Luis,From Ex-Prisoner to Neighborhood Representative and Interlocutor With Public Administrations

Abstract

As an ex-prisoner from a ghetto in Albacete (Spain), Luis’s aspirations were constrained to either obtaining a seasonal job when possible or resigning to becoming a permanent user of social services. However, his participation in dialogic spaces such as Dialogic Literary Gatherings (DLG) made him dream that a different life was possible, not only for him but also for his children. In the DLG, he began a process of personal transformation that allowed him to become one of the most appreciated representatives of his neighborhood and a core interlocutor with several public administrations. The authors consider how dialogic spaces such as the DLG become sources of hope and sense-making to people such as Luis and note the elements that enable them to overcome social exclusion while inspiring them to fight for the achievement of social justice in their communities.