In the field of tension between security and freedom

EU and Europe – Quo vadis?

Dear Friends of ELIANT,

During Poland’s current EU presidency, security has been given top priority: information security, economic security, energy security, food security, health security. This reflects the yearning of a large part of the European population. Many young people, too, are deeply unsettled, do not feel healthy, have fears, and this inner insecurity reinforces the uneasy feeling of living in a world that is neither economically nor politically stable. Even if a supportive family situation and friendships can compensate for a lot here, one cultural concern quite objectively remains: more and more people are clearly recognising that the economic and political systems and their theoretical foundations, which are responsible for the currently growing ecological and political crises in the West and the East, are standing in the way of the cultural change that is so urgently needed – a cultural change that must be geared towards the healthy development of the individual and societal relationships, and must also not lose sight of the health of our planet. We feel a deep connection to this growing group of people, including those within the EU bureaucracy.

“Promoting the mental health of children and young people in the context of digitalisation”
That is – among other things – the declared goal of the Polish EU presidency. Thus policy-makers as well as parents and educators are now confronted with the question: ”Books or tablets” – what is age-appropriate digitalisation? Our member organisations ECSWE and IASWECE, as well as the partners in the HERMMES project, are making an important contribution to this and warmly invite you all to the conference in Brussels on Thursday, 20 February 2025 with the topic Helping Children Navigate the Digital World. The aim of the conference is to discuss this challenge together with Europe’s leading experts and politicy- makers in digitalisation of education, and to provide an insight into the resources developed in the HERMMES project. Find out more and register here.

The latest on glyphosate
Several environmental organisations initiated proceedings at the European Court of Justice in December 2024 against the renewal of the approval of the controversial weed killer glyphosate in the EU. Environmental scientist Angeliki Lysimachou of the Pesticide Action Network (PAN) wrote: “The EU scientific authorities are twisting the rules to conclude that glyphosate is safe.” However, there are well-founded suspicions that glyphosate has a carcinogenic effect and causes lasting damage to the environment, as we have reported. This is a matter of grave concern because glyphosate is the most widely used ingredient in pesticides.

ELIANT conference in Brussels and online on 20 May 2025 to mark the 100th anniversary of Rudolf Steiner’s death
When the founder of anthroposophical spiritual science died on 30 March 1925, the very first initiatives of applied anthroposophy had emerged in the fields of agriculture, education and supportive education, as well as in medicine and theology. Today, these activities have become internationally engaged movements with the goal of a comprehensive cultural transformation in the service of healthy development. At the conference we want to present and discuss the current state of these 100 years of cultural work and its significance for today’s Europe on the basis of prominent examples. The conference will close with a festive evening concert performed by students of the Brussels Conservatory.

With warm greetings and best wishes for a good and fulfilling new year
Yours
Michaela Glöckler and the ELIANT team

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