May/June 2018 CAMPHILL CORRESPONDENCE “Birth of a Butterfly“ by Szabo Sipos Barnabos In directing my will and my concern vigorously to the emergence of the higher self in the other, I could rest assured that they would in turn do for me what I could not do for myself, that is, summon forth my own higher potential, because we cannot summon ourselves, we have to be summoned. All human development is a response to challenge. The love that can accrue in communities in which all this becomes a practice, a discipline, is a magic love that can move mountains. - Anke Weihs Celebratory Birthdays May/June 2018 Ann Beal, Copake ……………………. May 3rd. 70 Rainer Lagemann, Lehnhof………….. May 5th. 80 William Wait, Copake……………….. May 6th. 80 Michael Reinardy, Clanabogan……… May 7th. 75 Paule Anne Poole, Botton……………. May 9th. 70 Thomas Farr, Minnesota……………… May 10th. 75 Katherine Gore, Clanabogan………… May 11th. 75 Allan Moffet, Clanabogan…………….May 11th. 75 Diedra Heitzman, Kimberton Hills…. May 14th. 70 Borje Erikson, Tapola…………………. May 15th. 75 George Harland, Botton………………May 17th. 70 Udo Steuk, Mourne Grange…………. May 18th. 90 Susan Bauer, Delrow…………………. May 21st. 70 Michael Lauppe, Stroud……………… May 23rd. 85 Gretina Masselink, Mourne Grange… May 27th. 80 Miriame Lyons, Tigh a’ Chomainn……June 1st. 70 Raymond Friskney, Newton Dee……. June 5th. 70 Debbie Wright, Minnesota……………June 10th. 70 Jon Ranson, Botton…………………… June 12th. 80 Michael Burger, West Coast, S.A……. June 14th. 80 Marianne Gorge, Simeon……………. June 16th. 97 Contents Derek Pooley, West Coast, S.A……….June 16th. 70 Monica Dorrington, Ringwood……… June 20th. 96 The Blue Rose School……………………. 3 Camphill in Argentina…………………… 4 Susanne Dorflinger, Basel……………. June 27th. 80 Bangalore Seminar Presentations………. 6 Jacqueline Gruner, Perceval…………. June 29th. 70 Paul and the Three Essentials…………….9 Walter Kruck, Berlin…………………. June 30th. 75 Book Review: Eco Alchemy…………….. 11 Camphill Academy Research…………….12 Obituaries………………………………….14 Editorial and Advertising Rates - Back Cover 2 standard of the school, she says there is a yet another A Journey towards a Dream very serious problem that needs to be addressed by the society. ithin the green trees of Kandy Primrose Hill W rests the ‘Blue Rose Special School’ on land The situation of the differently abled people once donated by a philanthropist family from Kandy. The their caretakers and parents are no more is truly school is beautiful outside and inside. The beauty pathetic. In many cases after the parent’s demise, the outside emanates from the green hilly slopes that differently abled persons who by then are fully grown nests the building overlooking the Mahaweli River adults are sent to home-for-the-aged prematurely, or and the Gannoruwa Forest Reserve. It’s even more left destitute and living in appalling conditions. This is beautiful inside as it gives hope to so many children a big problem, where schools such as Blue Rose build and adults who are differently abled, who have on the potential capabilities of differently abled grown to be ‘blue’ roses and not the normal Pink, students and try their best to make them productive Red or Yellow roses that we know of. members in society, but that effort is not continued, and does not benefit the differently abled individual The Blue Rose Special School was started with 4 when the parent or their guardian is gone. students in a small space on Hill Street in Kandy to promote and safeguard the welfare of the The Blue Rose School is planning to addresses this intellectually impaired individuals with special needs problem by looking at a building a Blue Rose Village, in June 1981. This was one of the first projects where differently abled adults and children who do undertaken by the Service Civil International (SCI) – not have parents, guardians or a place to live will Kandy Branch. The school is run by the ‘Blue Rose have a home. According to the Principal they are Welfare Society’ comprising of professionals, parents, looking at 5 acres of land outside Kandy, where teachers, well-wishers and the founder organization these people could be living and working under which is SCI- Kandy Branch. This is a 100% voluntary professional care. “This may look alike a gigantic effort. With a lot of voluntary efforts and generous project, but Blue Rose School started small, with a donations, today Blue Rose Special School stands out few generous hearts, and see where we are today. If as one of the main institutions, which is creative and there is enough interest and effort and generosity proactive in providing ‘Special Education’ for nothing is impossible. It is achievable.... “ differently abled children in the Central Province. The Principal, staff, the parents together with the SCI Kandy Branch are hopeful that there will be individuals who will be interested to be part of the Blue Rose Village Initiative. For any further details one could contact the Principal or the SCI Kandy Branch on Tel: 081-2387188 or visit the website (www.forthekidsfund.com) Today the school has 50 students with a permanent staff comprising of the School Principal, and 6 qualified teachers. The school depends on a few more volunteer teachers to meet the demands of the children on a daily basis. Unlike the traditional 3 A Camphill initiative in Argentina We spent about two and a half weeks in Argentina, mainly in Buenos Aires and its suburbs. Argentina is a big country and covers an area one-third the size of n 2017 Keri MacDonald and Nanu Casano visited the USA and has abo utillion 43M inhabitants of I Camphill Village in Copake, looking for inspiration whom roughly 16M live in Buenos Aires. The rest of and advice on how to start such a residential the country is pampa, very fertile farmland. In the community for people with special needs. When they west the country borders the Andes mountain range. saw the Village they knew that this was the model In the south is Patagonia, the beautiful southern they were looking for. Both of them have a child with region of Argentina. special needs, and they are part of a very active group Most Portenos, as the inhabitants of Buenos Aires are that wants to bring about an integrated residential called, are immigrants from (southern) Europe and community in Argentina. Keri and Nanu also this gives Buenos Aires a distinct European feeling. attended the Inspired Communities Workshop organized by the Camphill Foundation in order to Argentina has a long history with anthroposophy. learn more about Camphill and the issues involved in Two of the first anthroposophists, Fred Poeppig and starting a new initiative. Gisela Ferradas also visited Francisco Schneider, arrived in the country in 1920. the Village a few times. The oldest Waldorf School, Colegio Rudolf Steiner was founded in 1940. One of the founding teachers, Camphill hasn’t had much presence in Latin America. Eli Lunde, had been sent by her parents to the For a time, there was a Camphill in Brazil called Friedwart School at Dornach, Switzerland where Angaia Camphill do Brasil. This ceased to be in the every day she met Rudolf Steiner who had taken a mid 90’s. caring interest in her. She trained as a teacher and Recently a few of initiatives have come about. In wanted to go back to the Friedwart School, but ended Columbia there is a small Camphill initiative, called up in Buenos Aires. Agualinda, on the outskirts of Bogota. It was founded by Lina Reina, who spent time at Coleg Elidyr in The Escuela Waldorf San Miguel Arcangel (http:// Wales and in the Camphill Schools in Scotland and www.sanmiguelarcangel.edu.ar) with about 500 completed a curative education and social therapy students will celebrate 50 years of Waldorf education. training that was offered in Colombia. At the moment The school offers K to 12 with classes up to 40 Agualinda is one house community, which includes students. The school integrates children with learning six adults with various disabilities, Lina, her partner difficulties. There are two curative education Marcelo and some volunteers. They are setting up a specialists working at San Miguel Waldorf School garden on their property and run a small bakery and caring for those children. This school is closely cafe in town and they run their own household. connected to the project. A few years ago Nanu Casano and Alejandro Fitte together with Christian Plebst worked on an idea for an intentional community based on the Camphill model, Proyecto El Respiro de Alsina. Robin Jackson was involved in an advisory role. Keri, Nanu and Gisela brought all these experiences back to Argentina and the group decided to establish a project called Comunidad Respirar. This was an important first step towards establishing a residential community. Then the group invited Min, myself and Siral from Triform to come and meet with them in Buenos Aires and to look at all the various anthroposophical places and meet the people involved. 4 A 150 acres farm, La Escondida in Zárate, was Education and Social Therapy in Kassel, Germany donated to the Escuela Waldorf San Miguel Arcangel since 2011, and has begun the certification process. by Wolfram Klein, one of the first biodynamic farmers The Christian Community in Argentina was founded in Argentina, under the condition that it be farmed in 1960 and has a sizable congregation with 4 biodynamically. The school uses it for class trips and priests in Buenos Aires. There are also congregations for its farm program and has a hired hand to maintain in Cali (Colombia), Lima (Peru), Brazil and in the farm. Accessibility is limited when it rains, Santiago de Chile. because the dirt road becomes impassable.