Eliant – support from civil society
Since its inception in 2006, the European Alliance of Initiatives for Applied Anthroposophy (Eliant) has been advocating cultural diversity and the possibility of choice in Europe. It also supports campaigns of European partner associations and institutions with similar goals.
Eliant’s main concern – to maintain freedom of choice concerning questions of practical life in order to safeguard cultural diversity – is more topical than ever because rules and official regulations are increasingly narrowing down these possibilities. The Alliance partners meet twice yearly in order to remain mutually aware of their concerns and to share experiences.
Supporting a humane education
In 2016/2017 the German Association of Waldorf Kindergartens, in cooperation with the neuroscientist Manfred Spitzer, issued a petition for screen-free day care centres and kindergartens that drew 69,000 signatures in six months. It was addressed to the German Department for Family Affairs. Since there is no legal basis in Germany yet for an enforced digitalization – in other words, the freedom of choice is not yet endangered – the main purpose of the petition was to call attention to the concern and its scientific foundation.
At a conference held by Eliant in Brussels (BE) in 2017, on the values and competences of a healthy digital eco-system, the decision was made to launch a Europe-wide petition together with the Alliance for Humane Education, demanding the possibility and further development of screen-free kindergartens and elementary schools. This move was prompted by Martine Reicherts, the European Commission’s then director-general for education and culture, who made it clear in her opening address that the digitalization would affect all areas of life and that the sphere of education was of particular interest. It was the more important, she said, that there were people who took the scientific warnings against a premature and excessive exposure to digital media seriously and stood up for alternative educational models.
While Eliant is very grateful for the 62,000 signatures achieved so far, they do hope to meet their envisaged goal of 100,000 signatures by the end of 2020. “Signatures from outside Europe also count, because they illustrate that committing to a humane educational system is a global task,” says Michael Glöckler, who represents Eliant.
Presence in Brussels
“Fostering contacts and becoming active where it is meaningful and possible” is how Michaela Glöckler sums up another Eliant principle. Eliant and its partner organizations are renting an office in the building of the Fondation Rudolf Steiner which is in walking distance to the European Parliament and the European Commission. The building is therefore ideally located for smaller colloquia and contact meetings.
The Eliant Newsletter is another means of contact. Michaela Glöckler is convinced that “the more people are part of the network, the greater will be the support from civil society for the initiatives and products of applied anthroposophy in Europe.” Eliant’s activities are funded exclusively through donations, for which Eliant was founded as a charitable organization in Germany and Switzerland.