Self-emancipation

54 To further the political participation and identity of the participants, the activists have decided to incorporate and discuss current societal and political issues in the Italian school. To this regard, the militants stressed the importance to present to the people in the classroom with alternative and new ideas and opinions on a given matter without being dogmatic or westernized.²³ Among the themes, they explore ideas around reproductive rights, sexual health, female emancipation, family dynamics, and working rights. I found that these conversations during the classes occur organically, with the interested participation of all the people involved in the project. The themes explored in the Italian school stem from the participants’ personal interest and willingness to open up about these issues, rather than the activists ‘forcing’ these conversations into the collective discourse. Through the constant interaction with diverse and original themes, Làbas is leaving space for the participants for the opportunity to gain experience and come in contact with different perspectives, ideas, and opinions. This allows the participants to engage in a process of self-discovery and emancipation, which push them to explore new possibilities in how to approach personal and collective issues.

55 emancipation and health, and how to access one’s personal GP are discussed among the activists and the women in the class.

It is important to highlight that at first the activists involved in the project were seeking to offer the same topics track to both the men and women classes, but they soon realized that the women had different interests and priorities to focus on. The idea to differentiate topics among the classes came from the participants attending the school, who found themselves more interested and involved in discussing themes that they could not express interest in their everyday life at home. For this reason, I observed how during class women tend to have an active role in discussing various societal and political topics, sharing and exchanging important insights on their own life experiences. From informal conversations during class, I found that this tends to be the case because the women who attend the school do not have any other outlet to express their political and socio-economic interests and ideas. From casual conversations occurring between the participants, it is possible to notice how these themes are usually delegated to their husbands, whilst the women tend to focus on their children and housing practicalities. On the other hand, during Làbas’ classes women have the chance to come in contact with other women who might share the same life experiences as them, in this way forming friendships and a sense of community inside the walls of the centre.

Figure 6. 1 "I hope I can start working soon." Activity in the women only Italian school.

56 The topics covered during class are then combined with the actual learning of the new language rules to give the participants the possibility to gain further proficiency in Italian. Teaching basic grammar rules and vocabulary is in itself a form of empowerment and self-determination, as it provides them the essential tool to navigate Italian society in their everyday lives. I found that the combination of both ‘traditional’ teaching and the discussion of current issues allow the participants of becoming more aware of their chances and possibilities in the Italian society, discovering how to approach certain issues if in need. The militants involved in the project highlight that the classes are a “political and societal moment”²⁴ in which they want to create a

“intercultural laboratory”²⁵ and a place “without any borders”²⁶ where people from different backgrounds, identities, and cultures are free to express themselves, whilst sharing the same physical space and exchanging personal experiences.

At the same time, it is important to underline the will to politicize the space to make it different from the institutionalised ways of approaching the teaching of a language. As discussed, this process is inevitable as Làbas frames itself as a political agent of change, and therefore decline their projects and activities in a political way. To this, the militants involved in the Italian school project underline the fact that the classes should not be considered a dogmatic space and a moment to spread Western ideas or propaganda. On the contrary, they seek to give the participants the opportunity to learn something new and the freedom to choose which ideas suit them better. SI3 comments:

“This does not want to be a dogmatic space. To do politics means to give people the opportunity to understand and learn things. During class, I try to show and present various interpretations and give them the freedom to choose […]. I leave them with the chance to self-determinate through knowledge. And for me this is a political choice. And, personally, I see this as a correct political choice. I would never tell a Muslim woman: ‘there is the possibility to have an abortion and you should get one if you are pregnant’. I do not care about these fights. But I want to give them the possibility and freedom to know what is out there and be able to choose.” ²⁷

24 SI2.

25 SI4.

26 Ibid.

27 SI3.

57 This statement suggests that giving the participants the opportunity to self-organize and determine through knowledge at their own terms and condition is a political choice. For this reason, the militants seeks to create space where people are free to self-determinate through the learning of a new skills both at the existential and professional level.²⁸ During my participatory observation, I found that during the classes, an open dialogue is established between the activists and participants, resulting in vivid and friendly discussions around the daily topics and themes of the class. These discussions are usually combined with leisure activities and games to keep a friendly and ‘light’ environment. Furthermore, I found that there is an active involvement of the participants, often time being the ones starting the topic of conversation with the militants, as well as a sense of companionship and friendship forming among the people involved. This is facilitated due to the fact that for the women only class the same group of women participate every week to the activity. This allows the participants to have the opportunity to develop more meaningful relationship with those around during class.

At the same time, it is important to underline the difficulty to take a neutral stance during the process of teaching a new language. As discussed by Freire (1970), the teaching of a new language implies the teaching of new perspectives and worldviews, which in this case are then declined in a political matter. To this regard, although the activists involved in the Italian school stress the importance not to interject with other people’s opinion and believe, this might constitute a challenge. Given the diversity in people’s backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs, SI4 addresses the difficulty at times not to project your own beliefs or worldviews into the collective discourse. She highlights:

“Teaching a language implies teaching worldviews. Here, we do not want to project how we see the world and how you approach issues into someone who might not see these problems the same way […]. So, what can I say? What can I talk about? I can start an open dialogue. I can talk about sexuality and make it less taboo. And see where I can go with it… since it is a topic that applies to everyone.” ²⁹

For this reason, during classes I observed how the militants tried to open up discussions on current topics during class. At first, they would try to hint a given topic, such as reproductive rights or women’s positionality in our current society and observe whether the participants were interested in discussing further. Most times, this technique was effective and allowed for vivid

28 SI3, SI4.

29 SI4.

58 discussions through various activities (Fig. 6.2). To this regard, most activists involved in the project underline the importance to constantly re-think and re-consider their positionality during the process, by engaging in different approaches that may suit better the participants.³⁰ In addition, I found how the militants seek to create an environment that allows the participants to speak up their minds with the rest of the class without being dogmatic. This is accomplished by leaving behind topics of discussions that the participants are not interested or do not feel comfortable with.

In terms of the internal organization of the school, it parallels to the general praxis of the centre.

The activists involved seeks for a “multi-cantered non-hierarchical affiliation network” (Mudu 2004, p. 927) to secure a fair and just organization of the school. For this reason, the militants come together in collective assemblies to commonly decide the best way to combine the learning of the language with the topics the participants want to cover. This is done at the beginning of any new ‘semester’ or when the activists believe certain aspect within the school could improve.

30 SI2, SI3, SI4, SI5.

Figure 6. 2 Activity in the women only Italian School. Here the participants had to describe the woman in the picture. Among others, it is possible to read: "intelligent", "courageous", "strong", "independent",

"angry", "intuitive" and "needs to be free".

59 At the same time, to critically assess their own positionality Làbas offers a formation day for the volunteers who want to start being part of the Italian school project. During this day, the militants in Làbas share the common history and positionality of the social centre, as well as what they are aiming to create with the Italian school project and how to interact and interface with people who might not how to communicate in Italian. Here, they stress the importance of education as a way to emancipation, as well as horizontalism as practice during the classes. This represents another vital characteristic of the project, as it re-evaluates the mainstream hierarchical relationship between the person who teach and those who learn. To this regard, I observed how in the project they avoid referring to the activists as “teacher”, asking the participants to call everyone with their first name and without using the third-person pronoun used in Italian in formal conversations. In this way, the collective is seeking to promote an environment that is equal for all, without any hierarchical position or forms of authority among the people involved. This approach seems to promote an environment that entails mutual and collective learning, rather than offering a one-sided approach.