Portuguese
“ The theory without the practice becomes ‘verbosity’, as well as the practice without theory, turns activism. However, when it joins the practice with the theory has been the praxis, the creative and modifier action of reality.”
Paulo Freire
Freire Institute is focused to the transformative learning based in the community. In the programs of the institution, the previous knowledge of the student and the life experience is what turns into raw material of the educative process, through the development of tools and approaches inspired in the work of the Brazilian educator.
The Education, in this sense, is seen as a tool for the individual and community empowerment. Freire Institute describes its own approach as being an informal, challenge and emotional phenomenon and that does not request of its collaborators any formal qualification to participate, just the commitment with the learning and change. The programs and activities, from scientific event to workshops, are open to individuals community groups and churches and can be flexibly adaptable to answer the needs of each group.
Even that the name of the institution is of Paulo Freire, because of its intervention in the world owes a lot to the techniques developed by him, it also is based on the organizing principles from Saul Alinsky (community leader and American writer who is considered, generically, the founder of modern community organization. He became known with the book Rules for Radicals – A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals, his last work, published in 1971).
As the courses are destined to activities and to whom works for social change, the costs are, in general, very accessible. In the courses, the shared knowledge (or ‘experimental, ‘of experience’ lived) is combined with several tools of analysis provided by facilitators of groups. Finally, are suggested tests to the knowledge built and to the experience through the action – a practical involvement in the community.
Currently, the Freire Institute offers the Program of Paulo Freire’s Formation, or, even, is possible to participate separately only in the first module of the course (Paulo Freire and the Critical Pedagogy). The courses are virtually ministered, having a moment which there is the option of attendance participation, that is when happens the Summer School (the “Meeting of Intercultural Formation”).
Through the website of the Institute (http://www.freire.org/), is possible to access the collection of the editor, available to virtual purchases (Bookstore), as well as to access the summaries of all courses that the organization already offered and a little bit of its history, from its partners and collaborators.
In 2013, thinking in the time cut establish by UniFreire Bulletin, the Freire Institute promoted three actions which it participated or will participate, from May of this year. Following are offered panoramic views of these formative actions, what will collaborate to understand a little the intention and function of the institution today.
Connecting Global Questions and Local Experiences
September 25 of 2013
If the people are effectively involved in the social transformation, they need of a critical comprehension both of the world that they live and of the alternative views that they share. Based on approaches inspired in Paulo Freire’s work, Global Education is a program that has as objective to link the knowledge, the previous skills and all people’s experience with global themes.
The participants of the programs start establishing relations between the different levels and society aspects based on the concrete knowledge which they hold. They see the relations between, for example, local, national and international dimensions, or between cultural, political, social, economic and religious questions.
Using the information that they have in hand and any other sources of easy access, the participants develop their knowledge through an approach genuinely problematizer of/for education.
Perspectives for Social and Solidarity Economy
September of 2013
It is more and more clear that the answer for some of the problems of economic globalization – mainly what refers to the global finance crises, the high unemployment – is not the national retrenchment, in United Kingdom, but the need of emphasis in the paper of Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE), including its internationalization. Despite the meaning of social and solidarity economy varies from country to country, the key-factors include the ideas of production for a social propose, by responsible consumption.
The European Network for the Promotion of Social and Solidarity Economy (RIPESS Europe) held in its second congress on July 5 and 6, in Lille, France. Representatives of European organizations and political representatives of social economy of different countries in plenary sessions approached fundamental issues, such as public policies to support SSE and the future of SSE in Europe. Workshops discussed themes of actuality, such as the responsible consumption, popular education in the model of Paulo Freire, the exchange of good practices in SSE, the art state of solidarity economy, as well as the identity of SSE’s sector. Freire Institute contributed for the event, in special through the participation in workshops of popular education. An intercontinental meeting in SSE will be placed in Manila, Philippines, in September of 2013.
Workshop about Paulo Freire
The importance of Paulo Freire for us today
July 17 of 2013
This workshop always happen in a single day and its program is establish having as reference the life, work and thought of Paulo Freire. In it examines its role as thinker, professor and activist and wonders what the work of Paulo Freire has of relevant for us today. The sessions includes a mix of presentations, exercises, readings and video.
