European Co-operation
in Anthroposophical Curative
Education and Social Therapy
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Draft MinutesGeneral Meeting ECCE 2012
May 3rd18.00h – May 6th12.00h
Asociación San Juan, Centro de PedagogíaCurativa y Terapia /
Tourism Development Centre Costa Adeje, Tenerife (ES)
Record of those present and excused: see appendix.
Thursday May 3rd
Welcome by our host Mr. Fidel Ortega Dueňas, director of Asociación San Juan. He gives a short history ofSan Juan.
On behalf of everyone present, Mrs. Adrienne Thier expresses her thanks to Mr. Ortega for his kind hospitality.
Organisational
Friday May 4th
The president, Mrs. Adrienne Thier, opens the meeting and gives everyone a warm welcome.
A special welcome goes to new delegates; they will shortly introduce themselves (see point 2.) and to a number of guests from the Federation for anthroposophical curative education and social therapy in Spain and Portugal.
The eurythmy sessions during this General Meeting will be held by Natasa Kraus. She comes from Serbia, lives in Germany, works in the Czech Republic; she teaches eurythmyat a social academy in Prague (Akademie Tabor).
Mrs. Adrienne Thier: GOVAG, the Flemish parent organisation, wrote a note about their activities, translation in English is available during this meeting.
Christian Gaegauf (CH) and HannuOutakivi (FI) send their greetings.
Guests from the Federation of Spain and Portugal:
Mrs. MariaJose Medina and Mr. Angel Gilsanz fromCasa Tobias in Madrid, Spain.
Mrs. Telma and Mr. Carlos Páscoa from Casa Santa Isabel, Portugal.
Mrs. Maria Jose Dinis and Mrs. Cristina Monteiro from Asta, Almeida, Portugal.
Mrs. Marie-Helena Iglesias from Barcelona.
1.Draft minutes General Meeting, Camphill Community Sylvia-koti,Lahti, Finland,
May19th – 22nd2011
Comments on the minutes:
Mr. Jan Vogelij (NL)- page 2 pt. 3:report revitalization of the Dutch parent organisation. The comments will be taken up in the final draft of these minutes.
- Disastrous development took place in the Netherlands: the organisation for curative education and social therapy ‘Zonnehuizen’ got financially broke; more than 4000 people were involved in this process. The biggest part of the organisation has been taken over by a large regular organisation.
It is a question to the Dutch parent organisation whether curative education and social therapy are secured with this overtake.
Mrs. PaulamariaBlaxland: in the UK there is a veryserioussituation: eligibility criteria have changed to cut out fundingforpeoplewith a moderate or medium learningdisability, the councilswillnolonger support someone, unlessthey have severedisabilities. Socialworkersnowappear to usetheir care plans as a funding tool notonly as a tool forneedsbased care and support.
The UK has nowrittenconstitution. Froman anthroposophical point of view thisseems to beso right forour time. For it's a problemfor a state ornation to saywhetherthisorthatgroup have rightsornot. Europeanwidethere are laws, which do this and we thinkit is good, but do we notneed to questionthis, as rightsgiven are rightsthatcanbe taken away. There are manychanges in the National Health Service, the "NHS" in England, and oldforms are fallingaway. There is more and more privatisation of Health and Social Care.
Mr. Pim Blomaard (NL): page 2 pt. 4: research is abstract (not annoying) it is one-dimensional!
NVAZ is not a movement, but an association. It is not only for people with a handicap but also for other anthroposophical activities.
With these remarks, the minutes are approved.
2.Membership issues
2.1Short introductionsnew delegates of ECCE members:
1)BundesElternVereinigunge.V., Germany (BEV) is represented by Mrs. Sabine von der Recke.She would like to work with ECCE intensively, strengthen it and bring it to the German parents. She has 4 children and has been a teacher. She belongs to a group of parents not far from Bonn. See also the resume.
2)VerbandfürAnthroposophischeHeilpädagogik und Sozialtherapie, Switzerland is represented by Mr. JorgosKalyas. Mr. Kalyvas lives and works in Zurich and has become a social pedagogue after a career as a technical engineer for Reuter and a commercial pilot. He has taken over the representation of Mrs. Brigitte Kaldenberg.
3.European politics and organisations
The magazine Point and Circleis published on behalf of the Council for Curative Education and Social Therapy (CH) in association with the anthroposophical Curative Education and Social Therapy Association in the UK (ACESTA).More information and subscriptions can be obtained by Mrs. Bianca Hugel:
3.1ELIANT
Mr. Bernard Heldt: ELIANT is a co-operation of anthroposophical working areas in Europe. ECCE has been one of its founders. Its first task was to bring together 1 million signatures for supporting the aims of its Charter (see The secondtaskis now to follow up the demands and questions. Especially in BD agriculture, medicine and Waldorfeducationthere are about 15 actionpoints to bringunder the attention of the EuropeanCommission.
ELIANT has nowitsown office in Brussels, theyaddressedantroposophicalfunds and organisations to find budgets in order to maintainthis office. The Councilforcurativeeducation and socialtherapy in Dornach has been paying the fee for ECCE up tillnow. Because of the rate exchange (the Euro has been diminished) the Council has financialproblems, thereforecan’tafford to contributefor ECCE anymore. The fee of € 2.000 is impossibleforECCE. A solutionneeds to befound.
3.2Reflection on the International Training Conference Kassel (DE), April 25-28 2012.
This point is skipped. No one from ECCE has been able to attend.
3.36th European congress ‘Living in the Encounter’ 2014 in Brussels
Mr. Thomas Kraus: the last event took place in Vienna (AT) in 2011, more than 650 people with and without disabilities attended. This year it took place in Sao Paulo, Brazil (May), and also in Bangkok, Thailand (February), the next congress there has already been planned.
In Europe the 6th congress will take place in Brussels (BE), end of September 2014. For more information please have a look on:
The umbrella foundation Michaelisstichting will take part in the organisation of this congress. Mrs. Adrienne Thier has already been in contact with a liaison officer of the European Disability Forum (EDF); he might be able to help her to organise the congress in the European Parliament.
Unfortunately the congress fee for people with a handicap can’t be made cheaper, because there are no funds willing to make donations. It might be an idea to find funds locally. The last congress in Vienna balanced out because of local funding and fundraising.
3.4Contact with EDF, Inclusion Europe and EASPD
Mrs. Adrienne Thier: the EDF is the advisor of the European Commission on disability matters. For the coming 10 years it will be policy to draw up a document of 8 subjects, all about laws but not on how to implement on them.
Mr. LukZelderloo (EASPD) held a lecture at last years General Meeting about this subject, how to implement these rights and the ethical aspects thereof. This could be the face of ECCE in the coming years. Mr. Zelderloohas asked ECCE to co-operate in a shadow report that EASPD will then take to the UN Convention and the European Disability Strategy. This shadow report (every 4 years) will hold what is lacking still. The point of Ethics is needed in both reports: the report from the Government and the report from the NGO’s (shadow report). The reports show how everything is done; the shadow reports show what is not working and what has not been done.
Mr. Michael Mullan (AT) and Mr. Pim Blomaard (NL) are willing to work on this. Mrs. PaulamariaBlaxland will sit in from the UK point of view.Mr. Michael Dackweiler is working on the shadow report of Germany.All reports should be collected and read; this will take up a lot of time(they will probably be read in 2016).
Mrs. Deborah Ingves: If Sweden really implements the articles 3 and 4, there will be problems. In these articles it says that people have the right to live where they want. Within the Swedish parent organisation there is one parent who has read every single little law. Every county have their own lawyers, the parents have no one to represent them; this parent has been able to win several times, but he is only one person…..
Mr. Bernard Heldt: in April 2013 there will be an international symposium in Strassbourg on Ethics. Mr. Zelderloo will give a lecture; can ECCE organise a working group there?
4.Finances
4.1Annual report 2011
Comments:
Page 18: debtors from before 2004 are skipped.
ECCE is an European organisation and not Dutch. In 2011 we have less contribution for EASPD.
ECCE is associate member of Inclusion Europe; they are associate member to ECCE, we pay contribution to each other.
There have been no contributions from Norway of Finland. It is difficult to get hold of the right person; no reactions came on the invoices send.
Mrs. MarianneLindström: Varna has a budget now for ECCE. She will contact GeirLegreid from the SosilterapeutiskForbund, Norway.
Mr. Pim Blomaard: what is the result of 2011? There is a loss of € 2.800. Net result: - € 8.269.See page 14:are there 2 results?
Mr. Bernard Heldt: this concerns the financial household. The debt is taken with the difference.
Mr. Pim Blomaard: what is the debt what has been left over? On page 18: € 1.333.
Mr. Bernard Heldt: These are the debtors from before 2004. They have been skipped.
Mr. Blomaard would like a clear understanding of the figures; finds no connection with the budget in comparison with the annual report.
Mr. Heldt: this is the position of December 31st 2011; what hasn’t been paid on contribution over 2011 becomes a debt in 2012. We decided not to mention the debtors, but we count as if they have paid on December 31st 2011; this is how it is done in Holland.
This problem comes back every year, we should solve it!
4.2Draft budget 2012
Mr. Bernard Heldt: the Committee decided that the need to become more economical with attending conferences is urgent. Mrs. Roelien Kort will stop her work for the Committee and the General Meeting; this will help also to cut travelling costs.
Mr. Michael Mullan: ECCE is focused on people in need of special care in Europe, about 30.000 people; if every person would donate € 0,50 per person, then we would have an extra income
towards ECCE, this would make the difference. One could ask parents to pay € 1 a year for ECCE and then it is off the shoulders of the institutions. How can we implement this; it is an affordable amount, that everyone can pay.
The Committee will discuss this great suggestionand come with a proposal to be discussed by the members.
It would be important to look at the position of ECCE in the coming years; there is need for more than the current € 20.000. Also the framework of a policy is necessary, we should talk about what we do for the money, not only about expenses; make clear what ECCE aims for, then people might donate not just only € 1. Talk about our vision more than about money.
4.3Membership contribution 2013
Mr. Bernard Heldt: the contribution key we have now is deducted, it is based on the key of the International Council for curative education and social therapy in the past; 4 years ago they adopted a new key. ECCE also had to find a new key, which is to be understood by everyone. The Financial working group: Mr. Manfred Trautwein, Mr. Christian Gaegauf and Mr. Bernard Heldt haveput together 5 categories (the names on the proposal paper are from 2 years ago).
The categories are important, based on the number of clients. Will this be a proper objective key?
A discussion follows with a number of suggestions how to put together a new contribution key.
1) we could create 2 keys: one for institutions and one for parent organisations.
2) ask the same contribution from institutions and parent organisations, related to the amount of parents in the organisation.
3) the difference between countries is also considered important. Maybe governmental subsidies need to be taken in account too.
4) make a difference between day care pupils and residential pupils.
5) trust each other: countries who don’t have the finances should have the freedom to donate what they can.
In any way the key needs to be transparent.
The proposal to raise the ECCE contribution with 2,5% for 2013 is hereby accepted by the majority.
5.PR and public affairs
5.1Reflection on ECCE-Link, April 2012
Please sent articles etc. to the office. Participation of members is important. Other languages than English can be put in as well.
5.2Call for voluntary helpers to maintain our website
VincenzoRuisi is maintaining ECCE’s website.
Content
6.New policy paper ECCE, draft version
As decided in 2009, ECCE will present and discuss its new policy paper to its members. This policy paper takes into account the ‘UN-Convention on the rights of persons with disability’ and the European Disability Strategy 2011-2020.
Some remarks:
- it should contain more practical translations of the goals from the UN Convention. Make concrete projects.
- take up the problems in the different countries
- is it possible to have 2 versions, 1 for ourselves and 1 for the other NGO’s. We then work with the ECCE version with a language of our own. UN Convention is not a focus; it gives a realm in which people know what to do. ECCE can contribute theoretical thoughts in threefold thinking, polarisation. Talk of free will is a difficult concept. Hemmerich said that integration is a higher level of polarisation. We are challenged to threefold thinking. ECCE doesn’t need to say that we need education, rights etc. We need examples and a way of thinking.
- difficult to work on this paper before the vision of the future of ECCE has been developed.
- make it accessible for those for who it is meant, not another paper on the UN Convention. What does inclusion mean? If we don’t include the people with special needs, what is inclusion then?
- concrete actions and steps which are going to be taken can also be expressed by external people, internal message to the outside. A policy paper is about the next 3 years, to specify our steps. Have specific papers to specific problems. It is the aim to guide the paper.
- the paper has to fit every aspect.
- we need to create a paper which is understandable for the people, for parents we work with. The core ethical basis of anthroposophy. Deepen our work together in and out of anthroposophy. That will shine through to people, that is what they want from us. Help one another in this way, a good heart alone is not enough. Hemmerich is talking out of his experience and is therefore understandable.
The Committee will look at these remarks in her meeting the end of June next.
Saturday May 5th
7.Symposium ‘Producing or creating?’, STAG and ECCE vision on labour’
in co-operation with the Social Therapeutic Working Group, STAG -SozialtherapeutischeArbeitsgruppe- is a working group of the Council for Curative Education and Social Therapy in Dornach (CH). In the working group experts in coaching persons with disabilities from all parts of Europe co-operate in researching new ways of awakening creativity by working and arts.
See Annex 1.
8.Supper - Anniversary ’20 years ECCE’
Sunday May 6th
9.Committee issues
9.1The Committee proposes to appoint Mrs. Sabine von der Recke, representative of the German parent organisation BEV, as a member of the Committee
Outcome of the voting: out of 6 supporting members (1 vote) and 75 full members (3 votes per member): 81 votes for yes and 3 abstentions.
With this the Committee is very happy with the accession of Mrs. Sabine von der Recke to the board.
9.2The Committee proposes to re-appoint Mr. Thomas Kraus (DE) as a Committee member for another term of 3 years
Without voting Mr. Thomas Kraus has been appointed as a member of the Committee for the term of another 3 years.
In the last Committee Meeting the tasks have been divided. Mr. Thomas Kraus has become the secretary (correspondence and minutes), Mr. Bernard Heldt will continue as treasurer and secretary general and will handle the office tasks. The position of treasurer is still open!
Mrs. Adrienne Thier and Mr. Leonardo Fulgosi will withdraw from the Committee in 2013. The Committee is aware of this and will try and come with a solution. The office is in the Netherlands, but Bernard Heldt will retire. The members in Germany have been asked to take on the office of ECCE; it is still to be decided.
Mr. Michael Dackweiler: in Germany we were not comfortable with the idea that the office should be in Germany. They are wondering how they can contribute to the wonderful job the office of ECCE has been doing up till now. There are many questions, also from out of a spiritual point of view. The ‘European being’ should be nourished, it is important to find the words to show what on the EU realm spiritually is asked of our movement. Hopes that ECCE will form a realm in which it can show in a new way her quality, a new grip. Younger people should look at it and find out what is asked to reach the goals. Hopes ECCE comes to a new solution.
Moneywise: the richer a country is, the less chance you have that volunteering work will be offered. Work needs to be paid.
Mr. Fidel Ortega always had an idea of ECCE: thinking-feeling-willing. The Latin part with the strength of the heart, the Germans have the will to do things, the Anglo-Saxons have the thinking.
Mr. Pim Blomaard: ECCE is at a point that the future must be taken in consideration. Projects are in need of clarifying. He hopes we get to talk about this. The members of the Committee have to mirror the needs of the members.
Mrs. PaulamariaBlaxland: if we think of youth, it doesn’t always have to do with age. There needs to be a combination of both. People of different ages, everyone has something to give. We are English speaking at the moment. Is that the language we would like to continue with? In legal words, the Anglo-Saxon part of ECCE, England, is a melting pot of languages. This makes it possible that Britain is the only country with an unwritten constitution, by definition there are no laws about rights. Everyone has without saying, rights. ECCE is an association which will be able to work with this concept, these underlying human rights. As ECCE should feel to underpin this, England can offer something in this point; can look inward. Find someone from Britain to join this work of ECCE.