I have taken up the challenge of carrying on the work, the connections and responsibilities, to give a community feeling and voice to the youth here.

My name is Rosa Henderson, currently living and working in Wellington, originally from Milmore Downs, a biodynamic farm in North Canterbury. I have only in the last 2 years become aware of how all-encompassing Anthroposophy is, both as a way of making the world a better place, and as a path of spiritual development for the individual. I would very much like to work with others with similar ideas.

I have attended the last 2 youth gatherings and also a study group in Wellington last year, and I feel that the young people I have met have so much to give and seem to grow a lot form these experiences. It is something I would love others to be able to experience, yet some how I still struggle convey quite what it is that we do and why it is so amazing. Most young people I talk to have some spiritual searching, but looking into the philosophy of Steiner would never cross their mind. So what is the view they have and how do we find the people that are looking for us and have not recognised it yet?

I would really like to take steps to change the view young people have of anthroposophy (for those who just connect it with education) and introduce it to others who have never heard the name (quite a few as I found out, surprisingly). I do feel that there is a strong community of youth in New Zealand and I would love to see that energy harnessed and put into a project, or a number of smaller things. At this stage there is confidence that there will be another Gathering in January next year and also a group gathering for this year's AGM in Auckland.

"Human affairs in general and questions relating to the freedom of peoples no demand, as a starting point, the freedom of the individual." Rudolf Steiner

Titirangi Youth Gathering 2008

This year's New Zealand Youth Gathering was held in Auckland at the Titirangi Rudof Steiner School - a beautiful location, surrounded by bush and slightly hidden from the world. Thirty nine people made this their home for one week. The main theme we were working with was ‘relationships': in society, with friends, family and close partnerships. We did a lot of talking, opening communication lines with a lot of personal sharing, which was possible because of the positive space which was created bythe group, ably facilitated by professional counsellor David Garb. There were also practical activities so as to complete the components of ‘thinking,feeling and willing'. This is the part I am going to talk about as it is something that really made an impression on me.  In order to explore and deepen our relationship both to the community of our hosts and to the earth itself, a Biodynamics workshop was led by Eli Halley. One of the tasks the group achieved was to make a compost heap for the school, infusing it with the biodynamic preparations which were kindly donated by a local farmer. This was an activity very much based in the body, being physical work: collecting cow pats, mixing them with water to spread through, stacking the straw and so on. It was at the same time a spiritual practice, recognising the esoteric forces of the universe and how we can work with them for the healing of the earth.                         

The clay work was verydifferent, more an expression of our own individuality. It was led by Elizabeth Wirsching, originally form Norway, currently residing and working at the Goetheanum in Dornach. Starting with a chunk of clay, we had total freedom to create a form which expresses how we feel about relationships. Then came the hard part. We had to combine our piece with another piece in the room and makea relationship between the two. Some of us had to take apart some of our forms, while others managed to morph the two without much disfiguring. The outcomeswere amazing. In most cases the final piece was more expressive than the single had been and each had a really solid and beautiful connection. I found that this was a really enjoyable and eye-opening experience.  To think in forms can give you a totally different perspective, can reinforce something for you or can help you get past a blockthat you may have had.                                      
                                                                 

A charcoal workshop explored the relationship between light and dark, looking at how light enters a void and starts to illuminateform. This was led by Deborah Docherty, who has been working with water colourand charcoal for over 6 years. The first day we sketched a faint light comingfrom an overhead light source a long way away (in the background of the image to the left), the second was more like day light falling, and the third was strong light. We also did this with colour, light blue turning to deep magenta in the shadows.

 A different artistic activity encouraged us to work in a more communal manner. Here each person applied a small amount of colour to a page; then visited the pages of each member of the group and added colour to their work. The result was 39 drawings, each of which was a creation of the whole community - a mirror perhaps of how individuals can both contribute toand draw support from a wider social group.

At the closing of the Gathering, the strong desire was expressed by the group to hold another similar event next year. In the intervening time, regional groups in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurchin tend to build on the enthusiasm generated during the Gathering by forming study groups. 

Aramitan December 2007 Work camp Report 

The Aramitan community association is an initiative whose goal is to support children and young people in high risk situations in the area of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Aramitan is developing a community centre where homeless children and youth will have a home to live. This centre will also offer a health services and cultural centre to the wider local community, where people can take part in festivals, craft workshops and organic farming. The founders of the project are Sandra Gamarano (Brazilian) and Santiago De Marco (Argentinian). They live in New Zealand and work at Pariati Hohepa as house parents for children with special needs. They go backwards and forwards to Brazil to work on and manage the project and when it is complete they intend to go there and take up the role of house parents at Aramitan. 

I've just left Brazil after a three week work camp at Aramitan. It is a project that has continued to inspire me since I first went there in 2005. This December people from many parts of the world met at Aramitan to work on the house. I've witnessed great progress over the last two years. The house whose windows and doors were holes in the brickwork is now sealed and secure.  Great care has been taken to fit recycled doors and windows into place. Huge spaces have been plastered, bathrooms are functioning and electricity has been connected. This work camp we focused on the kitchen, laying concrete to raise the floor level and making supporting walls in preparation for installing the benches.  Plastering the laundry and laying the office floor were also significant jobs. As there were up to 25 of us working there at a time many other smaller jobs were taken up simultaneously. 

In addition to us working on the building with Jerson, the builder in charge, there were teams of electricians and plumbers. Also on two occasions we had a digger and trucks in to do some transformative earthmoving. Two areas of the hill were removed, one to make space for off-street parking and the other to expand the flat back yard area at the bottom of the drive. The first time the digger came heavy rain cut the job short. This created quite the mud bath. We bucketed and siphoned water out of the deepest puddles and built wooden paths above the mud. I'm not sure of the health promoting qualities of the mud, but several people experimented with the full body mud mask! 

We were very happy the day the sun came out. We got really hot working. After work we went over to the neighbors' for a swim and a game of volley ball on the road. They painted a court on the newly sealed road and when cars came by we cleared off the court and a few people held the net up for them to drive under. The neighbours look after a nice house with a pool for a family living in the city. They live in a hut at the bottom of the section. They have been part of the Aramitan community since it began. They attend events at Aramitan and invite us over to their place for BBQs, dancing, volleyball and swimming. 

Jacinta and her daughter, Solanche, were employed to cook for us during the work camp. They were much appreciated for their hot lunch of beans and rice always on time at midday. On Jacinta's birthday we went to her house for a surprise visit, bringing cake and juice to celebrate.  She lives in a small house on the outskirts of Embu Guacu with her 8 children, 11 grandchildren, 2 pigs, chickens and a big vegetable garden. We played games with the children and in true Brazilian style the family turned up the music and their garage became a dance floor. The house was clean, immaculately tidy and all decorated up for Christmas. I would have had no idea it was home to about 20 people. 

We celebrated Folia de Hais, a Brazilian festival connected to Christmas, at Aramitan in the second weekend. We were all prepared to have about 100 people come mainly from Monte Azul (a project in a city slum), but also local friends and neighbors. We'd prepared food, decorations and a cultural performance. When we woke up we discovered that the town water was turned off for the day. This posed some challenges. We considered our options and nearly decided to cancel. But with a little stubbornness and lots of teamwork we pulled it off, trucking water in for the toilets and buying lots of drinking water. The day was colourful. Santi surprised us by inviting a local Capoera group; they put on a show of admirable strength and flexibility and encouraged us to join in.  The group from Monte Azul arrived, singing, in all their costumes. After refreshments we welcomed everyone onto the big lawn with a New Zealand Powhiri. After greeting each other with the traditional Maori Hongi we performed a poi and stick dance. The cultural exchange continued with carols in various languages and ended with a play performed by the group from Monte Azul. Later there was more Capoera and soccer on the grass. 

The day after the festival we went into the city and visited Monte Azul. With images of the children playing on the lawn at Aramitan fresh in our minds we saw children playing in the concrete allies between buildings. Seeing this emphasized for us the importance of Aramitan not just for the future but for now, providing an escape from the city confines. The most moving experience I had during this trip to São Paulo was visiting the home of a family I have met several times. From the exterior their house is just another facet in the jungle of brick, concrete and power lines, but inside felt like home. It was clean and tidy and beautifully decorated for Christmas. The faces of everyone that lived there glowed with warmth that filled the house. The daughter plays the violin. On a previous visit to Sao Paulo Santi had filmed her playing a song. Back in New Zealand he showed the film to Fiona. M who played for the symphony orchestra. There in the house she remembered the song and when the daughter brought out her violin Fiona played the song back to her. She was delighted. 

After participating in three work camps at Aramitan in the last two years I have met many volunteers. Together we've learnt about the local culture and also about each others lives in different parts of the world. There is something constant in the work camp community regardless of the individuals present. I'm empowered by the experience of working collaboratively towards a common goal and observing results. The international support network who contribute their skills and resources to Aramitan play a huge part in the collaboration and as a volunteer it is a great pleasure to witness Aramitan grow and change people's lives in São Paulo, Brazil.

For more information on the Aramitan project or how you can get involved, you are welcome to email Fiona Pomeroy at fapnz@yahoo.co.nz or visit the Aramitan website at www.aramitan.org  

Contacts 

To get in touch with young people in a particular area, here are some people who might be able to help:

New Zealand: Rosa Henderson - rosa.youthsection@gmail.com  

Auckland: Thomas Burton - burtonsville@gmail.com 

Bay of Plenty : Nadine Seidel - nadine.seidel@gmail.com

Wellington: Rosa Henderson - rosa.youthsection@gmail.com

Dunedin: Sebastian Paul Suggate - sebastian@psy.otago.ac.nz

For the new outh Section gallery of images, events calendar and blog site, visit www.rosascarlette.multiply.com