NEWSLETTER No. 7 (English) 30th November 2005 ---------------------------------------------------------- International Democratic Education Conference IDEC 2005 Berlin http://idec2005.org/ ----------------------------------------------------------- Dear participants at the IDEC, dear friends and dear subscribers to our newsletters, We are glad to make contact with you again. The IDEC took place more than three months ago. We, the organisers, have many of us been busy with new projects for some time - Daniel, Kalle, Anja, Lorenz, Konstantin and Paula are students - and some of us have gone a long way from Berlin. Stefan and Christoph are working hard on the KRÄTZÄ film about the school in Hadera, Israel, and Binä is taking part in the preparation for a environment youth conference. Our Netzwerk Spiel/Kultur association has started with many kindergartens and after-school care clubs. Mike is heavily involved in this work. For these reasons we ask you to be lenient with us for not yet having prepared the documentation and having taken rather a long time over this newsletter to you. 1. "Pretty Cool System" - Film première on December 3. 2. Finance 3. Documentation for IDEC 2005 in Berlin 4. Press, Photos and Feedback 5. Jan Gabbert's IDEC film 6. Miscellaneous ----------------------------------------------------------- 1. "Pretty Cool System" - Film première on December 3 During the IDEC we gave a preview of the film about the Democratic School of Hadera in Israel. This KRÄTZÄ film, "Pretty Cool System", is now going to be shown publicly. The première will take place in the Babylon cinema in the middle of Berlin, which has a rich tradition. More information can be found at -> http://pretty-cool-system.de Première in the Kino Babylon Berlin Mitte Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz (U2) Saturday, December 3, 2005 18.00 Entrance: 3 EUR, (School students 2 EUR) Please pass this on! ----------------------------------------------------------- 2. Finance We will wind up the accounts for the IDEC with a deficit of about 9,600 euros. We will contribute our longstanding savings from KRÄTZÄ, which amount to about 5,000 euros and we hope to make further income fom the documentary film about democratic schools which was made during the IDEC. In the meantime we have taken out a loan. We had expected an even bigger loss, because there were fewer participants than we had anticipated ­ we had based our calculations on 300 participants for part A in the FEZ. The current outcome became possible because very nearly all the people who worked with us were working as volunteers and because we received additional donations, for instance from Jerry Mintz's auction (1,310 euros) and the collection after the final session at the Humboldt University (980 euros). Our expenses amounted to 147,300 euros Our income amounted to 137,700 euros These were made up as follows: ------------- Subsidies from nine foundations and state departments 76,200 euros Fees from participants in part A 44,900 euros Fees from participants in part B 11,700 euros Donations and other miscellaneous income 4,900 euros Anyone who is willing to help us in our battle against the financial gap can transfer funds or make donations to our donations account ­ every contribution is welcome, no matter how small! In Germany donations can be set against tax. Netzwerk Spiel/Kultur international: IBAN: DE45 1001 0010 0685112100, BIC/Swift: PBNKDEFF Postbank Berlin, Hallesches Ufer 60, 10963 Berlin Germany: Kto. 685112100, BLZ 100 100 10, Postbank PayPal donations can be made through: Netzwerk Spielkultur info@idec2005.org In addition our Fundraising-Online-Form is still working: -> http://de.idec2005.org/fundraising/#1 ----------------------------------------------------------- 3. Documentation We want to publish the outcomes of the workshops and above all the lectures. People who want their contributions about the IDEC to appear in our documentation, should send their contributions to us: -> info@idec2005.org We are also looking for accounts of overall memories or particular thoughts and insights which you consider to be worth including in the documentation. If you don't speak up you will unfortunately be overlooked. The deadline for these contributions is December 20 2005. The results will then be available to read on line, at -> http://de.idec2005.org/documentation/ The programme booklet is already posted in pdf, as well as the opening speeches of Paula Sell (KRÄTZÄ) and Thomas Krüger (Federal Centre for Political Education) and of course the final declaration. ----------------------------------------------------------- 4. Press, Photos and Feedback The IDEC made its mark: many pictures, a few personal comments and most importantly a number of articles in the mass media, including features in major German newspapers. These we have already posted on our web site under new headings: -> http://de.idec2005.org/photos/ -> http://de.idec2005.org/press/ -> http://de.idec2005.org/review/ They are worth a look! Has anyone got any more pictures? Are there articles in the press that we have not yet heard of? ----------------------------------------------------------- 5. Jan Gabbert's IDEC film Jan Gabbert's film team conducted many interviews during the IDEC. They also filmed the Naestved Fri Skole in Denmark, in order to include pictures of everyday life in a democratic school. The film is not yet ready (since the conference Jan has become a father!) but work is progressing. We will let you know at once when you can order a DVD. ----------------------------------------------------------- 6. Miscellaneous At least 417 people took part in IDEC 2005 in Berlin. We counted 214 participants in part A (at the FEZ) and an additional 203 during part B (at Humboldt University). On top of that there are some children and a good many speakers who don't appear in the lists of participants. We are interested in everything that has resulted from the IDEC in Berlin. We are learning a certain amount from the international mailing list. At present there is a lengthy discussion going on about the question as to why school students and young people played a smaller part in the IDEC than expected. The mailing list is open to the general public. -> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IDEClistserve/ You join the list by sending an email to: -> IDEClistserve-subscribe@yahoogroups.com The next IDEC will be taking place from Monday July 10 until Sunday July 16 in Sydney, Australia. The steering group around Tim Perkins introduces itself at: -> http://idec2006.org We would like once again to offer heartfelt thanks, in particular to the participants from all over the world, but also to the helpers, the people who gave donations, the foundations and financial backers, our partners in co-operation, the speakers, the cooks and all the other people who supported us. Without these people the IDEC would hardly have been possible, or anyway much less successful. The IDEC was a great experience for us, too, and we will never forget it. Hearty greetings from Berlin from Mike Weimann and the IDEC-Team 2005. -- IDEC 2005-Komitee Dunckerstraße 11 10437 Berlin +49(0)30 - 40 39 33 40 info@idec2005.org www.idec2005.org