1st Ibero-American Congress on Inclusive Education as a Social Movement

On April 9-11, 2026, in Asunción (Paraguay), we will hold the 1st Ibero-American Congress on Inclusive Education as a Social Movement. It aims to be a participatory gathering that will work with key citizens – including students, families, professionals, researchers, and policymakers – throughout the region. The meeting will serve as a catalyst for sharing the work already underway in different countries. Several countries will develop at least one workshop where citizens will conduct a participatory assessment of the state of inclusive education in their nation, with the goal of projecting actions to advance the agenda. Examples include this summary video of the meeting organized by the steering group in Paraguay or the detailed information from the last workshop in Spain. 

The national participatory meetings aim to develop a social assessment of what is happening regarding inclusive education in each country. It is not so much about analyzing statistical data, but rather about qualitative and collective reflection on experiences and emotions, on conflicts and desires, and on possible transformations. In other words, it is about filtering the analysis through experience, as a way to question the entire system that sustains it. Therefore, people’s testimonies become forms of knowledge and resistance, especially when they are shared collectively. Each participatory meeting brings this to the forefront of the analysis. As can be observed, it is the people who take center stage, and the methodology allows their knowledge to bear fruit: we intend for the 2026 Congress in Asunción to be highly influential, and to generate a roadmap for common action in Ibero-America.

Different Steering Groups in various countries have taken on the challenge of developing a national participatory diagnosis of the state of inclusive education, and they are: Paraguay, Colombia, Argentina, Cuba, Uruguay, Peru, Chile, Brazil, and Spain. All of them will have held the diagnostic day before February 2026, with the idea of sharing their results at the Congress in Paraguay. The research team from the University of Malaga is responsible for developing the necessary methodological training for the national days, which will consist of a day of assemblies and workshops for a diverse group of people. These participatory diagnoses will initiate the first cycle of a Participatory Action Research in each country, which aims to take shape at the meeting in Paraguay.

Extensive information can be found about “Quererla es crearla” on the website www.creemoseducacioninclusiva.com. It shows the depth, rigor, and democratic value of the work carried out. All of this is particularly valuable today. At a time when diversity and inclusion are targets of the most reactionary movements through disinformation, provoking hatred instead of encounter, inclusive education, backed by international science, is the most forceful response, full of hope. In schools, we learn to value ourselves and to live together. A project like this offers a clear response to humanity’s democratic desires.