Francisca Pini

Alessandra Rodrigues dos Santos

MOVA-Brasil Project was created in 2003, inspired in the “Movimento de Alfabetização de Jovens e Adultos – Mova” (in English, Youth and Adults Literacy Movement). “Mova” was conceived by the educator Paulo Freire in the city of São Paulo, in 1989, when he was municipal secretary of Education. Based on the guiding conception of “Educação Popular” (in English, Popular Education), Paulo Freire aimed to promote a wide movement of literacy through the partnership between government and civil society.

Meeting of students from MOVA in Manaus, Amazon, Brazil (September 2012)

During the ten years of its realization, were literate 192.445 students of ten states, in a total of 1.357 cities. Furthermore, the project formed 9.188 collaborators among monitors, administrative assistants, pedagogical assistants, pole’s coordinators and local’s coordinators.

Continued Training of coordinators of pole in Pocinhos (MG)

In this stage of 2013, the project seeks to enlarge opportunities of access to education, promoting literacy of 25.240 youths and adults, besides to develop actions of mobilization and social intervention which aim the transformation of reality lived by the learners and contribute to the insertion of participants in the work world.

One of the axes which base the pedagogical work is the realization of continued training to all individuals that participate in the project. Because, according to Paulo Freire:

The education is an answer of the finite of the infinite. The education is possible for man, because he is unfinished and know himself as unfinished. This takes him to his perfection[...] On the other hand, the search must be something and must translate itself in be more: it is a permanent search of “itself”. (FREIRE, 2003, p. 27-28).

The ten Brazilian’s states which participate in MOVA-Brasil project and their partners have been challenge to systematize the “Projeto Eco-Político-Pedagógico – PEPP” (in English, Eco-Political-Pedagogical Project), which materializes the conceptions that found the process of literacy, citizenship, democracy, diversity and active participation, complemented with the “Leitura do Mundo” (in English, Reading of the World) – process which is lived by each state to ensure the recognize of particularities of each local, of the way to favor the main elements to the elaboration of an action plan that dialogues effectively with the social reality.

Meeting of students in Caucaia, Ceará State, Brazil (September 20

In these ten years of MOVA-Brasil, is possible to affirm that students have participated effectively, both in classroom and in the existing political spaces in the education of youth, adults and elderly. One of the participative processes formulated in the framework of Mova was the “Encontro de Educandos(as)” (in English, Students Meeting) that, since 2011, has been assured in state and municipal level as space of socialization, debates of public policies and construction of proposals to the upgrading of project.

REFERENCES

ANTUNES, Ângela; PADILHA, Paulo Roberto. Metodologia Mova. São Paulo: Instituto Paulo Freire, 2011. (Caderno MOVA-Brasil, v. 2).

_____; NERI, Juliana Fonseca de Oliveira; STANGHERLIM, Roberta. Economia Solidária. São Paulo: Instituto Paulo Freire, 2011. (Caderno MOVA-Brasil, v. 4).

FREIRE, Paulo. Educação e Mudança. Tradução Moacir Gadotti e Lílian Lopes Martin. 27. ed. Rio de Janeiro: Paz e Terra, 2003.

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

On 23 May, 2013, at 5 pm, in the Auditorium “Emiliano Zapata Salazar”, of the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM), Campus Chamilpa in Mexico, will happen a new inauguration of “Cátedra Paulo Freire”. The university is located in Cuernavaca, capital city of the state of Morelos that lives primarily from tourism. The resumption of the Chair is an action linked to the “Programa de Cátedras, Estudos e Formação” (in English, Program of Chairs, Studies and Formation) of the university itself, directed by Leopoldo Ferreiro Morlet. The university has prepared and divulgated a Provisional Program for the event.

Enrique Gutiérrez (Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, of the UAEM) should make the opening speech; Adán Arias, director of the Institute of Education Sciences of UAEM, should present the Chairs’ program and its objectives; René Santoveña, Secretary of Education of the Government State, will make a prospective speech and, following, Dr. Alejandro Vera Jimenez, rector of UAEM, will close with a solemnity the inauguration.

The main Conference, prepared to be the most anticipated moment of the festivity’s first day, will have the following theme: “A Leitura do Evangelho e a Pintura como Práticas Libertadoras em Solentiname, Município de San Carlos, Rio San Juan, Nicarágua” (in English, The Reading of the Gospel and the Painting as Liberators Practices in Solentiname, City of San Carlos, Rio San Juan, Nicaragua), by Ernesto Cardenal. In the beginning of April 2013 he had not  confirmed his participation yet. After his speech, will follow a round of questions and, after that, a space for his reply. This debate’s structure is, indeed, a general procedure for the lectures and tables of this event, all of them will have fixed spaces for dialogue.

On Friday, May 24, early in the morning there will be an initial “working” table based in Freirean experiences: The Non-Formal Education in the Practices of the Education Professionals, by Universidad Pedagogica Nacional– UPN (Instituto de la Educación del Basica State Morelos – in English, Institute of Basic Education of the Morelos State); The Practice of Field Operations by Students and Teachers of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences (UAEM) and The Teaching of Spanish for Foreign as Integrating Intercultural Practice (Tlahuica Center of languages and Intercultural Interchange).

Already in the afternoon the roundtable will be almost a homonym of a classic freirean work, The Education as the Practice of Freedom – non-formal education and social movements, with representatives of UAEM, UPN, UNAM (Universidad Autónoma de México), besides the possible participation of the entity affiliated to the Instituto Paulo Freire of Brazil, the Universitas Paulo Freire – (Unifreire).

On Saturday the participants will be able to expose themselves to the new “working” table with freirean experiences: Non-Formal Education and University Extension (UAEM), The Processes of Literacy in Cuba and Mexico – Cuban experience (Dr. José Ron Galindo – Embassy of Cuba in Mexico). The person who will close the meeting of the “Cátedra Paulo Freire” will be Dr. José Antonio Gómez Espinosa, General Secretary of the UAEM.

UAEM

The UAEM began its activities in 1938, period which was founded the Institute of Higher Education, that began its path offering only bachelor’s courses. How Autonomous University, is a public body and at the same time, unbound of the State. However, its official founding, as an autonomous entity, happened only in 1967, with the “Ley Organica”, which decrees the university autonomy. Today UAEM is subdivided into several entities/institutes such as the “Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología – CEIB” (in English, Investigation Center in Biotechnology), “Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas – CIB” (in English, Center of Biological Investigations), “Centro de Educación Ambiental e Investigación Sierra de Huautla – CEAMISH” (in English, Center of Environmental Education and Investigation Sierra de Huautla), and the “Centro de Investigación en Ingeniería y Ciencias Aplicadas – CIICAp” (In English, Investigation Center in Engineering and Applied Sciences). It is located on Avenida Universidad 1001, Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos/Mexico. The contacts that are available to all are e-mail: lferreiro@uaem.mxand phone (01777) 329 70 00.

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”.

The only way that somebody has to apply, in its context, some of propositions that I made is exactly remake me, that means, not to follow me.

To follow me, the fundamental is not follow me.

(Paulo Freire, For a Pedagogy of Question, p.41)

The first edition of UniFreire Bulletin is ready and, from now on, available to all international freirean community, launching a new period for the militancy for sake of articulation of individuals and their productions. After a first step that presented the idea and that what would be an Issue 0 of UniFreire Bulletin at the Forum of Los Angeles. There was a second moment that several emails circulated by the community to deepen a little bit more the proposal, the intention, and to call the institutions to participate, inciting themselves to evaluate the aesthetics, evaluate the Bulletin sections and, above all, send us subsides for that we could portray the best possible of realities, including geographically speaking, but also to be able to show the different works from several institutions with the most respect and fidelity. And here there is a panoramic photo of most latest activities held throughout the first semester of 2013 by worldwide groups yet and for good bonded to Paulo Freire. What we wish from now on is to know and share all the next semesters of these and other groups.

Taking the opportunity of 02 May, Death Anniversary of Paulo Freire, and 02 April, Fifieth of Angicos, UniFreire’s team putted on these celebrations as “front page”, a symbolic emphasis, and researched the main Paulo Freire Insitutes, Chairs and other institutions that are linked with freirean praxis aiming to discovery what they were doing, how they were doing and what they would like to do next. Some of these institutions were who made contact with UniFreire, opening their calendars and theirs wills to us.

This search resulted in an edition more than multifaceted, beneficially long and, of course, very happy, showy and substantially.

Among the Highlights of the issue, there is the article The Fifieth of Anficos’ Experience. In it, you may find all that already happen in the core of Angicos’ city from last year to here: new publications that are coming, events and people and institutions that they are gathering, what is main in the celebrations’ repercussion from those who were there and those who already wrote and studied about the experience and, specialy, what 50 years of Angicos still promise to represent for the illiteracy in Brazil.

The literacy of youth and adults is not a discussion-highlight only in the news on Angicos. There are another two News in this edition of UniFreire Bulletin that it is the propellant theme: The “Associação Angola para Educação de Adultos e o APLICA – Alfabetização participativa libertadora instrumentada por comunidades atuantes” (in English: Agolan Association for Adults Education and Liberating Instrumented Participative Literacy by Active Communities) is one of them and, by the reading, depending to personal repertoire, each reader will highlights a characteristic that approcheas a lot Angicos to Angola that today starts to persue a political liberation by the appropriation of reading and writing, of liguistic code and of the world. The other is the MOVA-Brasil Project, wrote by Francisca Pini (pedagogical director of IPF Brazil) and Alessandra Rodrigues (coordinate of the Adults Education area of IPF Brazil), that defines the project, that remits to a memorable initiative of Paulo Freire’s life in Brazilian’s public politic, with some of his numbers and contributions to literacy of youth and adults in the country and also a little bit of what is going on now and will be happening in 2013 in the several poles, distributed in Brazilian’s territory.

In the Memory section we have more lireteacy, but under other view: Professor gives away to IPF Brazil materials of one of the first experiences of Paulo Freire after Angicos. In this text, you will be able to understand how is yielding fruits the project “Paulo Freire Memória e Presença”, of Instituto Paulo Freire Brazil, and how are the slides from Santa Catarina state that may be one of the first works of Freire after Angicos’ experience.

The Paulo Freire Institute of Portugal is, in a certain way, other unexpected highlight of this edition, because was necessary to portray it in two articles of Resealesed section: PFIP  collaborates to Intensive Program Erasmus in Bristol and launches book to teachers – in which is described an integral training program to youth that PFIP is one of the interested, and a new publication of Institute’s team, focused to teachers and discussing autonomy; Paulo Freire Institute of Portugal, University of Porto and “Raízes” Project – Guimarães 2012 – a dense material that presents a prospective retrospective: the five publications linked to Guimarães European Capital of Culture’s project are presented chronologically to the public. In this same section is the matter PFI Spain and resources and continued education center of Valencia lanch two books in 2013 by the collection “Biblioteca Paulo Freire”. The year of 2013, therefore, already starts as a fertile year to community writing.

Even more fertile to the freirean community in 2013, the year has a extraordinaire number of congress, symposiums, meetings and other forms of meeting among university professors, intellectuals, professors of basic education of entire world held during this first semester and that will happen yet. Regarding this collective movements held by and for the institutions of this community, you can confer the following articles in section Freirean Meetings:

International Conference dialogues on 40 years of contextual approach at the Freie Universität Berlin (in English, Free University of Berlin)

Freire Institute, from University of Central Lancashire, Convoks to the 11th International Conference on Education and Systems of Information, Technologies and Applocations.

Californian Association of Freirean Educators promotes CAFE Conference 2013 and CAFE Workshop for Educators

One day dedicated to Augusto Boal and Paulo Freire – Dare la Parola al Mondo – Give voice to the World

Besides updates of the workd developed in Portugal, Brazil and Angola, Edition 01 brings more two subjects, of informative nature, one about Mexico and another about Italy. In the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, in Mexico, gets ready the program of retaking Paulo Freire Chair , we have a text that portray a constant and, therefore, a considerable part of freirean community – we have received more news of studies groups about Paulo Freire hosted and fomented by universities, almost always private, but also public. We had new in Brazil and in other countries such as USA, in this case, the Pacifica Graduate; as well as the Caribean Chair from edition zero of this Bulletin. This is instantly proven with a second important news of this edition that refers to the raises of a chair: New Center and new event in “Cátedra do Oprimido”. This subject tells a story of a public university of Brazilian’s south that had representatives in the Forum of Los Angeles and that officially linked themselves, in that occasion, to Cátedra do Oprimido and is already developing publication and event. To know lastest data of these groups, visit: http://www.paulofreire.org/unifreire/mapeamento-comunidade-freiriana.

Italy was one of the countries that contributed a lot to the community of freirean legacy. The country is on 03 matters in this edition. Two of them are direct actions of Paulo Freire Institute and the first is an action that promotes an interlocution on youth, cohabiting the matter with an action for those who are not that young: PFI Italy calls Frei Betto to Talk about Youth and promotes Culture Circle on personal and collective Libertation. 

The subject on IPF Brazil is called UniFreire in2013: Who, How and Why? And the article does a panoramic fly on the latest activities of the institution maintained by PFI that was born in the Bologna Forum, in 2000, and that, before also being an institution, is an apocryphal movement for the democratization and multiplicity of knowledge. The movements of UniFreire in the articulation dimension – how this Bulletin itself, the update of freirean community’s mapping and the work with scan and availability of significant part of materials of all Paulo Freire Forum’s edition, as well as the unpublished incursion and explicitly positive of the institution in the higher education, as a post-graduation course, lato sensu, are detailed in an objective way, but stimulating, in order to share with the whole community the authorship and new discoveries, as well as the continuity of these actions.

The Community in Highlight section is, purposely, a partnership with the Freirean Meetings section and a mathematical combination. As many different countries already were contemplated by the edition, as well as both most popular dimension of freirean community, Chair and Paulo Freire Institute, we did a tribute to Augusto Boal, inviting to a self-portrait the “O Centro de Teatro do Oprimido – CTO” (in English, Center of Theater of the Oppressed – CTO), in Rio de Janeiro, that is not a Chair, neither an Institute. Because it is a year that will celebrate and stimulate the relationship between these Brazilian’s thinkers, Freire and Boal, and because, coincidentally, we had established contact with CTO once they heard about the UniFreire Bulletin in the Paulo Freire Forum, from Peru. The subject is called “O Centro de Teatro do Oprimido – CTO”, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and was kindly writing and sent by the own CTO.

And, talking about events and tributes, UniFreire Bulletin started by the International Meeting of the Paulo Freire Forum and will end this edition greeting the Forum. In Paulo Freire Institute of Italy launches a journal on the Forum of Los Angeles we retake the 8th Forum, that was the great theme of our edition zero, under the view of testimonials and these testimonials are already of the group which will held our next big forum.

We wish to all a great reading. And, hopefully, will be the same pleasure to all this travel around the freirean world that was for all of us here.

Anderson Fernandes de Alencar

UniFreire Executive Secretariat 

Collaborated to this edition

German (Jürgen Zimmer)

Angola (Vítor Barbosa, Fátima Ramos)

Brazil (Adriana Loss, Alessandra Rodrigues dos Santos, Alessandro Conceição, Anderson Fernandes de Alencar, Flavio Sanctum, Francisca Pini, Geo Britto, Guilherme Barbeiro, Ísis Brandão, Janaína Abreu, José Eustáquio Romão, José Moraes Neto, Juliana Avona, Letícia Biaggioni, Luis de Marchi, Moacir Gadotti, Paulo Roberto Padilha)

Spain (Pep Aparicio Guadas)

USA (Carlos Alberto Torres, Greg Mislaszek, Jason Dorio)

England (Penny Jane Burke, John Lockhart)

Italy (Piergiorgio Reggio, Silvia Maria Manfredi)

Mexico (Leopoldo Ferreiro Morlet)

Portugal (Luiza Cortesão)

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

The “Centro de Teatro do Oprimido – CTO” (in English, Center of Theater of the Oppressed) is a social-cultural nonprofit association. Its main goal is the democratization of the means of cultural production through diffusion of Theater of the Oppressed’s method in Brazil and in the world. Based in the city of Rio de Janeiro – Brazil, the institution was created by initiative of the dramaturg Augusto Boal. As an invitation of the educator and anthropologist Darcy Ribeiro, Boal comes back to Brazil in 1986, where he creates the “Centro de Teatro do Oprimido” (in English, Theater of the Oppressed), acting initially in the formation of cultural animators in CIEP’s project – “Centros Integrados de Educação Pública” – (in English, Integrated Centers of Public Education) – a project conceived by Darcy. In 1996, the institution formalizes itself, already with the members that would continue until today and broaden.

During its 26 years of existence, CTO has noticeable and remarkable knowledge in the methodology of Theater of the Oppressed and established solids partnerships with NGO, Universities, governments and social movements. Through Interpretation Laboratories and Dramaturgy Seminars, both of permanent character, are elaborated and produced social-cultural projects, theatrical shows and varied artistic products, having as foundation the “Estética do Oprimido” (in English, the Aesthetics of the Oppressed).

Teatro do Oprimido (in English, Theater of the Oppressed)

It is about an aesthetic method which gathers exercises, games and theatrical techniques that aim the physical and intellectual des-mechanization of its practitioners and the democratization of the theater, establishing practical conditions for that the oppressed appropriates itself of the means to produce theater and expand its expression possibilities, establishing a direct, active and purposive communication between spectators and actors.

Having as one of its main references the Pedagogy of the Oppressed, of Paulo Freire. Boal and Freire could be consider brothers of theories and practices on behalf of the oppressed. The method is based on “Estética do Oprimido”, which is founded on the belief that we are all better than we suppose to be, and able to do more than we actually performed: all human being is expansive. Through aesthetic means it provides the discovery of productive and creative possibilities and ability to represent the reality producing Word, Sound and Image from its own aesthetic experience.

The “Curingas” of CTO develop several programs of popular participation from the formation of popular groups of “Teatro-Fórum” (in English, Theater-Forum) and, in the last twenty years, have broadcast the “Capacitação de Multiplicadores” (in English, Capacity of Multipliers) throughout Brazil and in the world involving educators, community leaderships, agent of popular participation, peasants, prison guards, prisoners, health professionals, artists and Human Rights militants.

CTO also features of an international program of residence and workshops in other languages in its own headquarters or in other countries. CTO already received students, professors, artists and representatives of social-cultural movements from (America) Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Equator, USA, Mexico, Uruguay, Venezuela; (Africa) South Africa, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Morocco, Mozambique; (Europe) German, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, France, Greece, England, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Czech Republic, Swiss; (Asia) India, Japan e Myanmar. It also performs workshops and presentations of its shows in several countries in the five continents.

Boal and the Curingas

To strengthen the training process, CTO signed partnership with several universities of various countries. University students participate of the residence in Brazil and work with the community groups of Theater of the Oppressed in communities/favelas, schools, prisons, psychiatric hospitals, besides to participate of social-cultural projects, seminars and ongoing workshops.

For further information and registration write to: Flavio Sanctum: flaviosanctum@ctorio.org.br; Alessandro Conceição: alessandroconceicao@ctorio.org.br; Geo Britto: geobritto@ctorio.org.br.

For further information on the programs and projects of CTO, visit:www.cto.org.br

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 .