Words from a fellow member that encourage and inspire hope — because as the American philosopher and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, happiness is the fuel needed to make an impact.
Testimonies from Liberté
As is our custom, we sought out testimonies from those who spend their days in this oasis within the maximum-security prison — the self-managed space known as Liberté.
A Growing Model
Did we say oasis? In truth, Liberté — though many have yet to see it — is a model that goes far beyond any oasis, rising to the profile of a Dubai in the making: a desert landscape transforming into something extraordinary.
Carlos B.'s Story
With that in mind, we invited Carlos — an older man serving his sentence here at the maximum-security penitentiary in Batán — to share what it feels like to be part of a community that moves forward alongside the "+" symbol (positive).
In this interview, he tells us how he spends his days within our self-managed space, with a focus on change rooted in reflection — shaped by his participation in the many training programs Liberté offers, both in the classroom and in the workshops, where you can learn a trade and discover the possibility of a different life, with opportunities for personal growth through collective experience.
Carlos greets us warmly when we arrive and says it's a pleasure to be on Liberté's radio. He sits down in front of the microphone and we begin a conversation full of laughter and feeling.
He says: "Through a fellow member in the wing, I found out that Liberté was offering a Bible study course, so I got interested and signed up. That's how I found my way to this blessed place — and where I met the 'pampa' (mentor and founder of Liberté)."
I told him that on the outside my trade was everything related to construction, and asked him to keep me in mind if any repairs came up.
Within a few days I was already in maintenance, and from there I began a different way of living. I wasn't spending as much time in the wing, in the cell. I'll admit that staying there too long isn't good for your mind — you think too many things, and time never seems to pass.
Life at Liberté
Liberté is the place where you can feel proud to be free, because here you contribute through tasks — in my case, through what I know how to do — but there's also study on many subjects, and even trades to learn like carpentry and cooking. Time passes differently here. You can sit down with a mate and have a good conversation with others. Here, you breathe freedom.
"People come from different wings and we get along well — like a family. Everything is well organized: there's a vegetable garden, there are chickens, and there's also a pond with colorful fish, plants all around, and ducks that come up to me whenever I sit by the water, waiting for me to feed them. They're like my little friends."
"Every day when dawn breaks I get my things ready and head for the exit of the wing to make my way to Liberté. The truth is that being at Liberté makes me very happy." That's how Carlos closes — one of so many members who recognizes the difference that self-management makes, and the personal transformation through collective life that Liberté brings about.
