Red Jade – A Life for Freedom - by Fiori Picco - Review by Maria Teresa De Donato

 Red Jade – A Life for Freedom

by Fiori Picco

Review by Maria Teresa De Donato

 

"… a tenacious and courageous woman who has seen death several times and who desperately clung to life as many times." (Flowers Peak, 2020, Prologue, p. 9).

That's how Giada Rossa describes herself in this autobiographical book created through her stories by the competent and skillful pen of Fiori Picco, Author, Editor, and Sinologist.

The subtitle "A Life for Freedom" could not have been more suitable to lead the reader into her Life's complex, intricate, and equally dangerous labyrinth. This subtitle helps to understand better the hardships, the ordeals, and the numerous dangers of death that this simple, humble, and similarly determined woman unexpectedly had to face and from which, like the tender sprout that emerges from the road surface, she has always succeeded, in spite the unspeakable suffering, abuse, mistreatment, and violence suffered, to go back from the cliff into which she had been thrown, albeit with deep wounds, visible and invisible.

From an early age, Giada Rossa periodically has premonitory dreams, real nightmares. Every time, punctually, her dream anticipates a dangerous situation that, unbeknownst to her, is maturing and which will soon manifest itself to her. Thus the bird she found and saved, and which at some point will fly away, makes her feel "as if a supernatural presence [had] led [her] to that bird to indicate [her] that, when fully recovered, [she] too one day [would] fly away to new horizons chasing an important dream." (p.10)

Due to envy, jealousy, and lust for money, evil people that she will meet on her path will try to hinder the realization of her dreams in every way.

A little girl that Life will force to grow up quickly will soon become a woman against whom – it would seem – an adverse Fate wants to befall mercilessly every time she sees a tiny light at the end of the tunnel, and hope resurfaces in her soul.

However, Giada Rossa will not give up despite the dangers, the tragic situations she will be confronted with, and the cruelty of individuals devoid of any moral feeling and ethics. Although with the spirit dejected, the enormous suffering endured, the despair that in some moments seems to take over the fear of not making it, Life, the God of Heavens, Buddha, or whoever is in control of the Whole suddenly and equally unexpectedly paves the way for her, presents her with a way out, an angel on her path. "Every small gesture of altruism is marked on the agenda of a universal god who misses nothing. In due time, he will remember your noble and helpful soul and will cause angels to appear on your path" (p. 247) – this is her great trust, or unshakable faith, which sustains her even in the most terrible moments of her existence and which pushes her never to give up, even when it seems that all is lost.

'Giada Rossa' is not only a woman who humbly recognizes her limits but is also the emblem of Love par excellence, starting right from that for Life. In her simplicity, she is well aware of the obstacles inherent in having been deprived of an education that would have allowed her to progress in her Life. Giada Rossa does not lose heart and always tries, at any cost, to survive in the best possible way the situations that human wickedness or Fate throws in front of her from time to time, making her a prisoner or, even more so, a slave.

This woman's life lessons are endless, starting with Love for one's family, human empathy, and solidarity for others, especially those in need and suffering. The latter is one of the fundamental principles considered 'Christian' even if she is not 'Christian,' being of the Buddhist faith. However, Giada Rossa recognizes their universal value: her heart bears witness to these truths and not a written or orally handed down a law that so many 'religious' people love to boast about while being careful not to put it into practice.

The full awareness of one's roots, culture, and dignity as a human being are other aspects that emerge and dominate in this publication. They highlight how, despite being relegated to slavery, used and abused, dignity, conscience, and intellectual independence are factors that can and should be safeguarded at all costs.

Red Jade also embodies all those typical values of native and peasant cultures centered on sacrifice, on being content with little, on solidarity and sharing what one has, and also on Love and the sense of melancholy and nostalgia that one feels when, for one reason or another, we are forced to abandon the places where we were born and raised and where our roots lie, the purest and most authentic essence of who we are.

Red Jade, through the existence and indescribable suffering experienced by its protagonist, is also a reportage, an investigative service on many dynamics: from the difficulty, and often impossibility, of communicating in a foreign country when the only language spoken is our native one, to clandestine immigration which is achieved by walking hundreds of kilometers on foot and facing the stormy sea on makeshift boats; from poverty to slavery, to violence, to forced prostitution, to abuses and even rapes suffered by thousands if not millions of people – women, old people, and children included – who, having nothing to lose, entrust themselves, becoming later their victims, to traffickers of human beings and smugglers often deprived of any value that can still define them as 'human.'

Red Jade – A Life for Freedom is a novel written with the heart by the author Fiori Picco who has been able to interpret masterfully, through the translation and the clear and authentic narration of the manuscript, the most profound essence not only of the experience of the protagonist but also and above all of those cultural, ethnic and anthropological aspects of a country with a rich and fascinating history that, to date, very few know deeply.  It is a book that encourages deep reflection and awareness of the many tragic realities that millions of people live, who the only thing they ask is that they are offered a second opportunity: that of finally feeling 'at home', accepted and safe, and become an active part of the social fabric of the communities that will welcome them.

This is a fascinating book, full of psychological, sociological, anthropological, and cultural aspects whose reading I highly recommend.

 

They Call Me Cancer - A Story of Rebirth with Serena Derea Squanquerillo - Interview by Maria Teresa De Donato

 They Call Me Cancer - A story of rebirth

with Serena Derea Squanquerillo

 

Interview by Maria Teresa De Donato

Dear friends,

Today I am pleased to host my friend and colleague, author and blogger Serena Derea Squanquerillo, whom we will be able to meet and get to know better on other occasions. I only anticipate that, in terms of strength of character, determination, and desire to help others, Serena has a lot to teach. There are so many things I could tell you about her, but, as usual, I prefer my guest to do it.

 

MTDD: Hi, Serena, and welcome to my Blog and Virtual Cultural Lounge.

 

SDS: Hi Maria Teresa, thank you for inviting me to this beautiful sharing. I'm very excited. Greetings to all readers and readers!

 

 

MTDD: Serena, why don't you start by introducing yourself, telling us a little about yourself, your studies, your activities, and everything you want to share with our readers?

 

SDS: Certainly. I was born in 1980 in Velletri, in the southern province of Rome, where I still live. I graduated from the classical high school in my city in 1999, but then, I followed more technical training in computer science and graphics for some of my needs. I started working in this field at 24, although I also worked as a secretary and in customer service for a well-known American company. For a few years, I worked as a self-employed person in a company that deals with communication and services, created together with some friends. In 2016 I left my job following essential changes in my life, such as my father's death and the need to process the legacy left by the first breast cancer I had. Unfortunately, he came back last year, but I got over that too. I am a person who periodically monitors, and I do not hesitate to ask for help.

 

Following these events, I needed to care for myself and understand what had happened. I started a spiritual path to get to know myself better, parallel with a healing direction of bereavement assistance I followed two years ago, not only for my father's death but also for the loss of parts of me, which occurred over time. Over the years, I have had health problems several times. During this personal research or relatively continuous rediscovery, I found my talents and new possibilities of living which today I am reaping sweet fruits. I have several satisfactions both for the activities alone and in collaboration.

 

 

MTDD: Life is an extraordinary thing, full of surprises, sometimes beautiful, sometimes beautiful, sometimes ugly, and even terrible. It is useless to understand the reason because it likely does not exist or escapes us. With some people, it seems to be more forgiving, and with others, tougher. This, at least, could be our perception.

 

In one of your writings, I read:

 

"I arrived on January 14, 2012, and learned it was his 32nd birthday. I saw her blowing the candle on her favorite cake: a cream and chocolate millefeuille ... As if it were a gift, I chose to postpone my official presentation for a few days ..."

 

To this day, most people are often afraid to pronounce this word - Cancer - almost as if they want to exorcise even a remote possibility ...

Knowing you and having discussed with you about health on other occasions, I feel free to talk with you about this matter, aware of your availability and, above all, of how and to what extent you are busy helping and encouraging people who deal with this disease.

 

Would you like to tell us about your experience and how you lived it all?

 

SDS: Yes. I make a premise. As I said, I had many health problems: depression, panic attacks, eating disorders - fortunately not serious - endometriosis problems until I came to experience cancer. Before, I never spoke openly about my situation because I did not feel the need and wanted to keep it private. Something inside of me, however, changed. When the Cancer "showed up," I reviewed in front of me everything that had happened to me up to then. Fortunately, I did not have a problematic tumor, neither the first nor the second time.

 

On the contrary, the interventions and treatments that gave me various problems were more invasive, but it is certainly never an easy and light situation. It was a slaughter game facilitated by my severe lack of love for myself. It's like life has taken me aside and given me an either-or. I made myself strong and courageous to face this stranger. From that moment on, I started sharing what I felt at first in ANDOS (National Association for Breast Operated Women), where I received support and still belong as a volunteer whenever I have the chance. Finally, I wrote this story which was published in a collection for charity. Then it was distributed on two portals of Italian doctors and psychologists as a testimony of life.

 

 

MTDD: As a Naturopath and Homeopath, through my academic studies, but also and, above all, through interviews and consultations, I have tried to understand better and identify the potential dynamics that favor health and well-being and, consequently, healing, and those that on the contrary, they appear to promote symptoms and disease and, at times, hinder recovery.

I was, therefore, particularly struck by one of your statements that I always found in your previously mentioned paper:

 

"Serena is a girl who lives in a constant sense of inadequacy and fear of expressing her feelings and her creativity. The fear is that of not being held up to par. "

           

These are very profound, almost hurtful words.

 

Would you like to elaborate on these concepts?

 

SDS: Until recently, I loved myself very little. I was insecure, introverted, and busy, but I felt like I was living an inauthentic life. I felt like an alien. Dropping out of university failed me because I saw my teenage projects blown up. I couldn't study because I had to give up. I was struggling because I had a "different" learning method - as I later understood. I felt stupid.

 

Then, thanks to the support of my parents and a psychologist, I chose other paths that gave me satisfaction but were not enough. I realize that what I am about to say is difficult to hear; there was a period of depression in which, when I thought about the future possibility of starting a family with children, I told myself that the only thing that it could have grown in me it would have been a tumor ... Obviously the causes of illnesses could be many. Still, I am convinced of the importance of the quality of thoughts and words with which we program ourselves. My sense of inadequacy has implanted in me the fear of the judgment of others. I had the most ruthless judge in front of me when I looked in the mirror.

 

 

MTDD: The 'positive' note is that, by your admission, although your "Personal love [was] equal to zero ... despite the falls, insecurities, and fear, [you] always got up with strength and courage."

 

Many people confronted with cancer have said that this experience was the most powerful life lesson for them and helped them change for the better.

 

Do you agree with this view, and if so, why?

 

SDS: Yes! I can genuinely say that, paradoxically, that experience saved me from destruction. I did not allow that situation to let me give up everything: either I continued to fall into the abyss, or I went up and chose to live with love and conscience. I have embraced the second option. I have chosen life.

 

 

MTDD: Whatever your limitations have been in the past - by your admission - your willpower, determination, and awareness of your worth make you merit. To all this, a spiritual path has been added that you have taken to better connect to the 'real Serena' and, probably, also go to compare, by removing them, those aspects that were in your "shadow," to use the language of Carl Jung, famous psychiatrist, and psychoanalyst.

 

Would you like to tell us about it?

 

SDS: The self-knowledge path helped me become aware of my deep feelings. My shadow was the beauty of what was yet to come, but it was being smothered. I faced the demons who, until then, had feasted in the shadows, but when I paid attention to them, I discovered that they had screamed to be heard. I found that behind those obstacles were hidden treasures and parts of me that I needed to integrate into the puzzle of my identity. Indeed I still have to work in this sense, but thanks to the practical tools I have acquired on this spiritual path, I have learned to harmonize and understand my actual needs. I came into deep contact with the 'real Serena.'

 

 

MTDD: Due to this path of the disease and the consequent awareness and rebirth, you felt the need not only to share your experience but to do so in a way that supports those who face cancer and disease in general and might feel completely lost and even misunderstood.

 

Art, in any form, can be a means to be used for therapeutic purposes.

This year, you conducted a program – Living Your Talents - Stories of Personal Rebirth - with the Phoebus Association, of which you were the creator and host.

I'd love for you to tell me about it. It could be advantageous to our reading and reading audience.

 

SDS: In 2019, I began to pour these life testimonies into a personal blog, up to - to my surprise - the publication of three monographic books. I began to create artistic collaborations always to leave a message of encouragement to take care of oneself and to live one's talents first and foremost as a form of expression for one's well-being.

 

In July, I received an interview from the Phoebus Cultural Association, in which I talked about my experience of personal redemption thanks to my talents. Hence,  ​​creating a space would allow others to do the same with the team. I find it essential to share my personal story because it can be beneficial and help many. Besides, since it is a real-life story, the message is recognized as authentic. Finally, friendships and collaborations can also arise from these comparisons, as in our case, Maria Teresa. Thanks to your participation in "Vivere I Talenti," we met and started building this bridge of initiatives together. I am happy and grateful.

 

 

MTDD: Thank you, Serena, for participating in this interview and for being open and sharing very personal and delicate aspects of your life, which is difficult for some people to do.

 

I will be happy to host you again in the future to be able to talk with you about other interesting topics. Therefore, I wish you all the best with your health and the success you deserve in all your activities.

 

SDS: And I will be glad to be there! Thank you for this opportunity, Maria Teresa. I sincerely reciprocate the good wishes.

 

 

MTDD: Before concluding, who wants to contact or follow you in your activities? How can they do it?

 

SDS: They can follow me on my blog, https://www.dereasblog.cloud, where there is a link to the Youtube channel and on the Facebook page "La Magica Danza Dei Talenti." For those wishing to write to me, there is also the email derea.serena@gmail.com.

 

 

MTDD: Thanks again for participating.

 

SDS: Thank you. Thanks to the readers for paying attention to this part of my story. It can be of help and inspiration to someone. See you soon!

School: Resignation as a protest - The case of some teachers - by Maria Teresa De Donato

 School: Resignation as a protest

- The case of some teachers -

 

by Maria Teresa De Donato

 

In the two previous meetings with my friend and fellow author Horst Költze on the topic of Education and Freedom, Part One and Part Two, we addressed fundamental aspects such as self-awareness, self-awareness and the role that school should play through its programs in offering each individual help to develop their unique potential and therefore their creativity.

As pointed out in these articles, this can only be achieved through freedom.  On the contrary, "In the traditional school system, currently dominated in 76 states by the PISA functionalist study [Program for International Student Assessment], children and adolescents are forced to adapt for at least ten years during the growth phase of the brain. ... With forced learning, there is no existential reference to the person, to the true SELF.  This hinders the development of the brain areas necessary for autogenesis.  At the end of the school, the graduates don't know WHO they are and what they really want".

To solve this colossal problem, sector professionals have taken action in every possible way.  Among these was Horst Költze, who tried to underline three fundamental aspects through his publications:

 

1) this frightening gap in the education system;

2) the devastating impact this education has on children and young people;

3) the need to make significant changes not only in the teaching programs but, above all, in the training methods of the teachers themselves.

 

Even after he retired, Horst continued his struggle undeterred.  The goal is to raise awareness among the competent authorities, school staff, and parents of students on the need for a freer education capable of recognizing and maximizing the creative potential of each student.  The realization of this type of education is desirable not only in Germany, where Horst lives but also in other countries where the PISA functionalist studio has been used.

Of course, Horst was not the only teacher aware of the harm done to children and pupils by such a deficient education system.  Many others have recognized the shortcomings and the need for change.  Unfortunately, some of his colleagues have failed to continue being part of a system they share neither assessment techniques nor teaching methods and have taken a drastic decision: dismissal.

They, therefore, renounced the profession, with the consequent loss of work and pension contributions, as a form of denunciation and condemnation of an educational system that enslaves children and clips their wings from an early age.

The article published online in the education magazine News4Teachers entitled "The School System Makes You Sick": Why a Primary School Teacher Resigns from Civil Service - Her Reasoning in Wording, This Teacher Forgoes Her Lifetime Support as a civil servant, therefore, represents a living and personal document of the ABUSE of education, which emerged clearly in the interview with the educational writer Horst Költze on the theme "EDUCATION AND FREEDOM," mentioned above.

In the resignation letter to the Munich State Education Authority of March 16, 2022-Schulrat 12-80313 Munich, this teacher explains the reasons for her drastic decision of her, starting with a question:

"Why do so many children lose the joy of learning after a short time in school?"

 

According to the content of her letter, the reasons are various:

1) Children become "objects of expectation" while their personal and family situation with all sorts of related problems is completely ignored.  The high level of frustration and anger leads to the phenomenon of bullying, now widespread in all schools.

 

2) Violation of human rights, United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child: age, "origin, ethnicity, skin color, gender, educational level of parents, first name and poverty of one's parents" are all discriminating factors and devoid of the “inclusion” aspect, above all concerning people with disabilities.  The atmosphere in the school, especially in the state one, is that of "experience of domination and hierarchical communication, not of participation."

 

3) Concept of learning: learning in school is based on the erroneous assumption that "the content of knowledge can be transferred from one person to another, whether they like it or not."  This is not true, as the brain not only stores data, it filters it.  (MY NOTE: Because of this, we easily learn and remember some things, while others have difficulty understanding them and quickly forget them anyway.)

 

4) Compulsory education (distinct from mandatory education) and compulsory learning contradict many fundamental human rights.  Therefore, to "have an integrating function in a free society, we must finally abolish compulsory schooling."

 

5) The school system makes students and teachers sick alike.

This is illustrated by the high rates of symptoms seen in school-age children and adolescents, such as headaches, abdominal pain, back pain, and sleep disturbances, to name a few.

 

This teacher was not the only one to make an "extreme gesture." Another case that we can cite is precisely that of Gunnar Kaiser.

In his interview with Gunnar Kaiser - "I won't do it anymore," published on the YouTube channel of the RESPECT platform, Kaiser explained his reasons for quitting.  The way Covid was managed and hearing the authorities and, therefore, of the media, stating that we would not have gone back to normality, at least according to the usual meaning of the term, was, in his case, the straw that broke the camel's back.  On the contrary, all the restrictions and social changes adopted due to the pandemic, even concerning the limits imposed on freedom, would become the new normality.  The freedoms stolen or at least limited by the pandemic would never be restored.

Gunnar Kaiser asks an interesting question: "Have we ever really experienced democracy if we give it up so quickly?"

 

Perhaps the time has come to break the conventional mold and embrace the world of ideas and lofty ideals, regardless of what we are used to doing or seeing around us.  Perhaps we should stop wondering if something is "normal" and instead ask ourselves if it is "legitimate" and what the implications are.

Gunnar Kaiser has, therefore, also given up teaching for various reasons, many of which are contained in the resignation letter that his colleague from Munich sent to the School Authority of her area.

Being fully aware of the problem and having a conscience that recognizes that the educational system, as it is designed and functioning, is doing more harm than good to the students and the teachers themselves marks the point of no return.

 

Be aware of the difficulties students are facing

• in keeping up with programs they are not interested in at all;

• in being assessed through tests based on their academic performance; and

• in dealing with the shame of failure and bullying among peers.

 

This makes these teachers feel entirely helpless as if they are faced with a rubber wall and consequently unable to make any significant changes to the system.

Many teachers, therefore, decide to make drastic career changes.  They give up secure jobs in the public sector and the resulting pension contributions and resign from their position.  They do not want to feel responsible for the education system's failure and the damage it does to students.  Therefore, for a matter of coherence and conscience, they avoid being part of it.

Hence, regardless of the personal choices of each teacher, in the countries where the PISA functional system is used, the school fails miserably in what should be its purpose and very raison d'etre: the promotion of expressive creativity and the development and maximum exploitation of each student's potential.

 

“Disease and Healing Dynamics” - Review by Valeria Gatti, Author, Blogger

 “Disease and Healing Dynamics” 

by Maria Teresa De Donato, Ph.D. in Holistic Health

Review by Valeria Gatti, Author, Blogger

 

In recent years, the concept of health has become the subject of global debate:

 

• The news runs through every media outlet.
• We have loyal to complex statistical calculations.
• We follow directions.
• We apply rules.
• We churn out doubts.
• We face fears.
• Above all, we look to the hope that everything ends as a child awaits the arrival of Santa Claus.

 

The pandemic has amplified the sense of volubility and made us lose our bearings; it has brought out unknown and unexpected cracks and frailties and sharpened the need to understand what we never wanted to understand. Illness scares us, it would be useless to deny it, and for this reason, we wander in search of confirmations, of solutions.

I confess that in front of the title “Dynamics of Disease and Healing” - an abridged version of the Doctoral Thesis “The Dynamics of Disease and Healing - The Role that Perception and Beliefs Play in Our Health and Wellness” - by Maria Teresa De Donato (Doctor in Holistic Health) I experienced the “magnet” effect: an incredible desire to learn the theories of the manual. The same was published in English in 2015 (in Italian in 2021) when the Covid pandemic could have been an excellent script for a Hollywood film. I think it was the suggestion, the curiosity, and the novelty that pushed me through these pages. Still, looking back on it now, I realize that what most attracted my attention was the healing associated with the dynamics in the title. I started reading with this thundering question in my head: is there a convergence of elements that, together, lead to healing? Is there a dynamic factor that can help heal, accompanied by medical and specific treatment, for example? Well, I told myself a book is enough, and how could I not think about it before?

Of course, the latter is a provocation, the Doctor herself makes an honest and unequivocal premise when she writes: “the material contained in this publication is for information purposes only and is not to be considered medical opinion in any way. Whatever your health problem, consult your doctor.”. Clear, right?

After that, the reading begins with correct, serene awareness, also because, usually, medical (or similar) treatises are complex and rarely immediate, especially for those unfamiliar with the subject: the perception, therefore, of not finding formulas, incomprehensible concepts and unknown terms was excellent motivation.

Deep into the reading, the intent of the researcher appears clear. She asks herself a series of questions and has drawn up (and published) a study that involves health and disease as if they were natural and some aspects of the life of each of us. Her analyses begin with a theoretical part in which we find definitions (illness, energy, health, etc.), theses, scientific concepts, and others that are more emotional and psychological. The reader, however, does not get lost and manages to follow the discourse: the credit goes to the author who structured the text, avoiding lengthy and full-bodied footnotes that, sometimes, especially in technical manuals, disperse. The references to the publications appear in the text, but only in the final index do we find the complete note to the work they referred to.

The reading proceeds and the clarity of its narrative is preserved. The exploration of the dynamics also presents some very curious theories (that of the three layers of water struck me in a particular way), up to the part of the actual analysis of cases that the Doctor personally followed and reported a holistic study. Even in transcribing the answers to the questions submitted to the participants in the research, accuracy is present. On the contrary, simple but valuable tables (some in English but, in my opinion, still understandable) complete the publication.

 

Last note: for the entire duration of the reading, I felt a pleasant sensitivity on the author's part in dealing with the dynamics in question, as a sort of respect for the subject and man. Overall, this manual, which internally proposes more or less shared theories and explores such a vast and delicate theme, has proved to be an appreciable reading.

 

Thanks to the author for the free reading file.

 

Biographical note of the author:

 

Maria Teresa De Donato: Roman by birth, after studying foreign languages ​​and journalism in Italy, she moved to the USA, where she has lived for over 25 years and completed her journalistic studies at the American College of Journalism and obtained her Bachelor's degree, Master and Ph.D. in Holistic Health at Global College of Natural Medicine, specializing in Classical Homeopathy, Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine. She is a passionate blogger; since 1995, she has collaborated with various magazines, newspapers, and periodicals as a freelance journalist. She is an eclectic, holistic and multidisciplinary writer and author of numerous publications, including two novels. Her books are available on all Amazon distribution channels, including bookstores.

 

Published on https://bood.food.blog/2021/07/30/dinamiche-della-malattia-e-della-guarigione-di-maria-teresa-de-donato-dottoressa-in-salute-olistica/

  

Education and Freedom (Part 1) - In Conversation with the Director of the Institute and educational writer Horst Költze - by Maria Teresa De Donato

 Education and Freedom (Part 1)

 

In Conversation with

 

the Director of the Institute and educational writer Horst Költze

 

by Maria Teresa De Donato

 

Today I have the great honor of having as a guest an extraordinary man, the Director of the Institute and educational writer Horst Költze, a dear friend of mine whose private and professional life is full of aspects as fascinating as they are disturbing.

 

There is a lot to say about his activities and publications, but I will leave it to my host as is my custom.

 

 

MTDD: Horst, thank you for accepting this interview and being here with us today.

 

HK: Maria Teresa, thank you for your invitation and your interest in the global education message.

You recognized the global importance of the educational message of my writings, which I must transmit from the source of intuition to the "children of the new millennium."

Through your interview, you open up a global sphere of influence. Thank you for this on behalf of the children.

 

 

MTDD: Thank you. Horst, you were born in 1932 in Köslin in Pomerania, which, since the end of the Second World War, belongs to Poland. You lived there until 1945, when you fled to Uetersen, a town northwest of Hamburg, before the invasion of the Red Army.

 

What memories do you have of those years and events?

 

HK: As a twelve-year-old boy, I was unaware of the fatal effect of this event when, on the evening of March 1, 1945, my mother and seven of us rushed three kilometers in the dark to the train station. I kept going, as children do. When we arrived in Uetersen, after a six-day train journey, my soul was still shaken, it felt lost in nothingness.

 

 

MTDD: How and to what extent have these events influenced your life, career, and publications?

 

HK: The experience of being tolerated as a refugee, without a real home, having only to eat and dress, and having just what is necessary to survive, has shaped my basic attitude towards life: I am fundamentally grateful for what life brings to me, for all that I could do and create.

Despite the painful experiences, these events convinced me of the significance of BEING THERE [= awareness of one's existence/living life in full awareness]. Accordingly, the Danish existential philosopher Sören Kierkegaard formulates this belief: "Life is lived forward and understood backward."

 

 

MTDD: While reading your CV, especially in the field of education, countless academic and non-academic topics and roles emerge, from teacher to principal, from principal to teacher, to supervisor and director of the institute.

 

Would you mind summarizing your activities in this sector?

 

HK: In all my different activities, functions, roles, and duties, people were always at the center of my thoughts and actions.

 

 

MTDD: In your self-portrait, we read: "Who I am. MYSELF! I always have been."

 

How important is it to understand who we are and live our lives in full awareness and harmony with our values?

 

HK: Man's answer to this fundamental question of his existence, WHO IS, decides what destiny is being prepared.

Two and a half millennia ago, the oracle of Delphi answered the question,

"What is the main task of man?":

"RECOGNIZE YOURSELF!"

 

Self-awareness, the awareness of one's SELF, is the fundamental condition for living in harmony with oneself, being in harmony with oneself, being in tune with oneself in the inner cosmos, and living in peace with oneself.

Such coherence with oneself is successful when one lives according to beliefs that determine a coherent state of being. A coherent state of being is based on values ​​that improve life. These values ​​create homeostatic balance in the organism.

Homo sapiens has the ability to create such an organismic and virtual state of being as a co-creator in their own inner cosmos with the ability to self-regulate. This primordial human option establishes his freedom and his dignity.

The basic condition is the knowledge of one's true SELF.

 

MTDD: To what extent does the educational knowledge imposed by the education system interfere with one's awareness of one's being and hinder its development?

 

HK: The prescribed knowledge and learning contradict the ontic constitution of the human being, whose main characteristic is life in freedom. The world-famous poet Jean-Paul Sartre has clear words for man's innate desire for freedom: "Man is condemned to freedom!"

 

To justify this, I will name a few details of this primary anthropological constitution:

 

This original human constitution is the basis of a democratic society.

This original constitution provokes the primal fear of every dictator.

This primeval human constitution led to the collapse of the WALL in Germany.

 

And this primal constitution is causing millions of Chinese millennials to say goodbye to the system. They live in the state of "Tangping." "Tangping" means not making yourself an instrument of others. "To go your way, with dignity. Even if you become an outsider and have to settle for less money", says the young Chinese woman, whom XIFAN YANG calls Yao Feng in her article "Uprising while lying down" in the weekly DIE ZEIT of April 13, 2022. XIFAN YANG states: "Young people do not participate more. They withdraw, go out, greet us and turn to ‘I’."

In the traditional school system, currently dominated in 76 countries by the PISA [Programme for International Student Assessment] functionalist study, children and adolescents are conditioned to adapt for at least ten years during the growth phase of the brain. The brain area in the frontal cortex for SELF-regulation is impeded from full development by forced learning. With forced learning, there is no existential reference to the person, to the true SELF. This hinders the development of the brain areas necessary for autogenesis.

At the end of school, graduates don't know WHO they are and what they actually want.

 

MTDD: On your home page, you state, "The knowledge of the school has clogged my system and overflowed my heart. I almost drowned in it."

 

Could you elaborate on this concept?

 

HK: I was "tied" to a school chair for hours, having to hear what the teacher was trying to put into my head. What was happening in my inner world didn't interest me. It was all about the subject.

Teachers are obliged to deliver the prescribed learning content in a set time and are obliged to evaluate students' learning products. Grades motivate and condition students just like mice in a Skinner box. Expected learning products are rewarded with good grades, poor learning products are punished with bad grades.

My heart was driven by fear of getting good grades to get promoted to the next grade. My salvation was that I left the "school jail" and started an apprenticeship.

 

(Horst Költze:  Anthropologically Oriented Teacher Training)

 

MTDD: Let's start by looking at some of your publications.

The first were

 

- Anthropological-oriented teacher training. (1981);

- Teacher training - Theory and practice of the different models (Ed.). (1990);

- Teacher training in transition - From the concept of technocratic to human training,

  In: Ruth C. Cohn / Christina Terfurth (Editor), Living Teaching-TCI for Schools

  (1993),

- The Pedagogical Diary - A step towards responsible training.

      In: Almut / Hoppe / Heike Hoßfeld (edited by),

        Evaluation as a process - Dialogue between self-evaluation and external evaluation. (2001)

                                          (Horst Költze: Pedagogy of Self-Genesis)

The first three titles underline the importance of training teachers of anthropological orientation.

 

Could you, please, describe the anthropological orientation, the theory of different teacher training models, and the transition from a 'technocratic' to a 'human' education?

 

HK: I'll start with a fundamental insight from existential philosopher Sören Kierkegaard:

"Man thinks in categories other than those in which he exists."

 

These two ways of being, thinking, and existing form the bipolar field of tension in human unity. Man integrates both modes of being operationally into the act of action.

Being a teacher takes place in the classroom like a live broadcast every minute, where thought materializes into action.

Pedagogically professional actions require a high degree of self-awareness and the effects on students.

Pedagogical professionalism develops only when teacher education integrates both ways of being, the category of THINKING and ACTION, in the teacher training process.

The basis of such a process of professionalization of anthropological orientation is the ontologically legitimized image of man, in which man is understood as SELF. In teacher training, through self-confrontation, awareness of the true SELF develops in the process of conscious representation.

The re-representation of the SELF is the fundamental condition of human formation.

 

 

MTDD: To what extent does third-party evaluation affect our self-esteem, and what can be done?

 

HK: The extent to which others judge our self-worth depends on our awareness of our true SELF. If the consciousness of one's SELF is underdeveloped, a virtual void arises in the inner cosmos. Dominant reference persons and authoritarian systems then prevail in this void.

What can be done about it?

As soon as the child says “I”, he can distance himself from himself and confront the SELF. This means confronting themselves in appropriate situations and promoting their freedom to make their own decisions, taking responsibility for their SELF and their fellow humans.

The anthropological justification of freedom of choice lies in the original constitution of man. Everyone has a chance to stop before reacting. The founder of speech therapy, Victor E. Frankl, acknowledged, "There is a space between stimulus and response. In this space, we have the freedom and the power to choose our answer. Our answer lies in our growth and our freedom."

This pause option is the basic condition of AUTO Adjustment. Self-regulation is successful as soon as a man has developed an autonomous standard of values ​​for himself. Therefore it is independent of the evaluation of third parties.

 

 

MTDD: How will readers interested in purchasing your publications do so?

 

HK: My books can be purchased at any local bookstore or ordered through Internet bookstores.

My essays, such as "The Evolutionary Spirit Transforms Educational Consciousness," can be downloaded for free from the Internet.

 

 

MTDD: Horst, your publications are numerous, and the topics to be covered are as interesting as they are profound. We can continue this exciting conversation about the world of teaching and learning in our next interview.

 

Thanks again for participating. It was an honor to have you as my guest.

 

HK: Maria Teresa, thank you for inviting me to this interview.

                                    (Horst Költze: School in Education Quake)