Amsterdam, November 5th, 2006
Dear Korczak friends world-wide.
First of all we have good news for all of you. Together
with the French Korczak Association and with great help of our colleague
Bernard Lathuillere we may introduce the new International Korczak Website
with a wide choice of news items and interesting texts.
Please go immediately to
http://korczak.info: you will find all information and
instructions about this website.
Why this website-service? You see, untill now we sent you
several times a year a rather long letter with many details or extensive
stories. We noticed that many readers shrink from reading all this
information. So, the new device is as follows: We continue to send you the
Janusz Korczak Newsletter on line (but in a more compact format). At the
same time we refer each time to the website for more details and extensive
texts. More over, you will discover that the new website gives a lot of
possibilities. (full color pictures, interactive contacts and mail box,
special headings, links with other national (korczak) websites, forum for
discussions etc.)
Please serve to "korczak.info"
and you will enter an amazing world.
What are the news today? We received news from Poland &
Germany, The United Kingdom, France, Switzerland and The Netherlands.
Two importants invitations!
One for the members of the 24 Janusz Korczak Associations
world-wide and the second comes from Collegium Polonicum in Slubice
(Germany, at the border with Poland). Accommodations and practical
information are now available on the new website.
Warsaw, 15th September 2006
According to the Statute of the Association I summon the
Annual Meeting for the Board of the International Janusz Korczak
Association, to be held upon November the 25th, 2006 in
Slubice.
Preliminary Program of the Meeting:
-
report on the situation and the program of the
activities in each country
-
discussion on possibility and direction of future
initiatives, and eventual changes to the organizationnal structure of the
Association
-
the succession of the Association presidency
According to the above you (the representatives) are
asked to prepare a brief report regarding Korczak related activities in your
region, plans for the future and the concept of Association existence on
both the local and international scales.
The venue of this meeting will be in Slubice, where
Collegium Polonicum shall host the conference. This will coincide with the
grand opening on the 24th of a museum exhibition devoted to the
memory of Prof. Erich Dauzenroth, the prominent researcher and korczakist.
We shall participate in these events. We believe that
attending these dual events a reflection upon the heritage of Erich
Dauzenroth and the discussion toward optimizing our activities in the
International Association, is the right decision.
All details regarding accommodation, participation, and
travel-directions are included in the invitation and materials from
Collegium Polonicum.
Waiting for fruitful meeting in Slubice
Yours sincerely,
Prof. Jerzy Kuberski
President of the International Janusz Korczak Association
****
Slubice, 15th of September 2006
Dear Sir or Madam,
Collegium Polonicum in Slubice, which is an affiliated
institution of both the Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan (Poland) and of
the European University in Frankfurt/Oder (Germany), has acquired the
scientific estate of the celebrated researcher-Professor Erich Dauzenroth, a
most outstanding academic. This collection is of immense worth to us, and
not purely for its scientific value. Custodianship of these materials gives
us the possibility to honor Professor Dauzenroth, a wonderful person and
scientist. Furthermore, it means a possibility of spreading the ideas and
values of Janusz Korczak throughout the spheres of science and culture.
The estate of Erich Dauzenroth, in accordance to the
wishes of his wife, is to find a permanent home here in Slubice, so that it
may, firstly, be used to deepen mutual knowledge and respect in the
German-Polish relationship, ultimately, strengthen relations between these
nations and the Jewish diaspora. The person and memory of Janusz Korczak, on
which Prof. Erich Dauzenroth focused much of his research, brings together
equally Jews, Poles and Germans. It is difficult to find any greater
example, that inspires ideas of such importance or that will lend such human
insight to the next generations of Germany, Poland and Israel. This cultural
triangle, firstly charted by Janusz Korczak and later by Prof. Erich
Dauzenroth, gives an outstanding opportunity for the intensification of
scientific contacts between people from many countries. Also of interest is
the immense variety of the estate, as this collection includes materials in
all major world languages.
The honour of this guardianship further provides us with
opportunity o hosting an exhibition, to be held in Collegium Polonicum
entitled: "Janusz Korczak in the estate of Prof. Erich Dauzenroth".
This exhibition should act as a memorial to the person and achievements of
Professor Dauzenroth.
We would like to invite you to the opening of this
special exhibition that will commemorate two important people. The opening
will take place on 24th November 2006 from 2 to 6 p.m.
in the Collegium Polonicum, Slubice. We would be glad if you accept this
invitation. We attach an reply form that we would ask you to complete and
return as soon as possible. There will also be a possibility to express
personal reflections. Please, let us know if you have any wishes relating to
this. All speeches should be hold in Polish or German.
You will find in attachment further invitations to the
exhibition opening. Please pass these on to any person who expresses an
interest in attending the exhibition.
We hope to be able to open the exhibition with you.
Yours sincerely
Dr. Krzysztof Wojciechowski
P.p. Blazej Kazmierczak
[1]E-Mail: "kazmier [[@]]
euv-frankfurt-o.de"
URL:
http://dedecius.ub.euv-frankfurt-o.de
****
The French Janusz Korczak Association announces two
exhibitions and the publication of a new translation of Janusz Korczak:
Teaching moments.
The work is at the initiative of professor Remi Hess,
who was the honorary president of the French Association in 2003 and who
had organized on this occasion a conference on Janusz Korczak at the
University of Saint-Denis Paris 8. The teaching moments is
a compilation of texts of Janusz Korczak published at the time
How to love a child (1919), for the parents and
professionals of education. Their translation, by Anna Royon-Weigelt, is
an interesting contribution to the study of the work of of Korczak at
University and in teacher training teachers.
French Association has a large and beautiful exhibition
on about Janusz Korczak consisting of forty panels including four impressive
kakemonos. Accompanied by its teaching bag, its videos and its quizzes, it
is used for the association and its hosts of teaching support around the
respect of the child.
This exhibition will be presented:
-
From the 7 at November 18, 2006 at Pézenas,
in Hérault (close to Spain), within the framework of a festival of Youth
literature youth entitled "The mom of fish", the name of
a famous song of the French singer Boby Lapointe originating in the city.
Korczak will be the guest of honor of this young popular festival which
marks in its area a strong citizen engagement for the defense and the
promotion of the rights of the child. [See
the poster: PDF, 636 ko].
-
From the 6 at January 19, 2007, the
exhibition will be held in Crosne, in Parisian suburbs, at the time of the
inauguration of the Club of the teenagers of the city, installed in a very
new house of the Childhood, which will receive the name of Janusz Korczak.
This inauguration will change to six the number of streets or
establishments in France bearing the name of the great educator.
More information about the Korczak exhibitions: in French
on
http://korczak.fr, in English
on "korczak.info" Activities
Lastly, in his mail, Bernard Lathuillère, the
copresident-organizer of the AFJK, announces the positive repercussions of a
first action of "sponsoring" of this association:
[...]
Through circumstance, AFJK had been able to become
interested in the action of small Congolese "NGO" of the DRC (ex-Zaire),
CHILDREN'S VOICE, in Goma in the middle of the disturbed
area of the Large lakes, on the border with Rwanda. In a fifteen years
context of bloody war and serious violations, repeated and ceaseless
violations of the rights of the children by the populations themselves,
twelve women from the civilian population, all mothers, have gathered to
react and defend in priority the children by creating this association.
It is remarkable to observe that they havn't chosen "to
do humanitarian", but to put the priority on the respect of the Child and to
concretely organize the defense of the rights of the children while acting
by all the all possible means to make themselves heard and to have their
"cries" recognized.
At the time of its participation in an important
international conference on the rights of the child in Gent, 19-20 May, 2006
in Belgium, the AFJK received Christine Musaidizi in Paris, the coordinator
of the Children's Voice
Its three weeks intensive stay had made it possible to
organize its presence with the international Living room of the defenders of
the Peace which was held in Paris and to make him visit Warsaw, on the track
of Janusz Korczak, at the time of a conference on child welfare. Each one
will keep, the members of the AFJK like our French and Polish contacts, the
memory of the splendid personality of our new friend.
Six months later, Christine directed the Commission of
the Childhood of North-Kivu and Children's Voice was a privileged partner of
all the international NGO. But, the short term working methods of these
organizations have their limits because they do not make it possible to
attack the structural causes and the precariousness of the statute of the
children, exposed to all this violence (children: soldiers, slaves, known as
"wizards", removed, etc). It is undoubtedly for that that our modest
"korczak" approach seems always useful to them, in terms of moral support
and contribution to the populations and the authorities
consciousness-raising.
We are happy to see that here, it is not with money that
we could be useful to our friends of Goma, but simply in being used as a
relay, by facilitating documentation and experience sharing and integrating
their combat in the historical context of the universal recognition of the
rights of the Child.
Today, AFJK has become a partner of
Children's Voice. We undertook to develop their
Internet site to support their actions on the ground. We will also try to
implicate ourselves in the success of of the project of scale of Children' S
Voice, that of construction of a a refugee center for the children of the
street and the "wizard children" having survived (they are often condemned
to be burnt alive).
The project develops little by little, on a ground
offered by the Goma's Bishop in a very poor district of the city. The
important ones, the inhabitants of the district, the soldiers of Monuc, many
people are taking part. But here all is still to be done, because one is is
starting from scratch and all kinds of assistance will be necessary, from
construction, to the education of the social workers, in the long run,
technical and also financial support of course.
We thought that the action of this meeting and the
current course of a civil society mobilization around the protection of its
poorest children could be interesting information within the framework of
the international newsletter of the Friends of Janusz Korczak.
More on the korczakian action of our friends of Goma,
while waiting to be able to visit them, is on:
http://korczak.fr/cv
BL
****
Mrs Helena Abram from the Galatea Trust in London, send
us the information below about the exhibition and a very interesting article
about the Hermitage museum In Saint-Petersbourg published in the latest
Galatea Newsletter, with ther authorization to use. See further the heart of
the publication. The full text is on the website.
5 December 2006-8 April 2007
The Jewish Museum, Camden Town
Champion of the child: Janusz Korczaktells the
heart wrenching yet inspiring story of Janusz Korczak (1878-1942), who
devoted his life to establishing and defining the rights of the child,
regardless of nationality or religion. His work was eventually posthumously
adopted by the United Nations as the Convention of the Rights of the Child
and the exhibition at the Jewish Museum, Camden Town, shows how his
teachings on the treatment of children continue to resonate around the world
today.
The universalism of Korczak's message and the effect of
his teachings on modern thinking are examined in case studies highlighting
the treatment of children today.
The exhibition will feature original paintings and
drawings of Korczak by Israeli artist Itzhak Belfer, who was born in Poland
in 1923 and raised in the Jewish Warsaw orphanage.
The exhibition is in association with the Polish Cultural
Institute and is accompanied by a wide-ranging programme of talks and
discussions, and creative workshops for children. [More
here]
****
THE MUSEUM AS AN ENVIRONMENT
FOR THE HUMANISTIC
EDUCATION OF SPECIAL CHILDREN
by L. Ya. Shostak
These days it is customary to call "special" those
children suffering from some kind of physical or psychological ailment which
affects their development and behaviour. They require care and attention,
especially in these current uncertain times in which they have even fewer
opportunities than their contemporaries for the development of their
individuality and for preparing to lead normal lives. (...) The Hermitage
assists those special schools that are dedicated to the humanistic education
of sick children and their integration into society. It helps those teachers
who understand the enormous contribution of art to the formation of the
personality and its beneficial effect on the psyche of the sick child.
We offered the schools a programme of systematic studies
at the Hermitage aimed at second to ninth year pupils and adapted to the
ages and specific psychological characteristics of children with retarded
mental development.
We developed our methodology by observing the effects of
art on the children and their reactions to the material presented to them.
We trained members of Hermitage staff who were already experienced in
working in our school lecture hall and who had the desire and requisite
skills to find a common language with our target groups of children. (...)
Our staff treat each child with respect, irrespective of his state of
health, avoiding pity and condescension. Equally, they respect the child's
personality, recognising its unique value and potential.
The goal of our work is to help the sick child develop
his personality and to build his mental strength through contact with world
art and culture. We proceed from a basis of humanistic psychology, which
believes in the unique individuality of each person and in his creative
potential. It affirms that true mental health depends upon the opportunity
for the self-actualisation of the individual. [More...]
****
"The Letter" of French-speaking Swiss Korczak Association
n° 52, going back to August 2006, contained interesting texts:
-
"Korczak, the priest and Kibboutznik",
by Ryszard Wasita (POL.), translated by Tomasz Szymanski, previously
published in the Polish review Slowo Zydowskie. This article evokes the
memory of the priest and poet Jan Twardowski deceased this year at the age
of 91 years, who was a witness to Janusz Korczak, who he admired since its
childhood and who it considered "a saint" because he "let Good God act
through him". The account of Ryszard Wasita is completed splendidly by a
short poem of the old priest to Janusz Korczak.
-
"The Letter" gave to reading a new page translated from
Polish by Lydia Waleryszak, of chapter XV of the novel of Janusz Korczak
Slawa (La Gloire
in French), which had been removed in the French adaptation of the novel
[published at Flammarion]. This passage is however very important since
Janusz Korczak warns the children against the injustice to which they may
be confronted. It prepares them to enter life and does not try to make
them believe that all is rosy. [The
Letter dixit, p. 7].
Another notable fact in this letter is the remarkable
standpoint of its president, Dr. Halpérin, in sound leading article,
counters the new law on asylum and on repression from abroad in Switzerland,
judged by the whole of associations of defense of the human rights like an
attack to Convention of the rights of the child. This courageous standpoint
did not prevent the voting of the law on September 24 last, but the
international standpoint of the Korczak movement is rare enough to be
underlined. If by definition, the associative movement in general is held
everywhere with an engagement of respectful neutrality of the opinions of
each one, this gesture points out in an interesting way to us that it is
sometimes necessary to be seen as "a Korczakien" implied in the defense of
the rights of the Children when they are threatened.
Lastly, let us announce the results of the "Korczak 2006
Prize" of Swiss Association, annually decreed with the author of a school
work in the private or public schools of Geneva, on the topic of the
childish creativity or the rights of the child, announced three prizes out
of fifteen projects presented this year.
****
THE NETHERLANDS
The Second Call and Invitation
(full text and details of the program, see on the website)
Dear colleagues, dear friends,
In 2007 the
Janusz Korczak Association in The Netherlands likes to celebrate her 25thanniversary
with a special meeting for young people from different countries who work
with children or teenagers as professional or as volunteer.
We therefore want to invite young participants (18-35
years old) to the:
International Janusz Korczak Youth Meeting
which will take place in Holland from 22-28 September 2007
(People older than 35 are welcome of course, but we ask
them to look for one or more young people to join them).
Theme: "When I was little again" (based on the title of
Korczak's book)
0ur mission for this conference is:
-
How to understand children and how to communicate
with them;
-
What can we learn from children;
-
Mobilizing the competencies of children.
Objectives of the International Meeting
After the conference the participants:
-
are able to map clearly their own plan of work or
professional duty.
-
are better able to reflect on and consider their
methodical work (the participants are introduced to a range of
working-methods, from simple ad hoc activities to very professional
methods).
-
will gain a better insight into their relationship with
children.
-
are able to translate the basic elements of Janusz
Korczak's pedagogies to the practice of every day.
-
are able to utilize and turn to account the experiences
of colleagues and to apply them in their work in Youth Care/ Education.
Suggested topics of the International Meeting
-
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 telephone) risks and opportunities; influence of
consumer society.
-
The right of children and youngster on
sexuality.
-
"Learning for life". How can children be active
in their own learning proces
-
Integration of disabled children and youngsters
in society
-
The Right of Children to mental and physical
protection (or: Our fight against mental and bodily child abuse)
-
How can we help children and young people to
deal with aggression?
We explicitly invite you to suggest more or other
themes for the meeting. And if you are interested in organising a workshop,
training, lecture or round table, please let us know!
Practical information
Dates: 22-28 September 2007
Place: "Het Zeehuis" (The Seehouse), a
house for nature lovers; 300 m from the beach (North Sea) on the edge of a
big forest. 50 km North of Amsterdam
Conference fee: 225 Euros,- (incl.
meals and overnight stays)
Contact
If you are interested to receive more detail
information or to receive the final invitation, please let us know:
Our e-mail address: "info
[[@]]
korczak.nl"
Telephone: + 31.20.644.70.18
Telefax: + 31.20.644.81.54
Post address: Janusz Korczak
Stichting, PO-box: 70048, 1007 KA
****
Let us retransmit this message!
Dear friends from the Janusz Korczak Stichting,
With pleasure, I hereby announce the publication of
my new book [see below]
The effective mapping of behavioral dynamics
between pupils, teachers and parents. A helpful tool for educational
psychologists dealing with problematic pupils and classrooms.
This book would have been welcomed by Janusz
Korczak. Here is a psychologist who, during his work in primary and
secondary schools in Israel,observed how easily children are defined as
problems, whereas in most cases feelings of teachers and parents were
dominant and the child's feelings skipped. The approach in this book
defends the children and makes use of the way children define their
situation [More on the website].
The DYnamic Interactive Attitude List (DYAL)
ISBN: 90-5972 131 4 (ISBN13: 978 90 5972 131 9)
Author: Jeroen M. Petri Eburon Academic Publishers, E-mail: "info [[@]]
eburon.nl"
Dear friends.
We hope you will enjoy the new Internet
website. A presentation will be done during the meeting in Slubice. From
now, your experience and your feedback about or our new services will be
precious to help us to make them better.
You are also invite, especially as
Members of the IKA, to use it to make better known yours activities or
to share your reflexion.
We wait your news items for the next
Newsletter n° 21.
Please note we have got a new special
e-mail address for the newsletter and the website:
"ikanews [[@]]
gmail.com"
Thank you to note that we ask you to use from now this new address,
especially created to facilitate a better management of your information
and documents, for the newsletters as for the website. At this new
address and by using the Contact form of the site, you can send more
easily your articles, and, why not, your photographs, videos, songs,
poetries, etc!
Greetings from the editors of the Janusz
Korczak International Newsletter on-line.
____________________
Warning about E-mail and spam.
[1] What means this strange cabalistic sign: [[@]] ? Do you like to
receive spams? Many robots recover very easily and automatically the
e-mail addresses written in light on the emails and the Web sites. Why
facilitate the task to them? From now, you will see often this sign in
the newsletters or on the new website : It's quite a good protection
against the spam engines, because, for the moment, only human beings are
able to reconstitute the right addresses, changing it by a simple "@" !
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