Jan 13 – Haiti and the Pedagogy of the Oppressed - Ottawa

Redundant as it may sound; mirrors show a reflection of ourselves. The mirrored image often serves as the mental image we have of ourselves. Photography and video have come to play that same role. A friend has called me “brave” for recording myself on camera. Don’t we hate to see ourselves reflected? Our voices recorded? Our “bad angles” photographed? Mirrors and images of us can be “horrific” as they make us self-conscious… However, the best thing about them is that they are not really us (Rene Magritte’s “Ceci n'est pas une pipe" -"This is not a pipe"), they are just a reflection… and reflections can be deceiving, certainly subjective, altered by external components like the mirror itself and the influence of light. But also by internal elements such us our minds, our eyes, our senses. Descartes dedicated part of his life to theorize about the unreliable effect of our senses and the unpredictability of perception.



On today’s video, I play with my reflection, altered by the effect of mirrors. What we see is something similar to what it was, but never the act per se. Paulo Freire, questioned the role of traditional pedagogies and called them “banking education”, information that is not neutral, that serves a system of thought, a moment in time, and that is often deposited in our brains like we deposit cheques in the bank. We call ourselves skeptical these days, but we are not sure of what… paying attention to the way we do things, trying to understand how we see, how we look at things, how we analyze and draw conclusions… is a good path to awareness. And awareness is what we need in order to discern our times and what we are accountable for… now and tomorrow.

Catastrophe is defined online as “a momentous tragic event ranging from extreme misfortune to utter overthrow or ruin”. Catastrophes alter our sensitivity and awake a sense of solidarity. We get in the mood to help, to change, to pray… but we soon get bored, tired, we forget, we move on. Catastrophes can be like mirrors, reflections of a horrific moment in time… but not the real image, not the embodiment of the course of history (the before and after the event). If we could only dig deeper and unearth what lies beneath?

Thought of the day: Haiti has been perceived as the “cinderella” of the Americas, impoverished and caged in its own misfortune… but the beauty of its people, of its nature, of its history, combined with the strength of its roots can change the course of history…and soon shine. I believe I’ll see it in my lifetime.

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