Empowerment in Spanish: words can get in the way.

In completing the two-issue set on Community Empowerment, Participatory Education and Health, the Guest Editors became aware that the concept of empowerment may have different meanings for different cultures and languages. We were privileged to receive a short piece on how the concept translates into Spanish and Latin American culture. We hope this piece in combination with several articles in these volumes stimulates greater thinking on the cultural and language context of empowerment-oriented practice.