Weaving a Fabric of Unity tells the story of the innovative initiative that became the Foundation for the Application and Teaching of the Sciences, known as FUNDAEC. The book highlights the actions and lessons of five decades of FUNDAEC’s experience, through stories told by and about the people who have shaped its evolution.
The authors reflect on some of the fundamental concepts of FUNDAEC’s unique methodological approach—an approach centered on integrating theory with practice and on releasing human potential. Readers are taken on a journey through the creation of one of Latin America’s most innovative programs for rural education and development.
The book also narrates how FUNDAEC’s focus on empowering individuals and communities dedicated to the promotion of collective well-being has sustained its organic growth over the decades. This vision has allowed its programs to reach hundreds of thousands of students in Colombia and be adopted in more than a dozen countries worldwide, supporting diverse populations in their shared pursuit of a dignified future.
The book Weavers of Unity was published in celebration of FUNDAEC’s 50th anniversary. To broaden the conversation around the experiences and insights gathered over these five decades, a presentation tour was held in several U.S. cities, where audiences engaged with the authors in dialogue around the work.
Looking back, we share here some of the reflections that emerged during those gatherings:
Dr. Haleh Arbab has more than four decades of leadership experience in education for development. She joined FUNDAEC in 1982 and worked there until 2005, including ten years as rector of the University Center for Rural Well-being (CUBR), which she co-founded in 1988. The university offered undergraduate and graduate programs in education for development and served over 3,000 students. From 2005 to 2018, she directed the Institute for Studies in Global Prosperity (ISGP), where she helped advance discourse on Science, Religion, and Development in collaboration with international NGOs, government officials, and academics. At ISGP, she also designed, implemented, and evaluated undergraduate and graduate seminars that prepared students across six continents to contribute to constructive social change.
Currently, Haleh is the founding director of the Center for Research in Education for Development (CRED), where her work focuses on fostering community-based approaches to education and research worldwide. She holds a Doctorate in Education from the University of Massachusetts and a Master’s in Communications from the University of Pennsylvania.
Gustavo Correa began his career as a mathematics professor at the University of Valle in Cali, Colombia. He was one of the founders of FUNDAEC in 1974 and served as its director from 1988 to 2005. He co-authored several of FUNDAEC’s educational materials and has been a guiding voice in its development. In 2008, he was elected to the Universal House of Justice, the international governing council of the Bahá’í Faith, where he served until 2018. Since returning to Colombia, Gustavo has continued as an advisor to FUNDAEC and other educational and development organizations. Among his more recent initiatives, he helped mobilize a network of 1,500 people working on 800 projects to respond swiftly to the food insecurity crisis triggered by COVID-19 in Colombia. Out of this effort grew the Cultivating Hope project, which stands as one of the primary inspirations for this book.
Gustavo holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
Dr. Bradley Wilson is an Associate Professor of Geography and Executive Director of the Center for Resilient Communities at West Virginia University. For the past 20 years, his research in Nicaragua, Colombia, and the United States has focused on how communities respond to regional economic crises, highlighting the central role of solidarity, mutual aid, grassroots initiatives, and social movements in forging alternative pathways for rural development. In recent years, he has embraced his role as a participatory action researcher, working alongside community partners in their struggles for social change. Together with his students, he has built a strong program of research-action centered on cooperative economies, food justice, food system development, community health, and environmental justice in West Virginia and the broader Appalachian region.
Over the last five years, Bradley has collaborated closely with FUNDAEC, supporting its educational programs and strengthening its research teams working on food sovereignty in northern Cauca, Colombia. He holds a Ph.D. in Geography from Rutgers University.
Meet Rosa Orejuela, one of FUNDAEC’s first students, whose journey is featured in Weavers of Unity. Through FUNDAEC, Rosa realized her dream of pursuing an education and of contributing to the well-being of her family and her community.
Her story embodies the transformative power of education and stands as a testament to the invaluable impact that women can have in building stronger, more vibrant communities.
