Caux IDG Discovery Day - Step into the Inner Development

 About the Caux IDG Discovery Day - Step into the Inner Development

Step into the Caux Inner Development Goals Forum 2026 with a powerful opening experience: the Caux IDG Discovery Day, taking place on 13 July 2026 (15:00–22:30).

This first gathering launches an introduction to inner development and kicks off a five-day exploration of “The Alchemy of Forgiveness” - a journey designed to inspire inner transformation, collective healing, and the rebuilding of belonging in an increasingly fractured world.

The good news? Day Pass access is available!

Hosted in the iconic Caux Palace above Montreux, the Discovery Day sets the stage for the conversations, connections, and practices that will unfold throughout the Forum. As contributors, practitioners, and changemakers from around the globe come together, the Discovery Day will invite participants to pause, reflect, and open themselves to forgiveness as a catalyst for both personal renewal and societal change.

Through shared stories, artistic expression, and guided reflection, the ceremony will illuminate the key themes of this year’s edition:

• Healing inner wounds
• Restoring relationships
• Reconnecting with the Earth
• Understanding and transforming collective trauma

This opening moment marks the beginning of a deep, embodied journey, rooted in the long-standing Caux tradition of honesty, humility, and hope.

Take your place in this circle of honesty, humility, and hope — and let the journey begin.

Programme

From 14:00 - 15:00: Arrivals: Welcome to the Caux Palace

If you arrive by train: Trains run every hour from both Geneva Airport and Bern. For exact travel times and connections, please consult www.rail.ch.

The Caux Palace main entrance is approx. 100m from the Caux train station.

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In case you arrive by car or taxi: For those arriving from Lausanne/Vevey, make sure to adjust your GPS route passing by « Clarens » or « Montreux Gare ». Do not take the automatic recommendation going by « Les Avants » as this will take you through a longer curvy mountain road and the ride is much longer and complicated.  

Free parking spots are available in front of the Caux Palace, near the station or near the tennis court. 

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For guests staying at the Caux Palace - your rooms will be available from 14:00 CEST onwards. Should you wish to arrive earlier, you can store your luggage in the reception area. 

Discover more practical information for your stay in Caux

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15:00 - 16:00: Discovery Day - Entering the threshold, exploring forgiveness

Welcome to the Caux Inner Development Goals Forum 2026 with the opening experience of the Caux IDG Discovery Day, held under the theme “Step into the inner development.”

This first gathering introduces the Forum’s exploration of forgiveness - what it is and is not, and how it relates to harm, accountability, and reconciliation in a world marked by division and polarisation.

Set in the iconic Caux Palace above Montreux, the Discovery Day invites everyone to pause, reflect, and open to forgiveness as a pathway to inner development and collective healing. Through shared stories, artistic expression, and guided reflection, it opens key themes of the Forum: healing inner wounds, restoring relationships, reconnecting with the Earth, and engaging collective trauma.

A powerful openinginto a five-day journey on The Alchemy of Forgiveness where inner transformation meets societal change.

With: 

• Lewis CARDINAL (Canada), Communicator, Educator & Storyholder, Leader of the Global Indigenous Dialogue
• Indigenous Elders

Venue: Caux Palace gardens 

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16:00 - 16:30 Tea & Coffee Break

Venue: Terrace (2nd floor)

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16:30 - 17:00 Sensing into Forgiveness

With:

• Jessica BOCKLER, Applied Artist, Transpersonal Psychologist & Co-Founding Director of the Alef Trust
• Sarah NOBLE, Head of Global Engagement, Creative Peacebuilding & Inner Development, Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation
• Lou RÉMY, Violinist

Venue: Main Hall, 4th floor

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17:00 - 18:30: A Look at Forgiveness - In conversation with Metin Arditi

Venue: Main Hall, 4th floor

Jacqueline Coté, President of the Caux Foundation, will sit down with writer Metin Arditi for a heartfelt conversation on forgiveness, gently moving between the man, the writer, and the citizen of the world.

Drawing on his remarkable journey - born in Turkey to a Sephardic Jewish family, raised in Switzerland, and writing in French - Arditi will share how forgiveness has shaped his personal life, woven its way through his novels, and offered a path toward healing between peoples. It promises to be a moving and deeply human exchange, inviting us all to reflect on forgiveness as strength, as letting go, and as the quiet act of welcoming someone back home.

Metin Arditi is one of the leading literary voices of the Francophone world. The author of numerous essays and novels, his work explores themes of identity, history, memory, and the complexities of human relationships, often bridging cultures and civilizations. His acclaimed novels include Le Turquetto (Actes Sud, 2011), which received the Jean Giono Prize; L’enfant qui mesurait le monde (Grasset, 2016), awarded the Prix Méditerranée; L’homme qui peignait les âmes (Grasset, 2021), winner of the Prix de l’Université Catholique de l’Ouest; Tu seras mon père (Grasset, 2022), which received the Machiavelli Prize; and Le bâtard de Nazareth (Grasset, 2023). Most recently, he published Bosphore-Tango, the third volume of his celebrated Constantinople Trilogy, published by Grasset. In January, his latest work in the prestigious Dictionnaire Amoureux collection published by Plon, Dictionnaire Amoureux du péché (A Lover’s Dictionary of Sin), will be released. Through his writing, Metin Arditi offers profound reflections on culture, spirituality, and the human condition, establishing himself as a distinctive and influential voice in contemporary literature.

With:

• Metin ARDITI, Writer
• Jacqueline COTÉ, President Caux Foundation

Introduction

• Sarah NOBLE, Head of Global Engagement, Creative Peacebuilding & Inner Development, Caux Foundation

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18:30 - 19:30 Buffet - Dinner

Venue: Dining Room (2nd floor)

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19:30 - 20:00: Enjoy the gardens & the Caux Palace Expos

• "Drawing to Break the Silence" (Venue: The Galeries, 4th floor)
• "Europe on Display: Politics in Images" (Venue: Caux Palace gardens - Esplanade)
• "Beyond Words - An Exhibitions on the Trustbuilding Programme" (Venue: 3rd floor lounge area)
• "The Truth will set you free" (Venue: Catholic Chapel - 50m up the hill from main entrance)
• "Echos of Reality & Echoes of Hope"

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20:30 - 21:30: Guided Tours of the Caux Palace

Take a guided tour and discover the Caux Palace, one of the jewels of the Belle Epoque and classified historical monument of national interest. Learn more about its rich history and find out its role in fostering honest conversations, inner development, inspiration, reconciliation and peacebuilding.

Meeting Point: Main Hall (4th floor)

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22:00 - 22:30: Songs for Peace, Unity & Reconciliation

Let's conclude the day with a time of quiet reflection and mediation, featuring Taizé songs for peace, unity, and reconciliation. 

With:

• Tsvetana PETRUSHINA, Singer, Composer, Vocal Coach

Venue: Catholic Chapel - 50m up the hill from main entrance

 The Venue: The Caux Palace near Montreux, Switzerland

The Caux IDG Discovery Day takes place in our centre for dialogue and peacebuilding - the Caux Palace. Once a former Belle Époque Grand Hotel, the Caux Palace overlooks Lake Geneva and the Alps from an altitude of 1000m metres. Its tranquil setting and rich heritage offer a unique and inspiring space for reflection, exchange and collective exploration, away from the noise of everyday life.

Discover the rich history of this extraordinary venue

Caux Palace Expos: Discover our Exhibitions

"Drawing to Break the Silence"

An exhibition of press cartoons by Hani Abbas and Emad Hajjaj, dedicated to the issues of freedom of expression and democracy

Following on from 2025, the Fondation de Caux is continuing its project to showcase press cartoonists whose work resonates deeply with the themes of our forums: democracy and security issues.This year, two cartoonists from the Middle East, Hani Abbas and Emad Hajjaj, are presenting their work. Through their drawings, they shed light on the complexity of today’s world, examine its tensions and divisions, sometimes offering a scathing or ironic perspective, whilst also opening up avenues of hope and meaning in a world that is losing its bearings. 

• Where: Les Galeries (4th floor)
• In collaboration with: Freedom Cartoonists

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"Europe on Display: Politics in Images"

A selection of posters from a unique collection held by the Jean Monnet Foundation, tracing Europe’s political and visual history. 

In 2022, the Jean Monnet Foundation for Europe acquired an extraordinary collection of 5,000 posters gathered over a lifetime by a passionate private collector. Spanning from the immediate post-war period to today, these posters reflect a wide range of perspectives on Europe—from integration and solidarity to sovereignty and isolationism. Provocative, humorous or strikingly beautiful, they offer a unique visual record of Europe’s social and political history. Through this exhibition, a graphic Europe emerges, revealing the complexity of European issues and reminding us that a picture is indeed worth a thousand words.

• Where: Esplanade in the Caux Palace gardens
• In collaboration with: Fondation Jean Monnet pour l'Europe

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"Beyond Words - An Exhibitions on the Trustbuilding Programme"

Works of art created as part of the Caux Foundation's Trustbuilding Programme between January and May 2026

For several decades now, Initiatives of Change International has been working in conflict zones through its Trustbuilding Program and has proven expertise in this field. In 2026, the Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation launched its own programme in Switzerland, in partnership with the PAIRES association, the artist Audrey Cavelius and the facilitator Hamza Ghandour. 

This programme of seven participatory workshops brought together around twenty people, half of whom had a migrant background and the other half of whom were familiar with life in Switzerland, to explore the dynamics of trust together through art and dialogue.  

At the end of the project, this workshop offers a unique opportunity for exchange: an in-depth look at the programme’s key learnings, accompanied by the presentation of the artwork co-created by the participants. A special chance to discover from the inside a collective process and the transformations it has made possible. 

• Where: 3rd floor (lounge area)

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"The Truth will set you free" 

A selection of paintings by Swiss-German artist Ulrike Keller 

Inspired by the former East-West German border at Point Alpha and by the stories of those who lived under dictatorship, the exhibition explores themes of freedom, suffering, hope and reconciliation.  Through a series of deeply personal oil paintings, the artist invites visitors to reflect on their own journeys, the choices that shape their lives, and the paths that lead from division towards freedom and human dignity.  At a time when democracy and peace cannot be taken for granted, these works offer a space for reflection, remembrance and hope. 

• Where: Caux Palace Chapel (50m from the main entrance)

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"Echos of Reality & Echoes of Hope"

Art works by Álvaro Sebastián Quiroz Bolaños (Mexico), social entrepreneur, visual artist, and international advocate for dignity, resilience, and suicide prevention. 

Where: Les Galeries (4th floor)

 Our Partnerships

The Caux IDG Discovery Day is co-organised by:

Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation is a Swiss private charitable foundation with its centre for dialogue and peacebuilding, the Caux Palace, in Caux, above Montreux, Switzerland. Its mission is to provide a safe and privileged space to inspire, equip and connect individuals, groups and organisations from around the globe to engage effectively and innovatively in the promotion of trust, ethical leadership, sustainable living and human security.  

The Inner Development Goals Foundation is a non-profit organisation for inner development. The organisation researches, collects and communicates science-based skills and qualities that help us to live purposeful, sustainable, and productive lives, providing an essential framework of transformative skills for sustainable development. The Inner Development Goals Framework, open source and free for all to use, is fundamental in the work to reach the Sustainable Development Goals. 

Alef Trust is an international organisation advancing transformative education and research at the intersection of psychology, consciousness, and systems change. Through its global learning community and partnerships, it nurtures the inner development and shared conditions from which a more flourishing world can emerge.

Initiatives of Change International is a voluntary, donation- and grant-funded nonprofit association of national legal bodies (national teams) and international programmes. Registered in Caux, Switzerland, they coordinate the world-wide Initiatives of Change people’s movement, uniting a community of people of diverse cultures and backgrounds, who are committed to the transformation of society through changes in human motives and behaviour, starting with their own. Initiatives of Change International have special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the UN (ECOSOC), participatory status at the Council of Europe as well as a seat at the International Organization for Migration (IOM). 

In partnership with:

The Inclusion Awareness Network (INAN) association is an initiative founded to make diversity and inclusion core, inseparable elements of organizational culture in the business world. “INAN” — meaning “to believe” — is not just a name; it reflects their unwavering belief in every individual’s potential, in social justice, and in the power of collective transformation.

Cost

To make this event as inclusive and sustainable as possible, we offer three contribution levels for our day pass.

You are warmly invited to choose the amount that best reflects your circumstances and your wish to support the Caux IDG Discovery Day beyond option 1 which covers the basic costs. Every contribution is received with deep gratitude and directly supports our work and our solidarity fund. 

The Caux IDG Discovery Day pass includes:  

• Attendance of the Discovery Day in Caux (15:00 – 22:30)
• Afternoon tea and coffee break 
• Evening meal and activities 

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• Option 1. I am grateful for the opportunity to take part in this event and to cover the practical costs | CHF 50.- 
• Option 2. I value this work and I am in a position to contribute a little more to help the Caux IDG Forum thrive | CHF 90.- 
• Option 3. I value this work and I am in a position to contribute a little more, I wish to sustain the Caux IDG Forum and support the participation of young leaders | CHF 150.- 

Video: Antonin Lechat

Useful Information

• Terms & Conditions 2026
• Practical Information for your day at the Caux Palace
• Visa Applications for the Caux IDG Forum 2026 - General Info & Information Zoom Sessions: Find out more 

Questions?

For further information, please get in touch BY EMAIL.

Registration

We look forward to welcoming you in Caux for the Caux IDG Discovery Day of the Caux IDG Forum! To secure your place and help us organise this special event, please sign up here before 6 July 2026.