Philosophy
for Children (P4C) is very successful in Latin America. The Lipman/Sharp
materials have been translated into several different languages, and
dozens of Philosophy for Children centers bring philosophy and
inquiry-based pedagogy to schools in this part of the world.
Unfortunately, this phenomenon is primarily limited to upper and middle
class schools, while most of the Latin-American population -- in
countries like Mexico or Brazil -- has moved from poverty to extreme
poverty in the last ten years. Is there a future (even a present)
for people who live only to survive, lacking any opportunity to improve
or even to meet their basics needs of food and shelter? It is
paradoxical that both Mexico and Brazil have very prosperous economies
(Mexico has the tenth largest economy in the world).
Can
an educational program
like P4C be implemented in conditions of extreme poverty, respect the
cultural diversity of indigenous people, and still get positive results?
Funded by a grant from the
National Council for Scientific Research, Dr. Madrid spent a year
teaching Philosophy for Children in a multi-ethnic and extremely poor
community: Juchitan, Oaxaca, one of the most famous Zapotec towns in the
south of Mexico, characterized by diversity, art and tolerance.
The results of her research were published in the book
Juchitan de los niños.
Dr. Madrid
is a philosopher who teaches ethics,
logic, epistemology and philosophy of education at the National
Pedagogical University and at National University, in Mexico City. She
is the author of several books and articles and was Secretary of the
International Council for Philosophical
Inquiry with Children (ICPIC) during 2004-2005. She is spending her
sabbatical as a Visiting Scholar to the IAPC on a Fullbright
Scholarship.
The Philosophy for Children Colloquium Series
includes invited presentations from notable academics on issues related to education, philosophy and
Philosophy for Children. The Series also provides graduate students
and faculty an opportunity to present work-in-progress.
