Democracy, Community, and Psychologically-based professional practice: Some personal reflections

The purpose of this presentation is to offer some personal reflections in relation to the Congress theme about “democratizing education,” (e.g., universal access to quality schooling). Several points are discussed: (a) the importance of the public sphere and community engagement in relation to democratization, (b) diverse ways that the term “democracy” is used in political discourse, (c) the value of maintaining a focus on human development, (d) the need for collective action, and (e) the possibility for achieving the impossible. Because these points are already widely understood and pursued actively in Brasil, these reflections are meant to continue the discussion, with a special focus on how to work meaningful as a professional psychologist in relation to these issues.