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Date of birth:
20/ feb/ 1954
Place of birth: Gipuzkoa (Basque Country -
Spain)
Graduated in Mathematic and secondary school teacher until 1980 when
a car accident left him paraplegic. After a year in Hospital he travels
acrossEurope, America and Asia searching solutions to hisphysical
and psychological difficulties. Founder of a
Buddhist Center in Spain and member of the Board of Directors
of the Fundacion Lama Gangchen para la Paz en el Mundo in Madrid
(a Non Governmental Organisation associated
with the United Nations. He is Lama Gangchen’s
personal Spanish interpreter, and translates many of his
books into Spanish.
Translator at several Peace and Alternative Medicine Congresses and
meetings. Is an active member of some Disabled
organisations in Spain. Has been developing
some years now – together with the Hospital La
Paz (Madrid) and the Universidad Autonoma
(Madrid) - a program for schools and soldiers
on prevention of spinal cord injuries and head
traumas. He also published several
articles and collaborates with some magazines
and radio programmes in different countries,
as well as taking part in several congresses.
Founder of several groups of Self-help for
sick people, developing several
workshops in Spain and South America on "How
to live one’s sickness". Collaborates in
several European Community Projects
(Creativity and Therapy, Horizon, Europe XXI)
on education for students and disabled people.
Decalogue for
improving our abilities as Peace educators
and a project proposal for Albagnano
This reflection is not only for so-called educators. Being educators is
a natural attitude of all who live in collectivities, who are sensitive
to perceiving the suffering of others and who have the courage to assume
the responsibility of alleviating that suffering by offering their own
experience as an example.
One of the basic
objectives of the work of a peace educator is the development of
introspective techniques, in order to achieve a certain level of mental
tranquility for themselves and to share it with others.
It is quite difficult to transmit that which one does not have.
What one really
teaches comes from one’s own personality. One of the most powerful ways
for learning – especially for children – is imitation through
observation. Thus, as educators, we must be very aware to all the
manifestations of our person – particularly our gestual expression, our
verbal language and our thoughts.
In an
increasingly multi-cultural and multi-ethnic world, we must avoid
indoctrinating and conditioning others with our beliefs, done in the
name of a supposed cultural superiority.
When working with
people of our own culture, it is important to avoid making moral
judgements, which produce barriers in communication and in reciprocal
acceptance, which are often difficult to eliminate as a consequence.
Thus, we will debate about ten basic
points which can lead us to acknowledge that we all are potential peace
educators, at least at some time in our lives and with some; what is
important afterwards is to be able to extend the duration of these
moments and to increase the number of people reached. |
