General Anthroposophical Society Anthroposophy Worldwide 10/06 I Anthroposophical Society 2007 Initiative for Human Dignity Strengthening the Human Element Human dignity, a central issue that concerns the human being both individually and in society, will be the focus of the initiative ‘Origin Future’ in the coming year at the December 2006 Goetheanum. Vera Koppehel (Rudolf Steiner Archives), Paul Mackay, Bodo v. Plato and No. 10 Ulrich Rösch (Goetheanum), Shelley Sacks (Oxford Brooke University) and Wolfgang Zumdick (curator and journalist) are currently preparing exhibitions and projects on Goetheanum ‘Social Sculpture’ (opening in May 2007) and a congress from July 18 to 21, 2007. 1 Initiative for Human Dignity 5 Congress on Human Dignity: he Goetheanum is inseparably con- Conversation with Shelley T nected with the attempt and task of Sacks and Wolfgang Zumdick bringing to expression, calling for and fur- thering the universal human element.The Anthroposophical Society very forms of the building speak of this:of 2 General Anthroposophical Society: the creative human being and of anthro- Christmas Appeal posophy as the consciousness of the ‘hu- 6 General Anthroposophical Society: manity-element’ within the human be- Project on Soul Calendar ing. Following the burning of the first in Eurythmy with Ursula Goetheanum, Rudolf Steiner stressed the Zimmermann following as a carrying motif for the re- 7 General Anthroposophical Society: building: “Anthroposophy is not some- Meeting of General Secretaries thing belonging to a circle of people who 8 Great Britain: Conversation with separate themselves off. […] To one who Preparing for ‘Origin Future’ New General Secretaries Ann really stands by the true spirit of anthro- Druitt and Philip Martyn posophy, the name ‘anthroposophy’ does- for one’s own wishes and aims. Human 10 General Anthroposophical Society: n’t matter. What matters to him is the dignity is always the dignity of the other. Meeting of Branch Carriers cause itself.The cause, however, is a total- We see many artists, scientists, politi- ly universally-human one.” (January 23, cians, entrepreneurs and organizers Anthroposophy in the World 1923, in Awakening to Community) whose work expresses this human digni- 3 Europe: Signature Drive ty. We are impressed by their personal by New ‘Eliant’ Alliance New and Unaccustomed lives and their aesthetic, societal or eco- 4 Germany: Conference on Anthroposophy is there for the human nomic engagement in a time that is ruled ‘Economics in Our Time’ being, and not the other way around. It by the isolation of the individual, by sepa- wants to serve the unfolding of the hu- ration into like-minded groups and by School of Spiritual Science man principle and does not exist for itself. techno-economic globalization. 10 General Anthroposophical Sec- This universal, human element remains We have invited some of these people tion: Meeting of Class Holders an abstraction,of course,as long as it does to the Goetheanum in 2007 for colloquia, 11 Conference in USA:The Nineteen not manifest in the individual human be- exhibitions, ‘Social Sculpture’ and a con- Class Lessons ing – where it is then also perceived and gress on human dignity. For many of sought by others: in the thinking, the them, the Goetheanum will be new and Forum artistic, social and economic activity, the unusual. And they will be new and per- 11 ‘New Eurythmy’ daily life and the failures of the other.This haps also somewhat unusual for the interrelationship is an expression of hu- Goetheanum … | Bodo v. Plato, Goetheanum Feature man dignity and strengthens the quality 12 Portrait: Leonore Bertalot of humanness that precludes making the other into an object for one’s own ideas See interview with Shelley Sacks and Wolf- gang Zumdick on page 5 and mental images or into an instrument 2 | Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 10/06 Advent 2006 Christmas Appeal 2006 Dear Friends and Members, and the services to our guests in a more The Goetheanum must raise 1.8 million professional and welcoming manner. Swiss francs (1,135,000 euros/1.5 million “To act out of love and allow others to do USD) in gifts and donations for 2006.It is the same is the fundamental principle of There are five major areas in the important to know that membership human freedom.” This sentence from Goetheanum, each of which has urgent fees constitute less than 25% of the Rudolf Steiner entails two fundamental priorities and activities.These are: budget, making the Goetheanum espe- gestures. Both speak to the will. The first 1. School of Spiritual Science with its 11 cially dependant on gifts from members act represents a will which reaches into Sections each working in representa- and friends, as well as institutions and the world in positive expression.The sec- tion, research and coordination legacies. Each year around Christmas we ond kind of will – to allow others to act worldwide and with colleagues in in- ask our members and friends to directly out of love – is a gesture of providing stitutions and practices, farms, donate towards the many worldwide ac- space and openness with generosity of schools, universities and clinics, to tivities and commitments of the soul. It is an anticipatory will. The one mention just a few. Goetheanum, from restoring the model cannot occur fruitfully without the activ- 2. The Anthroposophical Society, with made by Steiner of the first Goethe- ity of the other. Since the free gesture of membership secretary, administra- anum,to upgrading our members servic- acting out of love is fundamentally con- tion to serve branches and groups,the es,to supporting research and the School nected to the power of giving and the School of Spiritual Science meetings, of Spiritual Science. creation of new spaces and opportunities administrative personnel (with 215 Last year we targeted 800,000 Swiss for fresh deeds,so too can this deeply car- full-time coworkers at the Goethe- francs (500,000 euros/650,000 USD) for ing activity be directed towards the anum) and finance department, as the Christmas Appeal. It is possible to Goetheanum and anthroposophy. With- well as the library and archive for reach this amount through the generos- out many acts of conscious commitment, members. Some activities have been ity and engagement of all members the Goetheanum, with its enormous highlighted in the Annual Report, worldwide. We hope you will consider spectrum of activity and commitments which was sent to all members in 17 making a gift to the Goetheanum at this which are fundamentally of a cultural,re- different languages (possible only time.We are deeply grateful for your en- search and civilization nature, could sim- through the enhancement of our ad- gagement and generosity. ply not take place. In short, the financial dress data base which has been a ma- support that come to the Anthroposoph- jor project during the year). With best wishes for a light-filled Christ- ical Society and Goetheanum are crucial 3. The Stage, including eurythmy (and mas, enablements for the free spiritual and the major tours), theater (with ongo- cultural life to grow and flourish! ing performance and special events Cornelius Pietzner,Treasurer such as The Magic Flute), and the The Goetheanum is engaged in new and complex technical support that is ongoing activities of a far-reaching char- needed acter. As you may well know, there are 4. The Building Administration – includ- over 800 events that take place annual- ing cleaning and maintenance, heat- ly, many of them large conferences with ing, repairs to the twelve buildings on well over 900 guests, some smaller pro- the Goetheanum campus as a cultur- Donations: Please mark ‘Goetheanum/Christ- mas donation’ on your check and mail to your fessionally-oriented events designed to al and architectural center of signifi- country’s main office of the Anthroposophical deepen spiritual scientific dimensions of cance Society. a Section, or life-practice. Approximately 5.Conference Coordination and Visitor Re- 150,000 guests in total come to the ception – a new area bringing with it Contact: General Anthroposophical Society,Fi- nances, Postfach, CH-4143 Dornach 1, Switzer- Goetheanum each year, and we have changes and alterations to the ground land; ph: +41 (0)61 706 43 10; fax: (0)61 706 43 made a clear commitment to coordinat- floor of the Goetheanum and a new 14; [email protected] ing both the management of our events team-oriented working structure Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 10/06 | 3 I Anthroposophy in the World Europe: European Alliance of Initiatives of Applied Anthroposophy (Eliant) Michaela Glöckler and Christof Wiechert. The charter was unanimously adopted More Political Weight and signed the same day. After being ex- Since the beginning of November, they ‘travel’ by post and electronically to every con- amined by a law office in regard to its use ceivable distribution location: Eliant’s signature lists. At least a million signatures are for the political system within the EU, its to be collected by June 2007 for the purpose of supporting the political foundations of distribution has been ongoing since the existence for anthroposophical initiatives in Europe. beginning of November in both English and German, and is soon to be followed by Finnish,French,Polish,Spanish and Czech – with other languages to come. It was consciously decided to bring an- throposophy’s identity to expression in the name of the Alliance. It is time, as Michaela Glöckler of the initiative circle said,“that initiatives involving applied an- throposophy make themselves known and, together with other culturally cre- ative networks and umbrella organiza- tions, advocate for common goals in a changing Europe.” Conferring on the collection of signatures for the charter: the Steering Committee for Anthroposophic Medicine meeting on November 17, 2006 Everyone Can Help Whoever wants to show support for le- n recent years anthroposophical prod- addition to the academic hurdles and the gal assurance as a basis for the survival I ucts and services have been faced with legal, regulatory specifications, there are and continued development of anthropo- massive problems.