Changing

“Ultimately we must ask ourselves what kind of a society we wish to live in and what we are going to do to make our vision a reality…
To find the courage and power to question and act in the interest of a more democratic and just world.”

Darder A.: Reinventing Paulo Freire: Pedagogy of love
Boulder, CO and Oxford 2002

There are three key stages in the process of transformations: changing ourselves, connecting with others and changing the world.

In relation to changing the self, participation demands that we are part of the process; we can not set ourselves outside the process of change. Engaging in participatory practice is engaging in our own transformation. How can we help others to become authentic if we are not open to challenge and to change ourselves?

Changing can not be achieved without a unity of praxis in which theory, practice and change are integrated. If we are seeking balance and wholeness in community we need to hold a balance within ourselves, and be aware when the balance is challenged. We also need to understand the nature of relationship between ourselves and others. Self- reflection involves being aware of the relationship between our outer and our inner world.