{
  "id": 7266558,
  "title": "50 years ago, we thought we could change the world",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/50-years-ago-we-thought-we-could-change-the-world",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-14T07:00:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Winnipeg Free Press",
    "slug": "winnipeg-free-press",
    "url": "https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/2026/09/14/50-years-ago-we-thought-we-could-change-the-world"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In 1974, a small group of educators from Winnipeg, Manitoba came together with a common political and social conviction. They identified as socialists, feminists, and political activists, and represented various educational backgrounds. The political climate in Manitoba, led by Premier Sterling Lyon's Conservative government, prompted them to strongly oppose his policies.\n\nThe group, known as the Socialist Teachers Education Movement (STEM), began meeting regularly in someone's living room. Their discussions focused on inequality, racism, sexism, world peace, and the disenfranchisement of children, particularly in Winnipeg. They found guidance from Antonio Gramsci, a Marxist philosopher, whose teachings provided them with a theoretical foundation for their cause.\n\nSTEM decided that merely discussing issues was not enough, and they took action within their classrooms. They incorporated critical inquiry, examining multiple viewpoints, and challenged students to question existing norms and values. They supplemented traditional curricula with discussions about working class history and the struggles workers faced for a better life.\n\nOne member even took his students to the picket line during a steelworker's strike, a decision that was not endorsed by school administrators but provided a real-life learning experience. Another member invited a play about sexist attitudes and societal inequities to their school, despite the principal's objections. These actions aimed to bring real-life issues into the classroom, ultimately seeking to transform society.\n\nHowever, STEM's approach did not go unnoticed. The Soviet Union was included in a Grade 7 Geography curriculum, and a student was asked to write to the Soviet Embassy for information. The resulting package of Soviet propaganda led to accusations of teaching communism and the teacher faced backlash from the school board. These incidents demonstrated that alternative political ideas were not welcomed in Manitoba's classrooms, even among educators who were committed to social change.",
  "summary": "Winnipeg, 50 years ago. We began as a small loose unorganized group of teaching friends and educators who shared the same political and social convictions. We defined ourselves as socialists, […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}