AGAPASM
Gaúcho and Brazilian is a success in México
Alex Garcia, once more "shake normality" and breaks paradigms
"Shake normality", break paradigms, educate and release is the work that the São-luizense citzenship Alex Garcia has been doing. This time, Alex Garcia was the Brazilian representative and the only person with disability to speak at the 4th Spanish-American Congress of Special Education which was held in the city of Puerto Vallarta, México, from the 15th to the 17th of October.
"I felt a very intelligent and warm atmosphere. That was the perfect opportunity to think about the relations of Power in our inclusion. It was the perfect place to really think about the right to be and think about the relation between God and the Devil, relation which is also present in our lives."
Alex Garcia gave the workshop: "Deafblindness: strategies for inclusion", a total of 6 hours and 24 students participated of it. He also spoke at the main conference and his lecture was entitled: "Disability: power, subordination and full identity", for a total of 1 hour and thirty minutes and he had as listeners all participants.
"The workshop Deaf-Blind: strategies for inclusion" was spectacular. Having 24 students in a Spanish-American Congress in which occured simultaneously several other workshops is a remarkable thing. In the workshop I could reflect, rebuilting some concepts, values and attitudes, as well as practice with students some aspects related to of DeafBlindness. And the conference: Disability: power, subordination and full identity , was incredible. Me and them, Face-to-face, eye-to-eye, everybody free. Without being afraid of the Gods and perhaps many of them at that moment would like to be Devils and for sure they were!"
Here are some of the comments I got from the participants:
Azucena Martinez Garcia: "Hi, my name’s Azucena Martinez Garcia, I’m from Guanajuato, Mexico. The Congress here in Puerto Vallarta changed my life, the way I think, since I don’t hear from one ear. I feel ashamed that somehow my life has been perfect with some difficulties to listen, learn, pay attention and so on. But I see very well and I have never thanked God for it. And I have been feeling that I was inferior to others, that I was a little thing and My life was worthless and at the Congress I learned that I can do everything that I propose myself to do, I don’t know how I’ll do it but I will go on with my head uphigh, I will take out of my mind the idea that I can’t do what I want. Now I am going to say that I can do it and then I’ll go and get it. God allowed me to go to this conference to make me see things and it was possible to meet Alex Garcia, an example of life for me, thanks to you I am not afraid of facing this cruel and hard world because you taught me a great life lesson. Alex, go on with your work and then you can change other people’s life as you did to mine. I also was rejected at school, my parents believed that I wouldn’t be able to finish elementary school but finished a degree in preschool education a small step for now I have Just got a degree at Preschooling Education, it is a short step to me, I want to keep on studying and I have Just realized thjat I took a wrong degree, I have realized that Special Education is wonderful, I am still woung and I have this restless feeling and I want to keep on studying something related to Special Education. Sometimes I feel like afraid of studying but then I remember of you and I know I can do it. I have to say that you must thanks god for making you as you are, because god gave you a very important mission in life: to change the way of thinking of other people like me, Who was "blind" and you have the ability of making us see, when we hear you talking about your life, Your accomplishments, your career. Your new friend, Azucena, From Celaya Guanajuato, México, says goodbye to you."
Adriana Lara Villa. Villa de Álvarez, Colima. México. She has a degree in Special Education, she is also a teacher and she works at the supporting department of the USAER (Unit for supporting services for regular education). "The conference was EXCELLENT, Different, unique and the magical touch and style of Alex raised my awareness as a teacher and made me understand that it is not easy to get to where you are because life is not easy and for people with disabilities is more complicated. The story about the doll touched my heart and made me think, 'everyone is different and the limits are in ourselves, so we must always move forward'.
ALEX, always remember that you are the sea and therefore you 'ARE GREAT AND WONDERFUL'. I Was participated of the workshop. I personally think it was a very enriching experience because it’s better to learn from a person Who lives deafblindness and we share your experience from your point of view and we could understanding it and understand how to work with our students. THANKS for existing and for being an extraordinary and generous person."
José de Jesus Gonzalez Ramirez. "Hello, my name’s Jose from the Conference in en Vallarta, México. I hope you’re well, with the people you love. I am very well too about the workshop, I think it was really intersting, specially each of the elements you talked about. I learnt a lot. Now I want to read all the materials again and then I can talk more about them. I hope that one day you can be able to participate of a conference supported by the center where I work. I am a teacher and work with other teachers in a school which forms teachers, in the city of Guzman, in the state of Jalisco, México. At this school we work with degrees at Elementary School, Preschool and Special Education. I hope you can help us some day, it would be a pleasure to have you here. Greetings, a fraternal hug, see you soon ".
Deisy Marlene Gomez Arredondo. "Hello, Alex! I am Deisy and I live in the state of Michoacan, and I study Special Education and I really like it, I am very happy studying it. Talking about other things, I have to say that I really liked the way you presented the workshop and the lecture, you have a talent to speak!!!! I was moved and I told my friends about you and I Said that the conference was worth taking. To tell you the truth, you are a great example to be followed and to really think life is worth living. I loved getting a message from you and I hope to keep in touch with you and the most important of all is that I really enjoyed the workshop you presented, it is very difficult to find somebody who really have knowledge to present and somebody like you, Who really experienced everything you talked about. Greetings and that Gog bless you"
JEREM HERNÀNDEZ PEÑA. From MÈXICO. A preschool teacher at USAER. "I was only present at the Conference and I have to tell you that everything you said is wonderful, you are a VERY BRAVE MAN, AN EXAMPLE TO BE FOLLOWED, I think it is really important that you keep on sharing YOUR EXPERIENCE so OTHER PEOPLE can be guided and motivated to GO on and making their lives better".
"I take this opportunity to thank all those who in one way or another cooperated so that I could succeed in my activities. There are thousands of people. The Rotarians from São Luiz Gonzaga; Cleonice Moraes, a friend who is always ready to work; the media from ur city which are always supporting me with articles; I want to tank to all those people from Portal Planeta Educação and to Denise Rocha, from Porto Alegre Who was once more decisive, and all the people from Brasil and from abroad who even in thought colaborate and first of all I thank my family for another successful project."
Soon I’ll send you some photos from the Congress!!! Wait for it!!!!!
All the Best,
Alex Garcia