Earlier in the summer, I was asked to attend a conference in Santiago, Chile regarding a new pedagogical movement to embrace the Whole Child based on teachings of Paolo Freire. I was nervous, since my Spanish is still a work in progress – my mother is from Panama, but she never taught her children her language (the loss of the native language in immigrant families is a subject for another day). But I wanted to connect with these passionate educators from my heart.
Here is a rough translation of the video:
I want to speak from my heart. After Hugo Yasky’s speech yesterday, I threw my notes in the trash. What he says is true. I live in a society where as the economy is better and better, the poor are more and more poor. The middle class is disappearing.
I have seen with my own eyes the results of economic systems that reward the few at the expense of the many. I was a teacher of homeless children; children who were living in their cars. I know what such systems leave behind.
I see movements. Pedagogical movements. Women’s movements. Movements to advance rights of the poor, for democracy, for greater opportunities… all is connected. When I started my career as a teacher, I was naive and thought that all I needed was to be a good teacher, and all would be fine with my students. But children who are without food; without homes will not be fine. We need a movement that connects to justice. And our part, which focuses on education, is just a part of a greater movement that makes us more and more human beings and less and less tools and parts of a machine. We must struggle for the community.
I want to end with something strange. I am a student of Spanish and I know that I must find many ways to learn. I like to sing, and to sing is a great way to learn another language. I want to share with you a song from a great Chilean singer and fighter for justice, Violeta Parra.
“Gracias a la Vida (Thanks to Life)”
by Violeta Parra
Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto.
Thanks to life that has given me so much
Me dio dos luceros que cuando los abro
It’s given me two eyes that when I open them
Perfecto distingo lo negro del blanco
perfectly see Black from White
En el alto cielo su fondo estrellado
In the highest heaven it’s deep stars
Y en las multitudes al hombre que yo amo.
And in the crowds, the man that I love.
Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
Thanks to life that has given me so much
Me ha dado el oido que en todo su ancho
It has given me the hearing that in all it’s breadth
Graba noche y día grillos y canarios
records night and day crickets and canaries
Martillos, turbinas, ladridos, chubascos
hammers, turbines, barks and storms
Y la voz tan tierna de mi bien amado.
And the tender voice of my love.
Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
Thanks to life that has given me so much
Me ha dado el sonido y el abecedario
It’s given me the sound and the alphabet
Con el las palabras que pienso y declaro
With it, the words that I think and declare
Madre, amigo, hermano y luz alumbrando
Mother, friendo, brother and burning light
La ruta del alma del que estoy amando.
The path of the soul that I am loving.
Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
Thanks to life that has given me so much
Me ha dado la marcha de mis pies cansados
It’s given me the marcho f my tirad feet
Con ellos anduve ciudades y charcos
With them I walked cities and puddles
Playas y desiertos, montañas y llanos
beaches and desserts, mountains and plains
Y la casa tuya, tu calle y tu patio.
and your house, your street your backyard.
Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
Thanks to life that has given me so much.
Me dio el corazón que agita su marco
It gave me the heard that shakes
Cuando miro el fruto del cerebro humano
when I see the fruit of the human mind
Cuando miro el bueno tan lejos del malo
When I see the good so far from the bad
Cuando miro el fondo de tus ojos claros.
When I see the depth of your clear eyes.
Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
Thanks to life that has given me so much.
Me ha dado la risa y me ha dado el llanto
It’s given me laughter and it’s given me weeping
Asi yo distingo dicha de quebranto
So that I can tell luck from grief
Los dos materiales que forman mi canto
The two things that make up my song
Y el canto de ustedes que es el mismo canto
And your song is the same song.
Y el canto de todos que es mi propio canto.
And the song of all that is my own song.
Gracias a la vida.
Thanks to life.
