Who are you – and who am I? – Report of a participant at the autumn conference

The theme of the International Conference on Supportive education and inclusive social development was actually: 100 years together, not really celebrating in any concrete way. 100 years after a lecture given by Rudolf Steiner in the summer of 1924 to a rather small audience in Dornach, almost 1,000 people from all over the world gathered at the Goetheanum under the same heading.

But very soon, more specific questions emerged in the welcoming address: what was sown in the past as a seed, continues to grow and develop? What possibilities do we currently have in the present to sow new seeds and provide new impetus? What is coming to us as a call from the future?

As a result, there were enough topics to deal with past and future effects of the aforementioned Curative Educational Course.

The conference began on Wednesday evening with a powerful lecture by Peter Selg on the not always harmonious relationship between Ita Wegman and the Goetheanum and the paths of other curative education pioneers.

From Thursday to Saturday, the day began in the large hall of the Goetheanum with a brief singing introduction and keynote speeches from different parts of the world, under the lively moderation of Sonja Zausch, one of three people in the new section leadership (the others being Jan Göschel and Bart Vanmechelen). We were given insights into curative education and social therapy work in the USA, Vietnam, Mexico and Rwanda. A lecturer from the Bertha von Suttner University of Applied Sciences in Austria also described a three-horizon model that visualised the interlocking of past, present and future. The wonderful Dawn Nilo, a clown, knew how to parody our respective levels of knowledge to great effect.

In the late morning, there were a number of working groups, which mostly dealt with topics from the

Thus strengthened in body and soul, it was time for lunch.

During the lunch break, there were a number of free initiatives, before moving on to a wide range of forums in the afternoon, which then addressed topics related to inclusive social development.

The evening was given over to art and culture: eurythmy on the main stage, folk dancing in front of the Goetheanum, and a social get-together later on.

On Saturday evening, the big moment arrived: the eleven sections of the School of Spiritual Science to date celebrated the arrival of the new, twelfth Section for Inclusive Social Development with a series of short performances they had rehearsed specially! Before that, we enjoyed an inspiring inclusive dance performance from Zurich.

Perhaps one should not underestimate the significance of having a separate section: the former Curative Education and Social Therapy Council developed into the Anthroposophic Council for Inclusive Social Development several years ago, and is still attached to the Medical Section – and now it has become a separate Section for Inclusive Social Development. Supportive education and social work are no longer a medical issue but stand on their own!

The question of destiny is also raised by the Curative Educational Course: this was re-asked by Zacharie Dusingizimana from Rwanda in his very touching lecture: who are you? And who am I? Let us explore the question and look within and around us: what impulse brought me to the momentary point, what determines my present and what is coming towards me? And let us always ask this question in the same way to our counterpart.

What remains? An awareness of the great radiance of a lecture from 1924 and the subsequent, constantly growing and globally agile momentum that it has inspired.

But also the realisation that established and larger institutions in particular are all facing similar challenges, not only across Germany, but at least across Central Europe.

Further findings: the new section will deal with a number of tasks, and the pursuit of inclusion in an inclusive conference presents a number of challenges – because lower-threshold offers would certainly be desirable.

The section will also ask itself whether the focus should be on spreading the impulse or whether it is not just as necessary to pay attention to established institutions and their care and support.

We wish you lots of energy, confidence and inspiration! We will take the same back to KSG: we were there!

Finally, a big thank you to a truly successful and inspiring event.

 

Steffen Klepzig, Karl Schubert Community, Filderstadt/D