Reclaiming Coady: Adult Education and Economic Development in Atlantic Canada

Abstract

This paper seeks to challenge the rhetoric of deficit that surrounds Atlantic Canada by employing an appreciative approach and discussing one key Atlantic Canadian, Rev. Moses M. Coady, adult educator and the founder of the Antigonish Movement. Coady’s work was grounded in the Atlantic region, and his message of cooperation, community, and consciousness‑raising pioneered the field of emancipatory education so often associated with the Brazilian educator Paulo Freire. As Atlantic Canadians, we wish to reclaim Coady’s work and celebrate his contribution to the culture and development of our region. This paper begins with an overview of the deficit discourse that permeates Atlantic Canada. The paper describes the life and work of Moses Coady and provides a brief biography of the life and work of Paolo Freire, both of whom approached their work from an appreciative perspective, to lay the foundation for our argument as to why the work of Moses Coady needs to be reclaimed in the teaching and practice of adult education in Atlantic Canada.