Cuba's Yes I Can in Australia. Three Years On

Abstract

In twenty six countries around the world, Cuba's 'Yo Si Puedo' ('Yes I Can') mass literacy campaign model has provided basic literacy instruction to over six million people. The model was developed by the Institute of Pedagogy for Latin America and the Caribbean (IPLAC) in 2000, at a time when international donors and New Literacy Studies scholars had turned away from such mass approaches in favour of small-scale localised literacy programs. In 2012, a pilot of this model began in the western NSW Aboriginal community of Wilcannia, funded by the Commonwealth WELL program. In 2013-14, the pilot was extended to two more communities in the same region, with funding support from the Commonwealth and NSW governments. The authors of this paper have been involved in an extended participatory action research evaluation of the pilot phase, a process which has provided valuable practical learning about the Cuban model and how best it can be adapted to the circumstances of Aboriginal communities. This paper presents some findings from the research, including an analysis of the teaching theory and practice embodied in the Cuban-produced resources, and some quantitative and qualitative evidence of the individual and collective impact of the campaign in the host communities. The findings and analysis from the pilot lead to some critical reflections on the value of mass campaigns and the relationship of 'Yes I Can' to the Freirian tradition of popular education for social transformation.