We know that being in debt makes it hard to study. At Debt Collective we believe that everyone should be able to study and learn for free. Education can lead to liberation if we collectively learn how to dismantle all the types of oppression that come from living the indebted life, and even shifting that oppression into collective power! That’s why political education is a crucial aspect of our growing movement. It allows us to build strong relationships and develop shared analysis, which is essential to building a debtors’ union! During 2023 our staff and volunteers will lead a series of political education events, named Jubilee School, which is available to our union members and comrades.
Check out all of our upcoming courses here.
Past courses can be found here.
Jubilee School themes will include political analysis on different types of mass indebtedness, racial capitalism, neoliberalism, decolonization, and more. Our work takes inspiration from a variety of sources which are not limited to:
Popular Education:
focuses on breaking down the teacher/student power dynamic and creating educational experiences which are meant to empower folks to tap into their personal and collective capacity to understand and transform their reality. Brazilian educator Paolo Friere is often credited with founding this field but it has long been practiced in social movements without a name (Freedom Schools, Myles Horton & The Highlander School, Ella Baker, etc.)
Critical Pedagogy:
taking inspiration from popular education and critical theory, seeks to find ways of teaching and learning that build critical consciousness for all involved; seeks to understand the logic of oppressive structures and collectively discuss how to challenge them and build alternatives
Movement-Based Pedagogies:
learning from various pedagogies practiced in social movements, from third world and Black feminisms to social movements in Latin America
Decolonizing Knowledge:
as part of a broader project of undoing the harms of colonialism (especially the theft of land), this includes acknowledging, uplifting and incorporating forms of knowledge and ways of being that colonial systems have long ignored, denigrated and attacked
Anti-Oppression Facilitation:
incorporating styles and norms of facilitation that break down barriers to participation/inclusion and challenge the subtle perpetuation of power, privilege and oppression
Somatics and Trauma-Informed Practice:
bringing in tools and techniques that acknowledge the widespread trauma that exists among people living under oppressive systems