The World Social Initiative Forum (WSIF) promotes independence in local cultural contexts. The team is now returning the stewardship of the projects to the Section for Social Sciences, from where it will be passed on to the new Section for Inclusive Social Development.

The World Social Initiative Forum (WSIF), founded in 2000 through the initiative of Ute Craemer and Truus Geraets (1930-2023) has become a global network of spiritually inspired individuals and organizations that foster social equity and diversity within local groupings, to connect as a global multicultural society.

Building bridges

‘Bridge-building was and continues to be our motto,’ says Ute Craemer, ‘bridging between the grassroots and the financial worlds, between anthroposophy and indigenous cultures, between the life dreams of young people living in slums and the youth living in gated communities, between the spiritual and the earthly worlds.’ And Truus Geraets always used to say, We also hope for close cooperation with all the sections at the Goetheanum and individuals from multi-ethnic projects - that all voices may be heard in dialogue.’

As a project of the Section for Social Sciences at the Goetheanum the WSIF Team consisted of six young individuals, led by Joan Sleigh. Since 2015, WSIF has hosted multiple forums: in Asia (India 2016 and Japan 2018); in Europe (Switzerland 2018- 2019 & 2021, UK 2023); in South America (Brazil 2019, Argentina 2023); in North Amer- ica (USA 2022), and Africa (Egypt 2019 and Kenya 2024).

Each WSIF Forum promoted the free unfolding of individual potential, nurtured genuine interest in others, supported an economy that serves the needs of all and engaged in care for the earth as a living organism. The events addressed the socio-cultural challenges relevant to the different places, by co-hosting interactive dialogues, practices and communal learning.

The work of the WSIF transitioned online at the onset of the Covid pandemic. This enabled local dialogues and socio-political challenges to be explored on a global basis, resulting in the development of a multicultural research community. The events fostered trust and empathy, ignited the unfolding of individual agency, and supported fluid transformation towards healthy community living in which each individual is acknowledged in his or her own uniqueness.

WSIF has become an associative network of individuals and enterprises woven around the School of Spiritual Science by promoting anthroposophy-in-dialogue - drawing sustenance from the spirit of anthroposophy, while offering the resilience and cohesion of the ancient indigenous spirit of the place where the Forums are hosted, as well as acknowledging its current context and its social questions, needs and abundance.

More regional independence

During the last two years, WSIF could once again co-host forums on the ground which has resulted in the work being taken up and continued in regional networks in the UK, in Latin America and in East Africa. These now join the existing regional SIF in Egypt and Japan.

In celebration of WSIF’s coming-of-age and moving into independent regions, as well as due to individual biographical changes in the WSIF Team, the stewardship of the WSIF projects and network will now transition back into the umbrella of the Section for Social Sciences at the Goetheanum. In agreement with the WSIF Advisory Board it will remain there until the new Section for Inclusive Social Development will have established itself enough to host the WSIF Network as an active collaborative partner.

Joan Sleigh, Cape Town (SA)

Article published in Anthroposophy Worldwide 5/24:  https://static.goetheanum.ch/assets/archiv/Weltweit/AWE/AWE2024_05.pdf