Author Archives: Antonia Darder

When I arrived to Ankara, Turkey on Friday May 29 to speak at an international conference sponsored by the Teachers Union, Egitim Sen, I was informed that police forces had launched operations against their parent union, KESK’s (the confederation of … Continue reading →

I am the welder. I understand the capacity of heat to change the shape of things. I am suited to work within the realm of sparks out of control. I am the welder. I am taking the power into my … Continue reading →

The Earth extends her arms to us; Revealing through her nature the changing condition of our existence. She bends and twists, Deflecting the swords of Our foolishness, Our arrogance, Our gluttony, Our deceit. Unbridled by red alerts or amber warnings, … Continue reading →

SURVEILLANCE IS AT AN ALL TIME HIGH across the land. In schools, hospitals, stores, theatres, and street intersections, surveillance cameras have become commonplace. The Big Brother we feared in 1968 is now here in 2008, masquerading as homeland security, with … Continue reading →

FOR THE LAST DECADE, we have been witnessing a promise of resurgence in political activity, from small youth walk-outs to protests against the global giants—the World Trade Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Renewed anti-war and peace efforts and massive … Continue reading →

I discovered a dignified, ancient, elegant trade, one where I could own what I do and never have to have a boss again. –U. Utah Phillips Bruce Duncan Phillips, the man who went by U. Utah Phillips and whom others … Continue reading →

PAULO FREIRE, THE WORLD-RENOWNED Brazilian educator, would have turned 86 years old this May. And although much has transpired since Freire wrote his seminal text, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, what seems to have remained constant, or deepened, are the structures … Continue reading →

AMID ALL THE REBOLU (as we often say in Puerto Rico) about the upcoming democratic primary on the island, the issue of poverty seems eclipsed. In the flurry of exchanges by those who often begin by stating their cultural credentials, … Continue reading →

A NEW MOVEMENT HAS EMERGED IN CUBA, fueled by a stifling trade embargo and its deep-seated consequences—namely poverty and racialized inequalities. In response, Hip-hop Cubano has forged a new revolution. Armed with batas, congas and Cuba’s musical sensibilities, Raperos Cubanos … Continue reading →

MARCH 19, 2008 MARKS THE FIFTH ANNIVERSARY of the Iraq War. The US has reported approximately 4,000 deaths and 30,000 wounded. In Iraq, the staggering loss is estimated to be over 1,000,000 deaths, by direct or indirect consequences of US … Continue reading →

Dear Chancellor Herman: I just finish reading the media advisory notice that states: “As administrators planned this year’s Homecoming parade, they created a policy that they interpreted was in keeping with the retirement directive. In reviewing that policy, Chancellor Richard … Continue reading →

At more than a dozen campuses around the U.S. and Canada, students have taken the college orientation process into their own hands, by publishing a series of alternative student guides. Each publication specifically addresses its own campus, in an effort … Continue reading →