August 10, 2024
Manifesto of Universidad Liberté
A collective commitment to a popular, free, and self-managed education
Meet the Founding GroupWe are people committed to building a popular, free, and self-managed education. We came together on August 10, 2024 to envision and build Universidad Liberté, grounded in the values of freedom, unity in diversity, anti-racism, justice, joy, and trust, and in the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with an intersectional perspective (economic, social, and cultural dimensions). This manifesto reflects our collective commitment to establishing an educational institution accessible to all people, especially those in challenging circumstances, providing a space to expand knowledge across diverse fields of learning.
Core Principles
Self-Managed
We believe in the power of self-management as a path to emancipation, personal involvement, and collective commitment. We organize Universidad Liberté in a participatory way, involving students, teachers, and the community in decision-making. This principle ensures that we do not depend on external interests and can operate according to our own values and goals, maintaining our independence and authenticity. We implement integrated working groups to ensure inclusive and effective governance.
Free
Our commitment to freedom goes beyond educational autonomy. We foster a space where critical thinking, free expression, and the diversity of ideas are fundamental pillars. At Universidad Liberté, we share knowledge without restrictions, fostering an environment of creativity and innovation, allowing each student to choose their own path and pace of study.
Popular
We are at the service of the community. We strive to be an institution within everyone's reach, especially serving those who have been marginalized by traditional education systems. We build and define the university from and for the community, ensuring that its structure and content respond to the real needs of people. We encourage community participation through open assemblies and representative committees.
Other Principles and Commitments
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Joy
We draw inspiration from the philosophy of Baruch Spinoza, who saw joy as an increase in our power to be and to act. We believe that education should be a process where the enjoyment of learning, creativity, and collaboration are an essential part of the experience. For our community, joy is a principle that enhances our capabilities, fosters motivation, well-being, and a sense of community. At Universidad Liberté, we seek to create an environment where everyone feels valued and free to explore, discover, and grow in a positive and stimulating space, strengthening both personal and collective knowledge.
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Trust
We believe that trust is the pillar upon which we build relationships and the educational community at Universidad Liberté. We foster a space where we trust in our own abilities, in others, and in the institution. This mutual trust allows us to create an environment where collaboration, respect, and personal and collective growth are possible, and where each person feels valued and capable of contributing from their own experience and knowledge.
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Integration
We are committed to making Universidad Liberté a space where all people, regardless of their social, economic, educational, or geographic context, can access quality education. We focus on breaking down the barriers that limit access to knowledge, creating an environment where each person feels valued and has equal opportunities to participate fully in the educational process.
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Creativity
At Universidad Liberté, we foster an environment where creativity is a central driver of learning and innovation. We encourage the exploration of new ideas, approaches, and solutions, inspiring the entire educational community to think critically and originally. We believe that creativity not only enriches the educational experience but also empowers our community to face the challenges of today's world in imaginative and effective ways.
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Transformative Education
We aspire to an education that goes beyond the simple transmission of knowledge, focusing on the holistic development of every person. We promote critical thinking grounded in dialogue, the practical application of knowledge, and active participation in society, so that our students become agents of change.
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Equity, Respect, Coexistence, and Anti-Racism
At Universidad Liberté, we promote restorative equity, plurality, and respect for identity as cross-cutting principles in all our activities and programs. We are committed to educating in equality, inclusion, and cultural diversity, actively recognizing and combating all forms of racial discrimination. We ensure that our community reflects these values in all our activities and spaces, fostering a safe environment where the dignity of every person is recognized and valued, respecting the diversity of experiences, identities, expressions, and ethnic-racial backgrounds.
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Innovation
We are committed to using innovative tools and methodologies to continuously improve our educational experience. At Universidad Liberté, we adopt new technologies and pedagogical approaches to offer a modern and relevant education that responds to the challenges of the contemporary world.
Goals of Universidad Liberté
Create an inclusive, accessible, and responsive educational space
We are committed to creating educational spaces that reflect the values of our community, offering a wide range of knowledge for people at different educational levels.
Promote social integration, spaces of trust, and education for the entire community
We are committed to offering educational programs that facilitate social interaction and personal development for people in challenging circumstances and the entire community, fostering continuous learning adapted to individual needs.
Foster critical knowledge grounded in dialogue
We are committed to implementing an education that values knowledge and the ability to question and discover, offering training adapted to the needs of each person and context.
Build a network of campuses and strategic partnerships
We are committed to establishing campuses in collaboration with partner organizations to maximize resources and our presence in different locations, ensuring that the education of Universidad Liberté reaches diverse territories.
Develop a flexible and adaptive educational model
We are committed to implementing a credit and module system that allows the members of our educational community to personalize their learning path according to their interests and needs, thereby ensuring a quality education.
Main Campus and Legal Recognition
The main campus of Universidad Liberté will be located in the maximum-security prison of Batán, Argentina, at the current Peace Point within the Liberté space. Our legal basis is the national registration number 62,308 of Cooperativa de Trabajo Liberté.
Plurinational Character
We are a plurinational educational institution, open to people from any country who wish to learn. We strive to be a benchmark of inclusive and transformative education on a global scale.
Founding Group
This project has been made possible thanks to our dedication and commitment as a diverse group of people who believed in the vision of a popular, free, and self-managed education. As the founding group of Universidad Liberté, we embarked on this journey and have worked tirelessly to turn this vision into reality.
This manifesto marks the beginning of a path toward an emancipatory education that transforms every person who becomes part of Universidad Liberté.
We invite everyone to actively join this vision, participating in our initiatives, collaborating on our projects, and helping to collectively build a Universidad Liberté that reflects the values and dreams of our community.
Meet the Founding Group