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Béla H. Bánáthy, Sr., Ed.D.
Professor Emeritus
A Short Story of my Life (This
is a non-traditional Vita)
As I look back to the eight decades of my life, it seems that I have
moved through several spirals in the course of my life's journey.
I describe
these spirals and reflect upon them.
THE FIRST SPIRAL
I lived the first spiral (1919-1937) in two river cities of the great
Hungarian plain. My father was a minister of the Presbyterian Church (the
genesis of my Calvinist work ethics). My mother was a teacher. I had four
brothers. My view of the world, my core ideas and values were shaped in
five contexts: The family, the rich learning environments of schools,
church, scouting; and in ever expanding public service contexts. These
five contexts became my "mediating institutions." I crafted
lenses in these contexts through which to view and understand the world
and my place in it. The values, beliefs, and knowledge emerging from these
contexts helped me to seek and create a balance between "I-ness"
and "We-ness" and autonomy and responsibility. It helped me
to understood that my life experiences offer opportunities to being on
the road of becoming, continuously renewing myself, and taking responsibility
for serving the common good.
Some highlight events during the first cycle include: The many scouting
events, particularly the 1933 World Jamboree, where Baden Powell, the
chief of the Boy Scout Movement, inspired me by his message of forever
seeking and following the ideal. At national conferences of youth leaders
we had long conversations with leading writers, poets, and social activists.
Their ideas became food for though for life and inspiration for public
service. My life experiences during the first cycle established lasting
foundations upon which to build my life.
THE SECOND SPIRAL
The core ideas and values that emerged in the course of the first cycle
led me into and through the second spiral (1937-1945). I was selected
to enter the Hungarian Royal Military Academy. The Academy had an all
year-around-program in general and military science and the humanities.
I was commissioned in 1940 in the armored infantry. In response to an
attack of the soviet air force, Hungary entered the war in '41. Our armored
division took part in two campaigns. I was wounded in close combat in
'42. In '43, I was appointed to the faculty of the Royal Military Academy.
During my student years at the Academy, I served on the national leadership
development staff of the Scout Movement and in '41, I was asked—as
a volunteer—to serve as national staff director. During the last years
of this spiral, with other leaders of national youth movements, we created
an alliance for socio-cultural renewal, and dreamed of a reconciliation
of the nations in the region.
The most significant event of my life—with most lasting importance
-- happened in '41, when I made a lifetime commitment of love to Eva.
We became married in '42 and by the end of this spiral we had two baby
boys in our family. By that time I was prepared to enter the General Staff
College.
Reflection
The first
two spirals had a seamless flow in their context and content. We expected
the flow will continue. But history decided otherwise.
THE THIRD SPIRAL
When the Red Army approached Budapest, we left Hungary and started the
third cycle as refuges in Austria (1945-1950.) We lived in a refugee camp
of wooden barracks in a room of 8-10 feet which was our living room, bedroom,
kitchen and firewood storage. We existed on 600 calories per day per person.
Our third son was born in the camp with my assistance. Soon we were moved
to another camp, near to a Marshall plan warehouse, where initially I
unloaded wheat sacks from railroad cars and later I worked in the statistical
office of the warehouse. At the refuge camp, I organized a scout troop
and became active in church work. I made contact with refugee relief organizations
and the World Bureau of Scouting. These contacts led to a support of our
youth programs and the establishment of several scout troops in Austria.
In '47, Eva's sister came out from Hungary and took our two older sons
back for recovery with the intent to return them after a year. But in
'48, the Iron Curtain was closed down, separating us from our two sons
for nine years. Our third and forth sons were was born in refugee camps.
In '48, I was ordained a minister by the World Council of Churches and
served as director of religious education of the Protestant Refugee Service
of Austria. In '49, with the help of a Swiss foundation we established
a boarding school for refugee youth. I served as its director. I was also
an editor of a religious youth service and a scout periodical.
Reflection
The third cycle, it seems that it started as a total change in the contexts
of our lives. Still, in the purposeful selection of the content of my
life experiences, in the commitment to ideas, and in the search for ideals,
there was unbroken continuity.
THE FOURTH SPIRAL
The fourth spiral (1951-59) started when in January '51, sponsored by
the McCormick Theological Seminary of Chicago, we immigrated to the US.
We lived in the Seminary. I was working night shifts, feeding the boilers
of the Seminary, while studying English from a book. Occasionally, I preached
at nearby Hungarian churches. Eva found work in a paper factory and Tibor,
our third son, entered school. In June '51, I was invited to join the
Hungarian Department of the Army Language School, and we moved to Monterey,
California. Soon I became active in scouting and in church work, served
as President of a local PTA, and was on the Board of the local Red Cross.
Eva, in addition to maintaining our home, which we built in '54, was working
in a restaurant, and later in a bank. In '56, I was appointed Department
Chair and engaged in an intensive study of linguistics and applied linguistics.
By an intervention of the World Council of Churches, our two sons rejoined
us in September '56. I was teaching Sunday School for several years, served
on the Board of our church, and was Chair of the Leadership Development
Committee of the Bay Area Scout Council. About this time, continuing my
earlier involvement in leadership development, I studied leadership research
literature and started to formulate some new ideas about leadership development
for youth. These ideas led to the developed of a program during the next
spiral.
Reflection
The context
of our life changed again, but there was continuity in both the content
and in commitment. Not only continuity but significant extension of community
service and self-development.
THE FIFTH SPIRAL
The fifth spiral (1959-1969) was marked by several events: (1) I was selected
as Dean of a language division of ten departments of the federal language
program; (2) Entered a graduate program at San Jose State University;
(3) Joined the educational task force of the Society of General Systems
Research; (4) Became active in the National Associations of Language Teaching;
and (5) Initiated the design of a novel Scout Leadership Development program.
This Spiral provided opportunities for continuing self and professional
development, for writing and publishing, as well as engaging in community
service. As Dean, I managed ten language departments. I entered UC Berkeley
and received my doctorate in '66 in an transdisciplinary program in education,
systems theory, and linguistics. During the '60s, I was teaching courses
at our local college and at San Jose State University in applied linguistics
and systems science. My first book: Instructional Systems was published
in '68. The development of the multi-year Scout leadership program continued.
By the mid '60s it was adopted by the Boy Scouts of America. The mid '60s,
I became Chair of Western Division of the Society for General Systems
Research.
This Spiral was a decade of professional development, service to the profession
on the national scale, and contribution to public service through the
design of leadership development of youth. By the end of this decade the
family nest became empty. Our four sons were off to college and established
their own families.
Reflection
While
the context of the Fourth Cycle was the community in which we lived, the
context of the fifth cycle extended into the national scene. But the content
of my life experiences, and the commitment to public service continued.
THE SIXTH SPIRAL
The sixth spiral (1969-1989) commenced when I was invited to join the
Far West R&D Laboratory in Berkeley (later in San Francisco), as their
systems expert. During twenty years at the lab, I served as Program Director,
Division Director, and Associate Lab Director guiding over 50 R&D projects.
The overall program of the lab enabled me to apply systems thinking, systems
and design inquiry in large scale educational, social, public service,
and government systems; to operate primarily at a national scale.
During the '70, for a year I was visiting prof at UC Berkeley and continued
teaching at San Jose State. In '72, DC. Heath published: A Design of
Foreign Language Curriculum, and in '73, Lear Singler published Developing
a Systems View. During the '70s, I was invited by the scout programs
of Mexico, Costa Rice and Venezuela to introduce the leadership development
program. In 1982, I was elected Managing Director of the Society of General
Systems Research and in 85 became President of the Society. During the
'80s I served terms on the Executive Committee of the International Federation
of System Research.
The late '70s we established at the Far West Lab the International Systems
Institute (ISI). In '82, we initiated the Fuschl Research Conversations
in Austria. At the Conversation, representatives of the international
systems community focused on the question: How can we apply systems thinking
for the improvement of human conditions. Since '82, with the cooperation
of the International Federation of Systems Research, we have held over
thirty Research Conversations in seven different countries. In '82, the
Saybrook Graduate School invited me to develop a Ph.D. program in the
systems and design sciences.
Reflections
During this Spiral I engaged in innovative and cutting edge
R&D projects, and extended by public and professional service into the
international scene. I also had an opportunity at Saybrook to design and
develop a full-fledged graduate educational program in humanistic systems
inquiry and social systems design.
THE SEVENTH SPIRAL
My retirement from Far West Lab marked the beginning of the seventh spiral
(1989-present). We moved back to the Monterey Peninsula. As Emeritus,
I continue working with Ph.D. students at Saybrook, which for me is a
most rewarding experience. We continue the annual international systems
design conversations. Lately, research and development in human and societal
evolution has become the focus of my interest. For the years to come,
I intend to devote my work and service to the advancement of conscious
evolution.
During this spiral I have written many articles and chapters in books,
and have authored several books: The Systems Design of Education
(1991); A Systems View of Education (1992); Designing Social
Systems in a Changing World (1996); and Guided Societal Design:
A Systems View (2000). With Patrick Jenlink we CO-edited Diaologue
as a Means of Collective Communication, to be published in '02 by
Kluwr Academic/Plenum Publishers. The first two books were published in
Korean and Polish. During the 90s, I was elected to two terms as President
of the International Federation of Systems Research.
Five years ago, Eva had an emergency back surgery operation and has suffered
partial paralysis. I am her caregiver. I say that she took care of me
since '42, now it is my role to take care of her. Our family is growing.
We have now ten grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.
Reflections
DMy life journey can be well pictured by imaging it as a movement
through seven ascending and widening spirals. The first spiral established
the foundation upon which my life was built and experienced in a variety
of context. So the story above gives us "identity derived from experience."
It is an external view. It may tell "what I am." It does not
tell "internal," the "who I am." I am still searching for
the "who."
My journey through life has been a continuous involvement in learning
and exploring, engaging in research and application of systems and design
ideas in a variety of social contexts, creating systems of learning and
helping others to learn. I have served in many organizational and institutional
settings in three countries: In my homeland, as a refugee in Austria;
and in the US since the early '50s. Through eight decades, an unwavering
belief in human betterment guided and inspired me. I have joined many
others in several mediating institutions in creating resources, opportunities
and programs by which people, as well as organizations and communities
are enabled to develop and fulfill their individual and collective potentials
and become the best they can.
In the course of the last couple of decades, however, I have become increasingly
convinced that even if people are to fully develop their potential, they
cannot give direction to their lives, they cannot forge their destiny,
they cannot take charge of their future -- unless they also develop competence
in taking part directly and authentically in the design of their own life,
the systems, organizations, and communities in which they live and work.
This is what self-empowerment is about.
I am also convinced, that self-empowerment—when learned, lived, and
exercised by families, groups, neighborhoods, organizations, communities,
and social and societal systems of all kinds—is the only hope we have
in order to give direction to our evolution, and to create a society that
serves the common good, a society about which all of us can feel good.
This kind of empowerment cannot be legislated, it cannot be dictated from
above, and it cannot happen by good intentions alone. It can be only attained
if we individually and collectively learn to engage in moral conversations
by which we collectively define values and qualities we seek to realize,
give voice to our aspirations, envision ideal images of the future, and
bring those images to life by purposeful design. I hold that this is what
democracy is about!
There are three Greek words: "democracy," meaning "the
power of the people," "sizitizis" stands for "searching
together," and "demoshopia" which means, the 'wisdom of
the people." If we integrate these three concepts, we shall understand
that: People have the power to make decisions that affect their lives,
that these decisions are made by searching together in disciplined and
focused conversations, through which they gain individual and collective
wisdom.
In an age, when the speed, intensity, and complexity of change and transformations
increase constantly and exponentially, the ability to shape change--rather
than becoming its victims or its spectators—depends on our competence
and willingness to guide the purposeful evolution of our systems, our
communities, and our society.
My inspiration to make contribution to Saybrook comes from the belief
that the right of people to guide their own destiny, to create authentic,
caring, sustainable communities,; to control their resources, to govern
themselves, and guide their own evolution is the most fundamental human
right. If people are enabled to exercise this right by learning how to
do it—they will have the power to create a civil society that is motivated
by voluntary commitment to organize its life for the service of the common
good and for creating harmony in the society and in the community of all
life.
B.A. Science (1940)
Hungarian Royal Academy
M.A.
Counseling Psychology (1964)
California State University, San Jose
Ed.D. Education (1966)
University of California, Berkeley
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