Speaking from the heart, acting out of courage

In 2010 Stéphane Hessel (FR) demanded in an essay «Indignez-vous» (Rise up!). In 2018 the German politician Sahra Wagenknecht (DE) founded the left-wing coalition movement Get up, and Greta Thunberg (SE) initiated her climate school strikes, now called Fridays for Future. Members of the Youth Section, too, see themselves as part of the new youth movement.

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AWE2019_12_WEB The heartbeat of society seems to undergo a rapid change, one that is by now touching everybody and acts under the name of climate crisis. Pressure is rising, words of fear, accusation but also hope and empowerment are reaching many. Finding both an individual and collective attitude – out of freedom and responsibility – seems to be more and more urgent. How do you, and how do we, relate and respond to the stories that reach us? How do we move from the ‹story of separation, reductionism and profit› to a new story that unites the individual’s strength with a collective force to renew?

A new youth movement

In the midst of this storm the dawn of a new youth movement is rising. One that speaks from the heart and acts out of courage. Some of them fill the streets – both analogue and digitally – and stand straight. It is not the first time that youth ‹wander›. Over a hundred years ago, the Wandervogel movement already expressed resistance against the industrial revolution and mechanization of society. Today, in the general debate most attention is focused on the question of climate crisis and on pressuring policy makers. Therefore, technology tries to save the world in a green way but, if possible, still lets profits rise. The internet is taking over huge amounts of energy consumption and all parameters of production, and consumption and degradation are still rising. A story, a new horizon is urgently needed.

As Youth Section at the Goetheanum and as participants of this new dawn of youth we want to think, understand and reflect on the deeper layers of what is going on, what we can do and exchange about the possibilities of creating new horizons, ways of living and encounter out of freedom, responsibility and commitment. We want to embrace the climate crisis debate and challenge, reaching the sources of its origin.

Social dimensions

Polarizations affect the possibilities of being young and also what it means to be human in the complexity of a living world, relaying in a yet unknown cosmos. This is something we cannot do alone - we invite all who feel connected to join in. We will try to deepen the understanding of the human being placed within the given ecosystems and created social dimensions.

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