Reading Class Diary

Stella calderón

Radio and the Art of Resistance: a public pedagogy of the

airwaves . Antonia Darder

1. How do you feel Reading texts? What emotions are trigger and after reading
the text?

First, I selected this text because I consider radio as an important way to engage people
and develop social movements. I felt so exciting to realize that academic thinkers like
Antonia Darder includes this media source to encourage social justice practices.

In terms of content, the first aspect that called my attention was the analysis of the radio
in the current world. Although, this is a public and social way to give information to
communities, the government and neoliberalist dynamics have a real and powerful
control on it. The public discourses are manipulated to specific objectives. It is
necessary to use alternative ways to participate and critic in currents social movements.

Last assumption produced a deep reflection because I really enjoy the radio, but rarely
analyze the dynamics behind it. Moreover, I was developing a radio program last
semester in UPTC radio and I felt so limited, when I was recording the programs
 because it was not possible to say certain information, like points of view or critic
situations.

Another important fact is that Darder expressed that radio can be consider as a way to help
local communities and support civic participation, but also as a political space in which
hegemonic system can be confronted. It remained me the historical event during the
“carnation revolution” on Portugal, because by means of radio it was developed the
national rebellion. Revolutionaries used the radio as a way to inform people to rebel against
government by means of the song: “Grândola, vila morena, Grândola, swarthy town,land
of fraternity ,It is the people who lead ,Inside of you, oh city”. I point out this topic because
it is very important for me analyzing previous situations before acting. It helps to have real
praxis, as Freire considered, it means not only to talk or act, but also to reflect. For that
reason, this article represents an analysis about the power of the radio, which opens new
ways to use that powerful tool.
2.Visually represented one of the ideas that talked to your mindbodyspirit.

Calma pueblo que aquí estoy yo

Lo que no dicen lo digo yo
Song “ calma pueblo” by calle 13.
 2. Conversation
 Authors encounters:
 I selected Antonia Darder as my author to analyze in last 50% percent, but I
have to say that I am more engage with her ideas in each text. In this
opportunity, I related some quotes from Darder work to Freire´s ideas. For
instance, Freire says that “The oppressors do not favor promoting the
community as a whole, but rather selected leaders.”, Darder considers this
idea in the first part of the article, when she says the that neoliberalism
system do not promote collective project like the radio. Moreover, the main
resource of radio is “words”, Darder contemplates those words as a way of
domination or liberation, because as Freire considers “language is never
neutral”. This powerful idea is related to consider radio a public pedagogy
and way talk and give voice to rural and small communities.

 Quotes

“the mission of most community radio stations is an emphasis on critical engagement

with controversial, neglected, and non-mainstream perspectives, as well as an
expressed commitment to social justice and democratic life”

Radio seen from social justice perspective to be considered a tool for changing the world.

“Public pedagogical approach with students is

fundamentally linked to creating the conditions, through dialogue, reflection, and

action”

Reflection by means of radio programs, reflection by means of project communities.

 “Life experience:

Dear diary, when I was reading this article I thought about the power of
radio, not only in the social life, but also in personal development. Last
semester, I went to Sutatenza, a town in Boyacá, because I felt in love with a
project called “Radio Sutatenza”. It was an idea developed many year ago
by a priest in order to educate rural people by means of radial waves. The
project ended in 1994, but its importance in the history will never end.
In these sense, I contacted with Arnoldo Candela, an old and kind man from
Sutatenza. He was a student, participant and organizer of this radial school,
so I wanted to talk with him about the importance of that program for the
country. I already read information about the topic, but I wanted to know
personal opinions. I spend a good time talking with Arnoldo. He explained
me how the schools were organized, what kind of information was included
in those programs. Also, he gave me some books they used in that popular
and radial classes, but the most important, he showed me how the
community was really engaged with this project.
He declared that people meet on house in rural areas, in order to listen to the
“invisible teacher” as they called the radio. This situation created a sense of
community work because all people helped among them. Moreover, the
classes included topics about social and political situation and sexual rights.
- People had the right to know- said Arnoldo- but some important sectors
did not like the idea. They preferred farmers only know to plant.

I´ll never forget this man, now we are friends and I promised him to go back
to Sutatenza for talking more and visit the Museum of the radio. At the end
of the day, I received not only a precious book, but the evidence that a small
idea can change educational and social practices and community projects are
more than possible.
 Dear diary, Social justice is everywhere. This time it was in a Radio project.
Dear diary, the sense of social justice is everyone, this time it was on old and wise man
from a town in Boyacá.

- Questions raised after reading the texts

- How can we develop community projects in our own context?
- Why do people think that any social movement is possible only by
means of a “leader”?

 Reflections:
Education: Educational process are based on community needs, but the own
community can develop ideas for improving those problems. I am a shy
person for that reason It is too difficult to propose some projects and ideas I
have in mind. However, this article and information in general about social
justice have encourage to go out of my circle and involve in educational and
social movements to learn about them.