Millions of girls and boys have received better education and improved lives thanks to the high-level international scientific research of 2006. Today marks the beginning of REVERS-ED, standing on the shoulders of the giant INCLUD-ED, aiming to go even further. I am still surprised that there are people who ask me what I gain from leading these projects and even try to paint an undesirable picture of me, insinuating or explicitly stating that I engage in these activities because I don’t know how to get rich or have fun.
I continually receive beautiful stories from various countries and contexts about children who were labeled by others and by themselves as incapable of overcoming academic failure. When these successful actions reach their schools, they manage to overcome educational failure, transform the image their families and peers have of them, and improve their feelings and emotions. I constantly hear stories of girls who suffered from bullying, who were scorned by their peers, and who, when the zero-violence brave club arrived at their school, ended up having true friendships. I also receive continuous stories from teachers and volunteers who, by supporting these children, are transforming the world and their own lives.
I understand and respect the freedom of people who often enjoy watching different types of stories in TV shows. I ask for the same kind of understanding and respect for the freedom of those of us who enjoy the stories we find the most beautiful, good, and true. So far, not a single one of the many people who have tried to make me change has more fun than I do, is more satisfied with their personal relationships of all kinds, or maintains better health and mood. Throughout my 72 years, I have had many opportunities to verify this reality, which coincides with scientific evidence on what improves and what worsens our lives.
The freedom to decide one’s own life is one of humanity’s greatest achievements, which we can now enjoy if we defend it for everyone. This defense necessarily includes not being complicit in the ongoing offensive of predatory capital, the “system,” or whatever you want to call it, against those of us who not only enjoy reading and discussing the most beautiful stories but also creating them and enabling every girl or boy to not only write a story but also make their life a beautiful tale.