May/June 2018

CAMPHILL CORRESPONDENCE

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

“Birth of a Butterfly“ by Szabo Sipos Barnabos

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Contents

The Blue Rose School……………………. 3Camphill in Argentina…………………… 4Bangalore Seminar Presentations………. 6Paul and the Three Essentials…………….9Book Review: Eco Alchemy…………….. 11Camphill Academy Research…………….12Obituaries………………………………….14

Editorial and Advertising Rates - Back Cover

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

Derek Pooley, West Coast, S.A……….June 16th. 70

Monica Dorrington, Ringwood……… June 20th. 96

Susanne Dorflinger, Basel……………. June 27th. 80

Jacqueline Gruner, Perceval…………. June 29th. 70

Walter Kruck, Berlin…………………. June 30th. 75

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 A Journey towards a Dream

ithin the green trees  of Kandy Primrose Hill rests the ‘Blue Rose  Special School’ on  land

donated by a philanthropist family from Kandy.  The school is beautiful outside and inside. The beauty outside emanates from the green hilly slopes that nests the building overlooking the Mahaweli River and the Gannoruwa Forest Reserve.  It’s even more beautiful inside as it gives hope to so many children and adults who are differently abled, who have grown to be ‘blue’ roses and not the normal Pink, Red or Yellow roses that we know of.

The Blue Rose Special School was started with 4 students in a small space on Hill Street in Kandy to promote and safeguard the welfare of the intellectually impaired individuals with special needs in June 1981. This was one of the first projects undertaken by the Service Civil International (SCI) – Kandy Branch.  The school is run by the ‘Blue Rose Welfare Society’ comprising of professionals, parents, teachers, well-wishers and the founder organization which is SCI- Kandy Branch. This is a 100% voluntary effort. With a lot of voluntary efforts and generous donations, today Blue Rose Special School stands out as one of the main institutions, which is creative and proactive in providing ‘Special Education’ for differently abled children in the Central Province.

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

standard  of the school, she says there is a yet another very serious problem that needs to be addressed by the society.

The situation of the differently abled people once their caretakers and parents are no more is truly pathetic. In many cases after the parent’s demise, the differently abled persons who by then are fully grown adults are sent to home-for-the-aged prematurely, or left destitute and living in appalling conditions. This is a big problem, where schools such as Blue Rose build on the potential capabilities of differently abled students and try their best to make them productive members in society, but that effort is not continued, and does not benefit the differently abled individual when the parent or their guardian is gone.  

The Blue Rose School is planning to addresses this problem by looking at a building a Blue Rose Village,  where differently abled adults and children who do not have parents, guardians or a place to live will have a home. According to the Principal they are looking at  5 acres of land outside Kandy, where these people could be living and working under professional care. “This may look alike a gigantic project, but Blue Rose School started small, with a few generous hearts, and see where we are today. If there is enough interest and effort and generosity nothing is impossible. It is achievable.... “

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)

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A Camphill initiative in Argentina

n 2017 Keri MacDonald and Nanu Casano visited Camphill Village in Copake, looking for inspiration

and advice on how to start such a residential community for people with special needs. When they saw the Village they knew that this was the model they were looking for. Both of them have a child with special needs, and they are part of a very active group that wants to bring about an integrated residential community in Argentina.  Keri and Nanu also attended the Inspired Communities Workshop organized by the Camphill Foundation in order to learn more about Camphill and the issues involved in starting a new initiative. Gisela Ferradas also visited the Village a few times.

Camphill hasn’t had much presence in Latin America. For a time, there was a Camphill in Brazil called Angaia Camphill do Brasil. This ceased to be in the mid 90’s. Recently a few of initiatives have come about. In Columbia there is a small Camphill initiative, called Agualinda, on the outskirts of Bogota. It was founded by Lina Reina, who spent time at Coleg Elidyr in Wales and in the Camphill Schools in Scotland and completed a curative education and social therapy training that was offered in Colombia. At the moment Agualinda is one house community, which includes six adults with various disabilities, Lina, her partner Marcelo and some volunteers. They are setting up a garden on their property and run a small bakery and cafe in town and they run their own household.

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.

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 the USA and has abo utillion 43M inhabitants of whom roughly 16M live in Buenos Aires. The rest of the country is pampa, very fertile farmland. In the west the country borders the Andes mountain range. In the south is Patagonia, the beautiful southern region of Argentina. Most Portenos, as the inhabitants of Buenos Aires are called, are immigrants from (southern) Europe and this gives Buenos Aires a distinct European feeling.  Argentina has a long history with anthroposophy. Two of the first anthroposophists, Fred Poeppig and Francisco Schneider, arrived in the country in 1920. The oldest Waldorf School, Colegio Rudolf Steiner was founded in 1940. One of the founding teachers, Eli Lunde, had been sent by her parents to the Friedwart School at Dornach, Switzerland where every day she met Rudolf Steiner who had taken a caring interest in her. She trained as a teacher and wanted to go back to the Friedwart School, but ended up in Buenos Aires.

The Escuela Waldorf San Miguel Arcangel (http://www.sanmiguelarcangel.edu.ar) with about 500 students will celebrate 50 years of Waldorf education. The school   offers K to 12 with classes up to 40 students. The school integrates children with learning difficulties. There are two curative education specialists working at San Miguel Waldorf School caring for those children. This school is closely connected to the project.

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A 150 acres farm, La Escondida in Zárate, was donated to the Escuela Waldorf San Miguel Arcangel by Wolfram Klein, one of the first biodynamic farmers in Argentina,  under the condition that it be farmed biodynamically. The school uses it for class trips and for its farm program and has a hired hand to maintain the farm. Accessibility is limited when it rains, because the dirt road becomes impassable. This place has a very special atmosphere and would be the best place for a future Camphill community. The adjacent piece of land is for sale and this would provide access to a better road and also has a number of existing buildings.

A newly established and rapidly expanding Waldorf school, called Escuela Waldorf Arcangel Gabriel (http://www.arcangelgabrielesc.edu.ar/ ), is situated just outside of Buenos Aires. This school works closely together with the neighboring biodynamic farm La Cañada. This farm/garden has about 20 acres of very fertile land and produces vegetables year-round. Nearby is an anthroposophic day center for adolescents and adults with disabilities, called Triade. They have a range of activities from gardening to cooking,    

The Fundacion San Rafael is an anthroposophical medical clinic. There are 5 anthroposophical doctors, an anthroposophical dentist and many therapists. The building also houses a Weleda pharmacy, an a u d i t o r i u m a n d a r e s t a u r a n t . ( h t t p : / /www.fundacionsanrafael.com.ar/index.html )

The Training Course on Curative Education and Social Therapy “Cruz del Sur” has been participating in the Annual Conference of Trainers on Curative

Education and Social Therapy in Kassel, Germany since 2011, and has begun the certification process.The Christian Community in Argentina  was founded in 1960 and has a sizable congregation   with 4 priests in Buenos Aires. There are also congregations in Cali (Colombia), Lima (Peru), Brazil and in Santiago de Chile.

La Choza (http://www.lachoza.com.ar) is a 400-acre piece of land situated in General Rodríguez in the province of Buenos Aires and was given to the Christian Community in the 90’s. In 1995 a foundation was created and La Choza Cooperativa de Trabajo Limitada has been developed into a productive farm and garden, producing yogurt and herbs for Weleda. There is also senior living housing, and The Christian community camps are held there in the old mansion.

Over the course of ten days we had various meetings. We started by  sharing our biographies, followed by summarizing the project and the accomplishments so far. The group consists of parents of children with special needs (ranging from 12 to 25 years old), some Waldor f teachers and therapis t s and two psychologists. Members of the group currently are Keri MacDonald, Mateo Uriarte, Nanu Casano, Pachi Fitte, Gisela Ferradas, Gustavo Mazza, Patricia Elizalde, Martin Ackermann, Martin Pacheco, Christian Plebst, Josefina Piniero, Sebastian López, Jenny Ford, Charles Newbery, Teresita Scallan, Connie Padilla, Alicia Blanco, Leticia Santagata, Ana Inés Boy, Pablo Cuezzo and Andrea Coradeghini.

After these initial meetings we visited most of the above-mentioned anthroposophical places.We also gave a number of presentations, including one to the general public, which drew over 200 people. As a result of this presentation more than 20 volunteers came forward offering their help.

We finished with a 2-day retreat with the whole group at Nanu’s farm, a 2,000-acre estancia bordering a river of the La Plata delta. Nanu has established a residence and some day activities there for her son, with two helpers.

We managed to formulate clear tasks and we formed a number of groups with specific mandates. Some of

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his Course is hosted by ‘Friends of Camphill India’, a Community for adults with additional

support needs at the outskirts of Bangalore. It has 2 houses for residents, co-workers and volunteers; several workshops provide space for activities, and the land provides daily work, growing vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers using biodynamic methods. There are also chickens and 2 cows to be looked after. This Course was the third one held in Bangalore;the modules of the courses took place in two 2week blocks per year over 3 years. This is a massive commitment for the participants who come from all over India, some of whom have to travel over long distances to get there; all of them leave behind either quite demanding jobs as special needs teachers, therap i s t s , doc tors o r counse l lo r s and/or responsibilities for their families back home which often include the care of a child with additional support needs. This can be quite stressful and not easy to let go of worries about neglecting their responsibilities, but in the course of time it gets easier as the students get to know and trust each other,

friendships are formed and support offered when needed.

The learning as well as the personal and professional development of the participants is supported and stimulated by three main elements:

• the direct experience of living in the Camphill Community: meeting and interacting with the residents; witnessing the therapeutic atmosphere and the dedication and hard work going into creating a meaningful life and beautiful environment; the creativity and joy in celebrating festivals as part of the rich cultural and spiritual life.

• the content and delivery of the modules: students were introduced to all the important elements of Anthroposophical Curative Education and Social Therapy – Steiner’s Curative Course, the understanding of the Human Being, the 12 senses, 7 Lifeprocesses, Waldorf Education, Biography, Theosophy and more. Other subjects were principles of Adult Education, Learning Styles, Reflection and Inner Development. The outcome was that they came to a strong experience that their own efforts at growth and inner development were fundamental in supporting the education and growth of the children and adults they supported. They also engaged in no less than 17 artistic activities, Eurythmy taking a central part.

• The student group itself and how over the 3 years individuals from very different backgrounds, life experiences and professions came to know and trust each other, learn to understand and respect their differences and enjoy meeting each other, sharing laughter and tears. This was promoted through their engagement with creative ways of working with biography, something that would not have been familiar to them and often moved them beyond their “comfort zone”.

This was summed up by a group of students at the festive ending like this:

The theme of this course- the red thread that connected all the 7 modules that we did was the 7 life processes. They are:

Festive Ending of the Foundation

Course in Anthroposophical

Curative Education and Social

Therapy in Bangalore India

the tasks to be worked on are: finding the right legal structure for the project, looking into labor laws, finding funding for operating, infrastructure, developing a communications plan, looking into better access to La Escondida, considering whether the property next to La Escondida should be acquired, and who will be the people to pioneer the project?, etc. We concluded with an “Asado” a typical Argentinian barbecue.

There is still a lot of work to be done before a residential community can be started, but we made some progress. The North American Region is willing to accompany this project and has invited members of Respirar to attend Association meetings.

For questions please contactKeri Macdonald @ keri@respirarcomunidad.org

or Kerst de Jong @ kerst@camphillvillage.org

(Written by Kerst and Min de Jong.)

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• Breathing• Warming• Nourishing • Secreting• Maintaining• Growing and • Maturing.

We all came from various walks of life and we shared each others’ space in all these modules. The introductory BREATHING session brought in the various rhythms of our life through our classes and our life in Camphill.  Then we as a group started WARMING up to each other, becoming increasingly sensitive to the needs of the others in the course.The healthy organic food provided in Camphill NOURISHED our physical body and the lectures, the sharing of each person's biography was our nourishing soul food.The SECRETING- the separation was felt in the group when we weaved together to do our various tasks yet maintaining our sacred inner space for reflection.We are GROWING in our strengths and building our way through our challenges.As we are the end of the course, on the threshold of walking out into the world, keenly aware of our strengthening, courage giving back spaces, through which we gain our inner strength and soul qualities. With all these MATURING and inner qualities, we will find our path in our journey as curative educators and most of all responsible, sensible, sensitive human beings in this society.

A total of 20 teachers from many different countries came to deliver the content of the modules. Some contributed to one or two courses, with a small group attending almost all teaching blocks and holding the responsibility for content and facilitating the learning of the

individual students. The success of the courses is to a great deal due to the commitment of Francis Aradhya as the Course Director who guides and administers the events and her husband Anantha who is always available to offer advice, helpful conversations and keeps the life of the community running as well as supporting the events of the Seminar. Both are concerned for the wellbeing of the participants and are seen by them as living examples of dedication to the values of Camphil l and how to apply Anthroposophy in practical life.

This was expressed at the Ending:

"With your work you bind yourself to yourself and to one another and to God. Work is love made visible. "  

This quotation from Gibran captures for us the ethos of Camphill that we have experienced. We have received a wealth of knowledge here and grown in the warmth of true friendships. We share with you what all of us feel about our experiences and what we take back with us. 

My fellow participants say that Camphill is like a large tree under whose shade we rested, learnt and played. to quote, " I found unconditional acceptance here. That helped me rest within myself. I began to feel less fearful when I looked within; I can now look at who I am fearlessly. I feel like a bird that has rediscovered its wings and soars in the sky. 

Some colleagues say that Camphill is like the glow of the burning lamp. They speak of how in its light inner landscapes have widened. “The learning and growing have been continuous and seamless, subtle yet powerful. It has been a period of revelation and a process of maturation."

Camphill has also been a place of joy and friendships. Many say, “I am grateful for the group of understanding friends. They have helped me rejoice in my learning. Here I have learnt about helping others, working hard and

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having fun. I learnt not only to accept diversity in views and ways of doing things but I began to see divers i ty as al l encompassing and adding richness to life. I became calmer, quieter and learnt to surrender not only to God but to the children I serve. "

The Chataka is a bird that nourishes itself with the raindrops before they fall down to the earth from the sky. Metaphorically the bird symbolises a seeker, one who looks for the essence and for that which is pure. We are grateful for Camphill, our Chataka bird. 

A colleague says that many things come and go but it is only when we are ready does it reach our heart. How ready are all of us to move on in our curative work? How do we hope to carry forward our rich learning? To quote, “Camphill has been a place of hope. I am grateful for the glimpse of a world that can be, for being shown a path with which I can continue my journey." 

"We make a living by what we get but we make a life with what we give." What is this special quality of giving that we have received here?

This sentiment is enunciated beautifully in the Sikshavalli from the Upanishads Shradhaya deyam -- Give only that which you are convinced about Ashradhaya adeyam---Do not give that which you are not convinced aboutShriya deyam, Hriya deyam--- Give that which you feel is auspicious and holding back nothing; give generously.Bhiya deyam--- Give with a little fear and tentativeness about what you are givingSamvida deyam--- Samvid is that which has existence and consciousness. Give of  the  highest with the trust  and hope that is best for that person.

Thank you all at Camphill for embodying this spirit of giving. Thank you for being who you are; for the courage of the decisions that you

have taken, for the rigour of your inner reflection and enquiry that creates this beautiful ethos. 

The heart beats quietly and deeplyThe breath is warm and flowingThe seed has been planted and needs to be watered dailyWe journey on.........

One other element must be mentioned: the incredible commitment of the participants to learn, and their enthusiasm to improve their practice through reflection, self discovery and self development in order to be able to understand and support the people they are working with in the best way possible. This became obvious when they presented their final projects. The task was to write a paper about work they had done with an individual or a group, showing how they could apply the Anthroposophical theories they had encountered in the courses in their daily practice in the context of often limited resources in India, reflect on their path of learning and present a summary of this to the group of students and tutors. It was amazing to witness how much true Anthroposophical Curative Education and Social Therapy began to emerge in their work and how much love, creativity and dedication to the needs of the individual could be experienced.

One Student reflected on her learning:

      From the time I started working with children with special needs, one question was in my mind..."is what I am enough to work with these kids?"       And this question stayed throughout this course; especially through the project...I got my answer by end of my project...        The answer was...what I am, and where I come from along with trust and what I learn here and now in this life and my good intention is enough...         And in one word...surrender: let go of my personal ambitions, preconceived ideas and plans and allow myself to be guided by the voice of the child I want to help.

Another one wrote this:

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The work of Anthroposophical Curative Education and Social Therapy is still relatively new in India and many initiatives are still at an early stage, but I hope that this report shows that the enthusiasm and dedication living there and the real hunger for learning how to develop the work can be an example to us all who live and work in established and comfortable circumstances.

Angelika Monteux, Camphill School AberdeenAngelika is a Camphill Co-worker since 1973

ver the past year, the Camphill Association of North America has taken up an exploration of the Three Essentials as a theme for regional study

and conversation. There are many directions one can take from a study of this small essay of Konig’s, and many debates one can continue to have concerning their relevance in Camphill today. With our changing worldviews, our changing regulatory environments, our changing organizational structures, and our changing relationship to the world, it can be difficult to swallow these “essentials.” Often with some perceived judgement, we conclude that either Konig or we—as Camphill in the 21st century—are in need of revision. Perhaps this comes from that tidy anthroposophical habit of fitting everything together so harmoniously: where there is a threefoldness, we strive to superimpose innumerable other threefoldnesses on top of it (and from there twelve, then four, etc), and the exercise is one of getting the right pieces in the right order. When we manage, there is a clarity, a revealing of something ordered and balanced, like the geometric radiance of gems upon which we can gaze, or the assemblage of seemingly disconnected pieces into a cathedral within which our thoughts can dwell. When we don’t, we keep trying.

For me, there is no greater witness to this endeavor than Paul of Tarsus—the Apostle Paul—and with him the centuries of interpreters who followed in

The Apostle Paul and the Three Essentials - IntroductionElizabeth Sanders

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The time flew faster than a light,The seed is planted in the earth,Now it's my responsibility to water and see if it grows into a tree,The tree cannot grow in a day,All I have to learn is to be patientand make sure I water the seedWhich will become a Tree one Day.And I hope the Tree will give flower, fruits and shade to others .Well I always believe every end has a new beginning.The beginning of a journey which started in a bus is slowly coming to an end .And the end will soon begin in a bicycleI do not know where the bicycle will take me.Yes the time shall answer my questions ! In the journey don't get confused but make sure to water the seed.

At the end of the Ending Ceremony the group stood up with hands on hearts and spoke this pledge they had formulated together:

The Pledge

I solemnly pledge to accept, include and open my heart to people of all abilities;

I pledge to live my life with integrityand to practice healing education with sincerity ;

I pledge to uphold with dedication, the moral, ethical and human values of my profession at home, in

society and in the world.

(The group of students speaking the pledge in front of a large audience of friends and families)

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his wake. If we look at what Paul has said and what others have said about Paul, we learn many things about this remarkable man and his influence. Paul is a social and political revolutionary, a social and political conservative, a feminist, a misogynist, a supporter of slavery and a fierce abolitionist, a Hellenizer and a Judaizer , a radical individualist, and a radical communitarian. Paul was the “patron saint” of the Protestant Reformation and the evangelist of papal and secular hierarchy. No doubt an athroposophist somewhere has written a fine paper extolling Paul’s epochal contributions to world evolution, only to be echoed by another anthroposophist who has—with equal conviction and justification—condemned Paul for throwing the whole course of evolution off the rails. Paul and his interpreters are a maddening bundle of tangled contradictions. So much for gems, so much for balanced cathedrals of thought!

This, however, is no surprise. In Paul’s own words:

“To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law…To those outside the law I became as one outside the law…so that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. (1 Corinthians 9:19-22)

By all means, then, Paul may give me license to explore what we, in Camphill, might need him to become today, particularly in light of our struggle with the Three Essentials. I was heartened by Richard Steele’s essay which reminds us of the provisional, exploratory nature of this essay from which we have extracted these “three essentials.” I can’t help but be heartened by how Paul, too, never intended his letters—written to specific people in particular circumstances—to become “essential” doctrine. A man who took scripture so seriously would have probably been scandalized by the fact that today we treat his correspondence as holy writ! As we do with drafts, we give them to trusted friends who can look them over with fresh eyes to give us feedback.

Perhaps in the process of approaching the Three Essentials in the 21st century we can enlist Paul as one of our friends, and see what he might have to say in reply. But also, as with any draft, the exegesis will not

be tidy and the structure will not quite fit. I take courage from Paul, that walking, talking, community-building pile of contradiction, to forge ahead and keep trying.

Please read the complete article at www.Camphillcorrespondence.net/archive

Onat Sanchez-Schwartzemail: beacoworker@camphillghent.org

2542 Route 66, Chatham, NY 12037www.camphillghent.org

Camphill Ghent is looking for coworkers

Camphill Ghent is a community devoted to caring for elders. We are looking for coworkers who have an interest in care work and those who would like to work in the garden. Interest in sharing life and work with a diverse group of people is important. If you want more information, please contact Onat (see below).

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n this book Dan McKanan, a senior lecturer at Harvard University, has done some thorough

research into the role played by anthroposophy in the evolving consciousness for our earth which during the course of the 20th century, has been gradually changing. The apparent god given right to ruthlessly exploit the earth’s resources is giving way to one of deep concern for what we are doing to our earth.                    He begins by showing how many of the strands that have developed in today’s environmental movement are coloured in some way or other by the impulse of Rudolf Steiner’s spiritual science. The agricultural lectures play a particularly important role in this and though it is often said that this work is unfathomable to the newcomer, the author points out that several key principles of today’s environmental awareness are stated in it. Thus for instance he writes:                    ... Steiner expounded several ideas that became foundational for the environment movement. He called for a holistic approach that honoured interconnections binding plants and animals to the whole of nature; he emphasised dynamic processes rather than the static substances analysed by agricultural chemists; he described each farm as a living organism; he called upon farmers to nurture rather than exploit the soil and explained that diseases are the result of imbalances and not of specefic agents that must be eliminated altogether.                    Much of the book is devoted to tracing in a very sensitive way, the historical development of organic agriculture, the environmental movement and anthroposophy. The author describes three distinctly different groups of people who were involved. He calls them ‘evangelists’, ‘translators’ and ‘allies’. Among the rst group he includes those who, like Pfeiffer, Howard and Kolisko, set out to inspire people with the new approach. The second group includes people who sought to translate and broaden the appeal of the new ideas among wider groups in society, while in the third we nd allies for creating a broad-based and potentially global movement – people like Balfour, Rodale and others. He gives fascinating descriptions of three individuals in the

Eco-Alchemy - Book ReviewBernard Jarman

second group, those he refers to as ‘translators’ – namely George Trevelyan, Alan Chadwick and Joseph Beuys. The rst is arguably the founder of the New Age movement in Britain. He was a person who eagerly integrated much of what Steiner brought into his teachings and gave it wider audience and yet he was reluctant to openly acknowledge its source. Alan Chadwick was a great pioneer of intensive organic (biodynamic) gardening who incorporated much of the cosmic and spiritual background offered by Steiner into his approach whilst largely ignoring the role of the biodynamic preparations. Joseph Beuys, the third of these ‘translators’, focused more particularly on the social aspects, brought anthroposophy into his artistic creative work and played a signi cant role in developing the Green Party, particularly in Germany.                    Counter ing the widespread asser t ion that anthroposophy is dogmatic, the author again and again shows that what Steiner proposed avoids everything of a dogmatic nature. While biodynamics is often decried as an extreme form of organic agriculture, he points out that the biodynamic approach and indeed anthroposophy altogether, follows a path that seeks to work objectively between the more extreme approaches. In a chapter entitled Ecology – the Boundaries of Anthroposophy, he gives examples of the dogmatism that can so easily creep into environmental activism. Such statements as: ‘You cannot argue with established science (in reference to the global warming debate)!’ or ‘Environmentalism is about social justice – capitalism must be abolished!’ or again ‘All creatures must be respected and anthropocentrism must end!’ There is a growing tendency among green activists to extol the virtues of wilderness and lump all farming activity together with the ruthless and destructive exploitation carried out by industrial agriculture.                The central position of the human being in the evolution and future development of our planet is emphasised again and again. Which is more beautiful and artistic a wild untouched hillside, pristine in all its primeval glory or the same patch of ground transformed into the most beautiful garden? Is our task to maintain what already exists or to transform and create the world anew? These are the questions that need grappling with today whether we are engaged in cultivating the earth or developing

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he Camphill Academy is the higher education community of Camphill in North America,

providing professional education and certification in Anthroposophic Curative Education and Social Therapy. Over the last decade, the specific trainings in North America have matured: starting in 2004, coursework has been externally recognized and eligible for college credit equivalency, and in 2013, the Camphill Academy was established as an independent organization. This year, the next step of maturation has begun with a impulse to expand the research activities of the Camphill Academy.

The research activities of the Camphill Academy are threefold: first, to enhance research capacities within the Camphill Academy administrative, faculty, and student bodies; second, to facilitate the formalizing and distribution of existing, independent research within the Camphill movement; third, to develop and coordinate new research projects on a regional level out of an annual thematic focus; and fourth, to strengthen relationships with external academics, scholarly and professional organizations, and universities.

As regards the first goal, enhancing research capacities throughout the Academy’s organization, three steps are underway. The Camphill Foundation has awarded the Camphill Academy a three-year grant to establish a Research Fellow position. The current Research Fellow, Libby Sanders, is a householder at Camphill Special School in southeastern Pennsylvania. The Research Fellow is the coordinator of research within the Academy and is chair of the Research Council. The Research Council, as the second step in enhancing the organization’s research capacities, playing both an advisory and networking role. Thirdly, drawing upon support of the Academy Collegium, program faculties, and the Research Council, the Academy will integrate preparation in research methodologies and ethics into the coursework of the Camphill Academy to prepare students to undertake formal research.

The second and third goals—formalizing and distributing existing, independent research and

Camphill Research AcademyElizabeth Sanders

our task to maintain what already exists or to transform and create the world anew? These are the questions that need grappling with today whether we are engaged in cultivating the earth or developing new forms of social life. The Camphill movement has been one of the pioneers in developing new forms of social living. In a chapter entitled ‘The Broader Ecology of Camphill’ the author quotes a co-worker as saying that success is due “not because we are such great care givers. It is because there is a whole environment here that people are part of. They are walking. They are enjoying life, they actually have real tasks that they are doing, that have an effect that they can see.” If human beings are able to structure the social environment in accordance with what lives intrinsically within them, they will be able at the same time to live in harmony with nature. Spiritual as well as material considerations are always taken into account.                    As its name suggests Eco-Alchemy describes an intermixing and re-constituting of ideas and good intentions that have been emerging and manifesting themselves over the last hundred years. The cultural impulses of anthroposophy appear as leaven in the dough. The analysis offered in Eco-Alchemy presents a very respectful and balanced picture of anthroposophy and yet does not shy away from describing the shortcomings and errors which have occurred over the years, nor the need to change, transform itself and learn from other progressive movements. It is an important work that should be widely available particularly to those undertaking a study of environmental philosophy.                                   

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coordinating new research projects around an annual thematic focus— will makeup the bulk of the research activity of the Camphill Academy. Independent research is a long-standing and essential component of spiritual development and the evolution of community practice within the Camphill movement. In alignment with the overall aims of developing the research activities of the Camphill Academy, it is imperative that this wealth of independent research by supported in formal articulation in order that it can find audiences outside North American Camphill communities. Such activity will increase the visibility of the Camphill movement in academia, support the work of Camphill as a “seed for social renewal,” and bring new insights into the Camphill movement for the aim of developing Camphill’s practices. Existing projects will be identified which could be formalized or expanded for publication, presentation, or serve as the basis for workshops. Further, the Research Fellow in conjunction with the Research Council will develop research proposals on questions emerging from individual communities and regional bodies which can serve as a resource for Academy students, regional or international groups, and external researchers interested in working with Camphill.

To cultivate new, in-depth study in a particular area, an annual thematic focus will be developed and underlie a variety of research projects. The annual thematic focus will allow for research activities within the movement to unfold in a coordinated and substantial fashion. For 2017-2018, we will focus on vocation in community—a topic which emerged from the 2017 Camphill Research Symposium in Hudson, NY. Potential projects include a comparative study of alternative economic structures, including worker’s cooperatives, an educational study of recent US federal and state policy on employment for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and a study on the current role and understandings of volunteerism and compensation in the Camphill movement. These projects, undertaken by various individuals and groups over the coming year, will be presented at the 2018 Camphill Research Symposium and eventually find other outlets for publication, presentation, or serve as the basis for continuing education workshops.

Academy is to strengthen relationships with external academics, scholarly and professional organizations, and universities. The Research Council is an essential component of this task as it brings together scholars from various disciplines and international bodies to support the unfolding research capacities of the Academy. At present, the Research Council is chaired by Elizabeth Sanders as the Research Fellow and includes Pim Blomaard, Director of Research and Development for Raphael Foundation at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; Shelley Burtt, Executive Director of the Camphill Foundation; Jan Goeschel, President of the Camphill Academy and part of the leadership of the International Curative Education and Social Therapy Council; Maria Lyons, founder of the Camphill Research Network and the author of Re-thinking Community Care: The Camphill Village Model; Robert McDermott, president emeritus of the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) and chair of the CIIS Philosophy and Religion Department; Dan McKanan, Emerson chair at Harvard Divinity School and Chair of of the Board of Directors for the International Communal Studies Association; and John Swinton, chair in Divinity and Religious Studies at the University of Aberdeen and founder of the Centre for the Study of Spirituality, Health and Disability (CSHAD). The Research Fellow, Research Council, and Camphill Association are also looking forward to building new relationships through the 2019 International Communal Studies Association conference which will be hosted by Camphill communities in New York state.

We at the Camphill Academy are enthusiastic about the blossoming of our research capacities into the future, and we encourage interested individuals to reach out to us.

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Baroness Inge von Schilling

18 March 1933 – 22 November 2017

A life of givingInge von Schilling was born on 18th March 1933 in Saskatoon, Canada. Karin, her twin sister, was born shortly thereafter. Her parents had immigrated to Canada in 1928 and set up a homestead in the prairie.

Photos of Inge and Karin and their younger brother Bero in Canada show what looks like a rural idyll, however, life on the homestead also involved very hard work for both their parents. By all accounts it was a very happy time for the whole family nevertheless. In 1937, when Inge was only 4 years old, her parents decided to return to Germany, partly out of fear of how they, being Germans, might be treated in the war which seemed increasingly inevitable. As things turned out, the war did come, but the Germans in Canada were treated very well and suffered very little as a result of the war. However, those who returned to Germany had very difficult years ahead of them.

From their arrival back in Germany, the children saw little of their parents. Their parents first had to try to find work and set up a new home for them all in Berlin, whilst Inge, Karin and Bero were passed from one relative to another, or lived in children’s homes. In 1938/39 they at long last spent a couple of lovely months together with their parents in Berlin, and Inge started going to school. It was to be the first of seven schools she attended, including half a year at the Waldorf School in Dresden.

The Second World War brought danger and disruption. Inge’s mother, a pharmacologist and one of the first women in Germany to be awarded a doctorate, and her father, an engineer, divorced and he remarried. Inge rarely saw her father again after that, and he was killed in the final days of the war during the storming of Berlin by the Russian troops. The children were sent away from Berlin to protect them from the air raids. But even during wartime good things do happen. Inge started to learn to play the violin, which she loved and became very good at. So good in fact, that she later played first violin in the RIAS radio and television youth orchestra in Berlin. Inge’s mother became an Anthroposophist and joined the Christian Community in Berlin as a result of getting to know a colleague, Dr. Vermehren. In 1942 Inge was sent to live with Nita Lindenberg in Ried bei Dietramszell in Bavaria, far from the bombings which made life in the cities so dangerous. Here she remained until the end of the war, when her mother brought her (and Karin and her brother Bero) back to Berlin. Nita Lindenberg was mother to a large family, including Christof-Andreas, whom Inge was to meet again years later when she went to join Camphill Aberdeen as a young co-worker.

Inge first successfully studied the violin in West Berlin, and then continued to study to be a teacher. In 1960, Inge spent 7 months at Glencraig gaining experience as a teacher as part of her studies. In 1961, she gave birth to her son Martin; shortly after that she finished her studies and became a primary school teacher to provide for her son and herself. In 1967 she joined Camphill Aberdeen, following in the footsteps of her twin sister Karin, who had joined Camphill some years before her. She did the Seminar, and became a Class Teacher. In early days she and her son Martin lived in St. Devenick’s in Murtle Estate together with Karin, but Inge also lived and worked in St. Ternan’s, in Garden Cottage, and then Cairnlee House together with Geoffrey and Jean Bell.

Inge was always willing and indeed eager to take on new tasks if that was how she could best serve Camphill. Thus, when Anke Weihs’ ambitious new undertaking Templehill Community needed support in 1974, Inge went there, and later took on the role

Obituaries

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of housemother. Templehill was a very special experience for all who lived and worked there and Inge blossomed. The youngest resident was Maureen, a charming 18-month old baby with Downe’s syndrome, whom Inge took on as a foster child and treated like her own daughter. The oldest was Francis, a young-at-heart pensioner who assisted Inge lovingly in looking after Maureen. Templehill was a community for mutual help, and the harmonious and valuable relationship between Maureen and Francis was a perfect example of that. During Inge’s time in Templehill, Anke and Inge also introduced a modified version of the Offering Service in which each of the residents not only received the blessing, but also then passed the blessing on to their neighbour. Templehill was an ambitious and largely wonderful and unique experience, but in the end also exhausting for those who worked there.

Inge’s next stop was Delrow, where she became housemother of Robert Owen House. Inge stayed in Delrow from 1979 to 1981 and then went to Corbenic College, to support Liz Butler and Kirsten Bork (now Beckett) and the rest of Corbenic community. Sadly, the strain of the previous years led to an illness which she moved to Ringwood to overcome. After something like two years of battling with her illness and much soul-searching, Inge decided with great sadness that the only path open to her was to leave Camphill and to go to work in an Anthroposophical home plus workshops for adults w i t h s p e c i a l n e e d s c a l l e d T r o x l e r h a u s Wohnsiedlung in Wuppertal, Germany. Here she worked until retiring in 1994. However, even after retiring she continued to give art therapy for the residents at Troxlerhaus.

Her next step took her back to the Lindenberg family. Nita Lindenberg, who had given Inge and her siblings shelter during the Second World War, was now a venerable but physically frail lady in her nineties and needed a live-in nurse and companion to be able to continue living at home. Once again, Inge took on the task which needed doing with enthusiasm and focussed on the needs of others rather than thinking about herself and what might have been best for her. Indeed, this focus on the needs of others and how she could help them was the consistent theme throughout her life. Inge

looked after Nita Lindenberg until Nita died at the age of 99. Inge then decided to remain in Pöttmes, Bavaria, where Nita had lived, and continued to tutor children who had difficulties at school. Her pupils improved so much that the local school teachers sent her more children who needed support, which gave her great pleasure. Inge was happiest when she was helping others.

In 2009 Inge fell and received injuries which lead to her spending the last years of her life in a wheelchair. She thus had to move into a nursing home in Pöttmes, where she lived until 2015, when she moved to another nursing home in Flensburg, where her son Martin lives.

Although confined to her wheelchair, Inge’s mind was active to the end. She read a book a day, often biographies, very often those of women, and enjoyed being taken for walks along Flensburg harbour. Listening to classical music was another great pleasure of hers, with Nigel Kennedy being a particular favourite. She also retained her ability to develop enthusiasm for people and ideas that she was impressed by. She also retained her appreciation of the small things in life, like seeing the swans and cygnets in the harbour, or the beautiful colours of a horse chestnut freshly out of its shell.

Although Inge “only” lived and worked in Camphill for 17 years, the Camphill spirit filled and shaped her life from the moment on when she learned about it. Moreover, it accompanied her throughout her life, also in the years after she left Camphill. Although she no longer lived and worked in Camphill, Inge remained a Camphiller to the end of her life. Her life was one of generously giving warmth and support to those who needed it. Inge lived to the age of 84. She had a very full life, with many stations and many meaningful tasks and encounters with others striving towards the same goals.

Death held no fear for her. When it came, she radiated peace and contentment. It seemed to those left behind, that Inge had done what she had come to this world to do, and that she had started on the next stage of her journey.                                                 Martin von Schilling

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