Interculturality and Community-determined Higher Education: Political-pedagogical Projects in Latin America; Interculturalidad y educación propia en el nivel superior: proyectos político-pedagógicos en América Latina

Abstract

Through three case studies in Latin America, this research enables an analysis and understanding of the progress and challenges for a transformative interculturality (López, 2021) in contexts of diversity and the possibilities for community-determined education at the higher education level. To this end, the experiences of the Instituto Superior Intercultural Ayuuk (ISIA) and the Centro Universitario Comunal de Santa María Yaviche (Unixhidza) in Oaxaca, Mexico were investigated. Also the Universidad Indígena Boliviana Guaraní y Pueblos de Tierras Bajas “Apiaguaki Tüpa” (UNIBOL-AT) in Chuquisaca, Bolivia. Thus, this article contributes to the body of knowledge and understanding of the process of interculturalization of higher education by considering three political-pedagogical projects operating in the Latin American context. Furthermore, the findings highlight the agency of social and educational actors involved in autonomous processes stemming from the emergence of indigenous communities within contemporary realities. The research results lead to a discussion on the training of professionals to respond to the future horizon for life in communality, since the work of ISIA, Unixhidza and UNIBOL-AT has an impact on the ethnic reconfiguration of their students and articulates their political-identity positionalities. The concept of interculturality, reflected in the institutional work and the co-construction of knowledge and know-how in cultural, linguistic and educational terms, is also a fundamental aspect of the study. Likewise, the potential for a comparative study (Arguelles and Delgadillo, 2021) resides in the fact that from the indigenous perspective, factors such as territory, culture and language are permanently interwoven, revealing tensions between peoples and the State. This conceptual framing allowed us to identify the educational proposals that can facilitate the dismantling of coloniality and the adoption of indigenous ethno-political educational initiatives.