History Of The Association Montessori Internationa

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HISTORY OF THE ASSOCIATION MONTESSORI INTERNATIONALE Dr. Maria Montessori founded the Association Montessori Internationale in 1929. The Montessori movement had already seen an enormous growth since its beginnings in a Roman ghetto in 1907; it had also suffered sharply from misinterpretation and commercialisation. The need for an authentic source of information and guidance was apparent. The A.M.I. was founded to give coherence to the movement by providing an International Forum, a source of standards, and a means of growth and development throughout the world. A.M.I. operations were suspended during World War II, and resumed after the war at International Headquarters in Amsterdam. Extensive developments had occurred in India and Ceylon, where Dr. Montessori and Mario Montessori had continued their work during the war. New publications and materials appeared, new associations were established. Speaking as UNESCO’s General Director, Torres Bodet, at the plenary session in 1950 said, “In our midst we have someone who has become the symbol of our great expectations for education and world peace: Maria Montessori”. By the time of Dr. Montessori’s death in 1952, it had become clear that Montessori was not merely a method of education, but rather a highly integrated philosophy and practice with profound implications for the future of man who “will not be the victim of events, but will have the clarity of vision to direct and shape the future of human society”. The A.M.I. is the recognised International Authority on Montessori Education and directs studies in affiliated Teacher-Training Institutions on four continents. A.M.I. headquarters houses Montessori’s collected papers, supervises the production and development of approved Communications and occasional papers, supervises the production and development of approved Montessori materials, and maintains
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