Three projects here in Venezuela are directly based on Prout: the Prout Research Institute and the Neohumanist Kindergarten in Caracas and Centro Madre Master Unit in Barlovento. The preschool finally won official accreditation from the Ministry of Education for their five years of service. The agricultural institute of the government (CIARA) rated Centro Madre as excellent, a national model of small scale sustainable agriculture; the Ministry of Culture also funds their successful family reading program
The Prout Research Institute of Venezuela is an independent, not-for-profit foundation that began in 2007. Our mission is to “to empower all people to improve their quality of life and live in a more just society by fostering the development of worker cooperatives, self-reliant communities, environmental protection, universal ethics and spiritual values.”
Dra. Quisia González of Honduras, is a medical doctor who graduated in Brazil. She teaches political economy and human rights at the Henry George School of Social Science in New York. She is a representative of the NGOs International Union for Land Value Taxation and Earth Rights Institute for the Dep. of Information and ECOSOC of the United Nations
It is midnight on the dot.
Caracas shyly celebrates Christmas Eve,
unrhythmic pace of colorful fireworks
that reinvent the air with flowery sparks,
floating gardens which hang
for stolen seconds, adorn the sky
To envision our future, it is vitally important to ask: what kind of world do we want? Prout (the Progressive Utilization Theory) is a socioeconomic alternative model that promotes the welfare and development of every person, physically, mentally, and spiritually
Since 2000, the non-profit community center Centro Madre has been serving five impoverished rural villages near San Jose, Barlovento with education, health, agriculture and economic development projects. In addition, every year Centro Madre has celebrated Christmas and Children's Day by organizing dramas, theater, music, games, dance, and handicraft activities in the villages. These programs are designed to help people realize that, in spite of adverse and sometimes traumatic circumstances in their lives caused by poverty, violence and discrimination, they have the power to transform themselves and learn to use their full potential.
Neighbors of La Guairita look with great admiration upon the entrance of their community center, now colorfully decorated with a mural painted by the local children. "They should do the same in Caraquita and El Tesoro. When people drive by, they find it very attractive,” explains a proud Mrs. Neyda Ramos, member of the village Community Council and passionate supporter of the children’s mural project
The worst rains in 40 years have poured down on Colombia and Venezuela in the last days of November and early December 2010, forcing more than 100,000 people from their homes. Barlovento (Venezuela) was one of the hardest hit areas. Huge amounts of water poured into the area causing enormous flooding. Centro Madre's land was totally flooded waist-deep, but the house, which is slightly higher, remained dry. Eight children were brought to stay with us by their parents from the villages where many houses were flooded.
In Venezuela and abroad, Cecosesola holds the reputation for being a leading example in successful and innovative cooperativism. For years they have hosted a continuous flow of visitors- researchers, students and everyday citizens alike- all drawn by the prospect of a working alternative to the capitalist model