Latin American and Caribbean Council for Popular Education -Some interesting facts-
The Council for Popular Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (CEAAL) is a network that acts and accompanies processes of educational, social, political, cultural and economic transformation in Latin American and Caribbean societies.
It considers itself as a project of popular education because from the ethical point of view, it tries to assume the challenges imposed by the globalized world under the neoliberal model. It struggles to change an unjust, inhuman, predatory and excluding world, keeping hope for change alive and working to deepen participatory democracy.
The organization seeks to participate in local, national and regional scenarios, in dialogue with the world, in favor of the sovereignty and integration of peoples, social justice and democracy.
CEAAL works from the perspectives of human rights, gender equity, critical interculturality and an emancipatory ethical, pedagogical and political option. Among the sections of its web page are: "National Collectives", "Working Groups", "Actions", "Library", "News".
Summary of selected articles (to view the article in its original site, click on the title).
Debate on the quality of education
The Educational Policy Advocacy Group (GIPE) of the Council of Popular Education of Latin America and the Caribbean (CEAAL) analyzes the concept of quality in education from a Popular Education perspective, advocating for an education that promotes personal and collective liberation, based on critical thinking, democratic participation, and solidarity. This education must recognize and respect diversity and be linked to the defense of human rights and citizenship. Paulo Freire emphasizes that education must transform life and foster a respectful relationship with nature. A debate is being raised on the “quality of education,” which includes diverse perspectives and approaches, especially in Latin America. GIPE seeks to promote a debate on transformative education that goes beyond traditional metrics and standardizations.
Mapping experiences of popular education with social movements
The research: “Mapping experiences of popular education with social movements”, is an effort by the Social Movements Commission of the Council for Popular Education in Latin America and the Caribbean to contribute knowledge about the processes of political education that take place in Latin America with a focus on popular education. The study provides clues that can guide popular education centers, both CEAAL members and others, who want to contribute to the social transformations generated by social movements. The document includes an analysis of ten interviews carried out with movements about their experience of political training, as well as an initial mapping of movements in Brazil, Peru, Argentina and Chile. Finally, it outlines recommendations that can be used by the CEAAL Social Movements Commission to further qualify the contribution they make to transformation processes.
This paper presents the reflections of three intercultural education experiences designed from the practice of popular educators. What was done was not a systematization of these educational practices: we worked on only one document from each project, without contact with the work teams that promoted them. Nor did we go to where the projects are happening, where the training processes are taking place, to talk to the participants. The only thing that was attempted was to recognize in the documents reviewed and describing the educational proposals, the ways in which, from the perspective of popular education, processes are conceived and designed that resolve a position of interculturality in educational projects.
Defense of the territory and for life
With this document we want to give an account of the social, economic, environmental, cultural and political situation in Mexico, due to the decision of the Mexican State to build megaprojects that affect the life of communities.
Social movements and political education from Ceaal's experience in the Andean countries.
The document aims to give an account of the social, economic, environmental, cultural and political situation in Mexico, due to the Mexican State's decision to build megaprojects that affect the life of communities.
Indignation as the seed of ethical finance to build a fairer world. [Podcast]
The study originated in response to changes in social organizations themselves, in the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and institutions that make up CEAAL, as well as in other actors, especially the State and political parties, and in the political context itself.
Strategies and tools of the social economy to promote and support entrepreneurship. [Video]
The journalist Ana Cavero from Apagón Radio interviews various officials and actors related to the financial sector to reflect on the importance of financial practices that build social good and do not only favor the interests of private banking.
Cooperative housing with transfer of use. [Video]
Intervención sobre el modelo de Vivienda Cooperativa en cesión de uso, de Guillem Llorens Gragera, presidente de la Confederación de Cooperativas de Trabajo de Cataluña (Cooperatives Treball Catalunya).
Youth, a divine treasure? Economic activism and entrepreneurship in the SSE. [Video]
The video shows a talk focused on young people, on their experiences of activism and entrepreneurship in the economic sphere, experiences that complement the triad of critical consumption. It emphasizes that for there to be responsible consumption there must be ethical, local, sustainable alternatives... where one can consume. This is a fertile field for economic activism, very necessary and transformative.
A feminist economy is a response to the current economic, environmental and social crises from a gender justice perspective. It is a political strategy to transform society and the relationship between people, and people and nature. Women are economic actors, and we, as women, have placed ourselves at the forefront of the fight against the dominant economic model. With a feminist economy, system change is possible.
Feminist companies (also) make money.
Approximately only 30% of entrepreneurs are women, and only 11% of executives. Only 11% of women found companies and 62% of women are entrepreneurs on their own. With this data from the conventional capitalist economy as a backdrop and with the violet glasses that Solidarity Economy companies have been wearing for years to make their organizations increasingly feminist entities, we talked with some of these companies to delve deeper into the “hows” of their practices.
Communication and solidarity economy meetings [Podcast]
At the end of September, REAS Red de Redes held the 4th Communication and Solidarity Economy Meetings in Toledo. In this podcast, we review some of the content that was covered, giving a voice to the people involved. Joining us on the airwaves of Mercado Social Irratia are Blanca Crespo, head of communications at REAS Red de Redes; Jordi García, member of the cooperative communications agency Lapostrof; and Paula Pof, from the communications agency Turba. We will also hear the opinions and criticisms of people participating in this Comun_ESS 2022.
Ana Heredia: the Cercedilla pantry. [Video]
The video shows an interview with Ana Heredia, founder and owner of La Despensa de Cercedilla. La Despensa de Cercedilla is a shop dedicated to sustainable shopping and responsible consumption, located in the Sierra de Guadarrama. The shop was founded in September 2019 with the aim of raising awareness about consumption and promoting healthy eating through the sale of products in bulk. They currently offer a range of over 400 products. The second part of the interview covers the trials and tribulations of setting up a project in the mountains outside Madrid. It also explains the importance of adapting the value proposition to the context and location where the business is being set up. The project went from being an organic restaurant to a bulk food shop. The proposal is based on generating a different model of consumption and avoiding the need for people from the village to travel to Madrid to buy certain products. Ana highlights how important it is to ask questions, to investigate, to gather information and the positive aspects of setting up a business in a small town. She also tells us about the challenges of setting up a business in a place where she was not known.
Bioeconomy for the 21st Century. Update on Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen. [Video]
Video presentation in which Jorge Riechmann talks to us about the relevance of this collective book published to mark the 50th anniversary of the publication of The Law of Entropy and the Economic Process.
The new economy and the new poverty; how can we face them? [Webinar]
In some cases, money can be a factor of social and socio-environmental change. The webinar is related to the activities of INAISE (International Association of Investors in the Social Economy), an international network of organizations that aim to finance social and environmental projects. Created in Barcelona, Spain, in 1989 on the initiative of seven social economy financial organizations, INAISE experienced rapid growth linked to the development of the social and solidarity finance movement, which grew rapidly in number, visibility and importance in the vast majority of European and non-European countries.