Struggling for Democracy

In everyday life, things can quickly become less abstract and very concrete. And then it takes courage to publicly show solidarity with people whose human dignity is being violated. I am not very courageous. When I see a woman wearing a headscarf or with dark skin being stupidly addressed or harassed on the subway, I don't dare to confront the attackers. I'm afraid. But I use my body. I look the victim in the eye and stand next to her. And I seek eye contact with others who may also be in solidarity. And even though it's only a tiny act, my knees start to shake. Defending democracy is a difficult task, not only in terms of human dignity, but also in terms of freedom, equality, and solidarity.

I can't imagine what it's like for local politicians who are threatened, slandered, or attacked simply for doing their job. I believe we can all work every day to defend democracy by being mindful of our language and all our communication.

In this issue, we explore the relationship between democracy and Waldorf schools. We let a teacher tell us how she teaches democracy. We describe how schools are committed to human dignity through the project Schule ohne Rassismus – Schule mit Courage (School without Racism – School with Courage). We show how a Waldorf school in Freiburg understands participation: it allows students to participate in the school management. And we draw attention to a dilemma: tolerance towards the intolerant. When people from the new right-wing scene try to become parents or employees at Waldorf schools, Frank Steinwachs recommends putting philosopher Karl Popper's tolerance paradox into practice. If a group's tolerance enables intolerant forces to abolish its own tolerance, then that is a paradox. Schools that invoke the free life of the spirit and therefore accept extremists into their schools would fail to recognize that they are paving the way for forces that oppose the humanistic ethos of Waldorf education.

You will also find other exciting articles in this issue of Erziehungskunst. Frieder Heß reports on the Jugendsymposion (Youth Symposium) in Kassel, Ute Hallaschka announces a new round of Youth Eurythmics Projects (YEP), and Jost Schieren explains why Waldorf education does not need esotericism.

I hope you enjoy reading this issue and wish you a courageous October!