The Peace Table Awaits: Building the Interdependent Movement Our Times Demand
Two weeks ago, I had the privilege to facilitate the keynote panel at the Association of Illinois Montessori Schools (AIMS) conference titled “The Peace Table Awaits: Building the Interdependent Movement Our Times Demand.”
The purpose of this keynote was to have it be an emergent conversation- initially among the six panelists, and then with questions and ideas from the audience. I was honored to be joined on stage by Dr. Corey Borgman, Dr. Heather Gerker, Dr. Luz Casquejo Johnston, Melanie Thiesse, Dr. Nicole Evans, and Dr. KaLinda Bass-Barlow.
Kelly and I were so honored to meet many podcast listeners and Paradigm Breakers at AIMS! For those that could not be there, I wanted to share my introduction to the keynote panel.
Good morning and welcome to the AIMS keynote session, The Peace Table Awaits: Building the Interdependent Movement our Times Demand. My name is Andrew Faulstich, and I have the honor of facilitating this panel of six incredible Montessori thinkers and leaders. Before we begin, I want to thank Beth Norman, Reena Morgan, and the entire AIMS board for bringing this all star group together and having the vision for a truly unique and collaborative keynote experience.
We are here, engaging in this dialogue today, because even though Montessori fought for a world of equitable interdependence 100 years ago, that is not the current state of affairs. Rather, we are in a state of destabilization and dehumanization- from the ICE raids right here in Chicago and Minneapolis to the ongoing genocide in Palestine, to the continued destruction of our natural environment in the name of profits and extractive consumption, we are seeing what Montessori described in From Childhood to Adolescence when she wrote that “Society has not only developed into a state of utmost complication and extreme contrasts, but it has now come to a crisis in which the peace of the world and civilization itself are threatened.” The children of our world today are being shaped by these events- indeed, they are often afflicted some of the harshest damage, both physically and psychologically, of these adult-driven conflicts.
In these times, it’s required that we not only remember but embody Maria Montessori’s courage. While she initially entertained Mussolini’s proposal to make all Italian schools Montessori schools, she ultimately refused to be a tool of fascism and was exiled in India for 7 years because of it.
Indeed, we must remember that the purpose of a Montessori education was never to build a better mousetrap- it was NOT to better prepare students to take academic exams, get high paying jobs, or even to read “on grade level” when adults decided that a student should. The goal was always to foster the development of a “new human.” Montessori wrote in Education and Peace that “The new human being must show us how to make all humankind aware of its unity,” and in Education for a New World, Montessori wrote about “…The rising of a New Human who will not be the victim of events, but will have the clarity of vision to direct and shape the future of human society.”
This is what is at stake in our work- and the focus of our panel today. In order to transform ourselves such that we can collectively realize our interdependence and live Montessori’s vision, we must consider all aspects of our practice- from the personal level to the systemic level. The questions we’ve prepared address this range, and were crafted based on the questions and ideas many of you submitted before this event. I encourage everyone here- panelists and attendees alike- to embody Montessori’s courage during this session; to lean into productive discomfort; and to be open to the transformation required realize a world of equitable interdependence.
Are you a Montessori Adolescent educator or leader? Join our Montessori Adolescent Collaborative Forum!
Our Purpose:
Realizing Montessori’s vision of a new world starting with how we, as practitioners, transform through dialogue and community.
Why join the MAC Forum?
Build community: Connect with fellow adolescent guides from around the world.
Co-create the forum: Your questions, observations, and experiments shape the discussion.
Access the archive: Can’t make it live? All sessions recorded and available.
Forums are held virtually every second Tuesday at 7:00pm EST
Join Today and Find Your Community!
The traditional education system had its chance.
Now it’s our turn.
