Autumn Conference of the Social Therapy Working Group

Report by Sonja Zausch

The Social Therapy Working Group met in Zurich/Switzerland for its autumn conference in October – shortly after the international conference in Dornach. The host institution was “Zürcher Eingliederung” and the host was Udo Pfeil, who is the workshop manager here.
We have received wonderfully diverse impressions from an organization that is willing and able to actively embrace the demands of the times. Here are many and different necessities meeting many and different human abilities and places – with good conditions for success.
Contemporary and dynamic – that’s my impression.

The current topic of organizational resilience continued to occupy us as a working committee, and we were able to repeatedly create content alignment through visits to the practice sites.
Where do we find resilience experiences in practice? What formats and customs, what rhythm and inclusive communal gesture live in dialogue with practical everyday actions?
How does the resilience of the organism with its people permanently strengthen itself as a supporting substance?
Are the resilience models that are tailored to us humans transferable to organizations?
When does it take time and letting go with confidence in the process, when determination and action?
What attitudes are needed for generational change?

We dealt with possible answers, open conversations and groping truths in the encounter at the three sites.

Many thanks to all those who made it possible for us to gain these insights into the residential home, day structures, Demeter agriculture, bakery, café, shop, community life at the Wagenburg farm and the discussions about the current challenges!

Worth a trip … www.ze-werkstaetten.ch