The contribution of bell hooks and Paulo Freire to the construction of community networks

“If you can see, look. If you can look, observe." – José Saramago.

One of the senses dealt with in this phrase by Saramago is vision. However, it is not only about the physical act, but also how much is up to our eyes beyond seeing. Observe. What do we watch? The implied meaning of Saramago's expression would be to observe more widely our experiences as a society, going beyond the physical senses and reaching social senses.

At the time when it was declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) that the new coronavirus had spread across the globe (becoming a pandemic), we were faced with a series of rules of new social behaviour, which in general prevents crowding among people. The term “social distancing” started to be repeated by the mass media and was inserted in our daily lives as a mechanism to protect people against the spread of the virus.

Is it true that we can only see the island when we leave the island? Staying away from people was an exercise in noticing interpersonal relationships as well as institutions, organisations and social movements. To that end, the analysis of this article will focus on the possible relationships between popular education and community networks. This discussion was triggered by participation in the implementation of community networks over nine years (2011-2020).

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