A Finnish Intervention: Translating “To Teach: The Journey in Comics” by Bill Ayers

A Finnish Intervention: Translating To Teach: The Journey in Comics by Bill Ayers1WE SHARE OUR EXPERIENCES FROM A COLLABORATIVE WRITING PROJECT with the aim to help ourselves understand learning better, as well as create a process which would build something others would be able to enjoy, and which would support their teaching as well as learning.As students and teachers living in the northernmost EU country, Finland, we are well aware how our country and its neighboring Nordic-countries are often referred to as attaining the pinnacle of social democratic achievements-the combination of market-based economy and ambitious state-directed wealth redistribution, put into place since the second World War after growing demands from people's movements, supported by the social democratic parties.This reference is unfortunately often made without knowledge as to what the situation is actually like. For example, in Finland, a high level of equality and more just wealth redistribution may have been closer to reality at some point, but the situation is far from that today. Although Finnish youth rank among the top in civic knowledge surveys, according to social justice oriented studies, societal work is exceptionally low. Meanwhile, the gap between the rich and the poor is growing faster than in any other Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) country, with wide unemployment having lasted now for decades, and political leaders more focused on what is called free trade, inflation and the conveniently miscalculated public debt ratio, than welfare and equality.The effects of this are known and felt in everyday life in Finland. The situation of the poor in Finland, who are seriously disenfranchised from mainstream society, is seemingly of little concern in wider public discussion. Racism as well as extreme right-wing economic ideas and harsh attitudes are growing in popularity, and the newest data shows that for example young people have suffered seriously from the effects of economic inequality. These are rapid and unprecedented economic and political shifts, speeded by neoliberal policies that have disrupted or collapsed the previous achievements in providing more equal access to basic services such as health care or housing.It is within this context that in December 2012 our varied group of teachers and students finished a collaborative translation project, during which we translated, To Teach: The Journey in Comics (authored by Bill Ayers) from English into Finnish. It is a book meditating on what seemed to us the essential questions, thrills and mysteries of teaching and learning.Overall we were a group of 11 students of behavioral sciences at the University of Helsinki. Many of us study or have studied to become teachers, as all teachers are required to accomplish a Masters level degree at a university. We undertook the whole project out of our own interest, which also meant we didn't have any money or practical support for this translation and publication. Even though there are benefits to operating outside of the system, foremost the ability to maintain the wonderful personal autonomy and freedom from tedious and ritualistic practices that seem mandatory in official projects, it still needs to be said that lack of money and other resources should not be romanticized.Working in our free-form fashion meant that we could meet and discuss the translations at our own leisure over dinners and debate different aspects of our work-in-progress. As we worked together we also learned how important it is to share tasks and hold up to promises. …