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Revitalizing Waldorf Education No. 10 • December 2001 Revitalizing Waldorf Education Interview: Christof Wiechert License Fees for Rudolf Steiner’s Works Speech Via Technology? Topic: Inner Capacities 2 Anthroposophy around the World 3 Christof Wiechert, Anthroposophical Society 6 Leader of the School of Spiritual Science 7 Pedagogical Section Interview: Christof Wiechert 8 Forum: Speech via Technology 10 Feature: Fees for Translations 12 – THE NEXT ISSUE WILL APPEAR F EBRUARY 2002 – Playing in Japan Our Middle – Where Is It? It’s almost too much. We have heard it so When the East becomes one-sided, the often already that it practically numbs us: a fanatical preacher appears. When the West wave of fear, dismay and pain is going becomes one-sided, the brusque materialist through the world. There is the suffering of appears. In their one-sidedness, says Rudolf the people directly involved, of course, in Steiner in The Tension between East and West West and East. Didn’t someone even say that (lecture of June 4, 1922, Hodder and Stoughton every innocent victim in Afghanistan raises 1963, GA 83), the two can only approach one the number of September 11 victims? In the another if a third, the artist, appears between final analysis it is a sum, a whole, not two them. Yet here, too, we ask: Where is this artist? separate sums, wrote the Indian author Surely the artist can only be awakened Arundhati Roy in The Guardian on October within us to begin with. Within the middle of 19, 2001. our being. That is, within the middle of our There is also the pain of countless people soul, which lives in the middle of our heart. worldwide who are asking themselves: “What Only in this middle can we meet it, only here now? What’s going to happen next?” And can it become effective, only here do we some awaken to the realization: “We lack a become one with it. middle.” Where two face off so implacably, it Referring to Christ, John the Baptist spoke takes a third to mediate between the two. But of this middle of our being: “There standeth where is this middle aspect? Should we one among you, whom ye know not” (John, expect it from institutions, from individual 1,26). Doesn’t the middle of our being also Members of Parliament? Should we under- refer to a place that we find only in recognition stand it in relation to the polarity of East and of the other person? West and look for it in Europe? Christine Gruwez, Belgium Translated from the German 1 Topic Inner Capacities for a World Economy ment of the consciousness soul within the economic life in our times. I think Reflections in the Wake of September 11 this has happened over the last centu- ry. The youth sense it. They sense that The attacks in New York and Washington continue to reverberate in people. the outer technological structure of a Besides expressions of fear and uncertainty there are many voices that speak of world economy is present through the the need for change. This can be very concrete yet not activistic. Arthur Zajonc, Bretton Woods institutions, but that professor of physics and General Secretary of the Anthroposophical Society in these institutions lack a heart. Yes, the America, offers some reflections here. world is becoming more and more a village, but have we learned to care for The ruins of the World Trade Center symbol of a repugnant world econo- our neighbors? We have the outer are still burning now eight weeks after my and of material values gone wrong, semblance of a world economy, but their destruction. After visiting the an economy and set of values as much we have not developed the inner site one friend said to me, the smoke European as American. They did not moral capacities to sustain it properly. rising heavenward seems like a burnt see individual human lives but only an What will it take for us to learn that offering from the sacrificial altar of oppressive system. In Seattle, Prague, only brotherhood can be the basis for ancient civilization. Thousands of Davos, and Genoa young people had the true world economy? We are human beings lost their lives during a demonstrated against the injustices of being called to awaken the full force matter of moments in an event the global economy to both humans of human conscience now largely watched around the world. In that and the environment, but they had asleep in the many institutions and instant many in the West felt connect- done so using largely peaceful means. “towers” that organize our global ed to each other and to the world of Instead of murdering thousands, the economy and to make that force the spirit as seldom before. Collectively young protesters sought to awaken the core of our economic relationships. millions were placed at the threshold workers inside of the institutions of Unless we do this consciously we will in a way that normally only occurs the WTO, IMF and World Bank to be confronted with increasingly pow- when we lose a friend or relative. For the social and environmental damage erful reminders of our negligence of days after the destruction of the that many of their policies caused. the earth and each other. World Trade Center towers the mood Instead of destruction they sought a of America, and much of the world, new life of awareness and compassion. Extend our Circle of Awareness was profoundly changed by the shear I see these two as mirror opposites of Within the rubble of the World Trade psychological power of this unique one another, with youth seeking a Center are the ashes of approximately event. We were moved by the count- future based on the affirmation of life 4000 human beings. Each of their lives less stories of individuals who, know- and love, while the terrorists used was precious. Their personal aspira- ing the extreme danger, delayed their hatred and death. tions were noble, their willingness to own escape to assist others unable to help another person who sat next to descend the long flights of stairs. One Premature Development them in the office were sufficient to New York student of anthroposophy, In the weeks since September 11 the risk death. But adversary forces can Patrice Paz, returned to help a preg- mood of the threshold has receded blind us to the distant effects of our nant colleague. The last sight co- and been replaced by news of the work. We must extend our circle of workers had of her was helping the “war on terrorism.” At least in the awareness and compassion. Youth have pregnant colleague to the elevator. A United States we have largely forgot- been reminding us of this, inviting us few minutes later the second plane hit ten the youth protests in Seattle and to extend our humanity throughout their tower and the two perished. In the Kyoto environmental accords. Yet the institutions in which we work, tragedies of this scale it is important my own sense is that the real issues transforming them so they are expres- to recall that every death is individual. connected to September 11 are these. sions of life and love. This is the work Children are left without a parent, In speaking about the end of the cen- of the consciousness soul as it must husbands without wives... There is tury Rudolf Steiner pointed to the develop in the sphere of our economic nothing impersonal about death. rhythm of 666 and spoke about what life. Thus, in rejecting the vicious By contrast the terrorists only saw this rhythm would mean for Western means of terror, let us not be blinded the two towers as representing the humanity in particular in the years by revenge but rather affirm the heart inequitable power of the global econo- around 1998 (3 X 666). He described of our common material life: brother- my. The buildings were for them a the danger of a premature develop- hood. Arthur Zajonc, U.S.A. Correspondents/News Agency: Anthroposophy Worldwide Jürgen Vater (Sweden), Marianne Møller-Nielsen (Denmark), Andrew “Anthroposophy Worldwide – Life in the Anthroposophical Society” Wolpert (Great Britain), News Network Anthroposophy (NNA) is published monthly. It is distributed by the regional Anthroposophi- We expressly wish for active support and collaboration. cal Societies – in some cases augmented with independently edited news and articles. It also appears as a supplement to the weekly paper “Das Goetheanum.” To receive Anthroposophy Worldwide, please apply to the Anthropo- sophical Society in your country. If questions with the distribution Publisher: arise, only the subscribers to “Das Goetheanum” should contact the General Anthroposophical Society, represented by Paul Mackay. address below. For all others the address is the address of the Anthro- Editors: posophical Society in your country. Carol Brousseau (responsible for the English-Language Edition), Address: Weekly Paper “Das Goetheanum,” Box, CH–4143 Dornach 1, Sebastian Jüngel, (responsible for this issue), Dietrich Rapp, Ursula Switzerland; fax +41/61/706 44 65; e-mail Remund Fink, Michaela Spaar, Stephan Stockmar, Justus Wittich, Falk [email protected] Zientz. © Copyright 2001 General Anthroposophical Society, Dornach, Switzerland. Printing by J.W. Arrowsmith Ltd. Bristol 2 Anthroposophy Worldwide 10/2001 Anthroposophy around the World Great Britain standard. The final report also includ- ed three commendations: one was for Commended for High Quality Teaching another program but two were for the University of Plymouth Waldorf Teacher Education Program Waldorf Steiner course. This was Awarded 22 out of 24 Marks commended both for high quality teaching and for innovative curricu- The School of Education at the University of Plymouth’s Exmouth campus spent lum design and student involvement.
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