Popular Education on the Agenda: a history of resistance

Abstract

Over the years, various social movements have sought to combat the forms of oppression experienced by the less privileged segments in society. In this paper, we reflect on the history of a course focused on teaching the underprivileged in the city of Campinas, Liberte-se!, presenting it as an organization of militancy and university extension that strives for a dialog based and critical thinking education. Based on educational assumptions that turn to a critical-transforming perspective, we reflect on popular education, thinking about its challenges and possibilities based on our own history. Our reflections lead us to point out that Liberte-se! is configured as an example of transforming possibilities to subjects and the social realities that emerge during the recent student movements. This intermingling of subjects and stories indicates the need for consolidated practices that enable a democratic and liberating education.