Propelling development through education and innovation in Latin-America: A comparative analysis of the autonomous and voluntary organizational ideas in Oppenheimer and Malatesta

Abstract

The article aims to review, synthesize, reorganize, and present the ideas about economic development in Latin America regarding education and innovation identified by Andrés Oppenheimer. Based on his thesis, the article presents a comparative analysis with the ideas posed by anarchist thinker Errico Malatesta, highlighting their coincidences, differences, and possible contributions from the anarchist ideas of organization to the improvement of contemporary education and innovation in Latin-America. The article argues that economic development can be fostered with 1) a culture of involvement with the education of children, the aspiration to higher education, and guidance to STEM degrees; 2) the improvement of meritocracy, the promotion of local, national, and international collaboration and association among universities, and the recognition of the dignity of professorship; and 3) the fostering of entrepreneurship and association for industry development, the encouragement of internationalization, and the creation of advocacy groups. The article ends with the identification of some implications for voluntary and non-hierarchical organizations, as well as possible ideas for future research.