Registrations Now Open!

Focus: International Initiative Forum (April 5–9)

HeartChord Music Festival (April 9–11)

Dornach, Switzerland

Click HERE to REGISTER securely online

There is a new mood walking the earth…

FOCUS will be much more than a conference – more than a space to meet and listen to lectures. We will not simply talk about our ideas and themes, but will instead try to find ways of realising and practicing them in our daily lives – in our tasks in the world.

Focus will take its start where other conferences end. From the beginning we will have the opportunity to dive right into our burning topics and themes, and of developing the necessary insight and skills to carry these themes further. At the same time, Focus is also a space for those who wish to get an overview of what is living within the network as a whole.

Welcome to the city of Focus.

We imagine the Goetheanum transformed into a city where different neighbourhoods can focus on different themes. These include, but are not limited to: New forms of higher education, campuses as places for sustainable development, social threefolding, art, music, and inner schooling / self development, to name but a few. There will also be spaces for other existing initiatives, and for new initiatives to arise. And like any good city, Focus will also have its fair share of cafés and piazzas.

The above themes will be brainstormed and processed among many younger people in different countries over the coming months. Visit the Focus Website and the Focus Facebook Group to keep updated. Both Focus and HeartChord are open to anybody, regardless of age, who feels a connection to this work.

Please note that we’ve tried to make Focus and HeartChord as affordable as possible. Start today to save money for the fee and your travels, and try to find your own ways of funding if you need support.

Focus is immediately followed by HeartChord Music Festival. Why not stay on for the weekend?

On HeartChord: “We can provide you, the musician, with the stage, the practical and technical support, the open invitation to participate, to share your own unique, individual, professional, amateur or campfire musicianship…We can provide you, the audience, with an opportunity to witness, support and participate with the musicians in search of the lost chord. Sardine or shark, face painter or the next Rembrandt, the sidewalk or the shoe, Bob Dylan’s voice or talent, this open stage hosts all.” (Visit the HeartChord Group on Facebook)

If you know somebody who might be interested in Focus or HeartChord, please feel free to pass this information on to them.

Happy 2010, and best wishes from the YouthSection team in Dornach.

Click to REGISTER for Focus and/or HeartChord

Click to visit the FOCUS WEBSITE

Click to visit the HEARTCHORD WEBSITE

There is a community of individuals who have agreed to re-imagine the world…

: Photo: Liene Straupe

An Update on Nicanor Perlas

From our friends at 'A People for Perlas':

After filing a 48-page appeal against the decision of Comelec (the government-run electoral commission) which sought to disqualify him from running for president of the Philippines on the grounds that he was a "nuisance candidate," Nicanor Perlas is now running again.

Nicanor Perlas has been working in the world out of Rudolf Steiner’s ideas on Social Threefolding for many years. He has been a recipient of the Right Livelihood Award (Alternative Nobel Prize) for his advocacy work on globalisation and sustainable development, as well as the UN Environmental Program’s Global 500 Award, The Outstanding Filipino (TOFIL) Award, and, most recently, the Manuel L. Quezon Award for Exemplary Governance.

On January 14, Comelec overturned their initial decision, allowing Perlas to run as a presidential candidate. Ninety other candidates were disqualified. Perlas will now be one of only 10 presidential candidates for the May 10 elections. 

A global petition calling for him to be allowed to run was signed by over 1,200 people from 44 different countries in the three days before the appeal was filed. It has now been signed by over 2,000 people (including David Suzuki), some of whom are comparing Perlas to Nelson Mandela, Al Gore and Vaclav Havel. The petition was included in the appeal. It can be viewed at: www.thepetitionsite.com/1/let-nick-run  

The French Green party and the Australian Green Party also showed strong support for Perlas by writing letters directly to the Comelec commissioners. Click here to read the letter of endorsement from Senator Bob Brown, Leader of the Australian Greens.

International donations to the presidential campaign of Nicanor Perlas can be made before February 8. After that time, all donations must come from inside the Philippines. His team needs $130,000US before February 8 in order to continue successfully carrying out the campaign.

In order to raise this money, instead of one or two large-scale contributions, many people can contribute smaller amounts. If 1,300 people each donated $100US in this time, the campaign would reach the amount required. But, of course, larger or smaller contributions would also be welcomed. To donate to the campaign, click here.

To read more about and contribute to the making of a documentary on Nicanor Perlas to be used as part of the campaign, click here.

To keep updated, visit A People for Perlas: apeopleforperlas.ning.com

NoticeBoard

Coming Events

Events at Threefold, Spring Valley, New York: Until February 3.

'The World & I' Summer Gathering, New Zealand: January 21–27.

Anthroposophical Conference, Australia: January 21–25.

YWMS Conference and Youth Festival, India: Jan 23–27.

Art Section Conference, Australia: February 5–7.

Agricultura Biológico Dinâmica, Brazilia: February 6.

Youth Gathering, Rudolf Steiner House, London: February 6.

Puppet Making & Pupeteering Workshop, Australia: February 8–13.

Lecture and Workshops with John Blackwood, Australia: February 13 & 14.

Painting Workshop, Australia: February 16 & 17.

February Days 2010, Dornach: February 23–26.

ELIANT Gala, Goetheanum: March 26.

Focus: International Initiative Forum, Goetheanum: April 5–9.

HeartChord Music Festival, Goetheanum: April 9–11.

'A Path of Knowledge for the Modern Human Being' Conference, Argentina: April 29–30 & May 1.

Waldorf Education Seminar, India: May 16–22 & May 23–29. 

'Your Self – Lead Yourself,' Conference, Iceland: June 30 – July 14.

'Mystery Drama is You!' International YouthSection Workshop-Conference, Dornach: July 24 – August 1.

'A Venture Into the Interior' with The School of Nature, Southern Africa: August 29 – September 18.

Click here to view the many events happening in Belgium. (pdf)

For a full list of events, as well as plenty of other information, visit us at www.youthsection.org