Action Week in Dornach: A Weaving Together
In early June, I noticed a message from Katrina Hoven in the Youth Section North America group chat. She was inviting us to join Action Week in Dornach. At the time, I was in Copenhagen and felt an unexpected pull to go. I didn’t know anyone, I didn’t know what to expect, but having been at other Youth Section gatherings, I knew it would be magical. I called my family and let them know I’d be traveling back to the U.S. a little later than planned. Upon hearing about this spontaneous plan, my brother decided to fly to Copenhagen to join me. He must’ve felt a similar pull. We packed our bags and hopped on the night train down through Germany, heading toward something unknown. It felt like a great adventure.
The walk from the tram station to the Youth Section house on Dorneckstrasse 1 felt like stepping into another universe. Butterflies fluttered across our path, flowers were in full bloom, the sun was warm, the sky bright blue. It felt like something out of a Disney movie. We were shown to our quarters, the Sun Room, a bright upstairs room with six white bunk beds. My brother and I made our place in the beds next to a wide window, which later proved a gift when the summer heat intensified.
The next day, Action Week officially began. Our group of about fifteen young people from across the globe – New Zealand, Australia, the U.S., Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland – gathered and walked together to the house at Dorneckstrasse 18. I overheard someone say it might be named The Braid, a metaphor for a place where youth with different life paths and backgrounds could meet and weave together into a shared fabric. As the week unfolded, this image came to life.
From the moment I stepped into the house, I could see the overflowing potential and beauty of the space. Though dusty and filled with old furniture, I saw it alive: walls painted in warm colors, coffee on the stove, mismatched teacups on freshly painted kitchen shelves, a cozy living room full of plants and a soft couch – roses at the windows. It felt like the house wanted us there – like it had been waiting for our arrival, thrilled to be cleaned, tended, and loved back to life. I wasn’t the only one who had this experience.
Each morning, we spent about four hours working on the house. We dusted, sorted, washed, painted, and scraped. Around 10:30, one of us prepared coffee, ice water, watermelon, and cookies for fika – the Swedish term for a social coffee break. This was a delightful time to chat and refuel before going back to work, and it was especially welcome on the very hot days. Having been divided into work groups, we were often very focused on our individual tasks. This made stepping back to see the progress made at the end of each day incredibly satisfying. Seeing how much we accomplished in such a short time was inspiring and motivating. This part of the day was tiring, grounding, and very fun.
Most afternoons we had the opportunity to partake in various workshops and activities. There was a tour of the Goetheanum from Andrea de la Cruz, a session with Johannes Kronenberg where we brought questions, biography with Katrina, movement with May, and singing with Simon. We also had the treat of a beautifully crafted story from Briar, a young woman from New Zealand who had just completed the storytelling course at Emerson College. Evenings were a cozy time where we cooked and ate together, sang, and explored nature. There were many late nights with candlelit conversations. Over the course of the week, we weaved our own braid of stories, songs, creativity, and friendship. It was not only those who were there for the action week who contributed to this. There were many who were staying at the house for other reasons who became a part of our group, contributing with everything from beautiful guitar music to a five-course homemade Georgian meal.
When the time came to leave, my heart was full, and I was sad to go. I still sit with a feeling of deep gratitude for the time spent with these wonderful people, and especially to Simon and Katrina for holding the space for this unfolding. This kind of togetherness, cocreation, and collaboration opens something up that is beautiful, something that I think is key for our future. I hope to return again to this place and to reunite with the friends I have made.
The Action Week was much more than a project, it was a time of cross-pollination, beauty-making, and soul meetings. I have a feeling that The Braid at Dorneckstrasse 18 will keep that spirit alive for a long time to come. Thank you to everyone who made this time possible.
