Amsterdam & Paris, on March 15th, 2008
Dear Korczak friends and colleagues,
We apologize for the delay of this Newsletter. We met with various
difficulties (translations, organisation…). Nevertheless there is no risk
that the proposed articles here are obsolete. The treatment of children’s
rights in many countries is always disheartening, and not just in countries
at war such as Palestine and Israel, Irak, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Soudan,
DRCongo, Ouganda, Birma, Tibet, etc. The number of children just murdered or
recruited as soldiers, sex slaves, workers in factories or in mines,
confined in camps, starved or convicted without basic medical care is
staggering.
But Europe also mistreats children of immigrant families in an irregular
situations and we are seeing a strong tendency to reproduce the logic of
detention camps. Yet to be in an illegal situation does not justify to be
treated as animals. Vulnerable Children and families should be treated with
respect and dignity.
In addition, throughout the world, violence remains present within
educational and institutional contexts including the family.
We come to the conviction shared by Janusz Korczak Associations
world-wide, we should raise our voices against evil and injustice, stronger
and louder than in the past. We invite you to propose initiatives.
The editors of the Janusz Korczak International Newsletter:
Theo Cappon & Bernard Lathuillere,
(Chairmen of The Netherlands & French JK Association’s)
Summary
GERMANY
International Janusz Korczak Meeting in Mannheim,
combined with the 30th Jubilee of the Janusz Korczak Association
in Germany. (26-28 October 2007)
Some highlights from this "Fachtagung Dreissig Jahre Deutsche Korczak
Gesellschaft e. v." During the three days we listened to some very
interesting presentations and lectures.
The first evening was marked by two moments:
- Siegfried Steiger, president of the German Korczak Association and
leader of the Experimental Theater of Günzburg presented parts of the
play "What example do we need?", with contribution of the Duo
Sternschnuppe: 'Korczak, also to laugh in one’s sleeve".
- The lecture of Prof. Friedhelm Beiner. See the summery below:
"Alone with God". Was Korczak a religious person?
by Friedhelm Beiner
Based upon his religious disposition Korczak rejects in his works a
cynical philosophy that denies human dignity granted by God. Instead he
points at the diversity and intensity of human thinking and human feelings:
a creature, that can feel so strongly and variety as a human being, cannot
be a mere lump of earth, or a career "animal". Someone once said viciously
that the world is a clod of mud, floating around in an endless space, and
that man is a animal that has accomplished a career. This may be true. But
in addition: this clod of mud experiences pain, knows how to love and cry
and is full of longing. And the career of mankind is – after examination of
conscience - dubious. (Tagebuch/Erinnerungen).
His religious disposition, that consisted of a devoutness that was not
restricted ecclesiastically, was shown in his educational work. He wanted to
give the orphans a spiritual support. God was to Korczak an orientation,
making it possible to understand the world and to live a humane existence.
Rejection of faith was for him the same as rejection of essential moral and
ethical support and of human meaning of existence. How simple is the
expectation of parents (not to be interpreted as progressive) that it makes
it easier for children to understand the world that surrounds them by saying
to them "There is no God". If there is no God, who made the world then?
Korczaks religiosity and his belief in goodness are bound with the
conviction, that goodness can be searched for, experienced and achieved,
even if this seems to be contradicted by the present situation in the world.
It is for Korczak important to educate children to look for God and practise
solidarity. Here however each child must find its own way. He writes in his
farewell-letter to his pupils who are leaving the home: "We do not give
you God. You should look for Him in your own soul, in lonesome effort. […]
However we do give you one thing: the search for a better life, that does
not exist yet, but that will one day, and for a life of truth and justice.
Maybe this quest will lead you to God […]".
Korczak did not have a clearly defined conception of God; the search for
sense and goal in life were for him also a search for God. He spent his
whole life in this pursuit. For Korczak God can be interpreted as a reason
for existence, that can be searched for, found and experienced, but that man
in his imperfection can never fully achieve. Because there is a gap between
the mortality of man and the infinity and diversity of his thinking and
experiencing. Korczak relates this discrepancy in existence with God:
"Among millions of people you (mother) have borne – what? A
substance, dust, a mere nothing. […] (But:) In there is something that can
feel, question and search, suffer, wish, enjoy, love, trust, hate, that can
believe, doubt, attract and repel. This substance with its thoughts can
comprehend everything: stars and oceans, mountains and ravines. And is the
essence of the soul anything else than a universe, but without measure? Here
we have the contradiction of man: created from dust, but in which God has
taken refuge".
"We people are related to dust – but we harbour Divinity, that can
help us to answer to and account for the challenges of life"
(cf. "Die Einsamkeit des Alters/The Loneliness of Age" from Korczak, but
also 'Dialogische Prinzip' from Martin Büber).
***
The second day was interesting for several reasons
First of all we had the meeting of the International Janusz Korczak
Association (see the report of the new president Batia Gilad) in this
Newsletter.
Second, we were invited for the opening of Itzchak Belfer’s exposition.
Belfer is a former pupil of Korczak’s orphanage ‘Dom Sierot’. After the
Holocaust he moved to Israel where he became a famous painter and teacher of
art. On many of his paintings we meet Korczak during his last days with the
200 children of the orphanage in Warsaw ghetto.
Another important moment was the lecture of Mrs Ulrich Koch: "Reading
with children Korczak’s book Kaitus the Magician". She
showed with help of a slide-show the didactic steps with the students of the
Franz Ludwig Gymnasium in Bamberg. She explained the impact of this reading
project, as for example: learning students’s relationship with adults and
the community ; learning about Korczak and the Ghetto of Warsaw ; another
approach to Jewish life and culture and particular to Jewish people in their
school and city. Also its colleagues in school became more and more
interested in Korczak. More: see Book chapter.
***
The third day of the Jubilee-weekend had one interesting lecture:
"Coping strategies of children with psychiatric disturbed parents"
Examples of famous Personalities, by Dr. Med. Susanne Schlüter-Müller, Child
and Adolescent psychiatrist and psychotherapist in Frankfort.
The scientific and clinical interest on children with psychiatric
disturbed parents increased in the last years. Those children belong to a
high risk population so that prevention is urgently indicated. Research of
resilience factors gives us important information about resources and
coping-strategies which can be used clinically. It therefore compliments the
research of vulnerability in a clinical relevant way.
On the basis of biography of the surrealistic painter René Magritte who
lived with a psychiatric disturbed mother who committed suicide when he was
thirteen it is demonstrated how this stress maybe unconsciously forced his
artistic way of painting. On the basis of some paintings of the artist the
supposed connection between his work and unconscious coping mechanisms is
worked out. Besides parts of the novel ‘Eine Geschichte von Liebe und
Finsternis’of the Israelite writer Amos Oz are analysed in which he firstly
writes about the depression and later suicide of his mother and how much it
influenced his whole life. [English summery by Susanne Schlüter-Müller].
We had a wonderful meeting with a lot of new and old friends. It gave us
a lot of new inspiration.
***
Special Korczak Bulletin of the German, Austrian
and Swiss Korczak Associations
It is the Jubilee Bulletin on the occasion of 30th anniversary of the
German Korczak Association, issued October 2007 and presented during the
combined German and International Korczak Meeting in Mannheim,
November 2007. We like to give you a short survey of the articles in that
Bulletin.
After an introduction written by the chairman of the German Korczak
Association, Siegfried Steiger, we meet the first author in the Bulletin:
Janusz Korczak with the short story "My Alarm" (Mein
Wecker). Korczak makes a comparison between an alarm and a writer. When a
writer makes critical alarm people get angry, and when a writer keeps silent
people throw him away.
The second article is written by Siegfried Steiger: "What kind of
example we need?". Korczak warns us for copying other educators and
pedagogues. The first rule is: Know yourself before you try to understand
children. Your own example is the best but to find that way is difficult.
You’ll make many mistakes but finally you are an adult that is real,
consistent and coherent.
The third article has the title: "Alone with God. Was Korczak a
religious man?", by Friedhelm Beiner, president of honour of the
German Korczak Ass.
The second part of the bulletin is for memories. We made
a selection.
"How I found Korczak", by Erich Dauzenroth (1931-2004).
In this article of course connections with Poland and the Polish Korczak
friends, Erich tells about Dr Jozef Bogusz, from Warsaw who called Korczak
the 'pons inter nationes'. Finally Erich Dauzenroth became the bridge
between Poland and Germany himself.>
"Admiration. A note for Janusz Korczak", by Wolfgang
Pelzer. Korczak was for Pelzer like a mentor. The most important experience
was for him the way Korczak wrote about the every day’s reality of
pedagogues and teachers. Still every day he is listening to Korczak
questions: ‘Do you know what Respect really means? Do you really understand
what means, The Right to Respect for each child? Can you keep it up
everyday? Pelzer recommends us to read Korczak’s letters to his friends in
Palestine: "We admire Korczak not because of the insignia of a
successful life but because of his relation with life, his availability, his
wishes for a better future, and his solidarity".
"Visions and Hopes", by Werner Licharz. Korczak is for
Werner Licharz a bridge builder: a bridge between children and adults;
between adults and old people; between weak and strong; between East and
West; between religions and cultures, etc.
"On Korczak’s tracks", by Michael Kirchner. Kirchner
explains what he learned from Korczak as father of the family and as medical
doctor. Korczak meets each unique child in a special way, its own way.
Keyword was careful observation. The right of the child on respect means a
deep understanding and meeting of the child. Kirchner speaks about the
‘ethics of the others’. It is this ethics that is only based on the call of
the other, i.c. the child. The meeting of the child from face to
face.
At least:
"Working for Korczak in the DDR. A personal retrospective vie",
by Barbara Engermann- Reinhardt. Aside from the publication of the Korczak
biography written by Olga Mortkowicz-Olczakowa (1963), Janusz Korczak was
unknown in fact in the DDR (Eastern German Democratic Republic).
Thanks to a coöperation with Günter Schulze, Barbara Engemann, living in
the DDR, started research on Korczak. In 1975 they published under the title
"The love for a child" the most important Korczak texts. As
pedagogical literature this book was very unusual and it founds it way to
the general public. During her research she came in contact (thanks to Ida
Merzan from Warsaw) with Hanka Daube, the only survivor of Korczak's
orphanage living in Germany. This lady became the heart of the Korczak
research team in Berlin. In 1978 the book 'When I am little again' was
published and a one year later "King Matthew".
(The authorities changed their tack, because the book was already
translated into six Russian languages). Important was the start of the
official Korczak Research Centre (community) on the 12th of September 1980.
The main aim was the introduction and promotion of Korczak's ideas for
education and upbringing. Not so easy in a system with centralized political
and even pedagogical directives. Many seminars, meetings and discussions
took place. "We found a special 'niche' in our society and our approach
was delicate".
In that period we had two seminars a year for study and exchange of
experiences. Barbara remembers how often students had chosen Korczak for
their diplom referat. Important was of course the impressive film'Ich bin
klein aber wichtig'produced and directed by Konrad Weiss. This film about
Korczak received the "Golden Sparrow" for the best movie for children.
Contacts with the West were nevertheless difficult, sometimes not
possible at all. Travelling and correspondence for instance were not
desirable or forbidden.
Interesting and inventive were the New-Years cards the Korczak Circle in
the DDR sent to all the friends and contacts in Eastern Germany and abroad.
They took Korczak quotations and printed them on their official paper. These
cards with official stamps were sent to many countries. One example:
"It is not only important
what a man is saying,
but also
what he is thinking and feeling
and why is he is just so
and not someone else".
After the big change in 1990 the DDR friends decided to merge in the all
German Janusz Korczak Association.
Summary and translated by Theo Cappon
More on the new German JK Association website
You can order the Bulletin at this address:
Siegfried Steiger
Imhofstrasse
89312 Günzburg
Tel: +49 (0) 8221/33 727, Fax: +49 (0) 8221/22 737
s.steiger [[-]]
t-online.de
****
The NETHERLANDS
Report of the Janusz Korczak International Youth Meeting
18-22 September 2007, The Netherlands.
(A summery. The full report
will be published in January 2008.
To be ordered via info [[-]]
korczak.nl. You will receive it in digital format)
The Janusz Korczak Association offered herself a jubilee-present. We
celebrated this year our 25th birthday and the best way was an International
Conference for young people, working in the field of education, childcare,
upbringing, children’s rights, public health service etc.
Let me repeat our aims and context of this conference.
After the Janusz Korczak International Meeting in 1995 in The
Netherlands, it became evident that the approach of youth -care in the
Eastern and Western European countries, as well as in the countries in
South-America, Asia and Africa, differs a lot. During this conference there
was a strong demand for exchange of practical experiences and ideas in the
field of youth-care, education and children’s rights (special youth at
risk). The Janusz Korczak Associations in the different countries have their
own, specific manner of dealing with the problems of offering support to
children and youngsters in threatend situations (in the family, i school, in
the peer-group, etc.).
During that conference in 2005 the reciprocal inspiration was highly
appreciated and of course also the inspiration by Korczak’s work and ideas.
Specially the young educators and groupleaders need know-how and
encouragement for their daily work in the institutions, schools and
children’s houses. Important was (and is) the coherent continuation in their
work. That involved in the obligation for more exchange, study and support
at the long term.
For this purpose, the conference in 2007 will give an impulse. It will
bring together young professionals, volunteers and experts.
We had 8 important pedagogical themes with high relevance for people from
so many different countries, like:
- Growing up in two cultures; Problems vs positive experiences in a
multi-cultural and
- multi-ethnic society
- The need of education for citizenship; active participation of
children in society.
- Children and multimedia (tv, internet, video-games, mobile
telephones); risks and
- opportunities; influence of consumer society.
- The right of children on sexuality.
- Learning for life. How can children be active in their own learning
process?
- Integration of disabled and chronic ill children in society
- The right of children to mental and physical protection
- How can we help children and young people to deal with aggression?
People came from Bangladesh, Brasil, Burundi, Czech, France, Germany,
Ghana, Holland, India, Kirgistan, Ukraine, Russia, Lithuania, and Poland. We
stayed 6 days in a nice house near the beach of the North Sea and the water
temperature was perfect for swimming.
If you are thinking of conferences, often boring, long-winded speeches
come in memory and passive listeners.
In our case we followed a different approach. For each topic a specialist
worked together with the participants in an inter-active way. It were real
workshops and the participants put their own experiences and know-how into
the workshops. Each workshop took two morning-sessions. So, after two days
another topic could be chosen.
Each time people came to us to tell how much such a workshop meant for
them. There was a great commitment among the participants. If you live 6
days together, day and night, a strong tie and trust between people is
growing.
And than, the afternoon-session. We had the so-called creativity
workshops in which we appealed on other aspects of one’s competences,
perhaps unknown abilities like music, sculpt, producing animatio films,
playing in theatre, etc. These discoveries in yourself supported in turn the
workshops in the morning sessions.
Very special were the 'Open Stages’ during the evening. Everybody could
present their own specialities or projects. We listened to the story of
Colette Charlet from France who worked in the project 'Children’s city in
Rosario (Argentina); to Julia Fishman and Vladimir Vyzotski from Kiev who
told us about the Jewish Welfare Work 'Beitenu'; to Nilufar Karim from
Bangladesh who showed us her work in Dacca; to Sylvia Guimaraes from Sao
Paulo who told us about 'Projeto Anchieto’in one a the biggest slums
('favela') of that city; to Irina Gurvich and Natalia Levkova who explained
us the importance of the Center fo Tolerance in St-Peterburg, etc. etc.
People were very much interested in these stories and the 'Open Stages’
always went longer than expected and were followed by questions and
discussions.
During that week we had some special highlights. First of all the
breathtaking concert by Shura Lipovsky, famous singer of Yiddish Songs and
storyteller. We had beautiful excursions to the North of Holland (The Dutch
struggle against the water) and the old centre of Amsterdam, including a
visit to the Anne Frank house. Some of the participants rent a bike and made
nice trips to the forest and little villages.
What was the result of the Conference?
- First of all we noticed that the 8 themes were recognizable for the
participants with so different backgrounds. Topics like 'The impact of
media on children', 'growing up in a multi-cultural society'or 'the
right of children on a harmonious sexuality'proved to be relevant and of
current interest everywhere.
- Participants received new 'baggage'for their work, but in the mean
time they contributed to the colleagues their own know-how and
experiences. The workshop leaders offered opportunities for this
exchange and participants were very pleased with the level of the
workshops.
- One important thing was the renewed and widened knowledge about
Korczak's life and work. Not all participants were familiar with
Korczak's ideas and during the workshops, the 'open stages', discussions
and the morning texts, we tried to connect Korczak with our daily work
or study. Besides that we had a reading-centre with books of Korczak, or
about Korczak in several languages. Some were surprised that they could
read about Korczak in their own language, like the 'The King of
Children'in Russian or texts of Korczak in Portuguese. Students told us
that these texts were real eye-openers for them and they discovered how
Korczak was ahead of his time.
- It is difficult to put into words the personal emotions and
experiences of the participants during those days. Mutual recognition of
problems but also support, solidarity and connection. Long talks till
deep in the night or walks along the beach made one big family of us.
Material or businesslike contacts but most of all friendships and of
course many invitations belonging to them.
We'll put in the full report the comments of the participants and details
of the workshops. The say goodbye on Friday morning was not easy; many
thankful embraces.
Theo Cappon
****
SWITZERLAND
Read in "La
Lettre" no 56, Nov. 2007, from the Swiss Korczak Association
In his editorial, the chairman, Daniel Halperin, wrote about "Populism
and Xenophobia: a threat to the rights of children"
"I always do my best (almost) to politicize neither the articles in
'La Lettre', nor the Korczak Association. The Korczak movement is
a-political, isn’t it? Not because it is indifferent to public matters, but
because its legitimacy is to publicize and promote a way of thinking which
is fundamentally universal and unprejudiced. Paramount in this way of
thinking are ideas that are both simple andcomplex, strong and fragile: that
children are full value human beings; that they are no more grown-ups in the
making, than elder people are adults in regression; that their present
moment is not the porch of a soon-coming adulthood, but is a reality that
matters now; that children have rights that are no second to the righs of
man, woman or citizen.
Well then, the recent success of populistic right in Switzerland’s
legislative elections which was in large part based on fear of the others
and on a self-centered behaviour, poses a real threat to the rights of
children. It was observed already last year that, under the influence of the
same political party, new laws and acts were accepted by the Swiss people.
On the ground of these new laws, foreign families and their children whose
asylum request was rejected no longer have access to social services; minor
foreigners can be under arrest for one year just because their documents are
not fully correct; and children born out of a complacency marriage can now
be deprived of their paternal filiation. A society that enacts such laws
looses its sense of humane values, perverts democracy, and may further
deviate towards injustice. Such as the injustice that would result from the
systematic expulsion of foreign juvenile delinquents and their families, or
from the deprivation of offenders and their families, of their fresly
obtained Swiss passport.
We don’t want, as do the persons we just criticized, to make people
worried. We are not fear promoters. But we have to stay alert and follow the
processes in our society. Because, where the rights of some children are not
respected, the rights of all cildren are in danger.
P.-S.: It is remarkable to see that Switzerland adheres to this
populistic and xenophobic tendency at the very time when Poland, the
homeland of Janusz Korczak, tries to make an end to this way of thinking.
Will we be clever in the nea uture to turn of the tide?"
Dr. Daniel Halperin, translated by Theo Cappon
****
Quick news
Europe – The Korczak COE's Thomas Hammarberg appeal
"Children have the right to be heard and adults should listen to their
views"
On the 20th November, the Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg
came especially to Warsaw following the footsteps of Janusz Korczak to
deliver an important political speech for the recognition of active
children's rights, calling for his work to serve as a model in ensuring that
children are actively involved in decision making processes.
The ceremony was organized by the Shalom Foundation in cooperation with
Council of Europe, the Capital City of Warsaw, the Polish Janusz Korczak
Association as well as with the Korczakianum Centre for Documentation and
Research. The meeting was organized under the Patronage of Mayor of the
Capital City of Warsaw, Mrs. Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz. The Commissioner
stressed that children should be involved in on all matters that affect
their lives, adding that "decision making bodies should organise a
system where children have the possibility to express their views. This
concerns national Governments, Parliaments, local and regional authorities,
as well as international organisations".
The day before [19 Nov. 2007], in his "Viewpoint", the Commissioner had
payed tribute to Janusz Korczak and called for his work to serve as a model
in ensuring that children are actively involved in decision making
processes. "All sides stand to gain of adults learn to support children
in the exercise of their rights", said Thomas Hammarberg.
-
Commissioner's Warsaw keynote speech
-
Commissioner's "Viewpoint" about Korczak
[On the IJKnews' blog] Children’s
Day 2007: Korczak COE’s appeal
&:
Commissioner Hammarberg pay tribute to Korczak in Warsaw
***
IKA
On 27 October 2007, the IKA has held its General Assembly in Mannheim. Of
the 22 or 24 national associations identified, 10 were present: Austria,
Belgium, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Switzerland, UK,
Ukraine. Each of them presented their activities report.
The interim President, Batia Gilad mandated by the previous meeting at
Slubice on 25th November 2006 to prepare for the rebuilding of the IKA, has
proposed and enacted its restructuring plan. "Since Slubice the main
effort was to continue and organize the continuation of the International
Association in a way of finding out who are the national Associations that
are taking part in the IKA, to redefine the aims, updating the IKA articles
and to find an administrative center for our association", she said.
Participants adopted new statutes (not yet published) and tooks the
following decisions. All of them stressed the friendly atmosphere and very
constructive this meeting.
- The new headquarters of the IKA was established in Warsaw, at the
APS (Akademia Pedagogiki Specjalnej im. Marii Grzegorzewskiej) where sit
the UNESCO Janusz Korczak Chair, at the invitation of its Rector,
professeur Adam Fraczek, who said: "There is a lot to do in cooperation
with the UNESCO Chair and the IKA".
- An annual fee has been set for associations (120 euros)
- Authorities IKA were elected :
- Honorary president: Benyamin Anolik (Israel)
- President: Batia Gilad (Israel)
- Vice President: Jadwiga Binczycka (Poland)
- Secretary-General: Theo Cappon (Netherlands)
***
Korczak witnesses: A recent interview
"In
Orphans' Twilight, Memories of a Doomed Utopia", By Dina Kraft, January
23, 2008, New York Times, Middle East, Tel Aviv Journal
Its article devoted to three witnesses of Korczak among the last still
alive: Nadel Shlomo Yitzhak Belfer and Yitzhak Kalka, all aged 85 years,
looks to have been loads of interest by The New York Times readers. "The
inspiration for the piece came after reading your collection Loving Every
Child" (see below), wrote Dina Kraft to Sandra Joseph. Excerpt:
" 'It was a utopia'>, said Shlomo Nadel, 85, one of the
surviving orphans who managed to flee Poland before the Jewish orphanage was
forced into the ghetto. Mr. Nadel and the others were witness to life on 92
Krochmalna Street in Warsaw, the orphanage that became a laboratory for
Korczak's democratic educational theories, boasting a court and parliament
run by the children. 'A child is a person at every stage of his or her
development and has rights, the same rights as an adult, and needs to be
treated accordingly', said Yitzhak Belfer, 85, who can recite by heart
the system of points and punishment meted out by the children's court. […]
Korczak's ideas for a declaration of children's rights were posthumously
adopted by the United Nations, and dozens of Korczak associations exist
worldwide". (Thanks to Sandra Joseph and Dina Kraft)
***
Switzerland: Creation of a Korczak prize in
Burundi
In "La
lettre" no 55, the Swiss Korczak Association announced the creation of a
Korczak prize awarded annually to a student at the State University of
Burundi. The prize should be awarded for the first time in June 2008 to
reward a text in connection with Korczak and/or children's rights.
Together with Joel Hakizimana, a student from Burundi in Geneva, member
of the Korczak Swiss Association since 1999, and in partnership with the
International Institute on the Rights of the Child in Sion (Switzerland),
contact has been established with the authorities of Burundi. On May 10,
2007, Burundi's ambassador to Switzerland, Paul Mahwera, welcomed this
"bridge between cultures: […] This award promotes children's rights in a
country where children and young people are the majority of people […]. It
encourages creative writing in a country where everyone can not read and
write. It therefore encourages education […] because the power of knowledge
can lead us to the stars".
It is very interesting to see the development since 2006 the relationship
between the IKA movement and African NGOs mobilised for the defence of
children's rights in their country. This is already the case in
Ghana (Yakubu Iddrisu who attended the Dutch seminar), DR Congo in the
heart of the crisis region of the Great Lakes (AFJK/Children's Voice, visit
at:
http://children-voice.org), and Burundi too.
****
Books and materials
Canada - "The promise land of Maly Przeglad"
Maly Przeglad was a national and unique Polish newspaper "To the children
with the children" established by Korczak and published every week at
150,000 copies from 1926 to 1939. In The Newsletter of the J. Korczak
Association of Canada No 5 from September 2007, we found the interesting
testimony of Ryszard and Ludwik Mirabel, two distant cousins who both wrote
early in the Korczak's magazine without knowing each other : Ludwik, who was
15 years old, published among other things an amazing interview with
Korczak, and Ryszard who was an active member of the editorial board under
Jerzy Abramov's (Igor Newerly) supervision, from 1935 to 1937.
To order, please contact:
jkorczakassn@shaw.ca
England - "Loving Every Child: Wisdom for Parents"
by Sandra Joseph and Janusz Korczak, January 2007
Excerpt: "No Book is a substitute : I want everyone to understand
that no book and no doctor is a substitute for one's own sensitive
contemplation and careful observations. Books with their ready-made formulas
have dulled our vision and slackened the mind. Living by other people's
experiences, research, and opinions, we have lost our self-confidence and we
fail to observe things for ourselves. Parents find lessons not from books,
but from inside themselves. Then every book they read can be considered to
be of small additional value; and this one, too, will have fulfilled its
given task if it has managed to contribute to bringing this idea home. Know
yourself before you attempt to get to know children. Become aware of what
you yourself are capable of before you attempt to outline the rights and
responsibilities of children. First and foremost you must realize that you,
too, are a child, whom you must first get to know, bring up, and educate".
To learn more about this great editorial’s initiative, you will find in
the article below a long and very interesting audio interview of Sandra
Joseph about her book and Korczak’s legacy (the publisher, NPR, is an
internationally acclaimed producer and distributor of noncommercial news):
"Parenting
Advice from a Polish Holocaust Hero",
review and excerpt to read and to listen, on NPR.org, March 3, 2007
France – Two articles about or by Korczak
- "Les parlottes du Vieux Docteur à la radio
Polonaise" [in
French: PDF, 388 Ko, 18 p.], and:
- "Les bagarres", Korczak translated by Lydia
Walerysak [PDF
88 Ko, 6 p.]
The author is a literary translator also professor at the University of
Lille III. She recently wrote a very interesting 18 pages review article on
the Radio broadcasts of Korczak and his collaboration with the Polish radio
from 1930 to 1939, from his book: "Teaching with humor…", including his
famous emissions on loneliness and about children fights (to see in Polish
in Korczak Dziela, t. X & XI).
Germany - An educational project
"Mit
Kindern Korczaks Kaitus lesen", by Mrs Ulrich Koch, to high
school students. This very interesting lesson from a famous Korczak's
children essay has been already mentionned above p. 3 on Mahheim report
(second day).
Th Netherlands – 2 new books
• "Het recht van het kind op respect",
by Janusz Korczak (1928/29), Ed. SWP and Rene Görtzen, Amsterdam,
April 2007, 238 p. ISBN: 978-90-6665-394-8
The right of the child to respect, the famous Korczak’s fiery indictment
against childhostility of society is integral in this book appears, with 24
others still drafting, stories and essays from the period 1898-1938. In his
fascinating introduction Rene Görtzen show seeds of Korczaks radical views
as early as 1904 in the summercolonies. There he learned what it means to be
educators. The book ends with a comparative study of Korczak and Montessori.
• "Man Janusz Korczak. (Auto) Biographical moments", by
Rene Görtzen, publisher: Janusz Korczak Foundation - To order, please
contact JKSN: info [[-]]
korczak.nl
This Yearbook 2007 is the result of an initial search for the child
Henryk Goldszmit in complicated adult Janusz Korczak. This is done through
seven translated texts of Korczak and a four reflections on the man who he
was And how it works in his writings. Central Korczaks feelings of sadness
and loneliness that made him sensitive to the suffering of human beings,
particularly of the child.
Poland – 3 new books (among others)
• "Korczak Dziela, T. XI, vol. 2 and 3", Two new books
to the collection of the Korczak complete works, edited by Marta Ciesielska,
published by KORCZAKIANUM (OSRODEK DOKUMENTACJI I BADAN KORCZAKIANUM) -
Devoted mostly to the Korczak Little Review (Maly Przeglad above mentioned)
• "Nasz Dom - zrozumiec, porozumiec sie, poznac", Maria
Rogowskich Falska, tom 1 (2007), KORCZAKIANUM - Z kregu Korczaka. Tematy -
Ludzie - Dokumenty (The Korczak Circle - Issues - People - Documents)
Without having yet received this work, we assume that is a reprint of the
precious book written by the manageress of the second koczakian orphanage in
Warsaw "Nasz Dom" (Our House"), opened in 1919 for children of the Catholic
faith, completed with a new selection of texts. Maryna Falska describes the
educational approach of Korczak with many examples drawn from the daily life
of the orphanage during the first eight years of its existence. It begins
with an excellent introduction of Janusz Korczak justifying his choice of
self-directed learning. This text (Nasz Dom) has been translated into French
by the French JK Association (AFJK) and is still unpublished. To read in
French the two introductions by Korczak and Falska, visit:
http://korczak.fr
To order, please contact:
korczakianum [[-]] mhw.pl
Russia
"The Happiness of a Child as the Goal of Humanistic Upbringing".
The acts of its international symposium held with students in Kazan lasting
three days in February 2007. This is a book of 200 pages in Russian. Roza
presents it to us as a summary in English, with a explanation of each of the
numerous contributions and interesting topics (to see soon on the blog).
You can order it from Mrs. Rosa Valeyeva valeykin [[-]]
yandex.ru
Absalyamova str. 28-77, 420066 KAZAN - TATARSTAN
Tel: + 906 11 37 120, GSM: + 7 843 294 38 19
Switzerland
A new collection of unpublished articles and short texts by
Janusz Korczak. The Swiss Korczak
Association had developped this interesting collection available on its
French site. The texts are translated from Polish by Lydia Waleryszak, the
French literary translator also professor at the University of Lille III
already mentioned above. Beginning 2008, the collection has 10 titles.
- To read in French,
on the Swiss JK French website
****
Upcoming
Israel and Poland: Kites for hope
For a long time, Yad Layeled The Ghetto Fighters’s Museum and the Janusz
Korczak in Israel have proposed each year kite flying event as a homage to
Korczak. In 2008, they suggest every school across the world to join the
celebration on 21, 22, 23 March. The Polish Korczak Association decided to
do it on the 19th May. There are three goals: 1) Learning about Korczak by
collecting information and sharing. 2) Declaration of Children’s Rights. 3)
Constructing and flying kites, which have a quotation from Korczak on them.
The animator wrote: "Students make kites to fly as a massive tribute
dedicated to advancing the cultural and social dialog, a symbol of bridging
the gap and understanding the "other". This will hopefully become a
continuous tradition of flying kites with personal and group images of our
dreams for a better world, a world of coexistence, tolerance, acceptance of
the "other" and peace".
-
More
***
This new opera project is still in its composition and development phase.
In April & May 2008, The Opera Company of Brooklyn (OCB) will present a
semi-staged piano’s vocal production of Korczak’s Orphans. This will be the
first time that the newly-complete opera is heard in its entirety, and will
reunite many of the performing and artistic personnel of the OCB’s 2007
performances of Korczak’s Orphans excerpts.
***
Germany/France/Poland: "Little king Macius", the film
"Der Kleine König Macius" - "Le Petit roi Macius", director: Sandor Jesse
& Lutz Stützner; producer: Studio achtundachtzig GmbH, KiKa - Der
Kinderkanal, HR; Co-producers: Saxonia Media - Home Made Movies -Studio 88-
Orange Studio, Ellipsanime, Disney Channel France, Telewizja Polska SA;
2006-2008, Making of by Frank Stender.
A wonderful animated fun for youngsters about generals, children’s
parliaments and the realization that one needs good friends in order to
become a good king. Based on the international hit Korczak children’s book "King
Macius the 1st ", also a famous cartoon series, with 26 episodes
each 13 min., produced since 1999. We are pleased to learn that the film has
been awarded the "Audience Award for Best Children’s Feature Animation" from
the ANIMA 2008 festival in Belgium, the 9th February 2008. It is on the
screens in Germany since November 2007 and its release is expected in France
and Poland in 2008.
More:
A notice
European Children’s Film Association
Macius king German website (by the producer):
http://www.macius.senator.de
Macius king French website (by AFJK, with a new version expected):
http://roi-mathias.fr
****
Ressources
International newsletters
- DCI (Defence for Children International) based in
Geneva, Switzerland, currently produces two bi-monthly newsletters
avalaible in English, French and Spanish:
- The DCI Newsletter aims to disseminate news
about key developments in the field of children’s rights,
particularly those which occur at the international level.
- The juvenile justice newsletter aims at
bringing the latest discussions on juvenile justice that take place
at the national, regional and international level to the attention
of professionals or any other person with a particular interest in
the subject.
Free subscription here
Focus
Based in Caux, Switzerland, Initiatives of Change International is an NGO
in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the
United Nations, and Participatory Status at the Council of Europe in
Strasbourg, is a diverse, global network committed to building trust across
the world's divides. It comprises people of many cultures, nations, beliefs
and backgrounds who are committed to transforming society through changes in
individuals and relationships, starting in their own lives.
Following World War II, Moral Re-Armament (MRA), as it had become known,
launched a programme of moral and spiritual reconstruction to foster change
in private and public life based on a change in motivation and character. It
worked for reconciliation between France and Germany, and between Japan and
many other Asian neighbours. It was involved in the process of
decolonisation, and in forging industrial teamwork and harmonious race
relations. It was also active in inter-religious relations and in the
struggle for the rights of indigenous peoples. Also has an extensive program
for a peace education for school children and teachers.
****
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