Newsletter May 2025

Dear colleagues and friends of the Pedagogical Section,

When I opened the window yesterday, warm spring air streamed into the room, a mixture of freshly mown grass and roses, a lovely invitation to go outside. Shortly afterwards, I was sitting at my screen in a video conference, which included a colleague from South Africa, wearing a jumper and scarf. Rainy autumn weather in Cape Town! How easily I assume that all human beings around the globe must live in the same mood, with the same point of view as I do. How great is the inner effort I have to make not to generalise my point of view.

This is also the subject of Linda William's article in this issue. It is a written version of a lecture she gave at the event marking the 100th anniversary of Rudolf Steiner's death at the Goetheanum. It offers the perspective of a colleague from Detroit whose ancestors were freed from slavery at the time of Steiner's birth.

You will also find articles on teacher education issues from a South American and East Asian perspective, a contribution from a research project on resilience, and invitations to events at the Goetheanum in June and October: on emergency educational aid and special needs education.

With spring and autumn greetings from the Pedagogical Section at the Goetheanum,

Philipp Reubke

Panel discussion on emergency pedagogy

On Saturday, 14 June 2025, at 5.30 pm, the Pedagogical Section at the Goetheanum will host a public panel discussion on the topic «How can children be helped in crisis and war situations?».

The panel discussion with Beatrice Rutishauser Ramm, Barbara Schiller, Stefanie Allon and Fiona Bay – all four of whom work in the field of emergency education – will take place after the colloquium «Learning in difficult times» (13 and 14 June 2025).

The event in German will be moderated by Franka Henn and can also be followed via livestream on goetheanum.tv (with English subtitles).

Everything you need to know here