pastoral Commission of Land); “CEBs – Comunidades Eclesiais de Base” (In English, Ecclesial Communities of Base) and “Terra de Direitos” (in English, Land of Rights), a human rights organization, among others. In Italy, the center is formed by “Comunidade de Mambre” (in English, Community of Mambre), a cooperative built in 1977, in Colina de S. Martin; “Scuola di Pace di Boves” (in English, School of Peace, which has a very important work in favor to women’ rights) and Commission of Culture of the Diocese of Cuneo.

YEPP, the other responsible participant by the activity, is an international project that aims to improve the quality of life of young people in the territories that it was able to establish. Currently this project is active in 19 different points in a total of 08 countries, sponsored by NEF (a network of European foundations). It began in 2001 and, in Italy, in Turin (Mirafiori and Parella), began in 2003. The group is based on the concept of Community Development to work, taking into consideration that the young people know what is need and just need to have an incentive to acquire the power to improve their own territory (Empowerment). The other concept is the one of partnership. By bringing together various interested parts in a same object of desire (the public, private and third sector) is that it is able to achieve much greater results than when working individually.

Frei Betto

Frei Betto, who was the  guest for this affirmative action, is a Dominican religious from Brazil, writer, theologian, author of over 50 publications and has several awards, including one international, the “José Martí”, from UNESCO, in 1994. Adept of liberation theology, a supra-denominational movement of political theology which interprets the teachings of Jesus Christ in terms of a liberation from unfair economic, political or socials conditions, being unauthorized and pursued by Benedict XVI when he was mayor of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Frei Betto is militant of pastoral and social movements and held the position of Special Assistant to the President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva between 2003 and 2004 and was coordinator of Social Mobilization of “Fome Zero” program, still in this administration.

Frei Betto was a personal friend of Paulo Freire and with him and Ricardo Kotscho wrote the book “Essa Escola Chamada Vida” (in English, This School Called Life) by the Editora Ática, São Paulo, in 1985. Frei Betto says that when he was a student of Political Sciences, over 25 years ago, in the United States, read “(…) his revolutionary book, The Pedagogy of the Oppressed, which was a requirement (…) and because of this book and others, inspired me to become a monk of Ananda Marga, and dedicate my life to change the world.”

Essere Pìu

Personal growth and collective liberation in the perspective of Freirean Pedagogy

“La disumanizazione, che non si verifica solo in coloro che si vedono rubare la loro umanità, ma anche in quelli che la rubano, seppure in maniera differente, è una distorsione ad essere di più… la disumanizzazione, anche se è un fatto concreto nella storia, non è però un destino ineluttabile, ma il risultato di un “ordine” ingiusto, che genera la violenza degli oppressori, la quale a sua volta generea un essere di meno”(P. Freire, Pedagogia degli Oppressi).

And, turning back to the perspective of “being more” mentioned above, “being more” is an expression that Paulo Freire used to indicate the path of humanization which awaits every human being who wants to be human. We all live (suffer, exercise) conditions of oppression and, to have freedom, we are called to an effort to manage to our critical consciousness. This way, we can potentiate the humanity which is on us and create conditions for the freedom of all.

Through the Freirean methodology of “Culture Circle” this theme was explored in more this formative meeting promoted by Paulo Freire Institute of Italy, in the same day 19 March, 2013, from 8pm to 10pm, thinking in an era that induces us to radically review criteria and methods we use and we choose in our daily lives. The conduction of the meeting was facilitated by Piergiorgio Reggio, vice president of the Institute, and also had the participation of members of “trentino” group of this same Institute.

Piergiorgio is educator, trainer and researcher, and is professor of Contract Lecturer of Communication Pedagogy and pedagogical coordinator of the MA in Intercultural Education, of the Faculty of Education, at the Università Cattolica di Milano. He was one of the founders of the Italian Institute of Evaluation and director since 2008. He was also a member of AIV (Italian Association of Evaluation) since 1998. He has conducted evaluative interventions for public, private and nonprofit organizations, in Italy and other European countries since 1990. He provided the following contact: piergiorgio.reggio@valutare.org

Piergiorgio Reggio in Paulo Freire Forum, Cabe Verde

The meeting began by a self-training journey and with preparations for the seventh edition of the School of Freiren Pedagogy, which later this year will be held in Trentino, from 28 August to 01 September 2013.

O Essere Pìu – Personal growth and collective liberation in the perspective of the Freirean Pedagogy, however, happened in Barycentro, Piazza Venezia, 38, in Trento.

Nessuno libera nessuno, non ci si libera da soli, ci si libera insieme in solidarietà

Nobody frees nobody, neither frees itself, we freed together, in solidarity

Paulo Freire

Tutti possono fare teatro… anche gli attori… Basta col teatro che non fa che interpretare il mondo, si tratta di cambiarlo/

Everyone can do theater… the actors… Enough with the theater, which only interpreted the world, is about to change it

Augusto Boal

The “Giolli Cooperativa Sociale” – Permanent Center for Research and Experimental Theater in Boal and Freire’s Methods – was founded in Parma on 11 November, 2008, but is based on previous experience of 19 years of the “Associação Giolli” (in English, Giolli Association). The Giolli uses the method of Augusto Boal (Theater of the Oppressed), along with the contributions of Paulo Freire, especially those related to awareness, their approach to community development, the active nonviolence, as tools to assist self- release of groups and individuals. Boal created a theatrical method in the 1960s, first in Brazil and after in Europe, disseminated today through the whole world, which uses the theater as a language, as means of knowledge and transformation of the inner reality, relational and social. It is a theater that makes active the public to explore, promulgate, analyze and tranform the reality that themselves live in. Its intentional is to develop a “human theatricality”, aiming to scrutinize and take in tranformation situations of anguish, discomfort, conflict, oppression etc.

From the influence of Freire’s thought, the Theater of the Oppressed takes the attitude, but not the maieutics: do not give anwsers, but makes questions and creates useful contexts to collective research of solutions. While it touchs personal and emotional aspects, Theater of the Oppressed doesn’t assume to itself the function of been a treatment, but a collective “freedom” tool based on the autonomous awareness of the people, in the “multiple mirror of the others view”. Today, Theater of the Oppresed is disseminate by the whole world, with a historic center in Rio de Janeiro (“Centro do Teatro do Oprimido”) and in Paris (“Centre du Théâtre de l’Oprime”), as well as various other groups and center that developed particular views of the method in several other countries.

Representatives from Giolli and Lutgardes Freire in PFI Brazil

The novelty is that is been planned an event to the year of 2012 very intriguing by the Giolli Cooperativa Social. Its deputy president, Roberto Mazzini, is articulating guests and infrastructure. From the begging it is intriguing by the composition itself: celebrate at the same time Paulo Freire and Augusto Boal, on day 02 May. Beyond the thoughts convergence, both intellectuals passed away on day 02 May, the first one in 1997 and the second 2009. Another unprecedented characteristic is that imagines to do of this event, an annual event, in which will be selected one word that is neuralgic key to both thinkers, considering the legacy of them. For the first year was choose the word “Oppression”. The suggest is that happens from 3 pm to 10 pm, in Monticelli, next to the Giolli’s theater, in the city of Montechiarugolo.

In the provisional programming proposed by Giolli, highlights: an introduction, opened by Roberto Mazzini and about the keyword “oppression”; after that a reading of some text on oppression in Freire and Boal (read by the colaborators Vanja and Max); then opens into the dialogue: Do you agree with this word? What does it mean to you? How do you use it in your practice? Does it still makes sense in the western countries? Why some people do not agree with this word or don’t like it? What and how should we update or deepen on this concept; following, pos-debate, a virtual session with Benito Fernandez (Bolivia), Jordi and Montse – Pa’tothom (Spain) and Julian Boal, son of Augusto Boal (Brazil). Keeping in mind that theses guests are still on period of confirming their attendance.

Next, the suggestion is that there is a debate between some guests: a representative of Paulo Freire’s Institute of Italy (such as, for example, Maria Paola Rottino), the sociologist Gino Mazzoli, the journalist Daniele Barbieri, the sociologist and coach Vincenza Pellegrino, a representative of Nondasola (a women’ association against violence), a representative of the “Comitato Acqua Ben e Comune” of Reggio Emilia (movement against the water privatization) and a representative of the “Libera Cittadinanza” of Parma (movement of active citizenship).

With the end of the debate, the group would start some reflections on the proposal for next year and would perform a closing with Vanja singing. There is an intention very strong in to do a streaming, an alive transmission of the event. It is with the same virtual nature that PFI Brazil will participate in the event. Professor Roberta Scatolini, educator at the Institute, recorded a testimonial, based on issues sent by the organizers of the event, which she talks about how Paulo Freire and Augusto Boal influenced her work and educative practice; about the meaning of word “oppression”, besides to discuss the oppression’s frame, today, in Brazil. To listen the testimonial, click on the “Play” button below: 

Interview with the educator Roberta Scatolini, at IPF Brasil.

The contacts from Giolli, in case of anyone needs further information, are: segreteria@giollicoop.it; www.giollicoop.it and the facebook account is “Giolli Cooperativa Sociale”.

Day 02 April 2013 became the emblem of a celebrations agenda and of new actions proposed around the 50 years of the 40 hours of Angicos’s experience in Rio Grande do Norte (a Brazilian State) developed by Paulo Freire (1921-1997). The Ministry of Education and Culture of Brazil – MEC created “Paulo Freire – 50 years of Angicos” Commission, which counts with the participation of Francisco das Chagas Fernandes (coordinator); Betânia Leite Ramalho (state secretary of Education and Culture, of Rio Grande do Norte). Maria Eliete Santiago (UFPE – Universidade Federal de Pernambuco) José de Arimatea de Matos (rector at Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido – UFERSA); José Eustáquio Romão (professor at Universidade Nove de Julho – Uninove); Mauro José da Silva (Diretoria de Políticas de Alfabetização e Educação de Jovens e Adultos – SECADI/MEC – in English, “Board of Directors of Literacy and Education Politics of Youth and Adults”); Moacir Gadotti (President of Honor of Instituto Paulo Freire Brazil) and Timothy Ireland (UFPB – Universidade Federal da Paraíba). Among the goals of the Commission, through this celebrations agenda, is to advance in literacy policies and actions, which must, however, transcend the character merely commemorative, gaining pedagogical contents to give continuity to freirean ethos in Brazilian education.

1964

The first and most expected contribution to the vivification of freirean thought is what is called of “redefinição da política nacional de Educação de Jovens e Adultos” (in English, “redefinition of the national politic of Education of Youth and Adults”). It is about a national effort for the universalization of literacy in Brazil. Some considerations on this policy already can be found in a technical note of SECADI, the one under the number 154, of 2012, comprising literacy “as a process which brings in its core the demand of continuity of studies through the offer of EJA (Education of Youth and Adults) by public education systems”.

The universalization of literacy is present as premise of this agenda since the beginning of the celebrations, which effectively occurred in September 2012, with the I Encontro de Educação de Jovens e Adultos e de Educação Popular (in English, First Meet of Youth and Adults Education and Popular Education) at the campus of the Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido – UFERSA, in Angicos. In the event, were present many educators, students and researchers linked or influenced by Paulo Freire. The director of Institutional Development of “Instituto Paulo Freire”, Professor Paulo Roberto Padilha, opened the meeting, together with the rector of UFRSA, reinforcing the importance of the rescue of the history of Angicos and of the fiftieth’s celebrations of the biggest project in the struggle against illiteracy in Brazil. “This is a cause that remains and renews itself”, said Padilha, adding that “Angicos renews the future, relaunching the dream of many projects about Paulo Freire”. He also highlighted that “From this meeting others will come, until September 2013, month which we are going to celebrate Angicos 50 years, in a national pact for literacy”.

50 years of Angicos in Rio Grande do Norte Paulo Freire Commission

The government of Rio Grande do Norte state, in Brazil, through the State Secretariat of Education and Culture and along with the Regional Commission of the Angicos 50 years Project, was the mastermind and performer of a big event, linked to this international ephemeris, on 2 April mentioned in the beginning of this article, becoming the emblem of a big and complex calendar of events, publications and government acts, by bringing strong emotions to all attending the event to remember certain details of the revolutionary experience in Brazilian “sertão” (a dry land).

The day, by the way, is significantly very symbolic to the community and to freirean legacy because on 02 April, 1963, happened the fortieth hour (lesson), given by the president of the republic, João Goulart, with the presence of many governors from Northeast and representatives from “Aliança para o Progresso” (Alianza para el progreso was a program of economic development for Latin America headed by USA to save it from the communist dangers), which also spoke Aluísio Alves (governor at the time), Paulo Freire and the former ex-illiterate Antonio Ferreira. The oldest student, Maria Hermínia, delivered letters written by the participants of the course to the president. And thus, was formed the first class of Angicos. In this occasion, also was noticed the presence of General Humberto de Alencar Castelo Branco, wearing the Brazilian army’s uniform, commander of the Military Region in Recife, that, at the end of the class, would have said to Calazans Fernandes (National Secretary of Education): “Young man, you’re looking for trouble around here, in the Northeast” (Fernandes & Terra, 1994: 18).

The opening ceremony took place at 2:30pm, in the auditorium of UFERSA campus and at the José Rufino School, in the city of Angicos, and Instituto Paulo Freire, which was contributing to the organization of the meeting, participated in the opening round along with other institutions: MEC/RN (Ministry of Education and Culture), SEEC/RN (Secretariat of Education and Culture of Rio Grande do Norte State), UFERSA, UFRN, UFPE, UFPB, UERN, Municipal Secretariat of Education of Angicos, Potiguar Forum of EJA, UNDIME/RN (Union of Municipal Leaders of Education), SEEC/PB, UNESCO Chair of EJA and Paulo Freire Center – Studies and Research/PE.

Lutgardes Freire and the opening of the event in 2013

Paulo Freire Pact

Also in the first day of the event, the governor of Rio Grande do Norte State, Rosalba Ciarlini signed the “Pacto Paulo Freire pela Educação de Jovens e Adultos” (in English, Paulo Freire Pact for the Youth and Adults Education), recognizing the importance of the educator and his studies for the State. The signature was held in front of the State School José Rufino (which was called “Grupo Escolar José Rufino” and one of its classrooms was the first space to host the experience of collective literacy of Freire) and does reference to the Decree published in the Official State Gazette on 28 March, which established 2013 as the “Year of Education of Rio Grande do Norte State”. On 03 April, also an administrative act was published, in the same Gazette, creating the Executive Committee that will be responsible for fulfill the goals established in this decree. As representative of Instituto Paulo Freire Brazil will compose the Executive Committee the pedagogue Ana Maria do Vale.

Paulo Freire Pact is focused in the erradication of illiteracy (which still today reaches more than 12,9 million of people, this is, 8,6% of Brazilian’s population), and, besides universalization of access to Youth and Adults Education – EJA, the Pact predicts to mobilize the construction of State plans of EJA, starting from diagnostics, targets and strategies; national plan of EJA to Angicos; organization of training processes and coordination of EJA in postgraduate; promotion of learning festivals, among other activities.

Thinking in national terms, in the way of strengthen the articulation and commitment of federal entities with EJA, do not discard the idea of creation, as part of this politic, of a “Pact for the Youth and Adults Literacy”, in the mold of “Pacto Nacional pela Alfabetização na Idade Certa” (in English, National Pact for the Literacy in Right Age) or as extension of this pact, understanding that all age is right when comes about a human right as literacy and lifelong education. The Decree that appoints the Commission also determines the dissemination of freirean thought through formation practices, production of books and didactic material, studies and researches; and establishes prizes for successful experience of literacy and youth and adults education performed by teachers and managers of EJA of public schools in the State of Rio Grande do Norte, as well as for the creation of public policies by the town halls that aim the universalization of education for this social segment.

Paulo Freire 30 years later, in Angicos

Victims of Cold War?

The event in UFERSA continued with the proposition of “As 40 Horas de Angicos: vítimas da Guerra Fria?” (in English, 40 hours of Angicos: victims of Cold War?) mediated by ex-coordinator of the Culture Circle, Professor Marcos Guerra. In 1962, Marcos Guerra was a Law student and president of the State Union of Students and, at Paulo Freire’s request, formed the literacy team – monitors – of the Experiment. “We can say that Paulo Freire, in a simple way, discovered the ‘ovo de Colombo’” (in English, ‘Egg of Colombo’ an expression which refers to a brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple or easy after the fact), said professor while presenting the prints portraying the daily life of the rural workers that were used to literacy them, and justified this nominal expression with the sentence: “In two months, 300 “angicanos” (people from Angicos) were literate in a universe of 800 electors”.

Guerra also emphasized Angicos as an experience guided by many difficulties and resistances, even with the explicit support of the government of Aluízio Alves: besides the institutional cost per student of US$ 40, what happened in Angicos was only explicable by a bigger context, national and international: “In the national politic scenario we had Jânio, Jango and the parliamentarianism and, in the international, Guerra Fria, Cuba and Berlin Wall”. The newly literate Antonio, representing the class in the closing of the course, addressed himself to the president João Goulart and said: “In that earlier moment, came the president Getúlio Vargas, end the hunger of the people, the hunger for food, which is an easy hunger to sate. Now, in the current time, came our president João Goulart, to satisfy the need of the mind which all people have, the need of learning. We truly need things that we didn’t know, and now I am knowing. In other time, we were mass, today we are not mass, but people.” Angicos, therefore, was the deeper fermentation of a pedagogical change’s process, and also announced the possibility of political and social changes: in the social turbulence of the time, which the literacy of adults appeared as precondition to the social, political and economical development, Angicos was the voice of Northeast, calling for social justice, solidarity, and democracy.

Marcos Guerra in the celebration

Paulo Freire Memorial

Another expressive moment of solemnity happened with the signature of service order by the rector of UFERSA Professor José de Arimatea de Matos, for the construction of Paulo Freire Memorial: Museum and Training Center. On the occasion, the rector announced the conclusion of the project for the construction of Paulo Freire Memorial which, in the first stage, will add an investment of R$ 1.2 million. The funds for the second stage are guaranteed by MEC in the University budget for 2014. The Commission proposes that the Memorial hosts a museum (physical and virtual); a Training Centre for Educators of Youth and Adult; and a Pedagogy Course – a proposal of the Rectory of UFERSA to creation of a course with emphasis on freirean vision of popular education. The Rector presented the proposal, which was forwarded to the Ministry of Education an Culture.

The bust of Paulo Freire, the “angicano” artist Marcos Silva’s work, becomes part of the Memorial, as its first-pie.

In the next day…

Marcos Guerra and Paulo Freire in Angicos, 1963

In the roundtable that followed Marcos Guerra, 40 Hours of Angicos – Paulo Freire and his influence on the practice of Adult Education in Brazil and Portugal, attended the president of honor of IPF Brazil, Prof. Moacir Gadotti, and the University of Coimbra (Portugal), Prof. Joaquim Alcoforado, with the mediation of Prof. Rita Diana Freitas Gurgel, of UFERSA.

On the same day 03, the UFERSA Angicos launched a publication. Entitled “Risa – Revista de Informação do Semiárido” (in English, Risa – Journal of Semiarid’s Information) – the UFERSA launched the first edition, which brings as theme “Paulo Freire – Cinquentenário das 40 Horas de Angicos” (in English, Paulo Freire – Fiftieth of 40 hours of Angicos). The publication has an interdisciplinary approach and is of an academic nature.

It was also in the end of the first day of event, that those literates in Angicos, who were located, received their certificates.

Thrilled, the son of educator, Lutgardes Freire, represented the family at the opening of celebrations of the Fiftieth of 40 hours. “Touches me remember the thought of my father who, as an educator, always remained coherent with what he did and lived,” he said while expressing his joy in participating in the celebrations of Angicos.

The rector of UFRN, Professor Angela Paiva, also expressed joy: “To deepen and practice the freirean methodology means to preserve and immortalize it. Congratulations to all teachers and researchers who maintains Paulo Freire alive. “

To the congresswoman, Fátima Bezerra, of the Education Committee in Congress, celebrate Paulo Freire has everything to do with the advances made in the last decade in the field of education. “There is still much to be done, like this University and the Pact signed today, we still have to advance in policies for the book and the reading”.

The date was remembered in Parliament by the congressman, Fernando Mineiro (PT). The parliamentarian took the opportunity to criticize the interruption of the project by the military. With the 1964 coup, Paulo Freire and other collaborators were arrested and exiled: “If this project had not been stopped, we would not have this situation today in Brazil, with a large number of illiterates”, he said.

The senator Eduardo Suplicy (PT/SP) spoke at the plenary session to remember the 50th anniversary of the first class of literate. Suplicy drew a social cultural profile of the learners, synthesized methodologically the experiment and described the event which, coincidentally, was occurring in Angicos at same time that he was pronouncing and finalized: “The best tribute we can pay to Paulo Freire will be to pursue this struggle multiplying efforts at all levels of government to eradicate Brazil’s illiteracy in the shortest possible time”. To listen to the tribute of senator in fully, please visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7U_XuX61p4U#!

What comes next…

There are still many things to happen until 2014 due the celebrations of Angicos. In SÃO PAULO, the meeting “Paulo Freire e a Educação Superior” (in English, Paulo Freire and the Higher Education) will take place at the “Memorial da América Latina”, from 05 to 07 of November. There will count with the presence of many ministers of Education from countries that Paulo Freire had a significant presence or in those that his theory was public assumed as educational orientation. On the occasion, will be launched two books, “Paulo Freire e a Educação Superior” e “Manuscritos da Pedagogia do Oprimido” (both manuscript will be personally deliver by the former minister of the Agrarian Reform of Chile, Jacques Chonchol, to president Dilma). The event will be organized by UNINOVE (Universidade Nove de Julho), Instituto Paulo Freire Brazil and Paulo Freire Chair of PUC/SP (Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo).

In NATAL, capital of the Rio Grande do Norte State, the National Meeting of EJA’s Forums – ENEJA – will be from 11 to 14 September 2013. The Secretariat of Education of the state purposes, besides the constitution of the commission with the assigment of plan and collaborate to the realization of a local agenda of celebration of the 50 years, create, such as the Observatory of University Student’s Life of UFRN (www.oveu.ufrn.gov.br), the Observatories of EJA (ObEJA: RN, PB, PE); realize a schedule of training activities for teachers involved in programs, projects and activities of EJA; realize freirean studies, identify and systematize good practices of EJA; institute the “Prêmio Paulo Freire de Educação de Jovens e Adultos” (in English, Paulo Freire Prize of Youth and Adults Education), to be granted to the cities that achieve universal literacy rates, during the years of 2013 and 2014, performing, in the Vale of Açu region and Angicos, Festivals of learning, a methodology already adopted in several countries that provides space for biographical narratives of young individuals and adults about their learning in the workplace and other social practices.

Paulo Freire 30 years later, in Angicos

In RECIFE, capital of state of Pernambuco/PE, the Chair of the Paulo Freire of UFPE and Paulo Freire Center – Studies and Research have a schedule of celebrations called PAULO FREIRE – 50 years of Angicos, in state and international level during 2013, which involves, on 02 and 03 May, the II Seminar EDUCATION AS PRACTICE OF FREEDOM: Paulo Freire in Recife, Angicos and in the world; and, from 19 to 21 September, the VIII International Colloquium Paulo Freire.

In JOÃO PESSOA, capital of the state of Paraiba/PB, the UNESCO Chair of EJA of UFPB intends to participate in the National Commission and Local Commission for celebration of 50 years of Angicos, coordinated by the Secretariat of Education of the State of RN; elaborate a diagnosis of EJA along with the Secretary of Education of the state, having as main instrument the construction of the Observatory of EJA; contribute to the realization of seminars with teachers of EJA in RN; develop and implement, along with the Secretary of Education of RN, the proposal of Learning’s Festivals (which would serve as a pilot for the realization of a National Learning Festival in 2014); hold a seminar, with date to be confirmed yet, on the freirean influence in the field of EJA in the Portuguese-speaking African countries, involving educators and managers of Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau and, if possible, Mozambique, Angola and Sao Tome and Principe as well. During the seminar will be launched the documentary “Intelectuais da Vida” (in English, Intellectuals of Life) that articulates the thought of Paulo Freire with the proposal of South-South cooperation in the field of Education for Youth and Adults and report Bilingual IV Workshop of the Network of South-South Cooperation in the field EJA (held in Maputo in 2010) that counts with the support of the UNESCO Office in Brazil.

Medals and stamps

Paulo Freire Medal, by decree, was created with the goal of identify, recognize and stimulate educational experiences that promote policies, programs, projects whose contributions are relevant to EJA in Brazil. The grant of the Paulo Freire Medal is nationwide. For the year of 2013, the National Commission of Literacy and Education of Youth and Adults (CNAEJA) recommends that be included the grant of Medal in the context of celebrations of Paulo Freire Program – 50 years of Angicos/RN to personalities and institutions that provided relevant contributions for Literacy and Education of Youth and Adults.

There will be also the delivery of Paulo Freire 50 years in Angicos Medals in the meeting of the National Forum of EJA, in the second half of 2013, in Natal. And the International Medal of Education as Practice of Freedom, of the University of California – UCLA/Los Angeles, will be delivered to the President Dilma. The president will be the first laureate in a demonstration of appreciation for the work of Brazil, especially for its inspiration in the legacy of Paulo Freire, in the inclusive education, raising awareness and liberating.

And, to end the list of honors, two stamps were created: a seal of the Brazilian government, of identification in the disclosure of events included in the program of celebrations, and a stamp of the Post Office, commemorative of Paulo Freire Program – 50 years of Angicos.

Madalena Freire participating in the literacy in Angico

One of the first institutions to use a commemorative stamp of Angicos 50 years were the Argentine FLATEC (Federación Latinoamericana de Trabajadores de la Educación y la Cultura – in English: Latin American Federation of Workers of Education and Culture) and SADOP (Argentine Union of Private Teachers). They promoted the Latin American Seminar FLATEC-SADOP: “Popular Education and Regional Integration, Effectiveness and Prospects of Paulo Freire’s Thought”, held at the SADOP’s headquarter, in Buenos Aires, on 24 and 25 April. The event was supported by Instituto Paulo Freire Brazil, OEI (Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura – in English: Organization of Iberoamerican States for the Education, Science and Culture) and “Centro Nueva Tierra” (an organization working for the poor and for social transfromação in Argentina).

Angicos, as we have seen, can not only serves as a symbol of struggle against illiteracy in Brazil. Angicos is also a metaphor of a radical discourse for public school becomes popular, a speech that invites to action, transiting from theory to practice, a discourse that rebuilds the foundations of educational administration in Brazil and around the world on the ruins of neoliberal storm. Only then, Angicos, as metaphor, will be able to turn itself into reality.

For further information on the celebrations’ agenda, visit: http://angicos50anos.paulofreire.org/

With the sponsor of Petrobras, a semi-public Brazilian multinational energy corporation, through the Federal Law of Culture Incentive, from the Ministry of Culture, the Paulo Freire Institute of Brazil developed between the years of 2011 and 2012 the project: “Paulo Freire Memória e Presença: preservação e democratização do acesso ao patrimônio cultural brasileiro” (in English, Paulo Freire Memory and Presence: preservation and democratization of access to Brazilian cultural heritage). The project had as general goal to preserve the existing materials, to ensure and democratize the qualify access to work and legacy of Paulo Freire, including those with visual impairment.

To manage that, it organized and cataloged the physical collection of “Centro de Referência Paulo Freire – CRPF” (in English, Reference Center Paulo Freire). CRPF is one of the four affiliate institutions to Paulo Freire Institute of Brazil and dedicates itself to preserve and divulge the memory and legacy of Paulo Freire. Of public nature and free access, there you can have contact with texts, images, audios and videos related to the educator and also some of his personal objects. The project dedicated itself, concretely, to scan thirty pages of texts, hundred videos, two hundred tapes, five hundred photos produced by Paulo Freire or that appear the educator and, in the perspective of social inclusion, to make available two thousand “of” and “about” Paulo Freire to visual impairment people; scan twenty thousand pages of text, a hundred videos and two thousand five hundred photos produced by the Paulo Freire Institute, as reinvention of his legacy; make available both in attendance and virtually the scanned collection of the “Centro de Referência Paulo Freire”.

At the same time that the project started to be available in the network, the own team started a campaign, which is intended to never be closed, to gather more known information and materials relative to Paulo Freire’s legacy that could be spread throughout the world, in institutions or physical persons, that he passed by or had any contact with him. One of the ways that until today is available is the collection’s email (acervo@paulofreire.org) and was by it that came to institute, on 01 July 2011, an email of Dona Rosamaria da Silva Beck, who was Chief at the Department of Administration and Maintenance of the “Instituto Federal de Santa Catarina – IFSC” (in English, Federal Institute of Santa Catatina): “There are with me the foils, bases of slides of a literacy group following the Paulo Freire’s method, used in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, in January 1964. The work was developed by the Students Union of Santa Catarina and by the Popular Action, during the called ‘Multirão de Cultura Popular’ (in English, Popular Culture’s Joint Effort). I have also this material scanned. Looking forward for a manifestation of the collection group”.

It could be, according to Beck, from the “second or third [produced material] after Angicos”. According to her, this material, which is a set of approximately 30 foils illustrated in cardboard paper, that passed a long time hidden, during the dictatorship. Brazilian Army, right after the coup of 64 (a set of events occurred between 31 March and 01 Abril 1964 which culminated with the dismissal of President João Goulart and with the implementation of a military regime that would control the country until 1985, politicaly aligned to USA), was interested in confiscating such material. It was gone the slides and stayed the original foils. Recently, when the IFSC, along with “Banco do Brasil” (in English, Bank of Brazil), organized a training on Paulo Freire’s Method and invited Professor Rosamaria to participate, she remembered of the slides, gathered some of them that were in different locals and people and showed to the course group. She even had her own space after the official period destined to the course’s content to only describe the first experience of literacy that used this material. Successive times the professor would be invited to present the material in these workshops of “Banco do Brasil”.

As the professor was in a long medical treatment, right after to turn seventy years and is newly retired, wanted to keep the material in safety, that’s why she sent it to Paulo Freire Institute, besides also fear the “(…) oblivion and the lack of knowledge of our educational history, [that] may cause its disappearance”. In the same month of january 1964, which Paulo Freire would be in Florianópolis facilitating a training, more specifically on day 21, the Decree No 53.465 instituted the “Programa Nacional de Alfabetização” (in English, National Program of Literacy), consecrating the “Sistema Paulo Freire para Alfabetização em Tempo Rápido” (in English, Paulo Freire System to Literacy in Fast Time). The “Programa Nacional de Alfabetização” foresaw the “cooperation and services” of “student and professional colleges, sportive associations, neighborhood and cities associations, religious entities, governmental, civil and military organizations, patron association, private companies, diffusion organisms, the magisterium and all mobilizable sectors”. Paulo Freire always defended the need of popular participation in the struggle against illiteracy.

The program foresaw the creation of 60.870 Culture Circles, each one during three months, in all federal units, to literate, in 1964, 1.834.200 illiterate ranging from ages 15 to 45 years old. Its implementation accomplished by the pilot-projects in the region of South, Southeast and Northeast. Paulo Freire would travel, then, the country structuring the “Programa Nacionalde Alfabetização – PNA”, that would be initiated at “Baixada Fluminense” (in English, Fluminense Lowlands – a region of the State of Rio de Janeiro) in the begging of 1964. PNA represented a qualitative leap regarding the previous literacy campaigns.

In a metalinguistic way, this also means today, and the donation of these foils proves this, that is very possible to be found others unpublished documents “of” and “about” Paulo Freire in these poles that were initiated pilot-projects.

On 14 April, right after the coup, the Decree No. 53.886 extinguishes the “Programa Nacional de Alfabetização”. In this same date, MEC (Ministry of Education and Culture) “revoked all the previous decrees and divulged, by the press, a survey of the material used in literacy campaign, with the ‘inventory of a vast photographic equipment, valued at several million of cruzeiros and subversive publications’ that would be then exposed to visitation” (Beisiegel, 1974:171).

The foils from Santa Catarina State, representatives of a thought and an approach that in a period of history were extolled by a president and transformed in national strategy and and in another period hunted by another president as subversives, are of an incommensurable kindness: fishermen going to the sea with simple sailboats, fishing net, fishing knife, a woman at the loom, BRICK, VOTE, TRUCK, FUTBAL, BRAZILIAN FIRETREE as generate words. There are foils projecting the own Culture Circle, that is, in which they find themselves seeing the images of the slides. The same investigation of the vocabulary universe, that takes to syntactic plan and that is in the political plan of Angicos’ experience is possible to find, with own scale, in this newly discovered material of the Brazil’s South.

The struggle against illiteracy in Brazil, that had – particularly at that time, 50 years ago – a huge political value, to form new voters, was an important step in the citizenship reconstruction in Brazil. Today, in the other hand, is already being possible to democratize the access to the historical process built by contributions of Paulo Freire to the world.

To access other foils, visit the digital repository of the Project: http://acervo.paulofreire.org/xmlui/handle/7891/3440

Paulo Freire Institute Spain is, actually, an articulation disposal of organizations, entities and people that are both linked to social-political and cultural intervention in the wide field of Education and Adults formation and linked to movements and struggles against social exclusion existed in Spain. Also PFI Spain seeks a convergence between this part and the public institutions, such as universities and other governmental entities. Professors from Universidad de Sevilha, Universidad de Girona, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Universitat de Valencia, Universitat Popular Alternativa, Universitat de les Illes Balears, as well as intellectuals and researchers related to other institutions are part of PFI.

The Resource Center and Continued Education of Valencia State, in Spain, known as CREC, is a unit of management, direct action, coordination of interventions, assistance to cities, such as documentation, resources and investigation on teachers’ training. The main goal of this Center is to articulate a territorial model of intervention and initiate or consolidate integral processes of adults’ training from different actuation area, according approved law in Valencia.

CREC, besides to perform several training actions in all institutes and associated citites and to be linked in several ways to discussions on public policies of education, also promotes groups of study and work, seminars, publication on FPA (Formació de Persones Adultes).

It is precisely the dimension of publications in CREC that we would like to emphasize in this news. The institution manages to gather 06 different lines of acting in its editorial menu: a series called Quaderns d’Educació Contínua (a kind of scientific magazine that already got 28 editions – the latest, including, are available for download); there is a collection entitled Omega, which subtitle is “praxis and theory of continued education”, with titles of Francisco Gutiérrez, Moacir Gadotti, Paulo Freire, Ivan Illich, Luiza Cortesão among others; there is another collection, entitled Estudis, with works more concerned with an educational practice, that’s why accounts with manuals and works of post-graduation researchers.

Within the dimensions of publications, one of the 06 collections deserves now an emphasis, the “Paulo Freire Library”. We have two news of two launches in 2013 regarding this collection. The first one is an edition from Valencia of the classic “Fear and Boldness”, that remained Por i Gosadia – la quotidianitat del professor. “Fear and Boldness – the professors’ daily” is on its 13^th edition by the publisher Paz e Terra, in Brazil, and was launched primarily in 1987. The book approaches issues such as “What is liberating education?”. “How do professors transform themselves in liberating educators?”, “How do the professors begin to transform themselves and the students?”, “In what measure the education is related to the political transformation?”. The dialogue between Paulo Freire and Ira Shor shows that is possible to develop and apply a transforming pedagogical strategy from the democratization of teaching space and from constant student motivation to reflection. This from two distinct experiences. The edition from Valencia is a partnership between Paulo Freire Institute Spain and CREC, translated by Neus Berenguer Revert and with presenting text of Gloria Diaz, from University of Barcelona, and foreword of Ana Maria Saul (from Pontifícia Universidade Católica – São Paulo).

Only for information, Fear and Boldness was presented fully in context of “Projeto Memória e Presença” (Memory Section), among the measures of democratization of access to disables (http://acervo.paulofreire.org/xmlui/handle/7891/2958). Others titles of Paulo Freire were launched by CREC long before this, such as Pedagogy of Autonomous, Letters to Guinea Bissau, Pedagogy of Hope, Pedagogy of Oppressed, among others.

The second launch of CREC in 2013 also belongs to Paulo Freire Library Collection and entitled Aprenent amb persones adultes – una introducció crítica i pedagògica (in English, Learning with Adults – a critical pedagogical introduction, of Leona English and Peter Mayo. The translation is from Xavier Montero Horche and the edition is also a partnership of PFI Spain with CREC. This book was wrote in a time that the adults education field was (even that still is today) under attack of several forces, both capitalist and neoconservatives. Instead of collapse to this pressure, the hope of the work is that, in a long term, the goals related to Lifelong Education can and be held side by side, along with the professional and vocational education.

The foreword is from Dr. Carlos Alberto Torres (Professor at University of California and Director of Paulo Freire Institute of Los Angeles). The book offers decidedly critical and international perspectives on several aspects of adults’ education, especially on the State, Citizenship and Neoliberals Politics’ relations. Critical regarding contents and methods, between a context of resources decrease and inequality increase, this work of English and Mayo provides an incisive view and necessary to adults’ education, in a way to highlight not only its historic and philosophic roots, but also its great importance to democracy practice. They challenge current hegemonic supposes and offer a constructive alternative based on principle of work with students and not only for them. The books may be purchased on internet, at CREC’s website (http://www.crec.info/#/content-02-03). When you click in any cover, you are taken to fulfill a form that already comes with prices in Euro of the works of all collections of the Center.

Note

It is already available the first number of the virtual periodic Rizoma Freireano of year 2013. The theme of the edition nº 14 is Popular Education and Social Creativity. The PFI Spain makes available two editions by year of this periodic and, according to the instructions that are on the website, new articles must be sent until 150 days before the date when the edition is published. For further details on how to send articles and to access this and previous editions of the periodic, visit: http://rizoma-freireano.org/index.php/n-14-sumario-index.

For further information on Paulo Freire Institute of Spain, visit: http://www.institutpaulofreire.org/#/Intro .

The world freirean community is constituted by institutions and people that, by ideological affinity, eco-political-pedagogical practices and knowledge conceptions inspire themselves in the legacy of Paulo Freire, even that not all had elected Paulo Freire as patron or even without adopt the name “Paulo Freire”. All of them, in a certain way, assume the experiences of freedom education, what we understand as being a freirean paradigm. This community is composed by institutes, chairs, schools, centers of studies and research, directories and academic centers, faculties and other organized institutions in all continents.

The Chairs, specifically, are institutions almost always autonomous, even that almost linked and hosted by public and private universities and, in general, develop activities with the perspective of studies for internal training, research, courses, mini-courses, lectures, publications and social intervention actions, in several levels. We already had notices from Paulo Freire Chairs in cities of several countries, such as Avellaneda, Rosário, Entre Rios, Luján e San Luis (Argentina), Campo Grande, São Paulo, São Roque (Brazil), Santiago (Chile), Cartagena, Barranquilla e Cauca-Popayán (Colombia), Heredia (Costa Rica), Holguín, Cienfuegos (Cuba), Valencia (Spain), Chapingo, Cuernavaca, Guadalajara (Mexico) e Caracas (Venezuela).

At the Instituto Paulo Freire Brazil works two chairs: “Cátedra Paulo Freire” and “Cátedra do Oprimido”. The first one is coordinated by the “Centro de Referência Paulo Freire” (in English, Reference Center Paulo Freire), one of its maintained entities. It dedicates itself in a first moment to the internal training and has a calendar for 2013 with structure programming to develop dialogues and synthesis on three of the main Paulo Freire’s work and promises to publish soon, subsided by these meetings. In a certain way, the goal is in deepen reflections about life and work of Freireand update his legacy through collective studies and productions that comply with the theoretical-practical demands of freirean community.

“Cátedra do Oprimido”, coordinated by Prof. Dr. José Eustáquio Romão, is composed by a researchers group that, in post-graduation level, dedicate themselves to research of “Paradigmas do Oprimido” (in English, Paradigms of the Oppressed). Its main goal is to do a meticulous investigation in all spaces and social to cultural dimensions of oppressed. It is hosted at the Universidade Nove de Julho (UNINOVE), in São Paulo. Professor Romão is director and teacher at the Post-graduation Program in Education at this University.

And raises another one…

The World Council of Paulo Freire Institutes approved the participation of the “Grupo de Estudos” and “Grupo de Pesquisa” (in English, Studies Group and Research Group) of Universidade Federal da Fronteira Sul (UFFS) as a center linked to “Cátedra do Oprimido”, of Universitas Paulo Freire/UNINOVE. The divulgation was made in the 8th International Meeting of Paulo Freire Forum, held at the University of California (UCLA), in LA, USA, in September 2012. The information was given to the director of Pedagogical Organization of Pro-rectory of Graduation at UFFS, Adriana Salete Loss, who was at UCLA presenting a work.

According Adriana’s report, the groups will have as focus the idea of Popular University. The works will be inter campuses methodologically developed and the groups already are institutionalized at UFFS. The participation will be open to professors, both technical and administrative people and students that are interested. It also could integrate the studies partner institutions, if they wish.

Universidade Federal da Fronteira Sul (UFFS) is an institution of public higher education situated in the city of Chapecó, Santa Catarina State, Brazil. It was created by the Decree No. 12.029, 15 September 2009, and it embraces all 396 cities of “Mesorregião Fronteira Mercosul” – South-west of Paraná, West of Santa Catarina and Northwest of Rio Grande do Sul.

The calendar and event of “Cátedra do Oprimido”

In April 2013, this center socialized with UniFreire its planning for the whole year. Through the epistemological circles (as main methodological procediment), the group will discuss “Educação Popular e Ensino Superior na Perspectiva Freiriana” (in English, Popular Education and Higher Education in the Freirean Perspective). From the main generator theme Popular Education, will be generate dialogues on sub-themes: Popular education and the popular principles at Popular University: the instituting and the instituted; Access to university; Permanency and evaluation of teaching-learning process; The thought curriculum, the instituted and the instituting; Popular University Pedagogy: teaching, research and extension; University Management and popular participation in social movements.

Each one of the three campuses linked to the Chair will be responsible to organize their monthly studies meetings. Bimonthly will be the general meeting of the group, that will alternate the headquarter between all three states, in a total of 44 hours distributed during this year. The sub-themes were divided between the poles, that, including, are already in charge of present the drafted texts by each of them, from the dialogues in the Circles.

Until May 2013, while the Circles will be happen in the poles, the event “Cátedra do Oprimido” will be in structuring process. From June 2013 the final texts, relative to the investigations that the meetings will generate, will start to be socialized and will be initiated the organization of publication that will gather them. The intention is that the event happens on 24 and 25 September of this year.

This group from “Cátedra do Oprimido” is coordinated by Adriana Loss, Lísia Michels, Solange Todero Von Onçay, Adriana Losso and Sandra Nogueira. Gathers, in this moment, over than 15 people with masters and PhD degree, 03 graduated and/or specialists and 02 graduation students, all from the 03 campuses. The contacts of Cátedra in UFFS can be made with the professors Adriana Loss (adriloss@uffs.edu.br), from Campus Chapecó, Solange Todero Von Onçay (solange.oncay@uffs.edu.br), from Campus Laranjeiras do Sul, or Adriana Losso (adriana.losso@uffs.edu.br), from Campus Erechim.

At the end of July 2012, was presented at the Palace of the Dukes, in Guimarães, Portugal, the book “Quando eu nasci aquela fábrica já ali estava – memórias, vivências e opiniões sobre o trabalho na indústria, em Guimarães” (in English, When I was born that factory was already there – memories, experiences and opinions about the work in the industry, in Guimarães). The presentation of the work was done by José Pacheco Pereira, with the presence of Maria da Luz Sampaio, museologist and author of the first chapter “A indústria na região de Guimarães” (in English, The industry in the region of Guimarães) Clara Vieira (researcher) and Luiza Cortesão, project coordinator, teacher emeritus of the University of Porto. It was effectively launched on November 13, 2012.

This publication is part of “Projeto Raízes” – Guimarães 2012/ European Capital of Culture, an initiative that should develops from research work of ethnographic and historical character, focusing primarily on the collection of memories, knowledge, events, joys and sufferings that marked and still mark the history, as well as the present of the region; about the problems identification that affected and/or still affect the population and institutions and on the identification and valuation of cultural and historical existing roots in the “vimaranense” context (natural of Guimarães, formerly called Vimaranes, toponym inspired by the conqueror Vímara Peres, probably in the ninth century). The intention is that all this source of data constitutes not only a matter to preserve because interesting in itself, but it also represents a symbolic nursery for grounding and inspiration from different artistic productions that are already and will be develop in the community.

 “Quando eu nasci…” (in English, When I was born…) is the first of a set of five autonomous works, with which it sought to compose pictures with some of the present (and past) features of cultural mosaic of Guimarães. The first facet of the city to be explored is the industry, activity that strongly marked and still marks the cultural substrate in this region. Main professional activities weave and bring together people in groups with cultural characteristics, giving them a systematized identity. It has as starting point the explosion and implosion of the industrial sector in the region and includes testimonials from workers, employers and trade unionists.

The Palace of the Dukes of Bragança received this same occasion the inauguration of photografic exhibition on the industry as well as the screening of the film “Human Resources” by Laurent Cantet. The entire project is developed by Paulo Freire Institute of Portugal, in partnership with the Resource Center Paulo Freire and the Investigation and Educative Intervention Center of the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Porto – FPCEUP. 

The second book, which focuses on experiences and past and present sufferings of poverty, entitled “Ó mãe, deia-nos pão! Escutando quotidianos de pobreza”(in English, Oh mother, give us bread! Listening daily bases of poverty), was presented on 17 December, 2012, in “Sala do Fundo Antigo” at the Rectory Building of University of Porto (Praça Gomes Teixeira). This session was attended by the authors of the work: Luiza Cortesão, Alexandra Pacheco, Rosario Silva, Francisco Neve and Clara Vieira. The event also was attended by Prof. Fernanda Rodrigues, a researcher at the Investigation and Educative Intervention Center and, by 2010, coordinator of the National Plan of Action for Inclusion; and Dom Manuel Martins, Bishop Emeritus of Setúbal. Fernanda Rodrigues, in the first presentation of the book on 17 October, had made an interesting exhibition developing problems related to the topic covered in the book.

The third book was presented on 18 March, 2013, also in the “Sala do Fundo Antigo” at the Rectory Building of University of Porto. “Marcha da Fome de Pevidém – Memórias de um passado na inquietude do agora” (in English, Hunger March of Pevidém – Memories of a past in the restlessness of now) is the title of the work that recalls a popular movement that happened in Pevidém in the 40s of the twentieth century. What justifies the effort to dive in these still existing fragile memories, investigate the dusty filed documentation, seek old newspapers, trying to discover and understand the contours of an event like this? The reason for the investigation of the “Marcha da Fome”… is that the march marked the identity and the memory of the population of Pevidém through the courage of those who were able to fight for the bread to the children, at a time when difficulties of life were extreme and that any demonstrations were violently repressed. The session was attended by the authors of the work, Luiza Cortesão and Francisco Neves, and Manuel Loff, Professor at the Faculty of Arts, University of Porto, Department of History and Political and International Studies and a researcher at the Center for Transdisciplinary Research Culture Space and Memory.

With the fourth book, launched on 12 April 2013, entitled “Caleidoscópio de fragmentos culturais: Olhando e escutando Guimarães” (in English, Kaleidoscope of cultural fragments: Looking and listening Guimarães), was intended to collect various aspects of “vimaranense” culture. Emerged the idea of trying a kind of sampling of some fragments of a “cultural kaleidoscope”, putting metaphorically it in the body of an iceberg, which above the water line was placed (symbolically) cultural aspects that are most evident. The fifth and final book to be launched will be entitled “O mundo todo é de todo o mundo: Narrativas de migrantes em Guimarães” (in English, The whole world is worldwide: Narratives of migrants in Guimarães), and will gather some memories on migration. The book searchs to make it through concrete stories of those who lived/lives this reality, making known pathways and experienced situations and felt by those who launched themselves across borders in the search of a new life. The protagonism is thus given to reports in first-person. Therefore, constitute the core of this work, narratives of those who left and who came to the region of Guimarães. For further information, the contacts are: IPFPortugal@fpce.up.pt and www.ipfp.pt

The 8th edition of the International Meeting of Paulo Freire Forum was held in Los Angeles, from 19 to 22 September 2012, and hosted and organized by Paulo Freire Institute (PFI) – UCLA (University of California), along with Paulo Freire Institute of United Kingdom. This Forum is organized every two years and Paulo Freire Institute of different continents attend to discuss the possibilities for a transforming education and guided to a social justice. Looking into this way that were conduced the proposal of the theme for the Forum 2012 – “Think a World where is easier to Love: The Education and the Social Justice of Paulo Freire”. The Forum developed itself on three main sub-themes: Gender and Education, the Role of Intellectuals in the Education and Eco-pedagogy.

According to Jason Dorio, member for PFI and PhD student of Social Science and Comparative Education Division, at UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, who we appeal to discovery a few data of this latest edition of the Forum, the VIII Forum built a critical space to the dialogue between 125 exhibitors and 200 participants from over 15 countries.

The four days of event gathered representatives of eight Paulo Freire Institutes, student members of community, professors, activists and scholars. Some of the highlights pointed by Jason are: Dean Marcelo Suarez-Orozco, Carlos Torres (Director of PFI – UCLA) and Penny Jane Burke (Director of PFI – UK), as well as the performance of students of the Social Awareness Network for Activism through Art group, and of cultural visits for the UCLA Lab School and Critical Visual Literacy: an experience at the Getty Museum.

On 21 September 2013 happened the traditional meeting of World Council of the Paulo Freire Institutes. The institutes of Portugal, Italy, USA, Brazil, Argentina and England were present. The group dialogued and contributed a lot to the Letter from California, key document and synthesis of this edition of the Forum (to get to know the previous letters, as well as to have access to the graphic materials, videos, photos and others documents from others forums, since 1998, visit: http://forum.unifreire.org/), after achieved consensus on the birth of a Chair in Brazil (that is a matter of another article of this same Bulletin edition).

PFI – UCLA also informed us, by email, that they would like to thank all the participants, especially the volunteers.

An Italian perspective…

Silvia Manfredi

Silvia Maria Manfredi and Piergiorgio Reggio, respectively the president and the vice president of Paulo Freire Instittute of Italy, attended the International Forum of Los Angeles and PFI of Italy not only provided some documents official related to the Forum in its website (http://www.paulofreire.it/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=49&Itemid=99&lang=pt), as you can also read a journal from a Italian participant. We now offer, here in the UniFreire Bulletin, an adaptation of this journal.

Pieces of Piergiorgio Reggio’s reports (PFI Italy)

19 September

 Today, initiated the 8th Forum of thr Paulo Freire Institutes. There are around 100 people, from different continents. They represent Paulo Freire Institutes in the world, but also associations, movements, groups and academic institutions that confer a freirean approach to Education.

We are guests of UCLA, Social Science and Comparative Education Division, where teaches Prof. Carlos Alberto Torres, founder and director of PFI USA, who in different moments was already our guest in Italy. The Forum was opened with a session entitled “(Re) Imagining Immigration and Education in the Era of Global Vertigo”. In this session, Prof. Marcelo Suarez-Orozco, director of the Division, proposed some reflections on the current processes of migration and its implications for the pedagogical dimension. Follows below some elements – in a synthetic way – of what seemed significant to me in his speech.

We are seen an exponential increase of global migration in the world during 1990 to 2010: 155-210 million of people (source: UN). In Europe, from 50 million in 1990 to 70 in 2012, in Asia from 50 to 60 million and in North America from 28 to 50. Only in USA were from 23 to 43 million, in Africa from 17 to 20 million. The migration is, at the same time, history and destiny.

Homo sapiens mobilis (characteristics):

• The immigration is “by and for” the family
• The immigrants are economic, social and politic actors through the borders

 Following migration:

• 16 millions of youth with migrants parents

• The fastest increase of child’s population

• Increase of Hispanic and Asiatic population and decrease of white and Afro-American population

There are significant lacks to accomplish success with an educative plan:

• The boredom, the routine became the “elephant in the classroom”

• There are urgent issues for the equal education. Increase difficulties for the integration of an increase number of black youth in France, Netherlands, German, USA and all models seem deficit.

In this same session we received a greeting from Penny Jane Burke, from University of Sussex, United Kingdom, co-founder and director of Paulo Freire Institute of Great Britain, newly created.

Suarez-Orozco highlighted the effects that the changes brought by globalization demand: the primacy of individualist and competitive paradigm, a scenery dictated by the primacy of individual competences, all in detriment of social dimension of knowledge. There were also identified some big educational challenges of nowadays: the gender, political and international issues.

In the afternoon there was a session dedicated to the theme “The Role of Public Intellectual”, which Tarozzi (Massiniliano Tarozzi – Università di Trento, friend of PFI Italy) participated, including with his own speech, approaching the theme “Training of Professors as Public Intellectuals”.

Were initiated, then, several panels. In the one that Prof. Piergiorgio Reggio coordinated, “Developing critical consciousness in adult education: strategies, methodologies and political effects”, we had 04 speeches, including from Silvia Maria Manfredi, president of Paulo Freire Institute of Italy which text may be found in the website of PFI of Italy. The speeches have been very interesting, you can also read the abstract on the website. The debate was rich and the panel continues tomorrow with others speeches.

20 September 2012

The first day of the Forum, 19 September, ended in a reception with wine, a relaxing moment to meet others participants. The wines are from California and the Cherries, Mexico . The second day was followed of deployment of the panels and thematic sessions.

Panel “Developing critical consciousness in adult education: strategies, methodologies and political effects”, coordinated by Piergiorgio Reggio

Initially we discussed the experiences presented yesterday by Liliane Windsor and Alexis Jamal from Rutgers – The State University of New Jersey, entitled “Opening windows of Critical Consciousness: a process Evaluation of Community Wise”.

There are presented and discussed the methodological aspects of its initiative in a specific work of development of critical awareness with prisoners, mainly, Afro-American. The intervention used – as part of a freirean diaologic approach – techniques such as discussion groups, photos, histories, use of community mentors.

Following, the panel builds a discussion on the speeches made yesterday by Silvia Maria Manfredi and José Ramos Barbosa da Silva. Silvia Maria Manfredi deepens some aspects of her speech mainly in what refers to modality of collective production of knowledge that occurs in the educative process of freirean tendency. The discussion also involves Prof. José Ramos Barbosa da Silva, from Universidade Federal da Paraíba – Brazil, who yesterday presented a speech on “Learning with the work and the daily experiences”.

The experiences presented by Manfredi and Barbosa have several aspects in common, not only by the reference in common, the freirean pedagogical principles, but also in the execution ambit: adults education with farmers and union workers. During a pause in the work, I was interviewed by Alexis Jamal, a young researcher of Rutgers, who is conducting a research on the strategies for development and evaluation of critical awareness.

One of the panels that would occur at the same time to this one, that I watched, was dedicated to the theme of Eco-pedagogy, in which there is a long time that Moacir Gadotti works. Greg Mislaszek, from PFI and UCLA, Los Angeles, opened the session and theme, presenting results of a research realized in Appalachians in USA, Argentina and Brazil.

Eco-pedagogy is an educational propose formulated by Francisco Gutierrez and Cruz Prado, with a freirean perspective, a perspective that considers a relation between environmental phenomena and educative processes. The Mislaszek’s research also considers aspects of the construction of a global citizenship, through different inclusion spheres, from local community to global and planetary dimension, considering the relevance of relations between North and South of the world. Moacir Gadotti from PFI Brazil, for his part, defines the planetary citizenship, different of the traditional conception of citizenship, as “a set of attitudes, principles, values and behaviors that show a new perception of Earth as a unique community”.

Daniel Dominguez Valles, Mexican PhD student at the University of California, approached issues of environmental education related to his country’s situation. In the morning, there were a meeting of directors from several Paulo Freire Institutes with Prof. Marcelo Suarez-Orozco. He is from Argentina and professor for years in USA. In this same occasion Prof. Suarez also would be invited to participate in an event next year, a meeting that PFI will celebrate in Angicos, Brazil’s Northeast, where 50 years ago started the first freirean literacy campaign.

In the afternoon we continued with panels and thematic sessions. In the panel “The Role of the Public Intellectual”, coordinated by Rich van Heertum from UCLA and PFI Los Angeles, Maria Paola Rottino, from San Remo, with the work “People in Arts”, presented a speech comparing her experience in Italy – from school as a real teacher, political participation and freirean motivation – and the experience that she is taking to Haiti, where develops a work of pedagogical support with a freirean configuration to school’s teachers and operators involved in project of community development.

21 September

The organization of the Forum has developed, in the last days, several interviews in video with foreign participants and representatives of several PFI. The interview topics were the ones approached by the Forum in a general way: the role of educators / professor as public intellectual, its relation with oppressed groups, its relations with groups of ideological orientation and different value. For each one of us was also requested to answer specific questions about the situation of educative-social work in the country of origin.

Today I saw the conclusion of several panels and thematic sessions and was made a meeting with directors of several Paulo Freire Institutes. On behalf of Italy was Silvia Manfredi.

The discussed topics were:

• The event that will happen in Angicos on September 2013 to celebrate the first experience of literacy performed by Paulo Freire, at the same place that was made back then

• The organization of the next International Forum, that should occur in September 2014. Progress was made in the movement of Great Britain and Italy’s application. Our president manifested availability and interest of PFI – Italy to organize an international forum. It is an important sign, but also a challenge. To receive and accommodate in our country educators, researchers, social assistants related to freirean pedagogy in different continents would be a rich opportunity, that certainly should be evaluated along with all members and friends interested in PFI – Italy about the sustainability of the initiative. In a first hypothesis, obviously it needs to be verify, Torino could be the candidate host, considering the relation that has with a significant reality in the educational-social context, the social and private institutions. Essential regarding the investigation of feasibility will be the availability of sponsors to give financial support to the initiative

• Compose and approve of the Letter of California. As usual, the Forum, actually, is only concluded with a joint declaration (the Letter) of the present institutes. The Letter is available today only in English and Portuguese. It is been translated to Spanish and we invite members of PFI Italy to become volunteers to translate it to Italian.

The works of Forum were closed with a plenary, a final speech of Penny Jane Burke, director of IPF – Great Britain e co-organizer of the Forum in Los Angeles. When the speech was done, there was an elegant dinner at UCLA. In the morning of Saturday, on 22, was proposed an interesting activity of experimental character in Getty Museum: “Critical Visual Literacy: an experience at the Getty Museum”, led by Simon Kenrick, British scholar of History of Art, professor at Antioch University, Los Angeles. The experience allowed us to treat issues as the dialogue between cultures and the intercultural view, the development of critical awareness.

Getty Museum

On Saturday’s night there was a big dancing party at the house of Carlos Torres and Ana Elvira Steinbach, in Topanga. Sausages and Chorizo, tons of Mexican beer and California wine, professional DJ, with Latin-American dances. Our president, Silvia Manfredi, gave classes of salsa, merengue music, samba… Massimiliano Tarozzi and I, having no swing, jumped how we could. As courtesy to those who invited us, we performed, overcoming the imaginable embarrassment, the reading of Dante’s Inferno Canto 26: Ulysses and Diomede.. in short, the theme of the Forum.

Private journal, but I offer it voluntarily to all. The curtain fell, out of the stage, since that Carlos and I have, finally, years latter, performed a common dream of a soccer match. I could play with Bravo, the team composed almost entirely by Argentines (official shirt of Argentine nation), in a game of the championship against over 48 Titans, mix formation of several countries of Oriental Europe, South America and North-Americans. Gloriously we won of 5 to 3! Carlos also scored big goal. There are photos that documented the extraordinary event.

A very sad event: in the fish tank with a cascade that has in Carlos’ house, a black fish was capture, killed and half eaten. The investigations are in progress. Among the suspects: a coyote, an egret, a lynx. In Carlos’ property we planted today three Italian Olive Tree. Three as my children. Carlos promised that in any time in the future we can come to take its olives or oil. Hacia el porvenir! The journal finishes, I will fly to Europe. I am coming back!

About 2014…

 A very significant moment in the meeting of the World Council of Paulo Freire Institutes in edition of Los Angeles was the discussion on next Forum’s edition. Professor Penny Burke (England) and Professor Silvia Manfredi (Italy) presented their applications to the organization. Both, however, reported difficulties regarding financing to the realization of the event. Professor Carlos Alberto Torres presented cost estimates, from his experience on International Meetings of Paulo Freire Forum in 2002 and 2012. He also problematized that, because of these high costs, the Meeting may could happen every triennium and not every biennium. The group reflected on the proposal, but understood that exists few moments of personal contacts between the Institutes, Chairs and others and, therefore, decided that maintain this periodicity would be fundamental.

Returning to the discussion on the local to be held the Forum, professors Burke and Manfredi requested a term that they could confirm with their institutions the financial feasibility of the organization. Shortly after, the freirean community received the confirmation of Italy as the next host.

Still in this same meeting, Professor José Eustáquio Romão and Moacir Gadotti considered that the permanent secretariat of International Meetings of Paulo Freire Forum and World Council of Paulo Freire Institutes should be UniFreire. Therefore, the decision of participants was that, from that data, would only have one Secretariat, UniFreire, that should be in permanent contact with the director of PFI which will held the International Meeting, as well as is its responsibility to publish semiannually our UniFreire Bulletin.