Instead of using "Development as Freedom", I prefer the term "Development as Liberation". Liberation is an ongoing process not only a possibility; it is full of passion, not passive; it entails commitment, engagement, self-discovery; it has to be done with others... I cannot liberate myself without liberating others, and cannot liberate others if I do not surrender to the possibility of my own liberation.
This blog is part of my liberation process. It is a space to reflect about the things I learn every day and those that have shaped my views and my values; to play with new ideas and explore new possibilities; and to share my thoughts with others; even those who are in a different path... if this is possible: are we not in the same path of self-discovery after all?
Writing puts us face to face with the limitations of our own knowledge. When we talk about things, we can gloss over certain details or leave some gaps in our logic. It is difficult for ourselves or others to spot and remember all the mistakes or inconsistencies. It is the big headlines that normally remain. However, writing is a different experience: inconsistencies, superficiality and gaps remain and can be revisited by ourselves or by those who have the kindness and patience to read us. Writing freezes ideas in time. Weak arguments can be studied, fleshed out and disected, and gaps become craters. Writing forces us to reflect about what we really know. If we can survive it, writing will only make us stronger.
Why a blog?
I spent years trying to choose the best medium for me to reflect about my ideas and lessons and to communicate with others. I tested wikis, websites and blogs. At the end I settled for a blog and I settled for Blogger -despite the temptations to use Wordpress. I still have doubts about my choice but I need to use this tool to decide if it works for me.
People like______________ say that blogs should be for the instantaneous manifestation of our ideas and feelings. The explosive self manifesting without much editing or censorship. Blog posts are nor supposed to be perfect but they are expected to be honest. I will dare to disagree with Mr. _________ and allow myself to write also entries that are carefully meditated and researched. I am going to use the blog however and for whatever I want! So, here it is: my own blog, were I can be raw and immediate or prefectionist and meditative... at the end of the day, I can edit any post whenever I want!
I also ended up not caring about the linear nature of a blog. The search functionality and good labels will allow me and any reader to find any post fast and easy. Plus, trying to get the structure of the pages of a website right is an exercise that can be pretty time consuming and frustrating. Knowledge is fluid; ideas connect and disconnect with others continuously... like the neurons that create them. It seem contradictory that the linear structure of a blog is actually what I think can cope with this complexity and multi-dimensionality.
Disclaimer and acknowledgements:
The ideas expressed in this blog do not necessarily reflect those of Practical Action, Fundacion Social or any of my previous employers. Though, many of the things I am and know I owe to them... for this and for believing in me (even when I did not have the perfect qualifications) I thank them from the bottom of my heart.
