AMI President's Message 2025
A month has passed since we recorded our President’s Message in the recently renovated study of Maria Montessori at Koninginneweg. That day, 6 December, is one on which family and friends in The Netherlands celebrate a tradition of exchanging gifts and words with one another.
Today is our opportunity to exchange words, and a gift, with you, our members and with the world at large. Our President’s Message for the New Year is a simple one: a message of Hope for Unity and Peace, and a more humane year in 2025. Members of our Board and our staff (and I include myself here) have conflict-affected families as a consequence of war, displacement and violence. Our hearts go out to victims of violence everywhere and those who are suffering, especially the young, the old, and those who are especially vulnerable.
Last year was one of loss in our Montessori community, including that of prominent friends such as Carolina Montessori and Bill Conway, who were totally committed to the promotion of peace and development through education. It was also a year of gains; in membership interest, affiliate enquiries, trainings to roll-out, qualified diploma and certificate-holders to guide and accompany humans across life’s stages; always and everywhere encouraging their independence and self-actualisation as promoted by our founder, Maria Montessori.
Herein lies the gift: from January through December, I was privileged to see Montessori in action in China, Kenya, Mexico, South Africa and Sweden, amongst other locations. During a time of alienation, it is humbling to be a part of a worldwide movement that is pro-human and pro-planet. Montessori was renowned for her commitment to education for peace. It is fitting that we, the bearers of her legacy, continue to be upstanding for a world that is a little kinder, one where we see ourselves in the other and where we collaborate to co-create a more inclusive, sustainable and harmonious globe.
This year we have exciting news: the roll-out of the Global School Accreditation pilot, the AGM in Delft, a trainer’s meeting in Chennai and the continuing implementation of our emergency response initiative. In all of this, our yardstick remains, how can we help people to do things for themselves and how might they do so best? We believe that only when the human is considered within the greater cosmos, the task of education becomes more fully apparent. Our success will be measured by the degree to which we promote the adaptation of the human to a fast-changing world, while continuing to treasure those eternal values which are our hallmark as humans; empathy, kindness and compassion, to name a few.
We can and we will do better than last year! On behalf of our Board, our Executive Director and team, I wish you peace, love and understanding. Especially at this challenging time, we call out to you to actively promote education for peace and social, environmental change whenever and wherever possible. Come on and join us!
Alain Tschudin
President
Association Montessori Internationale
