Paulo Freire has received the title of Doctor Honoris Causa from 39 universities in Brazil and throughout the world. Numerous institutions have nominated him an “Honorary President” and in 1972 a stone sculpture of his image was carved, in Stockholm, where he is represented in the company of Mau Tse Tung, Pablo Neruda, Angela Davis, Sara Lidman and others who have fought against oppression. In Brazil, Paulo Freire, has been considered the Patron of Education since 2012, and is a reference that continues to grow in theoretical-practical work. On receiving prizes, medals and titles, he used to say that these homages challenged him to continue working.
In the preface to the book Pedagogy of Hope: Reliving Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Leonardo Boff highlights that: “Hope […] implies a denouncement of social injustice and the oppressions that perpetuate themselves throughout history. And at the same time it announces the human capacity to view this perverse situation in a non-fatalist way and to construct a future that is ethically more just, politically more democratic, aesthetically more radiant, and spiritually more humanizing”.
Marchas – Whatch here an extract from the last interview of the educator, in relation to marches. “I would die happy if I saw Brazil full of marches in its historical time. The march of those who have no schools, the march of those who have been failed, the march of those that want to love and can’t, the march of those who refuse servile obedience, the march of those who would rebel, the march of those who want to be and who are prohibited to be…” Inspired by Paulo Freire, we support the protest marches of secondary students and those who oppose the coup (1) in favor of Democracy. Today marches are being held all over Brazil. Certainly Paulo Freire would be happy. There is hope in the verb “to hope”.
(1) The parliamentary-judicial-mediatic coup of 2016 that led to the removal of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff from office (translator’s note).
Other information about Paulo Freire:
* Use of image kindly granted by the Instituto Paulo Freire
Lutgardes Freire (Paulo Freire’s son) and Ana Maria Saul at an event to commemorate 10 years of Paulo Freire’s absence/presence
Text written by Angélica Ramacciotti, professor, journalist and Doctor in Education from PUC-SP. Source: http://www.escolaslibertadoras.com.br/paulo-freire
PORTUGUESE
