Esplais Catalans

Esplais Catalans is an association of secular and progressive youth centers that works from volunteering for social transformation, through education in children's rights. The strengthening of the youth centers is the reason to be of this organization. Nowadays, 106 recreation centers are located in about 50 catalan towns, these centers are called esplais, they gather more than 6,500 young members and 1,600 volunteers. Esplais Catalans is the majority and representative association of the movement of the associative and voluntary esplais in the catalan territory. These youth centers offer a non-formal learning.

History

Esplais catalans was founded in 1982 with the aim of establishing itself as a benchmark for secular esplais in Catalonia. Before the debate opened in Catalonia in the 80s about the professionalization of esplais, esplais catalans opted to maintain its associative and voluntary spirit, differentiating both functions, a process that culminated with the creation of the organization "Entorn" (in 1993), to manage professional services.

At the same time, in collaboration with the Francisco Ferrer Guardia Foundation, the free school "El Sol" was created,^[1] which, starting from the same secular and progressive ideology, offers the necessary training to the monitors and instructors of esplais catalans.

In this way the Secular and Progressive Movement (SPM) was formed, a priority space for social action of the youth centers and the rest of the entities that make it up. In 1994, the houses and the youth groups that formed the "Esplai Jove" commission created the "association of houses and youth groups of Catalonia" and became one more entity of the SPM (the secular and progressive movement). The foundation "Terra", an entity that works in the environmental field, is the next organization that joined the SPM.

The process of construction and growth of the SPM, as well as its essence, are exclusive and special facts, since by taking a look at the entities that make up this movement, it might seem that what unites the various entities, is a shared ideology, but that each entity in turn is the only one in its field.

An example that reinforces that what unites them is to be entities that share the same ideology based on secularism and progress was the incorporation of the association "Acció Escolta de Catalunya" to that movement. From that moment, another entity of educational associations became part of the project.

All this shows once again that the union is what makes the entity strong, and the ability to join efforts in the way of social transformation. The growth of the SPM was reinforced in 2007, when the non-governmental organization "Cooperació",^[2] after many years of joint work, officially joined the process of building the SPM. During all these years, esplais catalans has been growing in number of recreation centers, has been maturing and improving the educational action of esplais, especially since the celebration of the first congress of catalan esplais, which culminated in the preparation of an educational project.

Mission

Esplais Catalans is an association of secular, volunteer and progressive youth centers that works for social transformation, through education and the rights of the children. The strengthening of the catalan esplais is the reason to be of this organization.

General objectives

Promote social transformation through an integral and liberating education. Achieve recognition and social awareness about the importance of educational associations. To be a reference for the lay esplais of Catalonia, to offer esplais the support and the necessary services for its development and improvement. Actively contribute to the strengthening of the country's civil society through the promotion of youth and child associations. Promote respect and strengthening of Catalan culture. To raise awareness and social recognition of the importance of educational associations and popular education for the construction of a committed and free citizenship. Promote the social participation of children and young people in Catalonia, as well as other places through actions at the local level, but also internationally.

Educational proposal

The educational proposal of the Esplais Catalans has a marked free-thinking, republican, federal, democratic, secular and progressive character.

Republicanism: because there is no one above the will of the recreation center. The will of the group is based on the opinion of the children, the adolescents, the monitors, the parents and the mothers.

Federalism: understanding by federal that the person is the self-determined, that is, every citizen has to find their way of being happy, it is necessary that each recreation find its way to define itself and decide what activities it does and how it relates to the society that surrounds it. This concept brings us to democratic spreading.

Democracy: because it is equipped with an operating system in which everyone can participate actively. This is only possible by delegating responsibilities and demanding results in a given period.

Secularism: because democracy must be closely related to secularism, that is, it is about promoting educational plurality, within the framework of an ideology that understands religious and ideological plurality, as a positive value to know how to live together in diversity.

Progressivism: with a vision of the world and an educational proposal aimed at changing mentalities as a way to transform the reality that surrounds us.

Structure and participation spaces

The ideas, convictions and ways of understanding the world, lead to the development of a particular pedagogical method, and a certain way of educating and configuring various forms of social organization. The organizational structures that exist at the recreational level are basic and necessary for the proper development of the project. But this approach is also applicable to the functioning of Catalan esplais, which also have some structures that are not casual, but are the fruit of an ideology and a certain way of understanding citizen participation.

References

External links

• Official website (in Catalan)