Paulo Freire – Global Educator (Special Issue)

Group Submission Type: Book Launch

Description of Session

This is a proposal for the launch of the special issue "Paulo Freire - Global Educator" in the academic journal Globalisation, Societies and Education, edited by PhD candidate Alexandre da Trindade (University of Cambridge), Professor Susan L. Robertson (University of Cambridge), and Professor Carlos Alberto Torres (UCLA). The idea for this special issue emerged during the celebrations and initiatives that marked the 100th anniversary of educator Paulo Freire in 2021. One of these initiatives was the two-week series of events titled "Paulo Freire 100th Anniversary: Celebrating His Legacy in Education" at the University of Cambridge (See https://clarec.org/freire/), organized by the Cambridge Latin American Research in Education Collective (CLAREC) in collaboration with the Faculty of Education community and partner institutions, collectives, and social movements. On that occasion, a bust of Paulo Freire was inaugurated at the Faculty of Education (see https://news.educ.cam.ac.uk/paulo-freire-sculpture-installed), contributing to the visibility of attacks on the emancipatory education envisioned by Freire and actions of resistance that aim to challenge antidemocratic forms of power worldwide (see examples at https://www.bbc.com/news/education-59406106 and https://educacao.uol.com.br/noticias/2021/11/15/como-uma-estatua-de-paulo-freire-criada-para-o-mst-foi-parar-em-cambridge.htm).

Paulo Freire's work has contributed to reflections in the social sciences and debates involving economics, politics, culture, and critical social issues such as gender, race, and environmental justice. Moreover, discussions on the role of education include how power, politics, coloniality, justice, and social action are related to education as a means of social transformation. Freire's work has reached a global dimension. His masterpiece, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, is considered one of the foundational texts of critical pedagogy – a philosophy of education that holds that teaching and learning cannot be detached from politics, democracy, and social justice. Freire advocated a pedagogy with a new relationship between teachers, students, and society and developed an approach to education that links the identification of issues with positive actions for change and development. Freire was critical of what he described as the 'banking model' of education, in which students are positioned as passive listeners into whom knowledge is 'deposited' by a teacher. He argued that this reinforces political contexts in which the poor and disadvantaged simply accept the authority of those in power. His ideas have shaped education systems and inspired practitioners, philosophers, and activists worldwide

This roundtable launch event for the Special Issue consists of a brief 30-minute introduction to the special issue by the three editors and the authors of papers present at CIES 2024, followed by an open debate involving all roundtable participants and the audience. The focus of the discussion will be on the profound impact of Freire's revolutionary ideas and works and their significant influence on education debates and practices worldwide. At a time when academic communities are facing challenges to their freedom, whether in the form of a neo-conservative agenda or being violently threatened by authoritarian governments, we believe that this timely discussion surrounding the Special Issue will contribute invaluable inspiration and thoughtful reflections, offering educators potential avenues for navigating this complex landscape with dialogue and tolerance while persistently resisting these daunting circumstances.

Sub Unit

• Pre-Conference Workshops, Book launches, and Visual Art Exhibits / Book Launch

Chair

• Alexandre da Trindade e Oliveira, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge

Book Launch Presenter

• Susan Lee Robertson, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge