Pioneers of social change at the Goetheanum
Some 180 participants exchanged views with people from different countries and cultures at the first World Goetheanum Forum from 28 to 30 September. Their common goal is to work meaningfully for the good of humanity in their companies and their professional activities.
he forum focused on best-practice examples of value-based, sustainable and innovative collaboration among companies, institutions and initiatives. Georg Soldner, one of the initiators: “The forum offered the space to exchange international and cross-sectoral issues, to learn from each other, and to inspire and inspire each other.” The participants agreed: in the face of profound and accelerating environmental and social changes The purpose of a business today is to promote human dignity, sustainability, justice and sociality.
The forum was attended by international and regional pioneers of social change. The CEOs of the largest banks born of anthroposophic start-ups – Peter Blom of Triodos Bank, member of the Club of Rome, and Thomas Jorberg of the GLS Bank – made it clear how ethical banking is possible today. Helmy Abouleish showed how the Sekem Oasis, created 40 years ago in the desert near Cairo, has become a university, agricultural and pharmaceutical companies, schools and health facilities that are considered to be showpieces of sustainable, value-based and ecological economies in the Islamic world. Sekem was founded by Ibrahim Abouleish (1937-2017), winner of the Alternative Nobel Prize. The Dutch agrarian economist Petra Derkzen went from the university to a biodynamic farm to run a different farm from her parents and helps Demeter international farmers with this changeover. Educational scholar Ha Vinh Tho, a former Minister of Luck, head of Bhutan’s Center for Gross National Happiness, described how Vietnam’s social skills are promoted through appropriate teacher education. Katrin Buyer from the Presencing Institute and the Community Innovators Lab at MIT shared how people around the world can change their environment, their organization or their operations.
The World Goetheanum Forum was organized by the World Goetheanum Association. The next forum is planned at the end of September 2019.