VOLUME 29
CAMPHILL VALUES TODAY Welcome to Pages! Welcome! This is our last issue of pages in “the decade of changes�. This edition continues our look at the important topic of Camphill Values among many articles and news items.
Pages Plus! This edition of Pages Plus centres on Camphill Values and the ISCA conference held in the USA, with articles and first hand accounts.
Camphill Values Today, continuing our look at the association AGM at Tippereth, Edinburgh. Pages Plus.
Northern Ireland Camphill Gathering. Pg 04
The Camphill Youth Conference, Esk Valley, Danby, North Yorkshire, August 2019. Pg 12-14
The Walled Garden at Clanabogan, County Tyrone, NI.
Pages is the newsletter of the Association of Camphill Communities UK and Ireland www.camphill.org.uk 01
WELCOME Contents News 03 03 04 04 05
Camphill in the Spotlight Latvia Panorama A Trip to the Waste Recovery Park Northern Ireland Gathering Cape Town City Football Club visits Camphill West Coast
Our Values Today 06 Camphill Botswana receive UNESCO Development Award 07 John Swinney opens Life Skills Centre 08 Hermanus School Returns Home After Life Changing Fire
Pages Plus: Celebrating Our Values of Inclusion and Diversity - Reflections on The ACESTA - Conference at Emerson College - Rhythm and Brews Festival - Camphill Turns 80 - Camphill 80th Anniversary - Celebration - Inclusion and Diversity on a Journey on the Search of Utopia - A Homecoming to the New York Hudson Valley - ICSA Conference Focusses on Inclusion and Diversity - Communities for the Future: A Thoughtful Reflection
Our Values Today 09 Camphill Scotland Influencing Policy - and Legislation 09 Camphill Congratulated by by MSP
News 10 Christian Community opens doors - of New Church in Stroud 10 Thank You from Camphill Dingle 11 Thornage Hall Celebrates their 30th - Anniversary 11 And Camphill Devon Marks 40 years
Dear Readers, We had many kind and complimentary words expressed to the Pages Editorial Team after the appearance of the last edition in the summer with the title Camphill Around The World. It reminded us of just how many Camphill Communities there are beyond our British and Irish Shores with remarkable stories to tell in rural and urban settings with diverse communities and huge support from the local society that surrounds them.
number of co-housing projects in Camphill Communities established and experience gained, this latest Conference report highlights the Intentional Community.
One only has to think of the Camphill Hermanus Fire in South Africa that engulfed the school community and the offers of food and shelter that were immediate and unconditional. It is enough to make you an optimist, especially when you read that after underground fires and various problems we can read in this issue that the School is back in refurbished buildings continuing its valuable work in the beautiful setting of the Hermanus Valley.
Once upon a time rural communities for people with special needs were frowned upon seen as “out in the sticks” and supposedly lacking in all the services needed. All sorts of comments were made including irrelevant and unable to be managed in our modern socially inclusive “Care in the Community” world. Something has changed it is noted in the order of things where the countryside is beginning to be seen as a place of healing and well being where the season’s rhythm is helpful as environment and interestingly mental health issues are highlighted, reflecting the need to those who would wish to seek a more nature centred life.
Where to begin in these volatile times? You can read in our Pages Plus Supplement of the ICSA Conference in Camphill in the USA’s New York State. The ISCA The International Communal Studies Association - grew out of The Kibbutz Movement and it’s Conference in 2013 in Findhorn which was a celebration of ecologically sustainable communities highlighted Camphill’s co housing possibilities. Six years later and with a
The photo montage of the Camphill Youth Conference was put together by our new graphic designer Vicki from Iku’s special photos (while Nic is on Maternity Leave) at Cactus. It is a good example where a picture says a thousand words - the gathering of young co-workers and students at Esk Valley Camphill Community in August, the future no less of our communities and if you would like to read Eddie Thornton’s words of the gathering, they are worth a thousand photographs! I can’t and won’t avoid the Brexit issue and we feature a valuable contribution from Robin Jackson trying to see how we will continue beyond this autumn when crossing borders with more procedure will become the norm; just as our dear Association will have to adapt to different approaches in social care in the North and South of Ireland.
setting rather than being left alone. A good example of this approach is seen in Robin Jackson’s article. This edition of Pages is a joint effort as I have been ably and kindly supported by fellow Pages Coordinator and long time colleague Tom Marx in setting out the layout of the content which we have received this time. It is much appreciated! To conclude, this issue wishes to continue to highlight the Camphill Values Theme that so successfully featured in the Association AGM in Tippereth Edinburgh in the spring. The Association has always been the guardian of these values in these islands and continues to do so in the many ways it can and copies of the values statement can be obtained from the Editorial Coordinator from the email address below. As always please do read and comment on the contents, the Editorial Coordinator may have a new picture(!) and a new address, from Cumbria to Bristol (grandparent duties!) while we stay with our Kendal, Cumbria based designers, Cactus Creative who serve us so well in the production of Pages gathering all the various contributions together! Best Greetings dear readers from all the Pages Coordinators! Happy Reading Best Wishes, Vivian Griffiths
The Care Farm, Green Care Alliance has been highlighting this in studies and also Camphill’s community based living and working practice benefits enormously when subjected to academic research studies which shows up the benefits of a community
Camphill Life
The Youth Conference 12 Youth Conference 2019 13 Youth Conference 2019 14 Looking to the Future at The Camphill Youth Conference
News 15 Remembering Marianne George and Susan Firth
Camphill Tigh a’Chomainn, We love BBQ and Sunday walks. 02
Camphill Values Today | Autumn/Winter 2019
NEWS Camphill in The Spotlight By Camphill Esk Valley and Camphill Latvia
Not one but two Camphill Communities, Latvia and Esk Valley, have been featured on National or Regional News Programmes highlighting their Community Values. BBC Look North Reported about the success of the Esk Valley community: A new shared living community has been established in North Yorkshore where people with learning disabilities live alongside others without. It’s a model that operated for many years at Botton Village in the county however the charity running the community made wholesale changes to the way of life back in 2015, bringing in paid hourly workers. The new community operates from 14 houses and currently has 80 residents and co-workers. Since 1955 the learning disabled and so called co-workers without disabilities lived together in a community in Botton however the model was dismantled by the charity behind it. Rancour, demonstrations and a court case followed, but this has sprung out of the disharmony. A new community of 14 houses that sees North Yorkshire shared living once more under a new charity. James, just one of the residents said,
“Because we share the work and share our living with houseparents and I asked to come here and do my bit. I’ve been cooking for 34 come 35 years.” The house in Danby has an open day on Sunday, an opportunity perhaps to add to the 40 residents and 40 co-workers in the new community. “It’s a chance for people to come and explore a new way of living and working together and we’ve had a huge amount of interest from people wanting to join us both with and without support links, and we feel we’ve really got something special here and we want to share that with wider world”. A nearby shop has also been purchased, a bakery opened in Whitby. Plans are now being drawn up for next year’s vegetables, residents and co-workers are are living together and this part of North Yorkshire has the feel of a community once more.
“Really interesting to just live here, and the fields are really good to work in, I like the landscape and the moors and I like working in the fields” This house near Danby has been purchased, the rest rented from the charity that still runs nearby Botton. Clare is pleased that shared living is working here,
Camphill Latvia on LTV’s Panorama The Latvia Community was featured on the LTV Panorama Programme, looking at the daily life of the community recently. Carrots and potatoes grown in the garden, milk, butter and cream are sourced from their own gothic meadow tea - everything they need for their daily meals, at Camphill in the village of Rozkalni, is taken care of by themselves. People with disabilities, their carers and volunteers live here.
www.camphill.org.uk
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NEWS A Trip to the Waste Recovery Park By Freddy P and Alex F, Camphill Milton Keynes On the 21st of June, there was a trip to Milton Keynes Waste Recovery Park in Old Wolverton. The Park takes in black bags of household waste, separates the recyclable items such as plastic bottles or metal cans that got into the black sacks by mistake. It also converts food and organic waste into compost and turns the rest into electricity. While visiting the Park, the education manager, Louise gave us an overview of how the plant operated. Then we donned our safety helmets, high vis jackets, goggles and gloves, and had a guided tour.
by our rubbish could power 11,000 homes. And the jaw dropping good news is that since its operation in 2018, Milton Keynes is able to reduce household waste sent to landfill to only 3%! Unbelievable! Being an environmentally conscious community, we are proud to learn that we have this cutting edge technology to help reduce some of our impact on the planet, also very proud that our community is doing what we can to help. Let’s keep up the recycling! A final note, cheers to Norman and Luke for supporting the trip!
We were amazed by the state-of-the-art machineries and technologies, even more so when we heard that the electricity produced
Northern Ireland Gathering By Camphill Glencraig On the 26th August we had a fantastic day at Camphill Community Mourne Grange. We and all the Northern Ireland Camphill Communities were invited to a picnic. The weather was wonderful and we enjoyed singing, dancing, walking around the beautiful grounds of the community and meeting good old friends and making new ones. Thank you all in Mourne Grange for organising such a wonderful day for all of us.
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Camphill Values Today | Autumn/Winter 2019
NEWS Cape Town City Football Club Visits Camphill West Coast By James Sleigh, Camphill West Coast Camphill West Coast Soccer Team has been steadily developing and is playing matches regularly. We have become supporters of Cape Town City FC, a Cape Town based club that plays in the South African Premier League, and attend many of their matches at Cape Town Stadium. A couple of weeks ago, two of their players, together with one of their managers came to Camphill West Coast. They donated a kit to our football team and then, to our delight, practised with us. They showed us a few tricks and then we made two teams, each captained by one of the star players, and played a game. It was absolutely fantastic playing alongside a Premier League player, who became one of us for the duration of the game. They then brought out a trophy they have recently won, and allowed our residents to pose with it. This has been one of life’s highlights for many of the residents.
www.camphill.org.uk
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CAMPHILL VALUES TODAY: Camphill Communities Botswana receive UNESCO Development Award From unesco.org UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay has named the three winners of this year’s UNESCO-Japan Prize on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD): the Camphill Community Trust in Botswana, the Sustainable Amazon Foundation (Brazil) and the city of Hamburg (Germany). Each of the three laureates will receive an award of US $50,000, in a ceremony that will take place at UNESCO Headquarters on 15th November, within the framework of the General Conference of UNESCO. The Camphill Community Trust is recognized for its school and communitybased Integrated Learning for Living and Work Programme, which offers services for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities who have not progressed in mainstream education. Through an integrated experience of environment, society and economy, the programme allows learners with special needs to acquire vocational skills such as horticulture, catering and crafts, functional skills such as literacy, numeracy and IT as well as personal and social skills. During their training learners take part in a permaculture programme which includes tree and crop planting and harvesting skills. The Sustainable Amazon Foundation wins the Prize for its imaginative project Relevant education for the sustainable development in remote Amazon communities. It focuses on forest-based income generation, environmental conservation and quality of life. Aiming to ‘make forests worth more standing than cut’, the programme is implemented in 581 remote communities through capacity-building and grassroots empowerment. Nine Conservation and Sustainability Centers throughout the Amazon serve as platforms to leverage adapted sustainable development solutions.
Hamburg was selected for its large scale programme Hamburg is learning sustainability, which fights climate change through an extensive set of projects, materials and green events that serve to educate and promote sustainable development. For example, it supports educational climate projects in kindergartens, schools and non-formal education, and fosters a climate excellence cluster in universities. Involving a broad range of actors, the programme aims to integrate sustainability into all sectors of education and transform educational practice in the whole city. The winners of this year’s UNESCO Japan Prize on Education for Sustainable Development were chosen by an independent international jury from a record number of 115 nominations, submitted by the governments of 63 UNESCO Member States and ten organizations in official partnership with UNESCO. The core selection criteria were the projects’ potential for transformation, their innovative quality and ability to embrace all three dimensions of sustainability: the economy, society and the environment. Funded by the Government of Japan, the Prize was established by UNESCO’s Executive Board in the framework of the Global Action Programme on ESD, to showcase and reward outstanding ESD projects and programmes. This is the fifth edition of the Prize.
Camphill Life
Camphill Tigh a’Chomainn and Clanabogan celebrating the festivals. 06
Camphill Values Today | Autumn/Winter 2019
CAMPHILL VALUES TODAY: John Swinney Opens Life Skills Centre By Camphill Ochil Tower
Ochil Tower welcomes Deputy First Minster for Scotland to opening of new centre. At Ochil Tower School we were delighted that our Life Skills Centre was formally opened on the 22nd August 2019. Mr John Swinney, Deputy First Minster for Scotland and and Cabinet Secretary for Skills and Education came to formally open the centre. It was a day of celebration with the young adults proud to show off the centre and the work that they have been doing over the past term. Our sincere thanks to the donors who helped make the Life Skills Centre a reality. The idea for the Life Skills Centre came from the need to provide a bridge into young adulthood for many of our young people. In the past year or so at Ochil Tower we have made some significant changes to our offering; we now provide a 43 week service alongside the 38 week model. The Life Skills Centre is for our new 18-21 year old age group and the way in which the young adults have adapted to the new space has been great to see.
www.camphill.org.uk
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CAMPHILL VALUES TODAY: Hermanus School Returns Home After Life Changing Fire By Angie Coetzee, Camphill School Hermanus Earlier this year the School and Farm Communities at Hermanus were forced to evacuate their land due to fire. The fire continued to burn underground for an extended period forcing the School to find accomodation elsewhere. Our third term started off with a lot of excitement, happiness and gratefulness to be back home on Camphill grounds. We managed to move out of our rented houses with the help of our Maintenance Team during the school holidays. Our residential children have settled back very quickly and our Homelife staff are all happy to be home and back into our normal routine. With the beginning of the third term, we had to once again say goodbye to our coworkers. They have been with us for the last year and have meant so much to us. Their hard work, love for our children and dedication will never be forgotten. Our new group of co-workers joined us full of energy and positivity. Our children welcomed them with open hearts and big smiles. This year we have less co-workers as we have fewer residential children. Our new group had an in depth Orientation and Observation training of 2 weeks and now they are settling in nicely. With Engen, Woolworths Station Square and the Whalecoast Mall and Checkers donations of surplus foods, we manage to supplement all our meals with nutritious vegetables and fruit. We were very fortunate to receive a new washing machine from EnviroServ Waste Management in Cape Town, this machine came at the perfect time and we thank you for this wonderful donation-in-kind. Our Homelife staff were fortunate to receive in-house training by Melanie Coetzee. It was an intensive 2 day training course on kitchen and food hygiene and management there of. Thank you for this opportunity, it was hugely beneficial to us all. I thank my Homelife staff for the last term and wish everyone a safe Spring holiday.
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Camphill Values Today | Autumn/Winter 2019
CAMPHILL VALUES TODAY: Camphill Scotland Influencing Policy and Legislation By Neil Hennery, Camphill Scotland Camphill Scotland is taking Camphill values to wider society through its policy and influencing work. Here are a couple of recent highlights. Brexit Our European connections are really important to Camphill. Workers from across Europe are part of what makes Camphill special. Camphill Scotland has been speaking with the Scottish Government and politicians from all parties to make sure that people from Europe can still come to Camphill after Brexit. Jake Volrath from Newton Dee spoke at a meeting in Glasgow on the 11th October in support of a proposed new law put forward by Brendan O’Hara MP to safeguard the health and social care sector in the UK after Brexit. Cabinet Secretary Mike Russell MSP also spoke at the event. Camphill Scotland is calling upon supporters to write to their local MPs so they can support the Bill. There is a template letter available on the Camphill Scotland website where regular updates on progress will also appear. Supporting Transitions for Disabled Young People It is very important that young disabled people get proper support in their transition to adulthood. Camphill Scotland has been working hard to change the law so that this happens. After listening to Camphill Scotland and others, Johann Lamont MSP
has now brought forward a new law for consultation. The launch took place at the Scottish Parliament on 9th October 2019 and was chaired by Johann Lamont and by Neil Henery from Camphill Scotland. Kate Monahan, a parent from Camphill School Aberdeen spoke passionately at the launch about all the barriers she had faced in getting the support her son needs as he approaches adulthood.
The Scottish Government would also have to introduce a national transitions strategy and appoint a Minister with special responsibility for transitions.
This new law would give every disabled child or young person the right to a Transitions Plan and to get support as long as needed, or until their 26th birthday.
We would very much encourage readers in Scotland to support the Bill by responding to the consultation and encouraging others to do so. It would be particularly helpful if
Full details, including the consultation document and a copy of the proposed Bill, can be accessed at: https://www.parliament.scot/ parliamentarybusiness/Bills/113161.aspx
children, young people and their families could submit responses to the consultation. You can get further information about Camphill Scotland’s work on Brexit, Transitions and any other policy issues from Robert McGeachy, Policy and Engagement Manager, Camphill Scotland on 07825-149005, or by email at robert@camphillscotland.org.uk.
Camphill Congratulated by MSP By Tom Marx, Tigh a’Chomainn Camphill
How can an urban Camphill be environmentally sustainable?
a greenhouse. Over the summer we grew tomatoes as well as lots of herbs and chillis in the greenhouse.
What does Camphill mean to you? I think of Camphill as being about people, community and the environment.
We also received a grant from the Unlock our Futures fund which we used to buy an electric car. As everyone goes out to work Many Camphill communities are centred on travel is a big part of what we do. We try to land work, with gardens and farms providing make use of buses as much as possible. We also have bicycles including an electric cargo work and recreational opportunities for bike. Our plan is to run only electric cars for people, while caring for the planet. As a the remaining journeys that can’t be done Camphill Community we value the many by public transport, walking or bike. benefits to our health and wellbeing of The next step is to look at our buildings and living and working in spaces that are cared to see what steps we can take to make them for, green and sustainable. greener and more efficient. As an urban Camphill Community Tigh We would like to thank Liam Kerr, MSP, a’Chomainn has limited space, so must use who lodged a motion (Motion S5M-18477 the land we have carefully and find other Liam Kerr) requesting that the Socttish ways to be ecologically sustainable. Parliament congratulate Tigh a’Chomainn Over the years we have planted native trees for their contribution to the wider such Silver Birch, Rowan, Hazel and Ash. community as part of Scotland’s drive to a We have also planted fruit trees. greener more sustainable future. To date the Earlier this year we applied for and received motion has received cross party support. a grant from the National Lottery to build www.camphill.org.uk
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NEWS
Christian Community opens doors of New Church in Stroud By Vivian Griffiths What an occasion! One of the largest Christian Community Congregations ever assembled which included many from Camphill came to Stroud on a mid October Autumn Sunday to witness The Consecration of the new Church under the protective gaze of St Bride and the Lenker Rev Tom Ravetz’s Sacrament of invoking the earth, air, fire and water and east, west, north and south to guard this special new building. Greg Tricker’s painting of her looks down on the foyer. Choirs sang, music composed for the occasion, bells rang and the structural engineer spoke of the cross laminate structure and it’s honesty of construction where all the component parts share the loads, it is certainly not a metal outline with cladding!
It is a ‘wow’ moment to behold the interior space, cathedral like perhaps and the pictures can’t really do justice. The roof is a sculptural delight and the light plays all kinds of patterns - the architect Nick Pople can take a bow. As can the whole company of builders, engineers and groups that monitored the eight or more year journey and the British and Irish Region of The Christian Community. One was deeply moved by a poem by one of the children which spoke of water that does not drown and fire which does not burn in a Christian context and the contributions during the weekend from a speech chorus with TS Eliot’s The Rock to talks on the individual and the community were much appreciated!
Thank You from Camphill Dingle By Camphill Dingle From all of us here at Camphill we would like to say a huge THANK YOU to the Dingle Cycling Club and the organisers of the Ride Dingle Cycle for their very generous donation of ¤7,500 to our community. Members of the Dingle Cycling Club cycled to join us at our Open Day on 30th June and to present the cheque. A great day was had by all!
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Camphill Values Today | Autumn/Winter 2019
NEWS
Thornage Hall Celebrates their 30th Anniversary By Thornage Hall Thornage Hall marked their 30th Anniversary on the 1st of September by hosting their Annual Garden Fete. The hall was built in 1482 and was established as Camphill Community in 1989. Angie Steggles, chief executive, said: “2019 is our 30th year and I am delighted to be opening the doors to the public, sharing the work that we do today, our plans for the future & the values that drive us with the wider community.” The Annual Garden Fete included cooking demonstrations, music, birds of prey, stalls selling everything from local produce to books and ceramics as well as traditional fete games. “From everyone at Thornage Hall, a massive & sincere thank you to all who supported our Garden Fete, we hope you enjoyed the day! We’re proud to showcase our achievements & share our fantastic produce! Of course the big question, how did we do? We raised a jaw dropping £10,127!”
And Camphill Devon Marks 40 Years By Camphill Devon December is a special month for Camphill Devon as it marks the 40th Anniversary of the first residents moving to Hapstead Village, with more people arriving the following year. There will be a display of photographs at the Advent Fair as we start to celebrate those 40 years: 1979 to 2019 and still going strong. David Says he remembers the exact day he moved to Camphill Devon from Botton; it was New Year’s Eve 1979 and it was cold. There were originally only 5 individuals that arrived at Hapstead from Camphill Botton and two of them still live here today. The site has changed a lot, as you can see from these two pictures. Many of the buildings, including some of the houses and the land barn, were built over the 40 years; our most recent building was the Merlin extension. Years ago, the cows were milked early in the morning and residents made candles. Along with cows, Camphill Devon used to keep pigs, sheep and chickens as well as chopping the wood for fires. Metal work has now expanded to all types of metal whereas it used to be just copper; now we have a weavery, pottery, woodwork and we also keep bees and chickens. David remembers when he had to share a room with two other men and is very pleased now to have his own. Over the years, Camphill Devon has supported well over 100 individuals. www.camphill.org.uk
Today we have 36 residents, 15 in Supported Living and 5 Day Service users. One person, Martin, was talking to me about how he has been supported by Camphill Devon for a long time. He lived in Merlin, Avalon, Feirefis and then Pendragon for 10 years before moving into Supported Living, where he has been for 6 years. He loves living down at Merryfield and he is proud of his vegetable garden there, which he looks after with the other tenants. He goes to Tesco to do his shopping and enjoys DJ-ing as a hobby, he also goes to a hydro therapy pool at Seale Hayne. He attends weavery, metal and woodwork up at Hapstead. He used to stay on site a lot more also working in Copper (now metal work), wood, bakery and on the land, where he helped put up a lot of electric fences. He remembers when we used to keep geese, which Martin helped to kill and pluck. He remembers the land barns being built and the days when everyone still used the swimming pool. The weavery used to be a pub called the “Woodman’s Arms” where everyone could relax, play darts and have a beer. Roger, who was one of the first to arrive at Hapstead, misses the pub and remembers Galahad used to be one of the houses but now it is just offices and co-worker bedrooms. The workshops all mainly started in the houses; for example, the bakery was in Pellinore and candle making in Avalon until they gradually moved into their own
buildings. However, the pottery has always been where it is today, but the weavery used to be in what is now John’s office. The main office used to be the Art room, before becoming a library. Roger first lived in Pendragon, he used to help mow the lawns and recalls when horses were used to plough the fields. Roger used to like making candles. Everyone was involved in making jam and home produce. Communal bread making is now only done on a Thursday afternoon as a workshop and cooking and life skills are facilitated by the houses.
Roger also mentioned that we go down and play skittles in town now and we have African drumming once a month. Some people go to a night club in Torquay, attend college and drama groups, have local volunteer jobs and we have groups that work with Dartmoor ponies and the Donkey Sanctuary. Camphill Devon is still going strong and continues to change and grow.
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YOUTH CONFERENCE 2019
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Camphill Values Today | Autumn/Winter 2019
YOUTH CONFERENCE 2019 From the 22nd to the 25th of August, the Camphill Youth Conference of 2019 took place, here’s what the attendees had to say: “Camphill feels more accessible now” “I feel part of a generation” “The Camphill movement is a quiet, humble revolution” “I stepped out of my bubble and saw other people having the same struggles” “Important Camphill traditions are still happening, that gave us strength” “It feels so good to connect with young people doing good work in the world” “The older generation doesn’t need to worry, young people are engaged!” “By raising the question of ‘how do we express our Camphill values in the modern world’, we already answer the question. We gather together and share” “I feel empowered” “We can get caught in the day to day of life, but this helped me see why I live in Camphill” “I’m leaving this conference with courage and examples” “It was a privilege to take part, this should be a yearly event!” Photography by Ikuko Tsuchiko.
www.camphill.org.uk
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YOUTH CONFERENCE 2019 Looking to the Future at The Camphill Youth Conference By Eddie Thornton At the end of August, we welcomed young people from Camphill communities across the world to the Esk valley. We gathered for a weekend of talks, workshops and discussions on how we can express our Camphill values in modern times. Last year, a group of EVCC members attended the youth conference in Clanabogan, Northern Ireland. They came home so inspired that they immediately set up the Esk valley youth group. Item one on the agenda was to plan our own conference so that we could continue the important discussions started in Ireland. We wanted to offer the weekend as a gift to other young people. A precious space in which we could really examine why we choose to live this life, a question that is sometimes overlooked in the rhythm of the day to day. On arrival, our guests got a feeling for the lie of the land during orienteering exercises which also helped form the friendships essential for the success of the gathering. Over the course of the conference the whole group created a wonderful open space where everything could be shared freely and safely. Our bonds were further strengthened by coming together each morning to practise Eurythmy with Indah van Keulen who lead us in exploring the relationship between Our priest, Siobhan Porter, guided us in “You” and “I”. contemplation on the role of the Christian Our timetable was filled with inspiring community in modern society and lead us contributions from Camphill thinkers. in a special Act of Consecration of Man in Jonathan Reid introduced the theme of the the village church. Sally Murray-Jones and conference, placing Camphill at the point Julian Haxby, representing the Alliance for where the healing impulse meets the desire Camphill, joined us to find out what inspires to build community. Sabine Hope came from young people to live in Camphill and how the Mount Co-housing community to share the movement could adapt to encourage her insights on Camphill values and how we longer term commitment to community can hold onto them while negotiating the life. The discussion groups that followed realities of social care regulation. produced many insights that the alliance will draw upon in their work, to support We discussed the relevance of community existing Camphill communities and seed in the 21st Century with Mark Barber who new initiatives. spoke passionately on how living together with purpose can answer so many of today’s A team of young co-workers prepared problems. Teo Nesar from the Youth Section delicious meals using produce from our of the Goetheanum lead us on a whistle stop community garden and on Saturday our tour of Anthroposophy and the relationship guests were invited to Esk Valley houses for between science and spirituality. lunch. In the evening, we joined the rest of
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the community in the village hall for a barn dance lead by the Occasional Ceilidh Band. Here we noticed how the roles of guests and hosts had fallen away and it felt like one big community. Through the joy and togetherness of our conference, we also examined the challenges that the Camphill movement faces in our modern world; recruitment, regulation, personal time and burnout. Hearing the different ways that communities have navigated through turbulent times was inspiring. Change can be painful, but isn’t always bad. Under a rare North Yorkshire sun, the whole conference felt optimistic, confident and hopeful. The significance of holding this forward-looking event in the Esk Valley was felt by many; our final reflection circle closed with this insight from one of our friends:
“After such an outcry from Botton Village, it is amazing that EVCC is now hosting an international youth conference. The Botton crisis gave other communities fear, now EVCC is seen as an example. This is so reassuring for communities around the world”. Thank you to our community for making space for us to take this initiative and thank you to the Camphill Foundation for helping to cover the costs. It really feels that by coming together in this way we are already answering the question of how we carry our Camphill values into the future. We’re looking forward to the next youth conference! Love from the Esk Valley Youth Group
Camphill Values Today | Autumn/Winter 2019
NEWS
Remembering Marianne Gorge and Susan Furth By Judith Jones (retired co-worker at Simeon Care for the Elderly) Marianne Gorge (1921-2018) and Susan Furth (1933-2018) died within three days of one another. They were both living in Simeon, Marianne for the past nearly six years and Susan for twenty three. Only in retrospect did we realise the parallel occurrences in their very different lives. Both had been born in Vienna, leaving to escape Nazism. Susan came to Britain with part of her family in 1938, Marianne with her brother on the “children’s transport” in 1939. Within a few years each found their way to Camphill, Susan being admitted as a pupil in 1941 and Marianne joining as a young co-worker in 1942.
sixties wishing to be still active in daily life. She continued the household tasks she knew well, preparing vegetables, setting tables, changing and putting out serviettes. Susan was extremely conscientious and attentive to details, which could become stressful when the table order had too many changes. Susan retired from these household tasks in recent years after a fall undermined her confidence. Instead she liked to sit in a prominent place in the dining room, with open ears, never missing anything that was going on and being a reliable informant to everyone about the events of the day. She became reluctant to go out but always supported every activity in Simeon, crafts, Similar threads continue in their lives. baking, singing, poetry and the Bible Marianne became “nanny” to many of the evening. Susan was invariably the first to early staff children who still remember her arrive for any occasion, also for meals. part in their young lives. When Susan moved In old age it often becomes more difficult to Newton Dee and village life she also to be on time but for Susan punctuality became “nanny” in various families she lived was her virtue. with. Marianne had started the kindergarten in Murtle estate in 1949 and later in the Not so with Marianne. When she first eighties Susan became a helper there. arrived in Simeon she was often not to be found at mealtimes. Marianne was a free Not only working with children but also spirit and she had many friends to visit in handwork was a common love. Marianne the local Camphill places. On days when became well known for her skills in doll there was no invitation, no outing to the and puppet making, and the help and highlands, concert, community meeting encouragement she gave teaching these or class lesson Marianne would take herself skills. Susan found lifelong enjoyment in for walks in the nearby Cairnlee woods. simple craft activities, always appreciating She must have become a familiar sight in the work of others. the neighbourhood, walking stick in hand Both loved music. Marianne had an and scarf over her head; one little boy insatiable appetite for music and till naming her “Mrs Gorgeous”. the end of her life never missed an Marianne loved her upstairs room with its opportunity to attend a concert or choral view over the hills but when at home she performance. Susan came from a musical could be found anywhere in the house, family and took up the piano in her late usually talking with someone… or you might seventies, continuing weekly lessons bump into her alone in the larder looking for and regular practice. chocolate! Marianne was always interested Here similarities end. In character Marianne in the lives of young co-workers who loved and Susan were distinctly different. Susan her for her zest for life. Likewise many had come to Simeon already in her midvisitors were impressed to meet her, often
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Marianne, left and Susan, right.
having deep and meaningful conversations. She was a good ambassador for Simeon. Marianne slowed down in the last twelve months but still filled her days amazingly for someone in her late nineties. Although daily walks became shorter, mostly around Simeon’s garden, she was always drawn into nature and increasingly into observing the skies. Everyone in Simeon has been told by her at some time to look at the sky, a sunrise, a sunset, a rainbow or just the blueness of an unclouded sky. Marianne seemed set to reach a hundred until her fall and consequent fracture. She had returned home from hospital in time to attend Cairnlee’s harvest meal, but her strength failed in the following days and she spent her last week in bed. None of us had ever experienced Marianne so still. She had often spoken of having no fear of death and her last days were spent peacefully with friends coming to her bedside, some accompanying her with songs, eurythmy or lyre music. For Susan there was a special prelude to her final illness. After Michaelmas she had uncharacteristically decided to attend Cairnlee House’s production of “The Green
Snake and the Beautiful Lily”, because a friend had specially invited her. At the end of this beautiful play the audience was invited to join the players in crossing the bridge. Along with everyone else Susan was wheeled in her chair over the river into the spirit land of the Lily. This was to be Susan’s last conscious experience. Moments later after leaving the play she had a stroke from which she never recovered. Both Susan and Marianne had spent approximately seventy seven years in Camphill. I guess this must be a record time for a resident and for a co-worker. I feel grateful to have known each one in their last years, and listening to the experience of others realise how much both meant in the life of Simeon. Susan endeared herself through her dependence and appreciation, Marianne in her lightness, deep interest and joy in life. They were community builders in different ways, one upholding tradition, the other challenging boundaries of expectation. Simeon has been blessed by Susan’s gift of faithfulness and Marianne’s free and open spirit.
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NEXT ISSUE:
Vol 30: Spring / Summer 2020
We welcome contributions from across Camphill, around the world. The deadline for our next edition is March 31st 2020.
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Vol 30: Spring / Summer 2020
Look out for information from the Scottish Neighbourhood regarding the 80th Anniversary Celebration of Camphill
From Perthshire to Budapest By Corbenic Camphill Last year we started a drawing class at Corbenic as part of our craft workshop; We focus on drawing still life, and sketching while out in our beautiful surroundings. At the end of the summer, together with three artists from Garvald Arts in Edinburgh, we sent 43 drawings, paintings and lino prints to our first International Exhibition in the Brut Gallery in Budapest.
In mid September a group of us went to Budapest for a fabulous opening night and spent 5 days exploring the beautiful city. We would very much like to thank Emese Kovacs of the Brut Gallery for making this possible.
Hello again, colleagues and friends We thought it important to remind everyone of the Dialogue 2020 Conference overarching theme, being:
“CAMPHILL VALUES TODAY AND YOUR COMMUNITY” We’re sure that this will prompt lots of lively discussion leading up to and during the Conference! Looking very much forward to hearing the various inputs from around the world. Regards from the Dialogue 2020 Planning Committee
Get involved!
Camphill Dialogue 2020
We want to hear from you. If you have a story to share please email editor@camphillpages.net, deadline for contributions is 31st March 2020
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CAMPHILL PAGES EDITORIAL GROUP REPRESENTATIVES:
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Colm Greene (Northern Ireland), Tom Marx (Scotland), Tim Davies (England and Wales) Wand Vivian Griffiths (Pages Editorial Coordinator)
The Association of Camphill Communities UK and Ireland.
Pages is published twice a year in November and May. Contact and contributions are very welcome and should come through to viviangriffiths@talktalk.net
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Pages is the newsletter of the Association of Camphill Communities UK and Ireland www.camphill.org.uk Camphill Values Today | Autumn/Winter 2019
PAGES PLUS: CELEBRATING OUR VALUES OF INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY
OUR VALUES TODAY AOCC AGM, VALUES IN PRACTICE By AoCC co-ordinators The Association AGM which was held in Camphill TIpereth in April was headed by an important statement which we print below. The AGM was a celebration of the enormous work that has been done by the association to the underpin the community values of Camphill which are expressed in this statement. Camphill Communities in the UK and Ireland have all, in one way or another, been on a journey characterised by change and transition. These processes have been reflected in our annual assemblies in the last few years, where those gathered have embraced the diversity of forms that Camphill Communities now take. At last year’s Assembly we were also able to share our appreciation of the value of working together associatively. For much of Camphill’s long history we were able to articulate the values that we held in common and strived to work with. The traditional forms of living and working together in Community gave us a confidence to be able to assert what it was that made Camphill Communities different from other providers and enabled those “Camphill values” to find expression. Most of our Communities have evolved very rapidly from those ways of working and it is very clear that we need to be able
to articulate and define our values in a clear and concise way that can help people new to Camphill to understand them and then take them on and strive to uphold them. It is very challenging if what we are working with are “values” that may no longer be true or are in fact assumed rather than being clearly defined and accepted as the basis of a common understanding from which we all work. Our Assembly on Friday looked at this very challenging theme by looking at the following questions: • What are the shared values that underpin Camphill today? • How do I work with them? • How does my community work with them? • What support do I/ we need to work with them? • How can we support each other - what help is available? One clear strand of this support was the opportunity to share and learn from each other across the Association. For a full report of this Association AGM and it’s important deliberations, please email the Editorial Coordinator.
BREAKING BREAD By Camphill Esk Valley James is the newest member of our #BreakingBread team. He’s an experienced baker and will be helping us expand bread production to 3 days a week. “I’m very happy working in the bakery with Lukas and Eddie. Soon we’re going to have two other volunteers to help us as well. Today I’ve been doing the washing up, greasing the tins and weighing out the dough. It feels relaxing and happy to be back in a bakery”.
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PAGES PLUS: CELEBRATING OUR VALUES OF INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY REFLECTIONS ON THE ACESTA CONFERENCE AT EMERSON COLLEGE By Edeline LeFayre An impressive exhibition of pictures depicting the story of Kaspar Hauser, the ‘Child of Europe’, by the painter Greg Tricker formed the centre piece of the recent conference of ACESTA, the professional ‘Association for Care, Education and Social Therapy out of Anthroposophy’, at Emerson College in Forest Row. This conference, with the title: “Safeguarding, Succession and Governance in the 21st Century” was well attended and successful.
Council at the Goetheanum. She is a Camphill staff child who grew up in South Africa. She is also Karl Kӧnig’s granddaughter. Joan’s talks were quite amazing in how she linked the three issues (see title)- with which we are dealing on a daily basis- to our own weaknesses, such as fear, anger and doubt, and how regulations are trying to counter the effects of these weaknesses and often act out of the very same weaknesses themselves.
Paulamaria Blaxland de Lange, the chair of ACESTA and the artistic and creative mind behind this conference, gave a very clear and inspired talk about the theme. She addressed the question of ‘relationships’ (to the divine, to one another and to the earth) as being the core of being human. In Social Therapy, when co-workers come they often first feel pity and tend to want to do things for those in their care out of thinking that this will help them. Gradually this may turn into empathy, and then they will do things with them based on understanding. This may then become reverence for the becoming human being and engagement out of insight and experience. The 4th stage would then be love for the goal out of practical reason.
Joan also gave suggestions on how we could live with the regulations we are faced with, while at the same time accepting them and ‘complying’ rather than feeling trapped by them. For instance: ‘Safeguarding: Trusting Anxiety’, can be faced by “courage, wakefulness and fire of thinking, as well as mindfulness of the needs of the earth and one’s fellow human beings”; ‘Succession: Cooperating with Competition’ can be achieved through “Developing real encounters with and through one another”; ‘Governance: Doubting the silent presence’ can be helped by “Fearlessness and courage for spiritimbued deeds for the earth”. Joan’s notes on her talks are available to ACESTA members as are the notes of the introductory talk by Paulamaria. (Please contact me if you wish to receive a copy of these notes).
Paulamaria then also introduced why ACESTA was so important and touched on various themes, such as ‘collaboration’ (working with);‘association’ (willingness to be social and to share); ‘cooperation’ (teamwork) and discussed their Michaelic and Ahrimanic extremes. There were three impressive talks on the theme by Joan Sleigh, who is a member of the Executive
Simon Blaxland de Lange gave an introduction to the Michael Letters (Anthroposophical Leading Thoughts) as these letters are very pertinent to our time. Constantin Court (Ruskin Mill) organised discussion groups on various aspects related to the conference
theme such as Leadership, Governance, Regulations, etc and the conversations were very lively. At the centre of this conference there was a wonderful exhibition of most of Greg Tricker’s paintings on Kaspar Hauser (there are 39 of them), which had been brought over from Berlin by Richard Steel, the driving force behind the Karl Kӧnig Archives, which is now also incorporating the ‘Kaspar Hauser Research Circle’. Richard gave a very inspiring workshop on the work of the Research Circle and in the last session we were privileged to meet the artist himself for an hour and had an inspiring conversation with him. Greg is an interesting, very intuitive person and he lived very strongly with the being of Kaspar Hauser for quite some time, giving rise to these pictures. He described that it all started with a sense of great darkness and then a ‘scratching’. His first picture had literally been scratched out of a black background and, as the series continued, ever more light appeared.
Steiner’s lecture ‘Love and its meaning in the World’ given on Dec. 17th 1912, hundred years after Kaspar Hauser’s birth and on his death date! ‘True love is the will impulse in your interest.’ Then he pointed to the Camphill logo: the Whitsun dove descending! If you wish to find out more about ACESTA or want to become an associative member so you can support our work of organising interesting conferences and symposia for information and CPD, you are welcome to contact Edeline LeFayre at: elefevre01@gmail.com
It was very poignant having the innocence and mystery of Kaspar Hauser at the centre of our conference where we discussed and tried to understand the future of work with children and adults with learning disabilities and its place in society and in our time and we were very grateful to Richard Steele for making this possible. The last talk in the conference was by Richard Steel on ‘Karl Kӧnig in our time’. It was the first Sunday in the Ten Days and Richard’s talk was very much like a Whitsun address. He touched on various aspects of the conference. Richard ended his talk with a quote from Rudolf
THE RHYTHM AND BREWS FESTIVAL By Camphill Esk Valley Some of our Esk Valley community garden team at the North York Moors Rhythm and Brews Festival. Where they were selling biodynamic veg and freshly baked sour dough from our Breaking Bread Bakery.
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Camphill Values Today | Autumn/Winter 2019
CAMPHILL TURNS 80 By Richard Steel When I talk about the task of the Karl König Institute, from archiving to the questions of reaching into the future, I often quote something that is said to come from Gustav Mahler, a composer that was important to Karl König (see Newsletter Nr. 17): Tradition is to nurture a flame, not to worship the ashes. I refer to this particularly for celebrations of historic situations (‘25 years of...’, ‘The 50th anniversary of…’ and so on) because the question is really: how do we find forwards out of an understanding of the past—meaning less the historic process, but rather finding the path back to the origin, or the spiritual impulse. With the impulse, the ‘spirit’, we always have to consciously reconnect from time to time, otherwise only outer ‘traditions’ live on… And maybe then also cease. The human being itself and therefore the society it lives in will depend on understanding its own origin—its true identity. Festivals and commemorations have to do with this process. The word ‘festival’ itself stands between fasting and feasting! Festivals were originally all religious festivals, meaning they have to do with the spiritual nature of mankind— connecting one to the other in the process of developing and becoming that belongs to the content of any festival in varied ways; but also—in the sense of ‘re-ligio’—reconnecting the human being to the spiritual world, from whence he has wandered.
Whitsun is a special step in this process, of this differentiated path through the seasons. It is at the same time a festival of the free individual and a festival of community. Only through community building after the disappearence of the risen Christ at Ascencion could the dove— the flame of the spirit—descend to the individual. This is a strong motif in Camphill history! You will find more of this and how it connects to the logo of Camphill in the new volume: The Spirit of Camphill. We are still offering talks about this theme, particularly addressing the question: what does the world ask of the Spirit of Camphill today? Last year St John’s School celebrated 70 years since the opening of the school in Murtle Estate by Karl Schubert in June 1948. Rudolf Steiner had asked Schubert to take a remedial group—the ‘Hilfsklasse’ at the first Waldorf School (in Stuttgart exactly 100 years ago!) Read more by Birgit Hansen and the address given by Morwenna Bucknall in the new edition of in Camphill Pages (which will be available on our website: www.karlkoeniginstitute.org). The first lesson of this impulse for ‘inclusive’ Waldorf Education had been on October 13, 1947 by Morwenna with five children and soon the building was ready for a ‘real school’. But this was of course not the first lesson given in the pioneering community: already in the first beginnings Peter Roth had been the main teacher for the
first children admitted in Kirkton House in 1939 and for the König children, and Anke (later Weihs) told evening stories of Parsifal, Odysseus, Iphigenia, the Round Table and much more. In the new issue of Camphill Correspondence we can read about 10 years of Peaceful Bamboo, Camphill in Vietnam and about the forth Kaspar Hauser Festival in USA—that surely sounds like future! In our last Karl König Institute Newsletter we wrote about celebrating 10 years of the New Edition of Karl König’s works: 2008– 2018 and this year, 2019, I have taken 100 years of Waldorf Education as the theme for many talks and some essays. Next year, 2020, it will be 80 years since the move of the little pioneer group of women and children (the men were all interned because of the start of the war) into Camphill House, and therefore 80 years since the name Camphill became a synonym for the ‘candle on the hill’ that Karl König had experienced on the first Sunday of Advent 1927 and that led him to realise his ‘future task.’ This will be an important year for the Camphill Movement and for the Karl König Institute. That is why we really wanted to have the book The Spirit of Camphill available, because it adds especially the more inner aspects of Camphill history and striving—bridging into the future!
of the American region of Camphill, when Karl König gave talks in many cities of the USA and Canada, visited the beginnings of the school which became Camphill Beaver Run in Pennsylvania and had talks with parents and friends that led to the founding of Camphill Village on Sunny Valley Farm, in Upstate New York. A central venue for this trip Karl König made in 1960 was Spring Valley, close to New York City, where he spoke to the younger generation, but also gave an important course about the 12 senses, now in the book Living Physiology. For this reason there will be a celebratory conference about the senses 2020 in Spring Valley, which is being prepared right now! If you are interested please get in touch with Paige Hartsell: apaige.hartsell@gmail.com In connection with this, the Institute is designing a small exhibition about the founding of Camphill (with two additional parts about America and about the senses) which we can offer also to other places that wish to commemorate these 60 or 80 years. Please get in touch with us if you are interested: office@karlkoeniginstitute.org
This 80th anniversary also happens to coincide with 60 years since the beginning
CAMPHILL 80TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION The Scottish Neighbourhood is planning to hold a one day inclusive conference at New Lanark on 1st June next year to mark the 80th anniversary of the founding of Camphill. More details to follow later. The Mill famous for Robert Owen’s unique and humane management in the 19th Century where education and health of the workforce and their children were paramount was the setting a number of Camphill Inclusive Communities Conferences in the first years of the 21st Century. Restored by the use of Job Creation Schemes in the 1980s and up skilling the local workforce faced with unemployment from mine closures, it has become a major visitor and interpretation learning centre showing that there was another way to the harsh treatment of mill workers in the Victorian times. It is a fitting backdrop to mark the Camphill 80th Birthday
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PAGES PLUS: CELEBRATING OUR VALUES OF INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY ON A JOURNEY IN THE SEARCH OF UTOPIA By Andrew Plant, Milltown Community Travelling to the ICSA conference was like travelling to another world. Yes, it meant travelling all the way to America but it was also like travelling to another place where the only thing on people’s mind was how to make this world a better place. It was the age-long quest for Utopia. All too often life is taken up with the daily concerns of getting by and dealing with all the things that need to be dealt with and sometimes the experience of community can seem rather remote, but here, for 4 days it was all that everyone was talking about. There were 170 people from all over the world taking part in the conference – people who live and work in intentional communities, eco-villages and co-housing projects; people who study, research and write about communities; community networkers; people who are active in peace and social justice movements and people who simply find intentional communities inspiring. There were people from longestablished international community movements like Camphill - L’Arche, the Bruderhof and the Kibbutz - and also people from small and innovative community projects. The programme was very full – there were talks, workshops, artistic groups and tours of the host communities. In addition there was also a programme of talks and workshops from the Camphill Research Symposium. In fact there was so much on offer that it became hard to choose what to take part in. It also meant that each person was only able to experiences a small part of the whole conference, apart from the plenary sessions
where we all came together. But there was time to chat to people at meal times and in the breaks and this provided another opportunity to meet people and find out more about all the different community projects that are on the go. The theme of the conference was ‘Diversity and Inclusion in Intentional Communities’. This was very interesting indeed since it is surely the aspiration of every intentional community to be open to anybody wishing to join – to make the community something for everybody. Community is seen as the answer to all the things that are wrong in the world – personal, social, economic, environmental - and if we all adopted community values and practices the world would indeed be a better place. Yet we also came to realise that there are limitations to diversity and inclusion. Too many different points of view, too much diversity of values and too many different personal needs can actually come to undermine a community. In order to prosper, each community needs to find the right balance – as far as possible to embrace individual differences while cultivating a sense of community cohesion. I really enjoyed the tours of the 4 Camphill communities that hosted the conference. They are all in the Hudson Valley which is some hours north of New York. Copake and Triform are well established and flourishing as traditional Camphill communities. Camphill Ghent is a co-housing and care community for older people. The beautiful houses were all built in a relatively short time with state funding. Our tour guide said
that, unusually for a community, they first built the buildings and then they had to build community. Camphill Hudson is an urban community. It is centred round the shop and cafe and exhibition space on the high street of the town of Hudson. The residents all live in their own separate flats in Hudson and are all involved in a great number of local community projects in Hudson. And then there was the post-conference tour. After the conference ended a small group of us had a wonderful two day tour of three other local intentional communities. We visited Gould Farm, a 700 acre residential therapeutic community where people with mental health problems work in the gardens and the farm. There was the delightful irony in getting a lift from a fellow conference participant in his Tesla 3 – the most advanced and expensive electric car you can buy – to the former Shaker colony of Mount Lebanon that was founded in 1787. Some of the old Shaker buildings now house the Eco-Sufi community of ‘The Abode of the Message’.
from the tour the people I was travelling with called in at the Pumpkin Hollow Theosophical Retreat Centre. Following all of this I went to spend a week with my brother and his wife in Virginia where we went to visit and had a tour of the inspirational Intentional community of Twin Oaks. And what happens next? I am sure that all of us who took part in the conference went back home inspired by all that we had experienced over these days. And we can all look forward to the next conference in three years time which will be in Denmark and hosted by the Hertha anthroposophical eco-village. Some of the conference papers are now on the ICSA website at : www.communa.org.il/icsa Click on ‘conferences’, then on ‘Camphill Conference 2019’ then ‘Conference Proceedings’ from the drop down menus.
And finally we spent some time at the Clove Platte Bruderfhof community in the Catskill Mountains. They are living in what was a former New York City Police Department holiday camp. They have farms and gardens but also the factory that produces Rifton adaptive equipment for children and adults with disabilities. In the factory we met a very old community member who had escaped from Germany from the Nazis on one of the ‘kinder transports’. And there was more. On the way back
CAMPHILL LIFE
Camphill Clanabogan at work, making Christmas Baubles, Cake and Halloween Treats. Pages 010 Plus: Celebrating our Values of Inclusion and Diversity
Camphill Values Today | Autumn/Winter 2019
A HOMECOMING TO THE NEW YORK HUDSON VALLEY By Peter Beaven For me the journey to the ICSA conference was in a way a homecoming. I lived in New York’s Hudson Valley from my teenage years until I left university. It was lovely reacquainting myself with the area and enjoying the beautiful journey to the host villages. I was delighted to see fireflies again after many years living in Scotland! The conference was inspiring and exhausting. With an incredible amount of presentations, workshops and discussions over the 4 days, it was often difficult to choose between the various activities on offer for each time slot. Each option was an opportunity to gain insight from the experiences of the members of a diverse range of communities from around the world all focussing on the theme of ‘Diversity and Inclusion in Intentional Communities.’ One of the offerings which I attended was a workshop organised by Camphill Research Symposium entitled ‘A Pattern of Our Own: Artistic Collaboration through Consensus.’ We worked interactively to design a piece of handwoven visual art. There were 3 sessions each with different participants who carried the design process forward collaboratively. The first session arrived at ‘Collective Statements’ the second session combined these into ‘Collective Statement Groupings’ and the third listed possible ‘Outcomes.’ The following day there were open sessions for us to take part in the weaving process. The finished weaving was presented at the end of the conference. It was a great experience and a fascinating way to make sure that everyone is included in the creative process.
One theme that was raised often during the weekend was the tension that can be caused by dilution. As an organisation matures and opens itself to include a more diverse range of people it can stray from the original ideas/values it started with. The challenge is keeping the important parts of the original story, but allowing changes to occur as a result of the living and growing community.
I returned from the conference with a greater understanding of the ideas of diversity and inclusion and how they related to our community. We tend to think of these challenges as the need to fulfil the requirement of openness and removing barriers that prevent people from joining; however the relationship between inclusion and dilution is equally important.
All Camphill communities have faced this challenge as it opens the doors to new people from different backgrounds, as the leadership changes and the regulatory environment we work in has impacted the fundamental ways that we operate. It was reassuring to know that other types of intentional communities face these same challenges and inspiring to hear about
the variety of methods that they have used to preserve what is important, whilst still diversifying. The four communities in the Hudson New York area went to great lengths to make us all feel welcome. They provided a wide range of venues for the conference activities, transport and excellent food. Many of us were given accommodation at Camphill Copake. This gave attendees a chance to get to know some of the residents and experience aspects of their daily life. I also had an opportunity to catch up with some of the people I met last year at the Whitsun Festival Gathering in Germany which was well attended by US communities. The tours of the communities were inspiring and informative and I took away many
new ideas and approaches to share with our community. Lastly it was wonderful to meet people from such a wide range of intentional communities from all over the world. We had many opportunities to share our stories and learn the rich histories and lived experiences from groups who have been drawn together by a common thread.
CAMPHILL LIFE
Camphill Clanabogan enjoying a sea breeze. www.camphill.org.uk www.camphill.org.uk
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PAGES PLUS: CELEBRATING OUR VALUES OF INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY ICSA CONFERENCE FOCUSSES ON INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY By Marjan Sikkel, Newton Dee The Triennial Conference of the International Communal Studies Association at the Camphill Communities near Hudson, NY, USA, took place from 18-21 July 2019. I would like to share some of the things from the conference that stood out for me. I have used many quotes from people who gave handouts after their session, because I could not have said it better in my own words. Some I have put into a story; other remarks are just snippets of interesting information. What is an Intentional Community? In its widest definition: a group of people who share space, resources, values and time. There needs to be clarity about responsibilities: governance or organizational structure, including decision-making processes and membership agreements. There needs to be some agreement on how common resources are acquired, maintained and shared. Everybody needs to have some kind of income. Some have their own wages and property and pay an agreed amount into the community; others have no private property and work with the principle of stewardship. I liked the reformulation of our needs-based economy: “Give what you can, receive what you need”. Values: A collectively understood intention or purpose of the community. Many of these communities are about making the world a better place, which includes that people strive to be fully human without leaving a part of themselves behind. For many it Photos from the New York ICSA Conference is important to have a mission that goes beyond improving the lives of its members. Children/ Elderly: This can include the social, economic and/or “The evidence is clear that intentional spiritual life. community is good for children – but the Time: There needs to be a wish to spend opposite is problematic. Children, like time together as community members. pets, take energy and resources, and can be points of conflict around noise, messiness How to introduce new people to your etc. A large number of children within an community? intentional community can mean that there “One of the trickiest dynamics in is little spare energy and time for adults cooperative groups is fully integrating to devote to communal functions such as new members. One of the key ways to help sound governance, interpersonal growth, accelerate this process is to let the new and conflict resolution. For these reasons, folks have their way when it’s a coin toss many mature intentional communities which way to go. It is not about selling out are wary of accepting too many children. on crucial issues; but about being gracious Another observation is that parents about giving new folks room to operate of young children are often incredibly when there’s no clear best way. The life conservative and can stymie needed blood of the group is the new blood, and changes in an intentional community. it needs to be possible for the new folks to Perhaps counter-intuitively, elderly know they have influence, or it won’t feel members are often the most willing to make like it’s their group. New people often find dramatic changes, try new processes, etc. it hard to ask the right questions. Older They usually have more free time to devote members don’t help them understand the to communal activities, generally have processes in the community. The group more social maturity, usually have better often does not understand that need. The interpersonal insight and skills, etc., hence new people feel stupid, as if the ground they are often observed to be core people in shifted under their feet. It is very important an intentional community”. * to help them understand”. ** P 2ages Plus: Celebrating our Values of Inclusion and Diversity
Limits to the tasks “What is the capacity of the group to take on another task? There are many other important things. You may be enthusiastic about another task, but you also have to maintain all the other things you chose to do”. **
to just muddle along which can result in people not being able to communicate with each other over long periods of time. Leadership/ Governance/ Decision-making
“Many people assume that intentional communities must operate under consensus. This is all wrong. Consensus can work only when people are close enough Relationships and conflict resolution to have a “we-consciousness,” that is to The biggest mistake most communities think of “us” as being more important than make is to assume that by putting a group “me”. Group decisions can then be made of like-minded people together they will all on the basis of “what is best for us” rather live happily ever after. This is rarely the case. than “what is best for me.” Until a group We will all meet situations that we were not has achieved this level of interpersonal raised to deal with, most likely in particular intimacy then it is better to follow a form in the area of human relationships. Many of of democracy, needing supermajorities for us struggle with a one to one relationship. certain issues, or perhaps sociocracy. Good How about living, working and socializing governance, using other formats, can lead to with 50 others? We need to be much more interpersonal confidence and shared trust – aware that this is hard work and that we then consensus can, like a flower in all need to learn this. Conflict can arise spring, emerge”. * whenever humans interact – and much of Can we ask questions? that is healthy and productive. The issue is not how to avoid conflict but how to deal It is a bad sign if there are things you cannot constructively with it. Conflict resolution talk about. This does not mean the group tools need to be an important part of our is obliged to change just because there has work instead of leaving it to the individuals been a request, only that it is healthy when Camphill Values Today | Autumn/Winter 2019
there are no taboo topics. It important to find a way as a group to discuss difficult issues and to trust that the group will find its collective truth if you make sure that all the individual truths are welcomed in the room.
ICSA CONFERENCE FOCUSSES ON INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY
Social capital
By Cynthia Tina
“Diversity isn’t always about others accommodating you. Sometimes it’s about your stretching to make room for styles and preferences that are different than yours— even to the point of being uncomfortable. How much members are willing to stretch to accept a particular request (whether explicit or implicit) depends, in part, on a complex assessment of what the requesting person has done for the group or is likely to contribute. In short, the more social capital that a person has, the more the group will be willing to accede to that person’s request to be accommodated. Following are some examples of how this can work:
“I came to Camphill thinking I was going to learn about social therapy for people with special needs, but then I learned it’s actually mainstream society that needs the social therapy,” a Camphill resident shared on stage during an opening plenary for the International Communal Studies Association (ISCA) Conference, hosted July 18-21, 2019 in upstate New York. The ICSA Conference takes place in a different part of the world every three years. The theme for this year’s conference was both timely and potent – Diversity and Inclusion in Intentional Communities.
• Members who are perceived as people who listen well to other’s requests and try to support them, are much more likely to get their requests considered favourably. • If you are viewed as someone who rarely stirs up trouble and contributes a lot, then that enhances the chances that your requests will garner support. • Long-term members may be allowed special privileges such as a subsidized vacation to Europe that newer members would not get (nor dare to ask for). • The poor anger management of a new member who’s a wizard at auto mechanics may be tolerated more readily than the haughty sarcasm of the know-it-all with a graduate degree from Harvard. • The demand for more meat in the common meals may be more acceptable from the svelte Latina just immigrated from Argentina than from the overweight good old boy from Alabama addicted to short ribs.** Do communities have a maximum lifespan? “Most groups become less communal across time. And we can see the same pattern today with intentional communities – the shift within any group is usually away from communalism towards individualism. If not checked, this will obviously lead to the end of the intentional community. Most intentional communities end “not with a bang, but a whimper” because unchecked individualism has sapped the communal drive to the point when the intentional community does not collapse so much as simply cease to exist”. *
There’s perhaps no better place to host a conference on this theme than at the Camphill Communities. Camphill is an international movement of intentional communities designed to meet the needs of children, youth and adults with developmental disabilities through a combination of community life, the arts and work on the land. There are currently over 100 Camphill communities in 22 countries. Each community has a distinctive character and focus, while supporting the overarching vision of Camphill, “relationships of mutual respect, education and (or) meaningful work, real participation in community life, a stress-reducing rhythm of daily activities, seasonal celebrations, a rich artistic and cultural life, natural therapies, and acceptance, individual recognition, and dignity for everyone,” according to the Camphill Association of North America. The four communities that hosted the ISCA Conference are all within driving distance of Hudson, New York. Camphill Village USA, also known as Camphill Copake, is one of the two original Camphill Communities in North America, founded in 1961. Triform Camphill Community is a youth guidance community that provides special support to young adults with developmental disabilities. Camphill Hudson is an urban community that is immersed in the lively culture of the city of Hudson. And Camphill Ghent is an elder community providing supportive care to older adults of all abilities.
Set amongst tall forests in the peak of summer lushness, over 200 people from around the world gathered in this rural part of upstate New York to explore strategies for the inclusion and empowerment of persons with diverse abilities, cultures, races, economic backgrounds, religions, ages, genders, and sexualities. A large number of participants were academics and researchers studying intentional community. Others live in intentional community or are interested in visiting/starting a community project.
to the lack of strong action from white leaders in the Global North (especially the US as one of the leading carbon emission emitters) as a form of racism towards those in the Global South (who bear the brunt of climate catastrophe while having done the least to contribute to it). Yana asserts us that diversity and inclusion isn’t an end goal, but rather the beginning of a process towards a more just and sustainable future. As microcosms of (and alternatives to) mainstream society, can intentional communities help us understand ways to Many attendees were hosted in Camphill shift out of systems of oppression? Another residential homes during the event. The panelist speaker, Luther Smith, from L’Arche homestay experience was a glimpse into (another network of communities similar to the unique nature of the Camphill model. Camphill) reminds us that while intentional People with disabilities live alongside communities can serve as practice grounds international families of “co-workers,” who for the kind of inclusion we’d like to see in serve not as their caretakers per se, but larger society, we shouldn’t be disillusioned as learning peers, colleagues, and friends. These homes operate like extended families, into thinking that “the more we get together, the happier we will be.” The practise of fully integrated into village life. inclusion can come with as many challenges The day starts with a morning circle and as opportunities. breakfast together. Then everyone heads off The numerous workshops, panel papers, to school or work in one of the many small and plenary sessions throughout the four workshops, business, and farms onsite. Life is shared together in a way that supports the event days focused on different aspects of diversity in intentional community as flourishing of each individual, regardless well as offered practical tools for fostering of ones level of ability and needs. It’s touching to witness the joy and connection inclusion. The Conference organizers amongst residents, especially in contrast to “walked-their-talk” by giving prime speaking time to people with diverse more conventional models of dealing with abilities, varied backgrounds, skin colors, disabled persons. During the conference and sexual orientations. The margins we learned that people in mainstream care often don’t have a single friend beyond their came to the center during this momentous gathering. family and caretakers. They also have life expectancies shorter than the average life of a Camphill resident.
The ISCA works to provide a common framework for a scholarly exchange of While persons with disabilities may be some of the most marginalized members of information regarding communal life; society, the Conference also addressed broad communes, intentional communities, kibbutzim and other collective communities issues of inclusion. throughout the world. Yana Ludwig spoke during the opening night, expounding how critical it is that This is image was taken by Cynthia Tina, we all take action to understand our cynthiatina.com privilege and work to dismantle systems of oppression. She makes the link between racism and one of humanity’s most pressing challenges, climate disruption. She points
* Dr Bill Metcalf, of Griffith University, Australia, quoted from the magazine “Communities”, Fall 2017, issue 176 ** Laird Schaub, consultant, notes from his conference talk.
www.camphill.org.uk www.camphill.org.uk
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PAGES PLUS: CELEBRATING OUR VALUES OF INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY COMMUNITIES FOR THE FUTURE: A THOUGHTFUL REFLECTION By Robin Jackson Reading the inspirational 2019 Spring/ Summer issue of Camphill Pages with its description of the enterprising work undertaken by many Camphill communities throughout the world prompted me to wonder if there was not a case for the Camphill Movement assuming a higher international profile so that it can share the wealth of knowledge and experience it has gained over the last 80 years. Why now? Whether or not the UK leaves the EU, there is going to be a significant reduction in the amount that the UK government is going to be able to spend on education, health and social care given the rapid contraction in the industrial and commercial sectors and the consequent loss in tax revenues. Declining personal incomes will inevitably result in increased pressure on individuals and families to seek for ways either to supplement reduced incomes or to find ways of replacing salaries or wages which are no longer available.
acknowledging man’s link to and dependence on the quality of the local environment. Adoption of a rewilding Eco-communities: policy involves changing to less expensive Whatever the outcome of Brexit, we are One significant development which has agricultural practices which in turn lead going to have to face the negative and costly been prompted by the kind of problems on to the regeneration of soil quality consequences of climate change, resource outlined earlier is the creation of ecoand productiveness; a reduction in use depletion and the globalisation of a wide communities where residents both as of fertilisers and pesticides; improvements range of services. In addition to these individuals and as members of groups seek in air and water quality; and, a greater global challenges we have to confront the to become as economically self-supporting diversification in wildlife: insects, birds, fish, consequences of the introduction of robotics as possible. In different parts of Europe large etc. In short, rewilding leads to a return to and application of AI which is forecast scale eco-communities are being established a natural balance in different habitats and to lead to a dramatic contraction in the as a result of two principal pressures: the creation of complementary habitats. industrial and commercial sectors. ecological pressures: climate change and Cantonisation: The combination of these different its impact on the quality of life; resource pressures is encouraging the establishment depletion; pollution (air, terrestrial, riverine, There is another route that can be taken. of locally-based enterprises thereby maritime) and technological pressures: the A strong case can be advanced for a reducing commuting costs and in the impact of robotics and AI. decentralisation of democratic structures process lowering atmospheric pollution. given that our current centralised By being a part of an eco-community there Already there is an increasing trend for democratic systems are not working. is a better chance of developing a sense of people to work from home and/or be Indeed the high level of dissatisfaction communal wellbeing; reducing physical and directly linked at home via the internet to among the general public in the UK and mental health problems; and placing less a central hub whether in the UK or abroad. the USA with the performance of national heavy reliance on expensive professional One possible consequence of these trends governments may go some way to explaining health and social care support. Also because may be a growing sense of identity with the emergence of political parties of the of the nature of changes in the employment the locality in which residents live and a extreme left and right espousing harmful greater willingness to engage constructively market, an increasing number of jobs are policies that would threaten national unity. now becoming home- or locality based (e.g. in local community activities, whether of a One possible solution would be for the consultancy; commerce; finance; crafts; recreational, social, commercial or political role of the national government to be maintenance). And, most important of nature. At some point this increasing significantly diminished. In this process, all is the opportunity for people in ecoidentification with the local community local governments could be given greater may encourage residents to believe that it is communities to experience a real sense of responsibilities and resources for a belonging to and offering genuine care for their responsibility to develop and support range of services (e.g. health, social care their community and its environment. different patterns of education, health and and education). Such a process might social care which respond to local needs. There are a number of features that these be characterised as a cantonisation of eco-communities have in common: democratic structures (e.g. Swiss model). The problem has been that successive UK • Power generated from a variety of sources: governments of all political persuasions The key to Swiss success as a nation state is wind, solar, water, geothermal and waste have misguidedly placed their faith in not to be found in the presence of natural • A range of locally-based jobs created in solving problems relating to education, resources but rather in Switzerland’s the mini-industrial/commercial sector health and social services by attempting distinctive political institutions, which (e.g. engineering, crafts, repairs) and macro-solutions – none of which have ensure that ordinary citizens are actively • social, educational and recreational been successful. There is also growing involved in political decision-making, and facilities provided locally. evidence that people are losing faith in that no one interest group is able to benefit the major political parties to solve their Paralleling the growth of ecocommunities unduly at the expense of another. We might problems and are as a consequence seeking is the adoption of the policy of rewilding perhaps learn from the Swiss model which micro-solutions which foster localism and which involves local communities has served the ethnically diverse people of 2
community endeavour whereby people are enabled to ‘take back control’ of their lives.
Switzerland for over 700 years and think in terms of adopting a similar system of locally and citizen-based government here. One example of where appropriately resourced local government could help is in arresting the decline of town centres up and down the country with their barren streets, boarded-up windows and decaying shop fronts. What is required are high-quality local politicians with the ability to think creatively and champion collective action. Given the increasingly fragmented character of our society, initiatives of this kind are needed to bring us together. Where the Camphill Movement can help is in letting those people, who are anxious to create the kind of smaller communities to which reference has been made, learn from their collective experience over the past 80 years. This would not be a proselytizing mission on Camphill’s part but rather an opportunity to share insights and experience with those who are struggling to create such communities. It is important to remember that Dr König’s mission was in part a reaction to the policies and practices of national governments subscribing to ideologies shorn of compassion, tolerance and democratic legitimacy. The rebirth of these same pernicious and insidious ideologies in Europe and the USA, when combined with the growth of the powerful multinational corporations, is leading to the progressive erosion of the democratic rights of the individual. The time left in which to offer a serious an effective challenge is fast disappearing.
Camphill Values Today | Autumn/Winter 2019