Empowering Education - A Diaconal Response to Poverty?

Abstract

Empowering education as a tool to overcome exclusion grew out of the recent intentionality of empowerment in Social Work, but the idea can already be identified in Diaconia, starting from pietist educators and founders of the Internal Mission movement. It also inspired liberation theology and diaconal congregations. In the present times of globalisation increasing poverty and exclusion require new efforts of enabling people to overcome resignation, isolation and lack of opportunities. Various initiatives of churches and Diaconia are shown and criteria of empowering education are discussed in this article, among others equal participation, resilience and internalisation of values and norms.