On May 12th, Fe y Alegría Perú hosted and participated in the second virtual preparatory meeting for the 47th International Congress of Fe y Alegría, which this year will be held in Colombia the month of October.
More than 400 people, including directors, supporters/collaborators, and teachers from II.EE., as well as members of the National Office of Fe y Alegría, participated in the conference: “Role of the educator in the new frontiers of popular education in the 21st century”.
During the conference, educators from various regions of the country exchanged ideas and reflections about the new frontiers of popular education and the role of popular education in the development of better citizenship, shared criteria for the discernment of the role and actions of a popular education educator, and identified the characteristics of spirituality that Fey y Alegría has been developing through its 55 years of work in Peru (and 60 years of work in Latin America), committed to public quality education.
Azcueta said that popular education generates a process of change that comes from within people (students and communities), strengthening their self-esteem and encouraging their conscious participation in all aspects of society. At the same time, he emphasized the importance of promoting values such as solidarity, sincerity, justice, and service. “The role of the popular educators is to share their knowledge and values, building a model for people and the society that we want for the country.”
Cruzado shared the characteristics of spirituality of Fe y Alegría, amongst them: the spirituality embodied in the reality of those most in need, the commitment to transformation, love in practice (that is manifested in work), encounter with community, and the fundamental foundation for the movement: hope, faith, and love. He also highlighted the necessity to create links in the educational process. “Innovating is not using technological tools. To innovate is to discover new ways of doing and remember how to form bonds with families, students, and between each other.”
The event featured a panel in which Michel Azcueta, teacher and president of Escuela Mayor de Gestión Municipal (Senior School of Municipal Management); and Miguel Cruzado, provost of Universidad del Pacífico (University of the Pacific) and ex-director of Fe y Alegría Perú, participated.
The third preparatory meeting for the International Congress will be held June 9th and will have as its theme the role of the popular educator from a pedagogical perspective in the classrooms.
