Past events

Author's evening with Hanna Pasterny

Thursday, May 10, 2012, at 6:00pm

In "Tandem on a Scottish background" ( "Tandem w szkocka kratke") Hanna describes her work and relationship with Helen Halpern (pseudonym) a professor at Glasgow University, Scotland, who has Asperger´s syndrome - a kind of autism. Helen is very brilliant and creative, an engineer-inventor working on devices and appliances that help disabled people overcome the barriers to an active and full life. She speaks 13 languages.

Another interesting aspect of this Polish-Scottish "tandem" is the interaction between Hanna´s Catholicism and Helen´s Judaism. On the surface the two are very different from each other, so how do they become friends to the extent of riding a tandem bike (the third aspect of the title) and working together?  Read the book and see how these differences both hide similarities and form the basis of deep understanding. Through encountering and learning about difference, we can also learn more about ourselves, our strengths and weaknesses and our ability to transcend those limits and barriers. We also learn that people with Asperger´s syndrome have feelings and emotions. They are able to accomplish great things and have deep and meaningful relationships.

 The book is addressed to a very wide audience, including therapists, the families of people touched by Asperger´s syndrome and young people, who are often in the process developing social awareness and social concern.  TANDEM encourages tolerance, acceptance and respect for difference and being yourself, all of which are particularly important to young people.

 TANDEM is highly recommended by Professor Jerzy Buzek, the former president of  the European Parliament, the President of  the ProFUTURO Association for Autistic People and the Board for  the Autism Union Poland. It is also recommended by those involved in dialogue between Catholics and Jews. The book has been enthusiastically received by Polish readers.

 Hanna wrote also a book about her European Voluntary Service in Belgium.

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