A Proposal for a System for Societal Control in the National Audit Office of Colombia

This paper presents a project of the National Audit Office of Colombia (Contraloría General de la República; CGR) to experiment with possibilities of societal control systems as a fundamental element to implement mechanisms to control the activities of State agencies. The paper describes the activities initiated to develop an experiment in a particular locality, the municipality of Sahagún in the Department of Córdoba. We also try to expound historical circumstances and background related to participatory schemes in Colombian society, as well as attempts made by the State to address these issues.     

Is it possible to develop an emancipatory approach to technology?

The purpose of this writing is to explore ways of changing the relationship of workers with technology from one of oppression to one of liberation. By studying some of the most common aspects of those relationships, and Heidegger's reflections on the topic, a new way to relate to technology is proposed. This way is basically related with the way we conceive work and thought, and how these conceptions are oppressive by being constricted to exaction of productivity and not to the whole of human interests.     

Towards a methodology for organisational intervention in Colombian enterprises

The lack of autonomy of people in the working place is the basic problem addressed by the methodology for organisational intervention that has been developed by the group TESO at the University of Los Andes in Bogota. This lack of autonomy accounts for their lack of creativity, motivation, and political consciousness. We take Freire's conception of consciousness as related to social formations, and how autonomy is achieved by working with his methodology. We also use Heidegger's concepts of calculative and meditative thinking and relate them to the development of consciousness. Finally we show how through a methodology that facilitates contact of persons with the self, the workspace, and others, they develop autonomy and an ability to define conflicts and work out ways to stransform their world.