The Barndance Preparation!!!

On Thursday the 5th of February we are having a Barn Dance for the Agricultural Conference at the Goethenaum.
This is how we get dirty to have the right decoration...we love farmers, thus we wanna go all the way to have a rad party that night!! Yeeehaaa!!! Line Dancing and all!

Help Support the Connect Conference!

Hello everyone out there who has been at Connect or is coming to Connect this year!
We need your help!!!
550 people have signed up to come to Connect, plus some helpers and a lot of good afternoon activity leaders and speakers. We even have accommodation for almost everyone already-- the only thing that is missing is the money!!!

Who can imagine helping us fundraise? We need 270 Swiss Francs times 550 people. (Thats about 180 Euros per person coming) If we take it step by step, come on, everyone can collect 180 Euros!!

Even participants for this year... can you imagine donating something to Connect? Or starting an activity at your school? A sponsored run, a cake sale at the spring fair coming up... be creative! Do you have rich aunties or uncles? Do you feel like doing a flea-market or garage sale? There are many ways to help. On the Connect Website there is a direct link to our bank details. Let's get going!!

Take a look at our new concept at www.connectconference.org!

The Connect Conference in April...

Today is fundraising day!
5 young people from the Waldorfschool near by are in the YouthSection to call companies and businesses to ask them to support the Connect conference in every way.
We need money, lots of it, we need places for accommodation we need lots of help from all sides to pull of this exciting new Connect conference in April where 550 class 12 students from all around the world will come together to shape a conference never seen before. Class 12 projects in the morning in a huge and diverse festival, conversation groups in the afternoons, looking at current issues of society, cultural performances from all around the world, crafts, arts...it will be great!!!

To read mor about it go to www.connectconference.org

Feedback on the Open House YouthSection Weekend

"To meet and connect with people who are on the same level of interest as I am, always gives me strength to extend my ability to work on these subjects. On the other hand, we are critical on the things we talk about, which cares for a finetuning elemant in all conversations I had."
Jonathan, NL

"My highlight on the YouthSection Weekend was, that there was hardly any program given by the YouthSection itself, but that whoever came was allowed to bring his and her interest, questions and already established initiatives. For example the presentations from the YIP Participants, about what they do in their Youth Initiative Program in Sweden, the Connectivity 2010 Preparation Meetings, into which anyone could have a climps and put some input. Both of these initiatives make me excited for the future of the YouthSection network. I see many young faces coming to Dornach for more meetings, with interested eyes and strong and courageous hearts on their way of fulfilling their tasks in this world!!!"
Katharina, DE

The YouthSection between the years...

In the twelce Holy Nights following Christmas Eve a group of young people from many places in the world will be meeting at the YouthSection.
Information about this Midnight Sun Meeting can be asked from martin (at) youthsection.org.

Other activities will slow down over Christmas and will be taken up again at the end of January 2009.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you!

The YouthSection Dornach had a very successful Open House Weekend last weekend.
About 50 people from virtually all around the world joined us in Dornach to look at different topics. From Idems "Connectivity" over the Youth Sections "Health conference" to the YIP Participants presentations and the Network M meet-up.
Thanks to all that came and filled the YouthSection with joy!

The Open House YS Weekend

Friday 28th
Dinner at 18.00h

Saturday 29th
Breakfast 8.00h
from 9.00 to 10.30 Elizabeth Wirsching would like to invite us all to an Opening with everyone present for the weekend (in House Julian)
In this time we can set the definite program for the weekend, then we will divide into our working groups.
Lunch at 13.00h
working time in groups
Dinner at 18.30h

Network M meet up after Dinner.
The content for this November Meet Up is a video with the Professor Frank Chester from San Francisco speaking about "Transformation: The Alchemy of Inner and Outer Development". A conversation will follow.

Sunday 30th
Breakfast at 8.00h
working time
Elizabeth Wirsching would like to invite us to the Closing of the weekend from 11.30h to 13.00h in House Julian
Lunch at 13.00h
Clean Up and departure...

Practical stuff:
We can offer you group accommodation (matresses, bring a sleeping bag!) in the Holzhaus on the Hill, donations are welcome!
Food costs will be shared and should amount to around 17 Euros/25 CHF
Please write to katharina at youthsection.org if you are planning to come, sleep and eat!

Whatis the YouthSection?

For me the youth section is like a carefully crafted clay pot, sculptured by the people from the past. It is filled with (bio-dynamic) filterlised potting mix which contains many different types of wild flower seeds. We are each the different grains of soil - alone we cannot grow the seeds but together we can bring incrediable things to bloom.

xxxx
Silv

I see the YouthSection as it appears, as a place and as an ideal in the world, as a beacon on a lone mountain peak. A fire that shines out into the world and can be seen and felt from afar. Mostly it is a cold and lonely job for the ones whose task it is to keep the fire going and although the fire keeps them warm it is for many varied others that they keep it burning in that barren place.

Guy

i see the youth section as a kind of mirror that reflects all the growing, youthful stars of the universe, revealing back to them their highest, brightest potentials...at the same time, it is a kind of a star in and of itself, shedding its own light too...

John

For me, the Youthsection is an embassy. Maybe we should even have our own currency for the coffeemachine and the internet cafe! For me this is sacred ground, safe ground -- It;s a home for us young and old changemakeres, the movers and shakers -- A place to regroup, to come up with new ideas and meet long-lost and finally-found friends. There's a familiarity despite, or probably because of the many nationalities and cultures that meet here. It's not a place where people come to stay for too long, but it's a safe-haven and meeting point along the way.

Much love!
Caitlin

I ll try...
My picture of the YouthSection is of a place where things become real, a birth place of projects such as YIP and Idem. It is a place where things can come into this world, ideals and ideas become reality. It is not a place that can be taken for granted or taken over by any one impulse. It is a place to practise the gesture of respecting each other, to practise how to keep a common space healthy and open so that new impulses can be embraced. A learning space for us to understand the responsibility free individuals have in a shared world.

Katha

Welcome back the YouthSection!!

Into our second week of our YouthSection year. We have just cleaned the house, we are beginning the meeting-the-team rhythm, every Monday over lunch, we are welcoming the new students at the Goetheanum this week, and otherwise we are way into the project preparation for the upcoming Connect conference (April 2009), the Health conference (at some point in February 2009) and the group working on "flame to flame" (an initiative that came out of our Summerconference, festival.forum, more info soon)

Was ist an der Zeit II is going to take place in our house 1.-5. of October, and at the End of November we will be having our Open House-Weekend again.

Many small groups are meeting, many small waves are moving the surface of the big YouthSection Water. After a nice break in the Summer we are ready again to row!

We hope this blog will be giving you a lively and real picture of our work!!

The YouthSection,
Guy, Caitlin, Martin, Elizabeth und Katharina

In Dornach, where the weather tells us it is spring, the month tells us it must still be winter, we are surfing busy times. From an amazing Health Meeting in January, where we set the seeds for a preparation of a conference with the theme "Healt of the Individual, health of the world", through the farmers conference, that many of us took part in, to the up coming February Days this week... Dornach is keeping us busy, is inspiring us, is drawing in interesting people that we get to meet, is bright and clear.

In the office we are still working on the YIP Program, our Summerconference a festival.forum and the Initiative Meeting in July. Ani is sending out a newsletter every month now which you can find here...

At one of our teammeetings, where the Yippies had just come back from Sweden, and everyone else happened to be there, we took a picture that shows the signs of business on some of our faces ;)
Greetings from Dornach!

festival.forum!!

We are online!!!
As of now the festival.forum, our Summer conference of 2008, has got a website now:

www.youthconference.org

*the Summer conference of the YouthSection at the Goetheanum will take on the form of a festival with characteristics of a forum this year. A festival.forum.
Young people who stand in our world as innovative and active human beings will be offering a diverse program of parallel conversation groups, workshops, podium discussions, lectures and more, from which the participants will choose their own program every day. Young Artists will accompany and move the program in a colourful way.

*the focus will be on the young human being as well as questions and topics he brings with him. What makes us work for a sustainable world? What thoughts arise during this work? What are themes, ideals, paradigms that are relevant in this time? The intense work of young people with different topics makes them experts in their fields of interest and by this they are valuable contributors to the world and in this also to the festival.forum. The festival.forum aims to showcase the youth forces, the so-called youth impulse, that young people can bring into this world.

*the festival.forum speaks to all generations and aims to reach out to young and older people beyond anthroposophical and national borders. With a versatile program the festival.forum offers both, a weekend-event for local people as well as a 5-day experience for our international guests.

See you there!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATHLEEN!!!

We wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy new year!

The Youth Section

New color in the Teestube!!

We have started to renew...

i-Study in Motion
Initiative of the Individual Study of the Goetheanum and the Youth Section

“The risk of an i-study is that sooner or later you meet yourself. At some point you don’t have an escape. You have to face it, to see it in order to go on.” - Kathleen Morse

On a sunny January day in the Youth Section in Dornach, five people gathered around to begin a pilot program: ‘Live One’s Questions’. Annie Sauerland, Claire Lerner, and Kathleen Morse embarked on a project to study their burning questions in the context of life with the leadership and support of Elizabeth Wirsching and Juliana Hepp.

more here...

General Secretaries in the Youth Section

What a fun night!
On Wednesday the 7th of November we welcomed 20 General Secretaries as well as a few members of the executive council of the general Anthroposophical Societies World Wide for dinner in the Youth Section.

A four course meal and many different conversations as well as the presentations of ourselves as the Youth Section Team gave it a comfortable, fun and informative feel.
It is quite an historical moment when you think about the "heads" of important spiritual movements all around the world all sitting together in one room with young people, chatting, laughing, exchanging thoughts.

The general secretary from England reminded us young people that by being in Dornach, active, enthused and changing the world we are heading heads down heels up into a career like theirs, that in 20-30 years we will be in their place. We reminded him of himself as a 25 year old. Quite the exciting as well as scary thought!

Such pleasant events will definitely be repeated!

Youth Congress Munich

Last week Wednesday to Saturday (31. to 3rd) I spent at the Youth Congress in Munich. A group of about 8 Students, Teachers and others have invited to this Youth Congress the second time now. Last year Nicanor Perlas was there, speaking about Globalisation, this year we had the honor to hear Hans Peter Dürr, a nuclear physicist and activist in many fields of civil society. Amazing, how at 78 a man can be so full of energy and so convinced that making a change is the only thing that can help us out of this situation.
In workshops and the World Cafe a lot of topics were touched on regarding the theme of the congress "peace and war and what do you want?". Everyone took away something, if not an answer then definitely a new way of approaching a question.

We are looking forward to next year!

YOUTH IN ITALIA

A visit to Italy. 15th to 16th of September 2007.
A short summary
Elizabeth Wirsching

Over the last year different groups of young people in different cities in Italy, have met to study anthroposophy.
They meet together several times a year for exchange and further studies. I was invited to one of them taking place in Padua, just outside of Venice.
For this gathering we were about 30 people. We met in the Waldorf School and spent 3 intensive days together.
The main focus in the mornings was the two meditations from the first Mystery play by Rudolf Steiner. It was a pleasure to work with this group. Very quickly we came into deep and meaningful exchanges about the content, letting the images became clearer and contemporary, life related.

It struck me that we often hear about young people that they do not understand the language of Rudolf Steiner. (Something I definitely disagree!) Well in this case I would say. Never have I been in a group where the understanding was immediately present.
The warmth and the light of the Italian soul made this visit extraordinary for me.

I left Padua and Italy with a dream: What about a youth conference in Italy to the theme of the arts and music.

Contactperson: Giovanni Buccheri. giovannibuccheri@yahoo.it

NETWORKM MEET-UP
Nicanor Perlas talkes to the question of three-folding (harmonizing the three realms of society: economy, polity/law, and culture/spirituality) and integrating this into our lives.

What is a meet-up?
A meet-up is a one day event held simultaneously in communities all over the world. Each group gathers to discuss a common theme, to share ideas, to play and to cultivate relationships for more effective social action.

We invite you to join us at The Youth Section House to play, discuss and eat together. The discussion focus will be around the Lecture given by Nicanor Perlas.

When: Saturday November 3rd
Where: Konference room, YouthSection Dornach
Time: 2pm-6pm then supper together in the Testube

Welcoming of Students at the Goetheanum

Elizabeth Wirsching welcomes the new Students of the Goetheanum each year in a little ceremony. So we gathered in the Foundationstone-Hall of the Goetheanum on the 23rd of October. The Executive Council of the Goetheanum and the Anthroposophical Society world wide was almost fully present, and each of the members spoke to the new students for a few minutes.

Elizabeth lead the ceremony, which was rounded by artistic performances and Eurythmy. She introduced the Goetheanum to the students and vice versa.
After a game of getting to know each other the students, of whom most are in Dornach to do the basic anthroposophical studies in English or German, introduced each other to the rest of us.

While having Snacks and Drinks in front of the hall after the ceremony, Guitars and Banjos began to play and the evening ended in a joyous party of line dance and laughter.

Youth Section hosts four days of conversation!

From the 3rd to the 7th of October the Youth Section house was full of thoughts, conversations, words, smiles, open hearts and steaming heads.
First fourty, and soon grown to sixty "Philiosophers" of all ages busied themselves with delicate and challenging questions of (our) time.
"Was ist an der Zeit?", a question that has a connotation of future, of the coming, of a stream of time that we can't see but if we learn to let go of our counsciousness-safety-belt "the Past" we can certainly begin to feel the new quality of what was called the "Avenir" by some of the thinkers here.
Drawing the energy to carry on from the future instead of building on to the past. This is what was called "creatio ex nilio" the creation from nothingness.
As the caterer of organic meals for this event we had a good and hard time, good, because every one was so interesting and engaging, hard, because we were invited to join into the lectures and conversations while having the mind full of grams, spices and recipies. Steaming heads I say, but it made hosting the conference even more special!
When every one had gone home the Youth Section house was still full of energies, if they had been sounds it would have sounded like a Synphony by Beethoven I think! Slowly but surely they quieted down and faded out.
We are looking forward to more such events!

for more details: www.anderzeit.com

KEQ - Kochen Essen Quatschen

Every Monday Night we make Dinner at the Youth Section, dinner for anyone who wants to eat with us. Usually I (that would be Katha) cook, and others do the dishes, ;-). Be warmly invited to join us, get to know us, and have a good organic meal for an affordable price (we share material costs!).

Terranova Euritmia in Dornach

Saturday, 22nd September.
With a little apprehension I am preparing the first meal for the Eurythmy group from Brasil, whom I met before, but havent seen in a long time. Christina, Ben and I (that would be Katha) are the so called hosts for this group, who will be around the YouthSection during their stay in Dornach.
I wonder, what are young people like, that have been working with Eurythmy for the last months? Are they any different than before?
Here they come, they come to say hello. Hugs, and hugs again, joyous re-encounters, this is the word they use in Portugues, "reencontro", to meet again.

We eat, and while we are at the table they seem to multiply. I cooked for 20, they are almost 30, because they are joined by many friends, but food is sufficient, and everyone is happy. The terrace of the Youth Section is filled with laughter. People are walking around, sitting, talking, filling the space, the Teestube, the kitchen. This is what it is for! It is great!

Saturday Night they give a performance in the Foundationstone Hall at the Goetheanum. Eurythmy of a different kind. Not only are they only between 19 an 21 years old, but they are absolutely full of will, serious committment to what they have chosen to do, deeply connected to each other, and seemingly absolutely aware of themselves. The Eurythmy becomes a full performance of how young people can stand in the world, be concious, responsible, beautiful and serious, while they are joyously putting on a humorous piece of Eurythmy.
I am proud of them, because they are such a good example to the world!

The day after begins with a breakfast at the YouthSection which is followed by a time of conversation with Elizabeth Wirsching. The Group asked for this, they wished to speak with her.
Thereafter we have the chance to go on a different kind of tour through the Goetheanum, where we enter it from the back end so to speak. Joeri Meijer gives us a full technical view of this huge undertaking called the Goetheanum. Afterwards Eric Hürner takes us through more interpretive parts, the windows of the main hall, the sculpture of the representative of humanity...

From this inward time we pass into the beaming sun light of a wondeful autumn day and walk up to the ruins of Dorneck castle where we have a picknick with the full view of our surroundings.

Lets hope there is more young people of this kind, that come to fill our rooms in the YouthSection with laughter and good energies.

For now, ate logo, gente maravilhoso!
For more info on the Terranova Euritmia Tour see www.terranova-euritmia.de

Welcome to the Youth Section Blog

Dear Team,
this is for us to tell about what happens in the Youth Section in Dornach.
As we can put reports up on a website so far, let's collect them here for now, and later on we can include the blog in the Website.

Have fun blogging ;)