Pedagogy under siege in Palestine : insights from Paulo Freire

Abstract

This paper analyses the relevance of Paulo Freire’s pedagogical and philosophical ideas within the context of occupied Palestine. It specifically focuses on the work in continuing community action and education carried out by a particular centre established at Al-Quds University in Jerusalem, and at the heart of the ‘old city’, for this purpose. The major focus here is on community theatre foregrounding issues related to women in Palestinian society. Major themes broached include” the politics of education, social mobilization, women and the Intifada, the collective dimensions of knowledge, learning and praxis, purging oneself of the ‘oppressor within’ to break the cycle of violence, education for liberation.