Monday, April 21, 2008

Viva La Revolución! (I realize people in Brazil speak Portuguese, maybe this translates)

While reading about the subjects of my research paper (Paulo Freire and Ivan Illich) I have come across some interesting stories. One of these stories is worth mentioning due simply to its symbolism. I’ll keep it brief:

Freire was in an educator leading literacy campaigns among the poor in Brazil. His literacy campaigns empowered the commoners. After a military coup, Freire was sought out to be arrested for his leftist ideas and involvement in revolution. The military stormed one of Freire’s establishments breaking into a recent shipment of cargo. The military, expecting machine guns, pried the boxes open to find no weapons that caused physical harm, only slide projectors. Freire was arrested anyways.

The power of an education cannot be underestimated. Perhaps empowering people with an education is more powerful than guns.

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