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Besides the geographic proximity and common objectives between the two countries, Argentina and Brazil, is interesting to highlight the common history of Latin America as one of the determinants components to the region as an organism. And it is not only about the old history of overcoming of the problems associated to the processes of identity construction or to fights for independence, but also there is an indisputable connection between the neighbors in the search of solutions for the problems of poverty and structural inequality and founding that affects these societies.
In the 60s, the major of Latin American countries suffered a wave of authoritarianism, repressive and particularly dramatic in terms of rights and citizenship. Thus, the authoritarianism was installed with several shades and degrees of violence in Argentina (1962, 1966 and 1976), Brazil (1964), Peru (1968), Uruguay (1973), Chile (1973) and in Bolivia (1964 and 1971). While other countries in region also had despotic governments, such as Paraguay, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Dominican Republic, Haiti and Nicaragua.
With the end of this period of dictatorship, the process of democratization was initiated. Among the several pending, the new democracies had to face the problem of former violations of human rights, which consequences are notorious until today. In this sense, the present and future challenges in terms of preservation of historical memory and promotion of human rights and citizenship impose the need to create a Latin American space, from the perspective of overcoming of imaginary boundaries for the construction of a fully understand the meaning of respect for human dignity and a common horizon. To think this challenge is that the Federal University of Goiás (UFG), in Brazil, and the National University of Quilmes (UNQ), in Argentina, propose the achievement of V Interamerican Colloquium about Education in Human Rights.
Starting from the presupposition of education as a human action, as a legitimate and instinctive-natural movement for the freedom from oppressions, is not possible for education to flinch from the discussion on human rights. The education, first, is already a human right, that is, everybody has right to it. Paulo Freire refers in several moments of his thought to the discourse on human rights, such, for example, to conceptualize its devaluation as a “denial of right to be more enrolled in the nature of human beings” (FREIRE, 2000, p.79)1. Insistently leads to complaint of impunity, violence, lack of school, house, food, hospitals, transport, lack of freedom and in favor of “(…) struggle in favor of human rights, wherever it is placed. The right of come and go, the right of eat, of dress, of say the word, of love, of choose, of work. The right of believe or not believe, the right of security and peace” (FREIRE, 2000, p.130).
A little of history of the Colloquium
The I Interamerican Colloquium about Education in Human Rights was held in 2006 by initiative of a team of researchers of UNQ, Argentina. In 2011, with the support of Ministry of Education of Argentina, was created the Interamerican Network of Experiences Exchange of Education in Human Rights (RIEEPEDH). RIEEPEDH gathers researchers of different countries of Latin America with the objective of share educative experiences, studies about conceptual and practical themes related to EDH (Education in Human Rights), besides to continue to Colloquiums on EDH. From the four seminars held so far, three were in Argentina and one in Chile:
- 2006: I Interamerican Colloquium about Education in Human Rights – “Experiences, problems and challenges”, in UNQ. This event was held together with the Human Rights Institution of Social and Juridic Sciences Faculty of National University of La Plata (UNLP) and the Interamerican Institute of Human Rights (IIDH). Were addressed three related topics: “The right to education”, “The human rights as educative contents” and “The human rights in the educative practice”. Researchers, professors and promoters of EDH of Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay, Costa Rica, Mexico and Venezuela participated in the meeting;
- 2008: II Interamerican Colloquium about Education in Human Rights: “The Human Rights in the Educative Practice (in class, in the institutions and in public policies)”. It was held in the UNLP, always in collaboration with UNQ and IIDH. This times, it had new partners: the Association of Universities entrusted to the Compañía de Jesús en América Latina (AUSJAL), the Universidad Academia de Humanismo Cristiano (Chile) and the Center of Human Rights of University of Lanús (UNLa);
- 2011: III Interamerican Colloquium about Education in Human Rights: “Paths, Fortress, Proposals”. It was held in May, at UNQ. In this occasion, the Academic Committee organized 13 thematic tables, receiving over hundred works in several cities around Argentina’s provinces and in other countries, such as Paraguay, Chiles, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, Portugal and Germany;
- 2012: IV Interamerican Colloquium about Education in Human Rights: “Didactically-pedagogical experiences in the EDH. Learning and challenges for the consolidation of a respectful culture of human rights”. This happened in September, in the city of Santiago of Chile, with over 280 participants. The event was organized by the National Institute of Human Rights of Chile and UNQ. Once more, we had the participation of researchers, organizations of civil society, professors, students and both public and private institutions of several countries of Latin America.
Brazil and the Federal University of Goiás (UFG)
The choice of Brazil to host this fifth edition of Colloquiums about EDH was a decision made in Chile during the process of preparation of IV Symposium and had as central point the problematization and evaluating of currently advances in the field of institutionalization of EDH in the region. The constitutional recognition of international conventions on matter of human rights and the attendance of the country through certain statements made before repeated violations to human rights in the world encouraged different national governments to assume, among other things, the commitment with the implementation of the program in the country entitled World Program for the Education in Human Rights (PROMEDH) and its Action Plan.
Such documents understand that the promotion of EDH will allow the national systems to achieve their main mission: to assure education of quality for all. Based on these documents and recommendations, it was created in Brazil the National Commission of Education in Human Rights (CNEDH) and was approved the National Plan of Education in Human Rights, in a context which the issue of human rights conquer great historical significance, in response to forms of social and political violence experienced between 1960 and 1970.
UFG agreed to host the V Colloquium on the basis of its 12 years of experience in the field of EDH. In 1999, the University launched a Human Rights Program and, in 2010, teams of Interdisciplinary Studies and Research in Human Rights were institutionalized (NDH). Among several activities of teach, extension and research undertaken since then by the NDH, it worth to highlight the almost 2000 participants of several courses of professional formation for trainers. These academic activities aim to form agents, professors, researchers, journalists and defenders of Human Rights”, that in its three first editions gathered over 600 researchers of all regions from Brazil and from other countries of Latin America and Europe.
Thus, the organization of the V Colloquium remains an initiative coordinated by UNQ, but, since the commons commitment, this time the Colloquium will be absorbed to “IV Think Human Rights”. This partnership allows that both institutions keep the frequency of their event, besides to show a type of education based in the principles of reciprocity, dialogue, recognition and joint efforts.
Thematic Axes
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Axis 1 – EDH: Formation of trainers – Theoretical-methodological production and pedagogical strategies for different levels of modalities of formal education.
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Axis 2 – EDH: Right to Memory, Truth and Justice of Latin America – Spaces, experiences and practices of EDH on this rights.
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Axis 3 – EDH: Democracy and Communication – Tensions between formal democracy and real democracy from media. Laws of access to information, legal frameworks and regulatory. Media: tensions between recognition and violation of human rights.
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Axis 4 – EDH: Public Policies and Legal Frameworks in Latin America – Educative political laws, plans and programs of EDH. Experiences of implementation of EDH. Articulation.
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Axis 5 – EDH: Inequalities, differences and intercultural dialogue – The discussions on the tension between the private and the universal in the field of human rights. The differences and inequalities of gender, sexual diversity, ethnic-racial, inter-generational, religious diversity. People with disabilities.
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Axis 6 – EDH: theoretical and methodological foundations – Epistemology of EDH. Principles and concepts. theoretical-methodological foundations and perspectives in EDH. Theory and Criticism.
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Axis 7 – EDH: Social Movements, Popular Education and Academic Extension – Demands, experience and partnerships between civil society, governments and universities around EDH and popular education.
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Axis 8 – EDH: Challenges and limits in interdisciplinary field – Challenges and limits of institutionalization of study and research field on EDH as a field of knowledge production
Other information
The Organizing Commission of the event is composed by Aída Monteiro (UFPE – Federal University of Pernambuco – Brazil), Anabel Rubio (UNQ – Argentina), Antônio Hilário (UFMS – Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul – Brazil), Carlos Ugo Santander (UFG – Brazil), Clodoaldo Meneguello Cardoso (UNESP – State University of São Paulo – Brazil), Flávio Alves Barbosa (UEG – Brazil), Flávio Diniz (UFG – Brazil), José Eduardo Barbieri (PUCGO –Pontifical Catholic University of Goiás – Brazil), Matías Penhos (UNQ – Argentina), Mónica Fernández (UNQ – Argentina), Maria Nazaré Zenaide (UFPB – Federal University of Paraíba – Brazil), Néstor Manchini (UNQ – Argentina), Ricardo Barbosa de Lima (UFG – Brazil), Rosana Góngora (UNQ – Argentina) e Solón Viola (UNISINOS – University of Vale do Rio dos Sinos – Brazil). Given the long partnership network, you can expect the same complexity in conducting dialogues: will be 08 tables with 24 experts from across all Latin America.
Although no longer possible to register for the event and even send more work at the beginning of April this year Prof. Mónica Fernández, from UNQ, wrote to UniFreire and requested a joint force to promote the event. Promise fulfilled!
On the other hand, for those who desired and still do a piece little bigger of the event, there will be 03 final publications: 1) The Book of Abstracts Approved; 2) Final publication with full papers presented effectively in work groups, 3) Book with the works of Roundtables and Conferences.
As you can also to access the blog of Colloquium, http://coloquioedh.blogspot.com.ar, and review photos and writings of all previous Colloquiums, as well as all minor specifics of this awaited next edition.
