Cultural Diversity in Schools: An Ideal Space for the Construction of a Critical and Inclusive Citizenship

One of the characteristics of societies today relates to the complexity and great challenges of our times: globalization, unemployment, humanitarian and refugee crisis, gender violence, military conflicts, social problems, political corruption, etc. The need to rethink the role of the teacher including their role in society is becoming increasingly latent. It is also necessary to rethink the role of students in a complex and changing society, and as such it is worth asking: What can we do as educators? The great Brazilian educator Paulo Freire, known for his criticism of the banking model of education, focused on the mechanical transmission of content as a form of oppression. Freire promoted problem-posing education as an alternative to banking education, one that focused on the critical analysis of social issues. The cultural diversity within each classroom gives us the opportunity to value the richness of other cultures and offers us the opportunity to foster dialogue between cultures, that is, intercultural dialogue. This must be a dialogue that allows both students and teachers to make different readings of the world around them. Freire's pedagogy reminds us that change, although difficult, is not impossible and therefore appeals to the hope that we can change the world. This is, therefore, a dialogic proposal aimed at: a) promoting communication and understanding between cultures, b) improving a world that is unfair to many people, and c) building a more supportive world for all human beings.