About this Episode
In the third episode of Radio ARA’s Challenging Language Inequality series, Colombian anthropologist Daniel Rudas shares his research on grassroots literacy practices in rural Colombia. Working in Sumapaz, a mountainous region with deep ties to Colombia’s social movements, Dani studies how communities developed alternative forms of education in the absence of state infrastructure.
In the early 20th century, children in Sumapaz—armed with only basic schooling—became teachers for adults in their communities. This collective learning helped fuel a political movement, enabling people to assert their rights through written language, even without formal education.
Today, the region has changed: there is a university, electricity, and internet access. But Dani’s work continues to highlight how literacy is more than grammar or schooling. He promotes a broader view that includes drawings, inscriptions, and visual messages as valid forms of literacy—especially in communities traditionally seen as “illiterate.”
His research calls for rethinking how institutions evaluate language use. Instead of dismissing non-standard writing, he urges recognition of its intelligence and creativity. Language justice, he argues, means valuing diverse ways of knowing, communicating, and expressing identity.
The interview took place in the framework of the ReDes_Ling project where Radio ARA gets together with researchers and activists from Europe and Latin America to explore language inequality.
