Report on National Popular Education Development Workshop: Traditions of Popular Education

In June 2014, a stimulating and inspiring national popular education workshop was held on traditions of popular education! Read the report and learn  more here!

The second National Popular Education National Workshop, funded by DVV International South Africa, was attended by 30 participants. It took place at the Grail Centre in Kleinmond over 27 – 29 June 2014. Building on feedback from the first workshop in 2013, this workshop focused on concepts and traditions informing popular education. It was structured as follows:

• Session 1: Introductions

• Session 2: Traditions of popular education

• Session 3: Popular education and the state

• Session 4: Dreaming social and environmental justice; and

• Session 5: Planning for action.

It used highly participatory methodologies, including icebreakers, small group work with galleries and collective integration of feedback from all groups, role plays and short inputs. Astrid von Kotze, Derrick Naidoo and Vanessa Reynolds of the Popular Education Programme, and Carme Martínez-Roca of the International Foundation for Interdisciplinary Health Promotion were the primary facilitators of the workshop. Other participants also assisted by facilitating many of the icebreakers and energy breaks.

An optional evening programme included viewings of John Pilger’s End of Apartheid? and the recently released Marikana: Miners shot down.

This report also includes a summary of the special impromptu input by influential visiting priest and economist, Filipe Fanchette.