Editorial SEKEM Friends the Netherlands Launches
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Nr. 142 - August 2014 How It Began Agriculture SEKEM Health The German Helmy Abouleish in New Website Editorial SEKEM Friends The Netherlands Launches Dear Readers, The Beginning of SEKEM and you know how it all began with SEKEM? Do you know how the of its German Supporters long-standing and extremely German-Egyptian relations: In his contribution, Dr. Hans Werner, physician fruitful relationship between and long-time supporter of SEKEM, recalls the beginnings of SEKEM Germany, Austria and SEKEM that eventually led to the creation of the German “SEKEM Friends”. in Egypt originally came about? Dr. Hans Werner, a physician who still personally assists SEKEM’s development today and has been since the early 80s together with his wife Elfriede Werner, recalls the beginnings of SEKEM and of the German SEKEM Friends in his post in this issue. He remembers how the foundation was laid for a partnership that has already lasted more than 35 years. In addition, in this issue we report on Helmy Abouleish’s trip to The Netherlands, where he met with a number of students from an organic education insti- tute and from the renowned University of Wageningen in a debate on the future of eco-agri- How everything began: Elfriede and Hans Werner visited SEKEM at the beginning of the 80s and laid the foundational stone for a long-standing friendship and collaboration. culture. Finally, we report on the rede- arly in December 1983, on the In January of 1981, Elfriede Werner sign of the Internet page that E 9th of the month, to be precise, and Frieda Gögler stumbled into a young presents SEKEM’s medical Elfriede Werner together with Renate woman (the teacher Monika Kuschfeld), products. They have received Raubald, Elke von Laue, Helga Yan, then unknown to them, in the great pil- their own attractive and highly Uta Lochmüller and Christian Helms lared hall of Karnak (Luxor) in Egypt. Mrs. innovative website for the first founded the German SEKEM Friends, Kuschfeld told the two of an anthropo- time. the SEKEM initiative’s first private sup- sophical initiative in the Northeastern port association based in a European desert of Egypt, lead by physicians, Your Team of Editors Country. The Friends set themselves the pharmacists and farmers who were task of promoting the SEKEM initiative in seeking for practical assistance. The Find SEKEM also on the Internet at: Egypt, an Islamic initiative. But how did it initiator was said to be one Dr. Ibrahim come to this decision? Abouleish. Elfriede was intrigued and SEKEM Insight | August 2014 | Page 1 Culture individual advancements he intends At the end of this first period of its life to embellish Mashtul with in this let- came a serious economic crisis that ter. They basically encompass what has led to health problems for Dr. Ibrahim been achieved in SEKEM today. Abouleish. In 1985, he spent five months in Öschelbronn, an important time for The Austrian city of Graz was his first his recovery and for SEKEM. Together destination of travel. At the local uni- with Dr. Abouleish, we entered into many versity, he studied technical chem- talks on the further development of the istry, medicine and philosophy; next initiative and were able to establish new he studied European culture, particu- contacts, such as to Klaus Fintelmann larly its history of the arts. He passed for the education programmes of the his exams with top marks, worked as planned SEKEM School, or to Winfried a scientist in Austria, Germany, and Reindl as an architect for a large part the United States of America, and was of the future buildings that would even- then awarded a contract to install and tually come to represent the distinctive develop a research centre in the Austria “SEKEM style” of construction. city of St. Johann. There he met Martha Werth, a music teacher, and through her A groundbreaking ceremony for he encountered anthroposophy. SEKEM on the main farm in October 1985 was then the beginning of a rapid growth A trip back to Egypt in 1975 allowed of specifically its agricultural activities. him see first-hand the major changes Through an intensive cooperation of our brought about by the socialist dictator- association’s board together with the Frieda Gögler significantly shaped the beginnings ship of Nasser. This shocked him in such SEKEM, it quickly became possible to of the German support association. a way that he dreamed up the vision of construct numerous cultural institutions SEKEM and, after his idea had matured, over the years, which were funded by he decided to return to Egypt and to a number of people from Germany and did everything to arrange for a visit of realize it as an exemplary solution to the later other European countries. This way this desert farm still during our stay in modern problems of Egypt. Cairo. And she succeeded! SEKEM and its supporters were able to develop an initiative that today is per- The Beginnings of the When we arrived on the little patch haps unique worldwide in terms of diver- SEKEM Friends of desert land just a short while after- sity and cultural complexity. wards, we were approached by a man Elfriede, I, and Frieda Gögler returned whom everyone just called “Dr. Ibrahim”. It has been a special experience for to Germany Full of energy and with the He had appeared from a large, round the German Friends to witness during idea to spread – in writing and through mud hut, raised his hands in greeting these 30 years the emergence of a com- speeches – what we had experienced in and exclaimed: “I knew that you would prehensive educational system from Egypt after our first trip. Frieda Gögler come!”. And this Dr. Ibrahim immediately infant care groups to a university includ- in particular put herself behind the pro- treated us like an old friend. Elfriede, ing a vocational school, a school for the ject of getting 40 Allgäu cows shipped Frieda Gögler and I left the SEKEM Farm handicapped, an institute providing liter- to SEKEM together with young milk- deeply impressed and with the firm acy courses as well as a medical cen- maid Angela Hoffmann and the young resolve to help this young, still fledgling tre offering many different disciplines. Martin Abrecht. Frieda Gögler was able initiative. But who was this “Dr. Ibrahim”? Another project, co-financed by the to acquire a loan of $ 200,000 from the European Union, also warrants men- Charitable Trust Pforzheim to purchase tion: The “13-Villages-Project” promotes The Beginnings of SEKEM the cows. This loan was later transformed healthier lifestyles in the communities into a gift by the GLS Treuhand. This way, As a fourteen year old boy, Ibrahim surrounding SEKEM: street cleaning, the foundation was laid for the German Abouleish finds a book by the German waste separation and disposal, sani- “SEKEM Friends”. Elfriede Werner took poet and scientist J. W. von Goethe tation, hygiene education, support to the brunt of the responsibility of running place in the library of his uncle, reads it, pregnant women, childbirth and infant the association as Chairman until 2000 and immediately decides that he must care education and micro loans are part and Renate Raubald supported her as later visit the places where Goethe had of it. Treasurer until 2009. lived and worked. At age 19, he secretly The year 2006 brought a major leaves his family, leaving only a letter During the first 7 years, the SEKEM change for the association: Its loca- addressed to his father: “When I get farm experienced substantial difficulties tion was moved to Stuttgart. There, home again...”, he writes, and then con- mostly from their immediate neighbours. board member Waltraud Bandel with tinues explaining that intends to trans- great effort had established connec- form the village of his youth, Mashtul, You can visit SEKEM yourself: tions to the city’s administration. Cairo into “a shining centre of development www.SEKEM-reisen.de in Egypt”. He also recounts all the www.aventerra.de Continued on page 3 SEKEM Insight | August 2014 | Page 2 Culture Helmy Abouleish Visits Dutch Organisations Meeting Students On a trip to the Netherlands, Helmy Abouleish recently visited the Warmonderhof and two universities to discuss the importance of organic farming with local students and staff. he Dutch association of the Friends community and from his family by “sav- how organic farming in a dry climate is of SEKEM (Vriendenkring SEKEM) ing the world” 24 hours a day. After his working and some students certainly will Trecently managed to organise a series release, Helmy recalls these 100 days do so. In between he managed to have of meetings between Helmy Abouleish, in prison as a wake-up call which ena- an interview with the Dutch branch of Executive Manager of the SEKEM com- bled him to reflect on his life more eas- Oikocredit, which has supported SEKEM panies, and students from the Bernard ily. He thus decided to spend more time for the last few years, and to attend the Lievegoed University for Liberal Arts with his family and with the workers on SEKEM Friends’ annual meeting. in the Netherlands, the Dutch train- the farm, as this is the place where sav- Helmy, with his visit, was able to win ing centre for bio-dynamic farm- ing the world actually happens for him the hearts of many young people for the ing Warmonderhof, and the Studium in practice. He confessed that talking SEKEM vision, which could result in a Generale programme of the University about his personal life publicly for the stronger cooperation between SEKEM of Wageningen. first time instead of SEKEM was quite a and the Netherlands once these people new experience.