Caring as a Vision and Educational Support 

The Universidad Pedagógica Nacional is aware of the growing precariousness of young people living in the country, and all that this entails. As Paulo Freire said: “No one saves anyone, no one saves himself alone. We save ourselves in community. From this perspective, the University Life Care Board has taken an important step to face the effects of precariousness, the challenges of living together or mental and emotional health, as well as the impact of structural issues such as gender-based violence.

We are in the process of developing a strategic plan to improve the management and practices of continuous care in response to various social issues and conflicts. This has been led and coordinated by the Vice Rector’s Offices of Academic Affairs, University Management, and Administrative and Financial Affairs, according to the policies of the Subdirectorate of Student Welfare.

We firmly believe that the key principles for the protection of dignity are the respect of freedoms and the consolidation of democracy. In addition, as a pedagogical approach, the restoration of trust and the recognition of pluralism that we will have through the development of a caring ethics in our University. This is to address a dignified and livable life but infused with the deepest desire of the new generations of teacher training.

Therefore, the University Life Care Board is working on the design of several strategies and initiatives, supported by education on responsibilities and regulatory processes, as well as the implementation and sustainability of educational, academic, social and institutional standards that meet the emerging needs of the UPN community.

Several authors, including Barnes, Gahagan, Ward, and Brannelly, argue that care ethics provides a framework and language that facilitates effective communication among all individuals involved in care events. Then, the care ethic approach recognizes the importance of context, reciprocity, relationships, and responsibility to the tangible other, as well as issues of inequality and power.

Despite the many great challenges, we are very confident that education in Colombia and the Global South should be rethought from a pedagogical perspective that questions the understanding of failure, the presence of critical events, and how to respond to the expectations and demands of training new generations of teachers who suffer from precarious, fragmented, and hopeless living conditions. In fact, the ethic of care plays a key role in this context.

The University Life Care Board continues to work with an eye to the Future, looking forward to the lessons and results that this experience will bring to our beloved University. We will continue to turn injustice and humiliation into opportunities for mutual growth and development.