Pleasure rather than productivity: Reflections after 20 years of solidarity-based education in the norm-based education system

Interactive talk with a workshop component

Language: primarily German (can switch to English)
Duration: max. 2 hours
In person

What’s it about?

Solidarity-based education is a form of education that is free from domination, inclusive, participatory, and empowers learners to act and think critically. It has a long tradition in the history of anarchism, stretching from William Godwin (late 18th century) to contemporary concepts (Suissa, Ruppaner and others). All anarchist approaches to education share a common idea: Solidarity can be learnt and practised. I myself have taken this seriously over the last 20 years, drawing on various models of solidarity-based education, and have sought to put it into practice in numerous educational settings within the mainstream education system (from primary school from the age of 6, through secondary school, grammar school and universities, to adult education in adult education centres and in the context of migration, as well as in social projects and my own initiatives). In my talk, I will use practical examples to introduce the models of solidarity-based education and recount the truly brilliant moments and the spectacular failures I have experienced over these 20 years of practising solidarity-based education. From this, we will draw relevant conclusions, implications and ‘lessons learnt’. I will present all this using numerous real-life accounts, interspersed with theoretical comments, and open it up for discussion with the audience – because everyone has an educational journey and can take part. Finally, I will invite all participants in the talk who wish to do so to produce a brief reflection on solidarity-based education (in the form of a text, drawing, sketch, song or similar), which I will compile into a small booklet and send to everyone for further distribution. In doing so, we are carrying on the legacy of the so-called Freinet pedagogy, which, through Celestin and Elise Freinet, remains a central part of the history of solidarity-based education.

Aim of the presentation

To raise awareness of solidarity-based education and to produce a spontaneous publication for wider distribution