Do we really have to know our own history?
Dear friends and supporters
The other day a young woman asked me if I think it is important to know our history as a woman, if you want to develop and grow as a human being. I knew she had been doing some introspection, bodywork and therapy and the idea of having to know your own history seemed a little suspect to her, a bit too academic to her taste. I replied to her saying that I think people develop in all sorts of ways – through life experience, through the people they meet, crisis, etc. But if you want to see yourself in a bigger context that includes the past, present and future, and that includes different political, spiritual and cultural worldviews of real men and women who were faced with similar or very different problems than ours, then it is important to know our own history. Especially for us postmodern women who often are puzzled by our contradictory responses we have to our role in society, it is important to know what the societal structures were that made us who we are and what it would look like to behave in – to use Gerda Lerner’s term – self-authorised ways. If we want to have deep roots in our being that grow beyond our own personal story and want to reach out to be responsible for a larger context than just our own lives, I would say: Yes, it is important for women (and men) to know our own history and to learn to reflect our own being here on planet Earth in larger ways.
“… Autonomy for women means moving out from a world which one is born to marginality, bound to a past without meaning, and prepared for a future determined by others. It means moving into a world in which one acts and chooses, aware of a meaningful past and free to shape one’s future.” – Gerda Lerner, 1979
On that note, don’t forget to pass around the message that we still need a lot of support to reach the 48,000 Euros. It has been amazing to get donations for instance from people who heard through someone elses’ blog about the project and donated generously!
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/why-women-need-to-climb-mountains/x/388206#home
Thank you again for your time and for your interest and I wish you a beautiful ending of the week and weekend!
Warm autumny greetings from Berlin
Renata Keller
Dear friends and supporters
The other day a young woman asked me if I think it is important to know our history as a woman, if you want to develop and grow as a human being. I knew she had been doing some introspection, bodywork and therapy and the idea of having to know your own history seemed a little suspect to her, a bit too academic to her taste. I replied to her saying that I think people develop in all sorts of ways – through life experience, through the people they meet, crisis, etc. But if you want to see yourself in a bigger context that includes the past, present and future, and that includes different political, spiritual and cultural worldviews of real men and women who were faced with similar or very different problems than ours, then it is important to know our own history. Especially for us postmodern women who often are puzzled by our contradictory responses we have to our role in society, it is important to know what the societal structures were that made us who we are and what it would look like to behave in – to use Gerda Lerner’s term – self-authorised ways. If we want to have deep roots in our being that grow beyond our own personal story and want to reach out to be responsible for a larger context than just our own lives, I would say: Yes, it is important for women (and men) to know our own history and to learn to reflect our own being here on planet Earth in larger ways.
“… Autonomy for women means moving out from a world which one is born to marginality, bound to a past without meaning, and prepared for a future determined by others. It means moving into a world in which one acts and chooses, aware of a meaningful past and free to shape one’s future.” – Gerda Lerner, 1979
On that note, don’t forget to pass around the message that we still need a lot of support to reach the 48,000 Euros. It has been amazing to get donations for instance from people who heard through someone elses’ blog about the project and donated generously!
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/why-women-need-to-climb-mountains/x/388206#home
Thank you again for your time and for your interest and I wish you a beautiful ending of the week and weekend!
Warm autumny greetings from Berlin
Renata Keller
I am devoted to the works of Gerda Lerner– she has helped me since the 70’s work to liberate myself as a woman AND understand the context in which all of us women find ourselves. Her personal writing is so generous and important as well as her academic. A film that brings her to life is SO important to have.
I am going to contribute today and forward this to everyone I know. It is one thing as a woman in my 70’s I can help contribute to younger generations who need to see her in order to read her.
Kudos to this marvelous team for doing this project. I would love to help!