Seminar on Social Therapy and Curative Education

During a workshop organised by the “Karnataka Parents Association for Mentally Retarded Citizens” on the occasion of their 25^th anniversary, a dedicated parent posed the question: “we have done so much during the past 25 years; we have set up training courses, vocational centres, etc., but what comes next?”

After almost six years experience in local residential living, and being backed by the international Camphill Movement which has been in existence for more than 60 years, we felt that “Friends of Camphill India” could offer an answer to this question.

We conducted an introductory course of “Residential Care in the light of Social Therapy” in November 2004 to which persons working in the field of mental retardation as well as our own permanent co-workers were invited.

Since 2005 the course “Residential Care in the light of Social Therapy” is being held in blocks of two weeks training in both February and November over a period of three years. The course is based on Anthroposophy, the worldview of Dr. Rudolf Steiner (1861 – 1925), an Austrian philosopher and educator. Between teaching sessions the student is expected to work independently on study material as well as doing a project with a person with special needs. The results of this work are presented at the following session.

The course is guided and taught by Penelope Roberts from Camphill Community Copake, USA, a social therapist and curative educator with over 30 years experience in Camphill community life.

The faculty includes:
Halina Rubisz from New Zealand, at present teacher and coordinator in a Waldorfschool in Nepal.
Aban Bana and Dilnawaz Bana from Mumbai, teachers in Eurythmy, Waldorf education and Anthroposophy in general
Dorothea Seabass from the Camphill School Hermanus, South Africa, a curative teacher with many years of experience.

Study subjects that are covered during this course include:

The Healing Environment and Care

School and Vocation

Therapeutic Intervention and Support

Understanding of the Human Being - the twelve Senses; the first three Years of the Child; the seven Life Processes; the Human Soul, etc.

Observation and Inner Development – Perception of the Human Being through Nature; the Path of Personal Growth.

Artistic Work: the Seven Arts – Architecture, Sculpture, Painting, Music, Poetry, Eurythmy, Social Art.

Biography And Destiny – Human Development; Seven Year periods; Crisis and Transition; Destiny and Karma.

 

During the Seminar our participants are also exposed to Community life. They share in some of the household activities and help watering the garden – if time permits - and they contribute to the cultural evening programmes, as playacting, music or other artistic activities are very much a part of the seminar.

While the Seminar is going on, our Indian co-workers are freed from community work so that they can devote all their time and energy to studies. This is a time when we rely on our foreign volunteers who put in extra time and care so that life in the community goes on uninterrupted and our special friends get all the attention they are used to.

By now we have completed the first three sessions of the Seminar and we notice a definite growth in the capacity of our students to relate to the needs of our special friends.

On completion of the Seminar in Spring 2008, we hope to start another course in November 2008 with new participants. We already have enquiries from outsiders, working in the field of mental retardation, and we can see a growing interest in building more Camphill-inspired communities in India.

April 2006