by Jorge Luis Romeu

One thing most people seem to agree on is that "democratization" is one of the best antidotes to extremism and terrorism. Few terrorists come from democratic countries.

How to promote democracy, however, and even the precise meaning of what a democracy should be, is a very different story. Some think democracy can be shoved down the throat, or made like instant coffee; or that there are people intrinsically incapable of ever accepting it. Being a pluralistic nation, we find such diversity of opinion not at all surprising.

The Juarez Lincoln Marti Project (http://web.cortland.edu/matresearch) has taught faculty development workshops in Latin America for more than 10 years. We train university faculty in the use of technology (software and its related hardware) and its associated pedagogy. We think of ourselves as a democracy-building operation.

In appearance, our Workshops on Technology Infusion just teach the use of e-mail, the Internet, etc., integrated with the use of cooperative learning, contextual projects, etc. However, these methods developed by student groups can be effective democratization tools. Let's see why.

Old pedagogical methods (e.g., chalk and talk) instill rote, repetition and memory-based learning. These methods are not wrong. However, they instill acceptance of drill that can lead to indoctrination. This does not enhance critical and independent thinking, freedom of thought that is a pillar of democracy.

Individual work encouraged by the old teaching methods does not enhance the necessary social skills and habits that help the individual to integrate into groups. It does not help enhance civil society, that network of organizations independent from government interference and/or direction (e.g. churches, lodges, sports clubs) that is another requirement for a true democracy to develop.

On the other hand, the newer pedagogical methods are based on group learning and contextual project work, activities that instill the critical thinking that fosters the inquisitive, free mind that creates and sustains a pluralistic and democratic society. Group work also instills characteristics such as learning to work with others, listen to and accept different ideas as well as constructive criticism, and to incorporate ideas from outside oneself and eventually, the group.

Those incapable of working in a small student group are less likely to function constructively in larger, complex ones such as a democratic system. When you learn to operate a study group, you can later organize a scout troop, a lodge, a union or a PTA.

Contextual projects constitute yet another democratization tool. Theoretical knowledge is very interesting. However, turning these into student projects that serve practical (and one hopes, economical) purposes is one of the most important things students should learn.

There cannot be a self-sustaining democracy when a large portion of the population does not know if (or what) they are going to eat tomorrow. Learning activities that help individuals put food on their table and create jobs for their community is of prime importance in pro-democracy work.

All these topics are taught and exercised in our Juarez Lincoln Marti workshops. By doing so, our project is contributing in a small but positive way to the broader democratization ideal that will destroy fanaticism and, eventually, terrorism.

Jorge Luis Romeu is a Cuban political exile and a research professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in Syracuse University’s L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science.

This op-ed appeared in the April 29 issue of the Syracuse Post-Standard

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