Paulo Freire : a critical encounter and politics of liberation : paths from Freire [Books review]

Abstract

1997 has had its share of commemorative events worldwide. And a number of these centred around personalities who have made an impact in the area of education, including personalities whose work, though influential in different parts of the globe, is rooted in a Mediterranean context. One should mention here the Italians, Antonio Gramsci (1891-1937) and Lorenzo Milani (1923-1967). The fonner's ideas are very influential in the field of education and, this year, there have been a number of symposia and conferences marking the 60th Anniversary of his death. 1997 also marks the 30th anniversary of Lorenzo Milani's death. Like his compatriot, Danilo Dolci, Milani is one of Italy's better known critical pedagogues who, among other things, set up a radical school for working class students (mainly 'drop outs' of the formal educational system) at the remote village of Barbiana in Tuscany. One hopes that the work of these two figures, particularly that of Lorenzo Milani, who is certainly not as well known internationally as Gramsci, will feature prominently in future issues of this journal.