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Convergence: Volume 37 Number 2

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We open this issue of Convergence with an interesting article by Flecha/Oliver on the Romaní people and the exciting popular education work being done in Spain through CREA, the Research Institute of the University of Barcelona. This article takes on particular meaning as many of our countries outside
Europe have Romaní people.

Several articles address issues of voice and empowerment in programmes on the ground. Driedger recounts direct experiences working with persons in Trinidad/Tobago utilising Freirean approaches and Gouthro, also working in the Caribbean, provides insights into the work of JAMAL through the life histories of five Jamaican adult educators. From India, Kapoor, reporting on a participatory research project, gives us an analysis of extra-communal forces to constructive resistance for social justice through the social movements of the Adivasi (original dwellers). Working in New Zealand among large poor ethnic housing settlements, Clements challenges the concept of organising against oppression, utilising a conflict paradigm. Rather, she suggests that self-determination occurs more naturally through a negotiated holistic process seeking balance and avoiding struggle.

We have three papers that address policy at some level. Braimoh et al. analyse women’s programmes in Southern Africa and from that analysis suggest policies for developing community-driven sustainable programmes that could survive powerful patriarchal structures. In a far different setting, DeLany and Rogers look at the problems of African-American women seeking political and professional leadership in a society where they face racist and sexist hurdles daily. From interviews, they elicit the political strategies women needed to succeed and survive, which are labelled by Rogers as Afritics. Finally, Nagai, working in Papua New Guinea, who has previously reported in this journal on the potential of an English vernacular bridging programme, now provides an assessment of the effectiveness of such a national programme. She concludes that that its success depends on well trained and equipped local teachers.

Finally, we were all saddened at the death of our colleague James Draper, who gave so much to international education. Our thanks to Budd Hall for the following tribute.

Phyllis Cunningham
Editor