At its annual retreat from 19-22 September 2011, the Conference of Councils of Anthroposophic Medical Associations was able to look back at 22 years of work – a complete sun spot rhythm of twice eleven years of joint work. At the beginning, in 1989, the group of councils was one third as large as it is today.

The task of the IVAA is to represent anthroposophic medicine (AM) in the legal and political field at an international level with the aim of increasingly locating AM in culture, law and the economy. To this end the IVAA develops initiatives which it seeks to implement in coordination with other organs of the anthroposophic medical movement.

Starting with this question, we want to promote collaboration among young people with an interest in anthroposophic medicine. The question about our own training arises during our medical studies and – in a transformed form – during our internship or residency in hospital and practice. It is also closely linked with the origin and content of Rudolf Steiner’s courses for young physicians (GA 316).

Each year during the autumn conference at the Goetheanum, the International Research Council of the Medical Section organises a meeting with research representatives from the various institutes and countries. Alongside Michaela Glöckler (Dornach), the executive board of the Research Council currently comprises Helmut Kiene, Freiburg, Harald Matthes, Berlin, Peter Matthiessen, Witten/Herdecke.