Paulo Freire 1b

Paulo was a very influential educator and advocate for the poor in 3rd world countries. He wrote a book titled: "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" in which he expressed that education is the path to liberation and works in two stages. Stage one describes how as people become educated they begin to come to an understanding their oppression and throughout the exercise of this knowledge, they begin to transfrom from one state of being to another. They begin to overcome their oppression. I found this very interesting, so that by the second stage people have already formed the ground work and they continue to liberate cultural action. United they stand together to overcome oppression. (http://www1.nl.edu/academics/cas/ace/resources/paulofreire.cfm paragraph 15)

Paulo grew up in a middle class family in Recife, Brazil, but knew what it was like to be dirt poor after having suffered through the Depression. He also knew what it was like to suffer as an imprisoned and exiled citizen of Brazil. He began at a young age to familiarize himself with poverty-stricken people and there is where his desire to educate the people, and bring them out of oppression, was stirred. (http://www1.nl.edu/academics/cas/ace/resources/paulofreire.cfm paragraph 4)

He created liberation theology from working with the poor, illiterate people of Brazil. During this time he was also appointed as Director of the Department of Education and Culture of the Social Service in Brazil. During these times he helped many learn how to read, such as field workers. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulo_Freire paragraph 3)