- The document discusses social movements in Latin America fighting for the right to education in the 21st century amid issues of privatization, inequality, and segregation. - It highlights student movements in Colombia, Puerto Rico, and Chile that mobilized against education budget cuts and proposals to introduce for-profit universities and privatize public education. - Key aspects discussed for successful social movements include building broad support, overcoming sectarianism, shaping public debate with alternative proposals rather than just opposition, and envisioning long-term societal change beyond any single issue.

1. Social movements in the XXI
century and the right to education
Sebastián Vielmas
Secretary-General of the
Student's Federation of the
Catholic University of Chile
2011

2. The age of crisis
●
Privatization
●
Inequality
●
Segregation
It is... an
●
Education crisis? Social crisis? Political crisis?
Cultural crisis?
●
Planetary crisis → Global response

3. Right to education
●
Education is a human right, that goes through
life. → It's not a problem for young people
only.
●
Institutionalized education is not the only kind
of education. → Freedom of speech, access to
the information and a participatory democracy
are part of the context in which the right to
education can develop.

4. Social movements in Latin America
●
In the last years, in Latin America, in countries
like Chile, Colombia and Puerto Rico for
example, there have been broad movements
for the right to education.

5. Colombia (2011-2012)
●
Right-wing government attempts to introduce
for-profit universities and privatize public
education.
●
Student's response: mobilization and strikes.
●
Broad support from civil society and unions.
●
Government and Parliament has to retire the
law project and opens dialogue with students.
●
Stronger student's organization.

6. Puerto Rico (2010-2011)
●
Governor Fortuño budget cuts to public
education and higher education, among other
drastic reductions in public spending.
●
Teachers and employees of the University of
Puerto Rico, part of the movement for the right
to education.
●
Artist's support: ¡Que vivan l@s estudiantes!
●
Creation of the National Student Assembly
and ongoing fight.

7. Chile (2011- )
●
Student's movement organized not to oppose
a particular law or issue, but to propose a far-
reaching educational reform.
●
Chile's educational system: the most
privatized and segregated in the world.
●
Even if there is almost universal coverage in
primary and secondary education, it is highly
segregated.
●
Lots of for-profit institutions in all levels of
education.
●
All universities charge tuition, even public

8. Key aspects of our struggles:
●
Building a social majority for change.
●
Overcoming the sectarism and sectorialization
of struggles.
●
Changing the thinking of the mainstream
society, not being a marginal subject.
●
Being positive.
●
Being ambitious.
●
Vision for a change in the long-term.

9. Key aspects of our struggles:
●
Breaking traditional divisions, like
teacher/students, educational
authorities/student's leadership, old
people/young people.
●
New and old ways to organize: a synthesis.
"Not everything new is good, and not
everything old is bad".

10. Key aspects of our struggles:
●
You shouldn't be waiting the powerful to
propose something, to oppose it. You should
propose an alternative first, and make the
rules of the "game".
●
Example: Tax reform in Chile during 2011,
even if we haven't achieved what we wanted,
we shaped the debate.
●
"Lucro", for-profit concept, something
demonize even by the mainstream media.

11. Key aspects of our struggles:
●
Message has no owner: anyone who is
identified with the movement can be part of it.
●
That bring new tensions and opportunities for
the continuation of the struggle.
●
As the goal is a far-reaching change in
society, the movement will live as long it hast
to live to achieve it's goals.

12. Conclusions
●
Global crisis → Global struggles
●
There are no magical solutions
●
The only thing we can do is work and mobilize

13. ¡Thank you friends!