| Soon, teachers and educators across Latin | | | | her ability to relate to and interact with |
| America and Spain will be attending the Fifth | | | | those who are being taught; (2)Exploration of |
| Ibero-American Conference of Teachers, | | | | practical and innovative teaching methods. |
| Educators and Researchers ((Quinto Encuentro | | | | The construction and development of curricula |
| IberoAmericano de Colectivas y Redes de | | | | take front stage during this segment; |
| Maestros que Hacen Investigacion e Innovacion | | | | (3)Exploration of political projects that |
| Desde Su Escuela y Comunidad). One of their | | | | focus on what actions teachers can take to |
| objectives is to make teachers and educators | | | | emancipate the formal educational process. |
| authors of and protagonists for the | | | | How can teachers harness their power so that |
| emancipation of the educational process. The | | | | formal education is made more responsive to |
| hope is that teachers can expand their | | | | the needs of individuals within a community |
| influence beyond the limits of their school | | | | as opposed to the needs of governments and |
| rooms; that they can mobilize and organize to | | | | corporations? What can teachers do to |
| the extent that a pedagogy of emancipation | | | | facilitate the incorporation of |
| can spread beyond school walls and influence | | | | multiculturalism, ethnic experiences, |
| the socio-educational and political realms. | | | | multiple languages and other such factors |
| Participating in this year's event will be | | | | that tend to be neglected or trivialized by |
| representatives from Argentina, Spain, | | | | status quo educators and administrators; |
| Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela, and Brasil. | | | | (4)Exploration of emerging educational |
| Representatives and teachers from Bolivia, | | | | techniques and experiences; and |
| Chile, Cuba, Ecuador and Nicaragua are also | | | | (5)Exploration of scientific and occupational |
| expected to attend and participate. The | | | | initiatives. The conference, which is held |
| Venezuelan chapter will host the event this | | | | every two years, will begin on July 13, 2008 |
| year. Its National Coordinator is Professor | | | | and continue until July 20. The organizers |
| Mirna Sojo Sojo. She will be assisted by | | | | have separated Venezuela into fifty |
| Maritza Lopez, Arturo Perez and a host of | | | | expeditionary school district routes. For the |
| other dedicated and forward thinking | | | | first four days, each participant will stay |
| educators. While discussing the conference | | | | in one of these districts. Each district will |
| with Professor Sojo and when perusing the | | | | accommodate between 15 and 25 participants, |
| informational materials that have been | | | | who will be able to meet with teachers and |
| distributed, the theme of emancipating the | | | | members of the community, interchange ideas |
| educational process is a recurring one. But | | | | and objectives and discover how to make |
| emancipating it from what, some might ask? | | | | community objectives a more integral part of |
| Could the answer be status quo governments? | | | | the education process. Participants from |
| Many in the United States are convinced that | | | | other countries will thereby have the |
| the educational process is not geared toward | | | | opportunity to actually experience what |
| developing people but controlling them and | | | | teachers and community members experience and |
| preparing them to perform tasks that serve | | | | emancipate the educational process by |
| the interests of government and big business. | | | | augmenting the role and relevance of |
| Apparently this train of thought is prevalent | | | | community priorities. Attendees will spend |
| in other countries as well. Could it be that | | | | the final three days in or near Caracas, |
| progressive educators in the United States | | | | attending workshops and meetings that bring |
| can look to educators in South America for a | | | | most of the participants together. In the |
| measure of guidance? The aims of the | | | | words of Professor Sojo, "As a consequence of |
| conference include deepening the interchange | | | | this conference, we want to produce a |
| of experiences among teachers from the | | | | document that makes a strong case for an |
| participating countries, strengthening the | | | | educational alternative free of neoliberal |
| learning experience and teaching techniques, | | | | and capitalist influences. A high quality, |
| recognizing the teaching experiences that | | | | free education that is beneficial to our |
| promote forms of organization, articulating | | | | communities can be provided." The Fifth |
| proposals that perpetuate the production and | | | | Ibero-American Conference of Teachers and |
| sharing of knowledge between teachers and | | | | Researchers is open to participation by non |
| communities, recognizing the educational | | | | Spanish speaking educators, and translators |
| experiences that spring from the communities | | | | are in place to accommodate them. For more |
| and empowering the conference's mobilization | | | | information google "redcires." |
| movement within the participating countries. | | | | |
| The central themes that will be covered | | | | Mba Mbulu is an independent educator |
| during the conference are various but | | | | specializing in the politics of history, |
| interrelated. They include: (1)Exploration of | | | | particularly as it relates to people of |
| what goes into making a teacher or educator. | | | | African descent throughout the world. He is |
| Taken into consideration are the teacher's | | | | the founder of Aset University, author of |
| personal, practical and preparatory | | | | several books and creator of an alternative |
| experiences, and how they influence his or | | | | education curriculum. |