English
“In a matter of fact, everytime that future is considered as a pre-data, or because it is a pure mechanic repetition of the present, only adverbially changed, or because it is what it would have to be, there is no place for utopia, therefore, for the dream, for the option, for the decision, for the waiting in the fight, only as an existent hope. There is no place for education. Only for the dressage”
(Paulo Freire, Pedagogia of Hope)
The Paulo Freire Center for Transdisciplinary Development Research and Dialogical Education is a space for the reflection of political practice, in education. Its coordinators consider the practice of action and reflection in research education politics as part of a process which ultimately aims at the abolition of oppression. The Austrian Research Foundation for International Development (ÖFSE) and Mattersburg Circle for Development Policies at Austrian Universities (Mattersburger Kreis) have initiated the Paulo Freire Center in 2004, in Vienna, as a joint project.
Paulo Freire Center defends knowledge as a common good. They say that, even if all obstacles to knowledge and education had been removed, the following questions would remain: How can knowledge be imparted in order to be used to reach the abolition of oppression?! Is it enough to enable as many people as possible to get an education in traditional institutions? In the tradition of Paulo Freire, the Paulo Freire Center says: No, it is not enough! It is rather the teaching method and the ideological vision of education that matter.
Objectives of the Paulo Freire Center
The Paulo Freire Center pursues three objectives, focused to research education politics. The first of them is to adopt education as a reflection of practice, as a reflection on the future of development cooperation. This includes, as Paulo Freire has already said, “to learn how to read the world”, a political-economic letracy. The second objective is based on politicization of Austrian Development Cooperation. The re-appropriation of the term “politicization”, creative and ethical element of development cooperation and development politics in favor of disadvantaged or oppressed groups. Finally, to organize the dialogue between practice and research. To encourage new forms of researching, teaching and learning.
Activities planned for 2014
May, 15th to 17th 2014: Three days of Celebration of 10th anniversary of the Paulo Freire Center with guests from Brazil, Austria, Germany.
September 26th 2014: Preparatory Workshop for the 6th Austrian Development Conference – “Development in transition. Towards a Great Transformation?”
November 14th to 16th 2014: 6th Austrian Development Conference: “Development in transition. New global relations and the future of development policy”.