The word praxis is defined by the great Brazilian educator Paolo Freire reflection and action upon the world in order to transform It involves the marriage of theory and practice, in a constant dialog which is always reflecting critically on experience, reading the signs of the times and making adjustments to work towards the goals of greater well-being, peace, justice and mutual liberation.
PARTNERSHIP
At PRAXIS, we place a high priority on mutuality between communities: universities and individuals come together with communities in Central America for mutually beneficial service learning. We seek to break out of us/ mentality of charity and work towards community-driven mutual service. The PRAXIS staff have long term relationships and decades of experience immersed in local communities and many come from humble backgrounds themselves.
RESPONSIBLE ADVENTURES
Yes, there is something of a spirit of curiosity and adventure about service and study in a global context, and this goes both ways, i.e. many people in Central America also feel a sense of excitement about hosting people of other countries. This is all well and good. But cultural interaction which emphasizes only the intriguing parts of a culture and the beautiful natural areas without talking about the roots and challenges of social injustice, for instance, may be called tourism, but not service-learning. So creating responsible adventures means learning about the context as well as insuring that the interaction between people happens in a atmosphere of mutual respect between peoples as well as for the environment.
EXPERIENTIAL
We seek to follow a model of experience, reflection, action, and celebration along the lines of the great Brazilian educator Paolo Freire. We engage in service along with others and reflect together on the meaning of the experience. This leads to new insights, adjustments and actions. And together as communities we celebrate milestones, as well as the completion of projects and advances in goals.
INTERCULTURAL
We are deeply committed to intercultural learning and dialog. The academic portions of the program provide a framework for understanding the history and culture of the host region, as well as the cultural adaptation process. Through mutual service, homestays, music, food, site visits and structured conversations, participants in PRAXIS programs are encouraged to enter deeply into the host culture and to reflect about the impact this has on their assumptions, worldview and sense of their own role and future vocation.
SERVICE
How can service be truly mutually beneficial and empowering? One way this happens is when the arrival of the student team serves as a catalyst to help the community identify and address its own needs and strengths. Another way is when the service learning trip provides an opportunity for Central Americans to tell their stories and to honor their wisdom and experience. Yet another way is to help participants from the North understand their service in a wholistic way: to show them how they are part of a longer-term effort in the ssss development and that perhaps ultimately the most important part of their service may be the way they seek to orient their global citizenship after returning from the trip.
STUDY
We believe that rigorous academic study is not the opposite of experience, but rather the two are complementary. Readings and presentations about historical, political and economic realities go hand in hand with site visits and immersion service. Reflective inquiry involves asking important questions about the nature of service, ssss own culture as well as the host culture, ssss own unique passion and gifts, and what it means to be a responsible global citizen.