Juan Carlos Martin is of Spanish origin and joined the Foundation in early 2023 as a multi-skilled technician. He has more than 20 years of experience in the technical field and worked for more than 10 years as an electrician for Swiss companies. Juan Carlos loves diving, cooking and travelling to meet new people.
Afghan soccer player and women’s rights advocate Kawser Amine was a guest speaker at a Human Library event during the online 2022 Creative Leadership conference on Living your Possibilites - From Healing to Action. On International Women's Day 2023, celebrating the achievements of women from all walks of life, she talks about her remarkable journey and her fight for every woman to be free to fulfill her potential.
Whether she’s on the soccer field, or speaking up for women’s rights, Kawser Amine doesn’t believe in giving up. For eight years, she was a member of Afghanistan’s first national women’s soccer team, a risky business in a society where infringing cultural conventions can put your life at risk.
Three times a week, she and her sister went to the army helicopter ground in Kabul, passing through 12 checkpoints on the way to train behind high walls.
Once a bomb exploded behind them just as they were getting onto the bus home. ‘It was very hard, but we did not give up because if we did, there would be no opportunity for the women and girls standing behind us.
We opened up the field for girls. Before the regime change, hundreds of girls were playing soccer in Afghanistan. I felt so proud!’
Kawser was only nine in 2007 when she was selected for the team. (She explains that, because of cultural norms, the women’s national team is made up of youth and teens.) Her mother must be remarkable, to allow her children to follow their dreams in the face of such risks? Yes, Kawser agrees: ‘She did an amazing job of supporting us in continuing our education and playing our sport.’
Kawser went to the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) in 2013 to study political science, got married in 2014, and resigned from professional soccer the next year, with her daughter on the way. In 2016 the AUAF was attacked. Thirteen people were killed and 50 injured. The Taliban followed up with a letter to each student, threatening to kill them if they continued to study there. The university closed down indefinitely, and Kawser transferred her degree to the Indian School of Business Management in New Delhi, where she graduated in general management with a specialization in international relations.
Meanwhile, she and her husband looked for ways to leave the country for their own safety and for their daughter’s future. ‘Afghanistan is not a country where girls are safe to explore or to think big. I didn’t want her to experience what I had experienced.’ Finally, in 2019 they left for the US under a scheme open to them because her husband worked with the American military and NATO.
The adjustment was difficult. In Afghanistan, Kawser had worked as a political advisor, gender advisor and programme director for the government. ‘I struggled to find myself as an immigrant woman in San Francisco, but I never thought of leaving my activism,’ she says. ‘I got a job as a bank teller, but my heart and mind were far away from my job.’ Then Covid started, and because Kawser was pregnant, her doctor advised her to resign.
Over the next 18 months, during which her son was born, Kawser began to build her own foundation, Women’s Solidarity for Peace and Leadership, with the help of a friend and the network she created. Then, in August 2021, Kabul fell. ‘I knew from the very beginning that the Taliban would stop girls’ activities and women’s access to their fundamental rights.’ She designed a social media campaign, Stand for Girls’ Education in Afghanistan.
A year later, when 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was beaten to death in Iran for allegedly failing to comply with women’s dress regulations, Kawser realized that her advocacy needed to reach wider. She launched Join My Voice, an international women’s solidarity campaign which invites women to share their stories. ‘The campaign is designed to respond to women’s crises, such as inequality, sexual assault and violence of all sorts, and to uplift their stories and experiences,’ she says.
Kawser believes in the power of sport to bring change for the better. ‘Soccer is not just a game to me: it’s a language of unity, power, solidarity and peace.’
Alongside her social media campaigns, Kawser is setting up the Amine Soccer Academy, to help vulnerable children to realize their dreams of playing soccer. ‘I want to give them the confidence that comes from sport, the skills to succeed and the belief that they are capable of greatness.’ She has found a warm response to her plan from local government and schools and allies in such organizations as the US Soccer Foundation and Beyond Sport to partner with her.
She is also taking part in an initiative of the National Football League, which promotes football in high schools as a means of preventing students from falling into addiction. Recently she spoke at a high school in Arizona and was astonished by the warmth of the students’ response.
‘I never give up,’ she told them. ‘I fought for my education. You guys have many opportunities. Please use them to change your society. I come from a country that has seen more than 45 years of war and oppression. But instead of becoming a victim, I choose to turn my anger into action.’
On International Women’s Day, Kawser calls on world leaders to push for gender equality in Afghanistan. ‘Women in Afghanistan are not even allowed to go out of their homes without a male companion: can you imagine what it is like in families where there are no males? I hear these stories every day and night, and my heart breaks.’
The Creative Leadership conference Living your Possibilities - From Healing to Action challenged participants to explore their potential to change the world for the better. Nearly 200 people from all over the world took part. Kawser’s mission fitted right in.
Read the full report on Creative Leadership 2022
Soccer is not just a game to me: it’s a language of unity, power, solidarity and peace.
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Watch Kawser introducing her work with Women’s Solidarity for Peace and Leadership
How can singing make a difference in people's lives? Pioneering Egyptian musician Dalia Younis was a guest speaker at the Creative Leadership conference in 2022 where she talked about how she uses sin...
Creative Leadership 2022 guided participants on a six-day journey from healing to action. The conference took place online from 23 to 29 July – with a break day in between – and brought together aroun...
Arpan Yagnik, a participant of last year's Creative Leadership conference and team member of the IofC Hub 2021, talks to Mary Lean about creativity, fear and vocation. ...
How can we face times of uncertainty as individuals and as an organization? Anas Badawi from Y-Peer was one of four young leaders who presented their perspective on overcoming fear and responding to s...
2021’s Creative Leadership conference took participants on a six-day journey ‘From Uncertainty to Possibility’. Between 25 to 31 July around 150 online participants living in over 50 countries engaged...
'I have never been to Caux, because of visa issues. So when I received an email asking about the impact of the conference, I wrote as part of my reply, ‘Thank you for bringing Caux to us’. - Betty Nab...
'The conference showed me how much I really love to socialize with people. The members of our dialogue group asked me questions I never been asked before. This made me think about lots of things, in n...
Manuela Garay from Canada was part of the Caux Peace and Leadership Programme in 2017 and reflects on the impact her participation has had on her and her perspective on life and other people ever sin...
'This extraordinary conference has changed me to be more ambitious, intellectually honest and more consistent', said Hani Abou Fadel from Lebanon after his participation at last year's Creative Leader...
'I wouldn’t have imagined that with a piece of paper, a pencil and a little bit of your time and effort, you can really make a difference in someone else’s life!' - Georgina Flores and Lorena Mier y T...
Why would a diplomat throw in his career and give up a prestigious job to do something completely different? Find out what made Harmen van Dijk leave the Dutch diplomatic service to pursue a new dream...
Two years ago, Maria del Pilar went out dancing with one of her friends, Laura, who was ‘the funniest person’ she knew. Two weeks later, Laura committed suicide. Maria couldn’t understand how such a y...
'I realized that I could make a difference in the world.’- Find out how Maria set up a library in a remote community in Colombia to fight illiteracy and help children write stories which transmit thei...
The Creative Leadership conference took participants on a six-day journey of personal inquiry to discover what creative leadership is and what kind of leaders they are. More than 120 passionate change...
24 February 2022 marks a day that many of us will not forget and divided the lives of many into ‘before’ and ‘after’. Since then, millions of displaced people have left their homes in Ukraine in search of a safe space.
Initiatives of Change Switzerland felt compelled to respond to the need and decided to offer accommodation and support at their centre in Caux. The Caux Refuge was born.
The Caux Palace has a long tradition of providing a safe space for people from conflict areas. It acted as a refugee centre during WWII, before Initiatives of Change bought the building with the purpose of restoring trust between people in post-war Europe.
The Caux Refuge was located in the Villa Maria next to the Caux Palace. Alina and her mother Liudmyla were the first Ukrainians welcomed at the Caux Refuge on 23 March 2022. ‘I am so thankful to all the members of the wonderful IofC and Caux community, who brought all the essentials – healthcare items, medicine, clothes and food, all with great generosity.’ Alina told Ukrainian journalist Anastasia Slyvinska.
Anastasia and her husband also found refuge in Caux and while she was there, Anastasia supported the Foundation’s communications department, giving her fellow Ukrainians in Caux a voice through a series of interviews.
The Caux Refuge quickly started filling up. Thirty-five Ukrainians, including eight families with children, stayed at the Villa Maria during the year. Some had a direct connection with IofC, others were sent by family members who had been to Caux or were part of the IofC- inspired Foundations for Freedom (F4F) network. For some, Caux was only a place to pause, gather strength and then move on. Others stayed the entire year.
They included people from all walks of life – a politician and his family, a teacher and her daughter, a nurse.
The children quickly integrated into local life. ‘The school here is fantastic. They organized a special class with five boys, a teacher and a translator’, said Anatolii, father of three teenage boys.
IofC Switzerland’s liaison officers, Ekaterina and Marina, helped the Caux Refuge residents enrol in French lessons (‘Language is crucial’, says Oksana), apply for internships and training, discover the social welfare system in Switzerland, explore Swiss culture and customs and and gain in autonomy.
Since that fatal day in February 2022, a year has gone by and the Ukrainians of the Caux Refuge have moved on. All but one have left the Villa Maria. Many have decided to stay in Switzerland and close to Caux.
This last year hasn’t been easy. But the Ukrainians of the Caux Refuge are now ready for their next steps.
We wish them all the very best for this next chapter in their life and are grateful that we were able to help and offer them a safe space in these difficult times.
So many have helped and supported us over this past year and we are grateful to each one of you. This list is by no means complete but we would like to name some of those who have been particularly involved in making the Caux Refuge a success:
A special thanks goes to all those who have responded to our call for donations and supported the Caux Refuge financially!
Without you, this year would not have been possible! THANK YOU!
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Everything is forever changing. Nothing is permanent. Nothing can last forever. If the curve has gone down so drastically it means, at some point it is bound to go upwards again! Of this I am absolutely convinced and I have trust.
Oksana, Caux Refuge
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Eliane Stallybrass lives in Caux and has supported the Caux Refuge with French lessons, an open ear, friendship, advice and practical help. Looking back on the past year she writes:
A year has gone by since the first Ukrainians arrived in Caux. Their time in Caux has enabled them to gain a foothold in Switzerland, to find security and to prepare themselves for their next steps which are still so uncertain.
They are taking French classes and the EVAM, the institution that looks after refugees in this canton in Switzerland, has allocated them a small sum of money so that they can settle ‘at home’ with their own lease. They have all found a flat and some of them are housed in the rectory of the Protestant Church in Montreux where 11 people, including families with children, are now free from the worry of finding somewhere to live. Their move to Montreux took place on 1 March. A local hotel school donated desks and tables, an organization offered beds and mattresses, and IofC Switzerland is happy to see chairs and tables, received 60 years ago for the Caux Palace dining room, finding a new life. There are also dishes, towels, sheets and duvets that have finally come out of the cupboards where they have been sleeping for years.
Several of the Ukrainians have become close friends. We celebrated Liuba’s 70th together and the oldest Caux Refuge resident, Anna, has an incredible gift for making friends. Everyone knows and loves her in Caux and even though she hasn't managed to learn more than ‘Hello, how are you?’ she will have coffee at everyone's house.
We will miss their smiles and their ‘Bonjour, ça va?’ here in Caux.
By Ulrike Ott Chanu and Eliane Stallybrass
Ekaterina Gross has been working as a liaison officer at the Caux Refuge project since April 2022. Here she reflects on her mission of supporting the Caux Refuge residents in their new life in Switzer...
Maria Raffin is originally from Moldova, but has been living in Switzerland for 17 years, two of which in the village of Caux. A neighbour to the Caux Palace, she very quickly stepped in to support th...
As the war in Ukraine has been raging for 3 months, Oksana Stelmakh, a nurse from Kharkiv, reflects on how the situation has impacted her family, now scattered over 3 different countries. Since her ar...
Before the war in Ukraine broke out, Nadia Donos enjoyed her dream job as a Ukrainian language and literature teacher. Now based at the Caux Refuge, Nadia continues to teach children in Ukraine full-t...
For more than a week Anatolii, Tetiana, and their three sons lived without electricity, heating or water in freezing temperatures in the village of Horenka near Kyiv. After a long journey through Ukra...
Discover the first in a series of interviews by Ukrainian journalist Anastasia Slyvinska with people affected by the war who have found temporary shelter at our conference centre in Caux....
In response to the war in Eastern Europe, Initiatives of Change Switzerland have decided to provide space for up to 30 people in Villa Maria (next to the Caux Palace). Find out how you can help!...
We strongly condemn the current unilateral military attacks in Ukraine that are costing and destroying lives and violate international law at the moment. We stand in solidarity with all those wanting ...
When you own a unique historic building like the Caux Palace with its 225 rooms, 1,600 windows and 1.6 kilometres of corridors, reaching carbon neutrality by 2050 seems a Herculean task. But each step on the way is important. Over the last years IofC Switzerland has worked continuously on improving the ecological sustainability of its flagship building.
In its current edition, the top real estate magazine in French-speaking Switzerland, immobilier.ch, showcases the Caux Palace as one of five positive examples of how historic buildings can be preserved and renovated, while improving ecological sustainability.
Read the full article featuring the Caux Palace (in French)
Restoring historic buildings keeps local history alive and anchors them in their communities. This is certainly true of the Caux Palace. Its prominent position high above Lake Geneva and its long and rich history attracts tourists and visitors.
Restoration is also a step towards ecological sustainability because it maximizes the use of existing materials and reduces waste and consumption.
Sustainable living is part of IofC Switzerland’s mission, as is preserving the Caux Palace. The renovation of the Caux Palace has been carried out gently and subtly to preserve its heritage. This work has included:
But the biggest milestone on the Foundation’s road to sustainability has probably been the replacement of the Caux Palace’s oil-fired heating system with a wood-fired one, fed 80% with forestry chips and 20% with oil. The wood comes from the region, thereby reducing CO2 emissions from transport and supporting the local economy.
Setting up the new system in the confined space of the Caux Palace’s basement was not an easy task. The project began in July 2015 and the system was inaugurated in October 2016. It saves about 600 tons of fossil-fuel-based CO2 every year.
We are pleased and grateful that our efforts to maintain and restore the Caux Palace have been recognized in the region. The Foundation will continue to ensure the preservation and sustainability of this unique place.
Read more:
By Ulrike Ott Chanu / Photo top: Paula Mariane
When the first Ukrainians arrived at the Caux Refuge, Eliane and Andrew Stallybrass were amongst the first volunteers to welcome them at the Villa Maria and to offer their support. Eliane knew that le...
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We are happy to present our Annual Report 2021, covering all of last year's activities and the celebrations of 75 Years of Encounters!...
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Christine Beerli will step down as President of the Foundation of Initiatives of Change Switzerland in April 2022, after four years in the role. Jacqueline Coté, former Director of Public Relations at...
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Germany was in ruins. Europe was in ruins. Millions had been killed; millions more wounded and displaced. There were also ruins of the mind, deep collective trauma in desperate need of healing. In the...
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"Deep down inside, I blamed the rich, I held them responsible for so many people’s unhappiness. I couldn’t accept that some could have everything they wanted without having to lift a little finger, wh...
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We are committed to inspire, equip and connect you to support you on your journey from personal to global change. But we need your help to see how we can do this best!...
Usually, Swiss National Day on 1 August is an opportunity for Caux Forum participants to discover some Swiss traditions, including cheese fondue. This year, it looked like the Caux Palace would be emp...
Creative Leadership aims to be an inclusive space where diverse participants from around the globe can come together and reconceptualize leadership. The 2022 conference took people on a journey of personal and collective growth, using arts, story-sharing, workshops and dialogue groups. These tools helped participants unlock their own leadership potential.
Creative Leadership 2022 guided its participants on a six-day journey from healing to action. The conference took place online from 23 to 29 July – with a break day in between – and brought together around 194 participants in 54 countries to engage in meaningful dialogue, listen to inspirational stories from like-minded changemakers, and gain tools from experienced speakers. At the heart of it all, the Creative Leadership conference offered space for inner reflection and network building.
The theme of Living your Possibilities: From Healing to Action was a response to global events, in times of uncertainty and rapid change. To take action and create change, we must begin by reconnecting with our inner voice and finding our own healing process. The conference was based on the idea that healing is a continuous process that requires conscious effort and deliberate action in our day-to-day lives.
Now more than ever, conscious leadership and collective action are required. This was an opportunity to empower global voices to come together to find hope and healing for themselves and their communities.
The inspiration for the Creative Leadership conference came from more than 250 young changemakers of 98 nationalities who have taken part in the Caux Peace and Leadership Programme (CPLP).
The conference was organized by an international team of 10, supported by 16 facilitators and six others, as well as the Caux Peace and Leadership Programme team, the Caux Forum team and the IofC Switzerland team.
We began each day with time for individual reflection and growth. Activities then focused on fostering a culture of solidarity and collective healing through compassion, awareness and overcoming individualism. Finally, we explored creative methods to reignite participants’ energy for taking personal and collective action.
Creative Leadership uses a wide range of activities to take people on the journey through healing to action. The centrepiece is dialogue groups, which bring participants together to discuss and share their different perspectives. This places participants at the centre, rather than requiring them to be passive listeners. These encounters are deepened through the time-honoured IofC practice of quiet time, offering space and time to reflect and process. Webinars and workshops focus on issues concerning the participants, with speakers sharing their own experiences. Workshops are more interactive. with more time for questions and answers. In the human library people share highly moving personal stories, as a bridge to understanding. Finally, tea time offers a chance to chat informally and get to know other conference participants.
The dialogue groups focused on exploring a four-part journey, taking people from healing the wounds of the past, personal or collective, and moving towards taking action in the future to prevent further suffering. This involved engaging with the inner journey and then taking outward into daily life. On the first day participants were divided into small facilitated discussion groups, which they stayed with for all four sessions.
Journey of conscious healing – The first dialogue group focused on creating the space for the journey of conscious healing.
Culture of solidarity – The second dialogue group allowed participants to engage with the connection between solidarity and healing, and discuss how to create a sense of healing.
Igniting action – The third dialogue group focused on story-telling and on using imagination and experiences to ignite action through healing and solidarity.
Reflection – The final dialogue group offered the chance to reflect on previous discussions and set future intentions.
The facilitators of each group had the freedom to shape their group according to their own facilitation style. This meant that every group tailored its own unique space and built its own special connection of trust.
Culture of Solidarity - 25 July 2022
Solidarity is the bridge between the possibility of healing and the step towards action and justice. Most healing processes can't be addressed alone, a culture of solidarity is therefore needed.
During this session we began to see solidarity as essential to our individual and collective healing processes and as an indispensable element in enabling us to move towards global action in the search for justice.
Find out more about the webinar and the speaker
Going to the Root - 28 July 2022
This webinar focused on the human journey of going to the root. Regardless of the social, political, environmental or economic issue, going to the root means discovering the deeper layers of beingness where real, meaningful and sustainable change can manifest.
We explored three interrelated topics: Indigenous prophecies and spiritual leadership, children and intergenerational collaboration and, lastly, art as a vector for social healing.
The aim was to support changemakers in returning to their spiritual homes and seeing action through the lenses of social healing and personal healing.
After celebrating our webinar, a seven-month period of community building was launched, as a partnership between the Creative Leadership & School of Conscious Politics team. The main reference was to the seven steps of the Spiritual Politics model:
Find out more and discover the speakers
The Human Library sessions were a space for story-sharing. Participants and speakers connected and grew through listening to different experiences.
Sunday 25 July - Journey of Conscious Healing
Wednesday 27 July - Cultivating a Culture of Solidarity
Quiet time is a core practice of Initiatives of Change, and one of the best ways to introspect, connect with one’s inner self and others. For this reason, this year’s Creative Leadership conference offered a collective quiet time at the beginning of every day, in order to use inner listening and reflection as a core tool in moving from healing to action.
During this 30 minutes, participants had the chance to explore different ways of practising inner reflection, ranging from open reflections (through songs or texts) to guided questions related to each day’s theme. The sessions included room for general sharing.
Each quiet time facilitator brought their own definition and experience along with their practice. Participants were encouraged to take what they adopted into their day to day lives.
At the end of each day, participants were offered an informal optional space where they could meet webinar and human library speakers in smaller groups. Other breakout rooms included a culture sharing space, international music jam sessions, art sessions and an unfacilitated space where participants could meet each other.
Tea times were ranked the second most successful sessions in the conference, with dialogue groups taking the lead. These spaces, where people could participate actively and listen to one another, helped forge lasting and meaningful connections.
The closing ceremony began with music provided by the Trio Rigudon, a father-son band composed of Bennet on the violin, Raphael on the cello and Clement on the double bass, playing everything from oriental to jazz.
Participants were given the chance to share what had affected them most deeply from the dialogue groups, before finishing with a celebration of our backgrounds, with participants speaking about their countries and culture.
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We blossomed from silence to relevant deep sharing. We felt a safe space where we trusted each other with deep things, and laughter and love.
Charles Aquilina
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We all came in as individuals acknowledging that we needed to acknowledge pain and accept and embrace healing. From there we were all walking on this journey and held each others’ hands. The culture of solidarity came to the forefront when we walked together through haze not knowing what is beyond.
Arpan
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We started as a group and ended as a family of diversity.
Fahim Mayar
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Conscious healing plus unconscious healing equals optimal healing.
Swee Lin
How can singing make a difference in people's lives? Pioneering Egyptian musician Dalia Younis was a guest speaker at the Creative Leadership conference in 2022 where she talked about how she uses sin...
Afghan soccer player and women’s rights advocate Kawser Amine doesn’t believe in giving up. On International Women's Day 2023 she talks about her remarkable journey and her fight for every woman to be...
Arpan Yagnik, a participant of last year's Creative Leadership conference and team member of the IofC Hub 2021, talks to Mary Lean about creativity, fear and vocation. ...
How can we face times of uncertainty as individuals and as an organization? Anas Badawi from Y-Peer was one of four young leaders who presented their perspective on overcoming fear and responding to s...
2021’s Creative Leadership conference took participants on a six-day journey ‘From Uncertainty to Possibility’. Between 25 to 31 July around 150 online participants living in over 50 countries engaged...
'I have never been to Caux, because of visa issues. So when I received an email asking about the impact of the conference, I wrote as part of my reply, ‘Thank you for bringing Caux to us’. - Betty Nab...
'The conference showed me how much I really love to socialize with people. The members of our dialogue group asked me questions I never been asked before. This made me think about lots of things, in n...
Manuela Garay from Canada was part of the Caux Peace and Leadership Programme in 2017 and reflects on the impact her participation has had on her and her perspective on life and other people ever sin...
'This extraordinary conference has changed me to be more ambitious, intellectually honest and more consistent', said Hani Abou Fadel from Lebanon after his participation at last year's Creative Leader...
'I wouldn’t have imagined that with a piece of paper, a pencil and a little bit of your time and effort, you can really make a difference in someone else’s life!' - Georgina Flores and Lorena Mier y T...
Why would a diplomat throw in his career and give up a prestigious job to do something completely different? Find out what made Harmen van Dijk leave the Dutch diplomatic service to pursue a new dream...
Two years ago, Maria del Pilar went out dancing with one of her friends, Laura, who was ‘the funniest person’ she knew. Two weeks later, Laura committed suicide. Maria couldn’t understand how such a y...
'I realized that I could make a difference in the world.’- Find out how Maria set up a library in a remote community in Colombia to fight illiteracy and help children write stories which transmit thei...
The Creative Leadership conference took participants on a six-day journey of personal inquiry to discover what creative leadership is and what kind of leaders they are. More than 120 passionate change...
It is with pleasure that we announce the appointment of Ignacio Packer as Executive Director of the Initiatives of Change Switzerland Foundation, starting 1 May 2023.
Ignacio Packer is currently the Executive Director of ICVA, bringing with him more than 30 years of experience in the fields of development cooperation, human rights and humanitarian assistance. He served a five-year term as Secretary General of the Terre des Hommes International Federation, and previously worked for the Terre des Hommes Foundation, the Swiss Tropical Institute, the European Association for Development and Health, Médecins Sans Frontières, KPMG and the European Bank for Latin America. He has been involved in various Initiatives of Change activities, primarily in Caux, and has passion and vision for the future.
‘On behalf of the Council I am delighted to welcome Ignacio as our next Executive Director,’ says Jacqueline Coté, President of IofC Switzerland. ‘He possesses the essential values-based leadership skills that are needed to steer the Foundation in its next phase of development, as well as an international network built over several decades that will greatly support our new strategy. Both of these elements will ensure the sustainability of our Foundation and its unique contribution both to the Initiatives of Change movement and our partners.’
Ignacio says of this new opportunity: ‘I am grateful for what I have experienced with my colleagues in leading the ICVA network. I am deeply honoured by the trust the board of IofC Switzerland has placed in me. I have a high degree of confidence in the strengths of IofC and its dedicated team. I am excited to contribute with IofC to building trust across the world’s divides, leading ethically and living sustainably.’
The Opening Ceremony of the Caux Forum 2023 titled "Strengthening Democracy: The Journey from Trauma to Trust" sets the stage for two important conferences: Healing the Wounds of the Past, which runs from 17 - 22 July, and Trust and Integrity in Democracy, which takes place from 24 - 26 July 2023.
In a world witnessing a rise in conflicts that threaten our democratic values, our speakers will share their insights on confronting the past, address the key challenges facing community trustbuilding and offer their vision on where we can find hope for a stronger democratic future. It will offer inspiration for us to take action by standing against extremes, promoting dialogue and fostering respect whilst working for a more just, peaceful and sustainable world, one step at a time.
We are delighted to welcome you back to Caux both in person and online. This Opening Ceremony sets the tone for the Caux Forum 2023, which will provide a unique opportunity to discuss, share and discover global issues in a multicultural and diverse setting.
Gerald Pillay, President of Initiatives of Change International and Jacqueline Coté, President of Caux - Initiatives of Change, will open the event with a short welcome address.
We are honored to have a distinguished panel of speakers who are dedicated to human rights, peace building and conflict prevention.
Rea Gehring, Minister and Deputy Head of the Peace and Human Rights Division at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, will provide a welcome address, giving the FDFA's perspective on the role Switzerland has played and continues to play in strengthening democracy and supporting individual and national journeys from trauma to trust.
Our keynote speaker is Elena Zhemkova, the Co-founder and Executive Director of Memorial, a human rights organization that was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022 along with Ales Bialiatski, a pro-democracy activist from Belarus, and the Ukrainian human rights organization Centre for Civil Liberties. Ms Zhemkova will talk about honesty as a tool for healing historical wounds, her experience of how that works and the challenges it represents.
Following her speech, Ms. Zhemkova will join a panel discussion with two other important figures in the field of conflict prevention and reconciliation: Corinne Momal-Vanian, the Executive Director of the Kofi Annan Foundation, and Mô Bleeker, Independent Advisor and Former Special Envoy for Peace and Prevention of Atrocities for the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.
The panel will be moderated by Ignacio Packer, Executive Director at Caux - Initiatives of Change, ensuring that the discussion is insightful and thought-provoking. After a short musical performance by Norwegian musician Sveinung Nygaard, there will be a Q&A session open to participants.
ELENA ZHEMKOVA - Executive Director of Memorial (Keynote)
CORINNE MOMAL-VANIAN - Executive Director of the Kofi Annan Foundation
Corinne Momal-Vanian is the Executive Director of the Foundation. Previously, she worked in various senior positions and a variety of countries for the United Nations, most recently as Director of Conference Management at the United Nations Office at Geneva (2015-2020) and Director of Information (2010-2015).
Ms. Momal-Vanian served as Special Assistant to Kofi Annan in 2005 and 2006, traveling with him to some 20 countries as he worked to resolve crises, defuse tensions, highlight the plight of communities and individuals suffering from discrimination and abuses, build international cooperation and strengthen support for development and justice. She worked for a total of six years in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, after serving in two regional economic and social commissions of the United Nations.
Passionate about justice, gender equality, inclusion, innovation and learning, Ms. Momal-Vanian chaired the Steering Group of the International Gender Champions from 2016 to 2019 and was a co-organiser of the three editions of TEDxPlaceDesNations.
A French citizen, she holds a master’s degree in business administration from HEC Graduate School of Management, Paris, an advanced degree in international relations from the Institut Etudes Politiques (Sciences Po) – Paris and an Executive Certificate in Management and Leadership from the MIT Sloan School of Management.
Mô Bleeker served as a member of the Swiss Foreign Ministry from 2003 to February 2022. During her tenure, she held several key positions such as Special Envoy for Dealing with the Past and Prevention of Atrocities, Special Envoy for Peace in Colombia, Chair of the Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission for the Bangsamoro Peace Agreement-Philippines, and Co-founder and Chair of the multilateral prevention platform Global Alliance Against Atrocity Crimes (GAAMAC). She has been actively involved in mediation, negotiation, dealing with the past/transitional justice, prevention, reconciliation, conflict transformation, promotion of human rights, and the rule of law in various contexts including Central and Latin America, Balkans, South and North Caucasus, Central Asia, South-Eastern Asia, several African countries, Middle East, and North Africa. Mô Bleeker has studied anthropology, religious sciences, journalism, social communication, and development.
Rea Gehring is currently Deputy Head of the Peace and Human Rights Division (PHRD) at the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Previously, she was Deputy Head of Mission at the Swiss Embassy in Dakar from 2017 to 2021, with responsibility for Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Cabo Verde. Rea Gehring studied in Switzerland and Australia. She holds a Master in Law from the University of Lausanne (2001), where she first studied Forensic Science, and a Master in Strategy and Defence (National University of Australia, 2005). She is currently furthering her studies with an MBA at the Institute for Communication and Leadership (IKF Lucerne). After completing her law degree, she worked for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for three years as a delegate and later team leader in Israel, the West Bank, Iraq, Kuwait and Jordan before joining the Federal Department of Defence (DDPS) in 2005. In 2012, she joined the Swiss diplomatic service and initially completed assignments in Bern and Singapore. From 2013 to 2017, she worked at the FDFA's Crisis Management Centre, including as head of an interdepartmental operational task force for handling kidnapping cases. Rea Gehring has three children.
IGNACIO PACKER - Executive Director Caux - Initiatives of Change
Ignacio Packer has been Executive Director of the Caux - Initiatives of Change Foundation since 1 May 2023. Prior to this, he served as Executive Director of ICVA, the global consortium of humanitarian NGOs. Ignacio has over 30 years of experience in humanitarian work and development issues. He served a five-year term as Secretary General of the Terre des Hommes International Federation, and previously worked for the Terre des Hommes Foundation, the Swiss Tropical Institute, the European Association for Development and Health, Medecins Sans Frontieres, KPMG and the European Bank for Latin America. Ignacio is an expert on human rights and social issues and has been strongly engaged in global advocacy on protection frameworks for migrant and refugees with a particular focus on children and youth.
GERALD PILLAY - President Initiatives of Change International
Gerald Pillay has been president of IofC International since January 2022 and has served in senior leadership roles in South Africa, New Zealand, the USA, and England. Appointed Rector of Liverpool Hope University College in 2003, he became Liverpool Hope University’s first Vice-Chancellor in 2005 when the institution was given full University status. In 2021, he appeared in the Queens’s Birthday Honours list when he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for ‘services to Higher Education'. Gerald Pillay earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Rhodes University, a Doctor of Theology degree from the University of Durban and holds dual citizenship of the UK and New Zealand.
JACQUELINE COTÉ - President Caux - Initiatives of Change
Jacqueline Coté was the Director of Public Relations and previously Head of Communications at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva from 2009 to 2021. Prior to that she served as the Permanent Representative to the UN of the International Chamber of Commerce and was Senior Advisor Advocacy & Partnerships to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. In the early part of her career, Ms Coté practiced as an international lawyer in Canada and Switzerland and held management positions with multinational companies SGS and DuPont. She has been president of Caux - Initiatives of Change since April 2022.
SVEINUNG NYGAARD - Artist, Composer and Musician
Sveinung Nygaard is from Norway and works as a professional composer, based in Gothenburg. He holds an MA in Audio Production from the University of Westminster and composes music for TV series, film and documentaries, among others the documentary The Lost Leonardo (Denmark) and the TV series Freej (Dubai). He also has his own musical project called FLYT which combines musicians from different cultures. Before the war in Ukraine, he travelled across Ukraine and recorded music there. He is the founder of the micro-festival TRACKS, seeking to bring Ukrainian and European artists together, and he is also behind the initiative Bards for Climate.
Daily Visitor Rate
Full Package (including Accommodation)
All participant rates include:
Caux, high above Montreux overlooking Lake Geneva, is the location of Initiatives of Change Switzerland's conference centre, the Caux Palace. Initiatives of Change Switzerland is hosting the Caux Forum in cooperation with Initiatives of Change International.
Photo Caux Palace: Adrien Giovannelli
Amid escalating conflicts worldwide, the arts emerge as a potent force to challenge misconceptions and foster positive perspectives. The pivotal role of artists in creatively raising awareness has nev...
On 25 - 28 January, some 60 CEOs and other senior staff came together under Chatham House Rules to share personal experiences on how to balance a sustainable business with integrity and trust. Executi...
Save the date for the Caux Forum 2024! This summer Caux Initiatives of Change, in partnership with Initiatives of Change International and supported by other civil society networks, UN agencies, phila...
The Caux Forum 2023 Opening Ceremony set the tone for the conference with the theme, ‘Strengthening Democracy: The Journey from Trauma to Trust.’. Discover the report and relive the highlights of this...
In a world filled with diverse cultures and languages, the journey of musician Tsvetana Petrushina is an inspiring tale of how she discovered her purpose. Her remarkable story led her to the Caux Pala...
We are excited to announce the Caux Forum will be back in Caux next summer! Find out more and save the date! ...
Arpan Yagnik, a participant of last year's Creative Leadership conference and team member of the IofC Hub 2021, talks to Mary Lean about creativity, fear and vocation. ...
When Indonesian law student Agustina Zahrotul Jannah discovered the Young Ambassadors Programme (YAP) on Google she felt both excited and hopeless: excited because she hoped it might give her the skil...
How did Sofia Syodorenko become involved in the zero waste movement, and what does it mean to her? Now Chair of Foundations for Freedom, she is also a representative of the Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine...
The second in Tools for Changemakers’ series of Stories for Changemakers took place on 25 August 2021, with an interview with Patrick Magee, who planted a bomb at the Grand Hotel, Brighton, in 1984, w...
The Summer Academy on Climate, Land and Security 2021 brought together 29 participants from 20 countries. From Egypt and Senegal to the United States and Thailand, zoom windows opened for six hours ev...
The Caux Dialogue on Environment and Security (CDES) 2021 ran online from 20 July until 30 July, for the second consecutive year, comprising three open plenaries and seven workshops. This year’s discu...
2021’s Creative Leadership conference took participants on a six-day journey ‘From Uncertainty to Possibility’. Between 25 to 31 July around 150 online participants living in over 50 countries engaged...
In the context of their partnership, Initiatives of Change Switzerland (IofC) and the Peace and Human Rights division of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs organised a webinar on the them...
‘I am super happy to have been part of the Learning to be a Peacemaker course – we learned the true colours of Islam!’ wrote 18-year-old high-school graduate Nma Dahir, from Erbil, capital of the Kurd...
In countries across the world operating diverse forms of governance, including those adopting democratic principles, there seems to be increasing evidence of a decline in the trustworthiness and integrity of those holding official roles.
Pressures associated with current global challenges, such as the Covid pandemic, seem to be accelerating and exacerbating this decline.
Trustworthiness, tolerance, and transparency are key to supporting the revival of good governance and integrity in public life. These are easy to advocate but so much harder to personally embrace and embody in practice, in social and institutional settings.
Participants are asked to arrive from 2.00pm on Sunday 23 July in time for the introductory session after dinner. The forum will end at 6.30pm on Wednesday 26 July.
Democracy thrives through people who work for integrity and inclusivity, who resolve conflict, who build trust across sectors and at all levels of society.
This forum is for those who want to discover how to help their countries respond effectively to internal and global challenges.
How can we see a resurgence of trust in our political systems? And what can ordinary citizens do to reverse this trend and strengthen democracy in their respective countries?
This forum will provide a stretching yet compassionate community context in which individual introspection and collective inquiry can support radical dialogue and mutual contextual learning.
It will create a supportive, compassionate context in which participants can engage in courageous, honest conversation – paving the way for re-establishing trustworthiness, tolerance and transparency.
HADIZATOU YACOUBA OUSSEINI (NIGER)
Minister for Mines, Government of Niger
Hadizatou Yacouba Ousseini is a Nigerian politician. From 2013, she is deputy chief of staff, with the rank of minister. Since April 2021, she has been Minister of Mines in the Niger government. She holds a master's degree in business administration (MBA), and a master's degree in project management (MGP) from the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM). She also got a diploma of Human Resources Management at International Institute of Public Administration (IIAP) Paris – France: 1984-1985. She has an extensive experience in coordination and management of multicultural and multidisciplinary teams, like Analysis, planning and management of gender-sensitive projects - Strategic planning – Organizational and institutional development - Management of financial, administrative and human resources - Strategic partnership development and resource mobilization. She is the Regional Representative and Programme Director for the Great Lakes Region, among many other participations in NGOs. She is also in charge of the coordination of the governance, rural development and gender component and is listed as a national gender expert and contributed to the book “Involvement of women in politics in Niger (1996).
YUKIHISA FUJITA (JAPAN)
Former Vice-Minister of Finance and former Member of Upper and Lower Houses of the Japanese Diet (Parliament)
Yukihisa Fujita is the Former Vice Minister of Finance and Former Member of both the Upper House and the Lower House of the Japanese Diet (Parliament).
DECLAN O'BRIEN (IRELAND)
Head of Elections and Democracy Programme (EDP), Kofi Annan Foundation
IMAD KARAM (PALESTINE / UK) - MODERATOR
Executive Director Initiatives of Change International
Imad Karam grew up in Gaza and studied English at university in Gaza; then worked as an English language editor for a daily newsletter. He won a scholarship to do postgraduate studies in media and communications in London. While working with Initiatives of Change in the UK, Imad was a director of the film department where he displayed a flair for creative management and cross-cultural development. In 2010 he joined the management team with responsibility for communications and international relations. In 2015, Imad was appointed as Executive Director of IofC International. Imad brings spiritual depth, leadership, and management skills as well as deep understanding of the working culture, history and heritage of IofC. Imad is also an accomplished film maker. His most recent work are the award winning documentaries Beyond Forgiving, and The Man Who Build Peace.
WOLFGANG JAMANN (GERMANY)
Executive Director of the International Civil Society Centre, Berlin
Dr. Wolfgang Jamann is the Executive Director at the International Civil Society Centre in Berlin. He has been working in the field of development cooperation and humanitarian assistance for most of his professional life. He has led various strategic partnerships to promote collective approaches toward large ambitions under the Sustainable Development Goals.
BISHOP MATTHEW HASSAN KUKAH (NIGERIA)
Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Nigeria
Bishop Kukah was born on August 31, 1952 in Anchuna, Ikulu Chiefdom in Zangon Kataf local government area of Kaduna State. Kukah received his primary education at St. Fidelis Primary School, Zagom, then St. Joseph Minor Seminary, Zaria, before proceeding to St. Augustine Major Seminary Jos, Plateau State, where he studied Philosophy and Theology. Kukah was ordained a Catholic Priest on December 19, 1976. Bishop M H Kukah also attended the University of Ibadan, where he obtained a diploma in Religious Studies. Kukah also received the Bachelor of Divinity at the Pontifical Urban University, Rome in 1976, followed by a Master’s degree in Peace Studies, at the University of Bradford, United Kingdom in 1980. Kukah's academic pursuits culminated with a PhD from University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in 1990. Between 1999 and 2001 he served as a member of the Nigerian Investigation Commission of Human Rights Violations. In addition to his work as a parish priest of Saint Andrews's parish in Kakuri, Kaduna from 2004 until his nomination as bishop, he was secretary of the National Political Reform Conference (2005) and from 2005 onwards he has been serving as the chairman of the Ogoni-Shell Reconciliation. Additionally, between 2007 and 2009 he worked also in the committee for electoral reform set up by the Nigerian government.
Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah is the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Nigeria.
FRANZISKA HEINE (GERMANY)
Executive Director, Wikimedia Deutschland e.V.
Franziska Heine is the Executive Director of Wikimedia Deutschland, the organization that builds and maintains the software powering the Wikipedias of the world and Wikidata the Linked Open Data knowledge base. She was born in Schwerin, and before joining the non-profit as Head of the Software division in 2017 she learned what it takes to create successful software products by working for eBay and developing digital products for Nokia, Microsoft and HERE Technologies. Her involvement in the successful opposition of the regulation to censor online content in 2009 by the German Government taught her a lot about the power of volunteer communities and activists which influences how she looks at technology till this day.
ARPAN YAGNIK (USA) - MODERATOR
Associate Professor of Advertising at Penn State University
Dr. Arpan Yagnik, Associate Professor of Advertising, Communication at Penn State University, is a Creative Aerobics Expert. Creative Aerobics is a 21st century radical, and fun ideation strategy for generating ideas and creative solutions in quick succession. He is a TEDx speaker, and the coordinator of the Centre for Creativity Enhancement. He has published several articles and books on creativity. In his research, he also deals with the theme of fear, and its links with creativity.
BREON WELLS (USA)
Policy advisor and social impact strategist, USA
Breon Wells is a policy advisor and social impact strategist. He has worked for educating and legislation to prepare the populace for misinformation and disinformation eroding trust in public policy. He has previously been a US congressional Aide, including on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
TOM BRAKE (UNITED KINGDOM)
Director of Unlock Democracy and former Member of Parliament, UK
Tom Brake is a former Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom. He is presently the director of Unlock Democracy, which is a not-for-profit organisation campaigning for a democratic society that ensures equality and justice for all.
ADAM NOSAL (UNITED KINGDOM)
Entrepreneur and Business Development Lead at Know You More Ltd
Adam Nosal works on the intersection between consciousness, technology and democracy. He has contributed to various projects such as Democracy Earth foundation, Digital Peace Talks and The Centre for Humane Technology. He is currently focused on the introduction of artificial intelligence and its relationship to consciousness and democracy.
LOUIE GARDINER (UNITED KINGDOM) - MODERATOR
Creator of the P6 Constellation
Louie Gardiner is the creator of the P6 Constellation – the framework that enables people to access the praxis of Presence in Action. This powerful approach equips people to engage in deep personal change, transforming their relationships with themselves, others and the wider world. She is a Director of Presence In Action (PIA) Collective CIC and Potent 6 in which she is the Lead PIA Practitioner & Learning Partner; Change Consultant & Trainer-Facilitator. She has been serving within Initiatives of Change since 2010 and initiated the REAL Change programme in 2015 in the UK in response to emerging needs within and beyond the fellowship.
MICHAEL MØLLER (DENMARK)
Former Director-General of the UN in Geneva
Michael Møller is a Danish diplomat and international civil servant. He is Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) from November 2013 to May 2019. He was executive director of the Kofi Annan Foundation from 2008 to 2011 and joined the foundation's board in July 2019. Michael Møller chairs the diplomatic forum of the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator Foundation. He is also a senior adviser at Macro Advisory Partners and a member of the boards of several foundations.
SAM RAINSY (CAMBODIA)
Cambodian activist, economist and politician
Sam Rainsy born in 1949, is a Cambodian activist, economist and politician who most recently served as the Leader of the Opposition. He is now the interim leader of the Cambodia National Rescue Party due to the continued ban on political activity by the party's leader, Kem Sokha.
Sam Rainsy went into exile on February 3, 2005, citing fear of arrest, after a vote in the National Assembly. In 2019, Rainsy announced he would return to Cambodia on Independence Day, but was blocked following the Cambodian government's intervention with airlines and with Thailand, where he would have transited.
DR NIRMALA PILLAY (UNITED KINGDOM)
Reader and Postgraduate Course Director Academic
ALLAN-CHARLES CHIPMAN - MODERATOR
Executive Director Initiatives of Change USA
HELIA BEN YOUSSEF (TUNISIA)
Vice-President of Socialist International Women, Vice-President FDTL, Tunisia
Born in Tunisia in a militant family, Hella Ben Youssef moved to France to pursue her university studies and obtained a diploma from the University of Bordeaux-IV2. Active in civil society for fifteen years, Hella Ben Youssef became involved in politics after the 2011 revolution and joined the Ettakatol political party. She participated in the constituent elections of 2011, the legislative elections of 2014 and those of 2019 on the list of Ettakatol for the first constituency of France. On September 10, 2017, during the 3rd Ettakatol congress, she was elected vice-president of the party. In March 2018, she was elected Vice-President of the Socialist International Women in charge of the North/South Mediterranean region. She is the first Tunisian to take up this position.
GALI NGOTHE GATTA (CHAD)
Minister and Secretary General of the Republic of Chad
Gali Ngothé Gatta got his G2 baccalaureate at the commercial technical school of N'Djamena in 1970; benefiting from a scholarship, he enrolled in France at the Preparatory of the Grandes Ecoles. Master's degree in applied economics, doctorate in mathematical economics at the University of Nanterre, he returned to the country in 1978 before the civil war. He is a Chadian economist, writer and politician. He is a deputy and spokesperson for the Coordination of Political Parties for the Defense of the Constitution (CPDC), the largest opposition coalition in Chad. Gali Ngothé Gatta serves as President of the DNIS Presidium during the Inclusive and Sovereign National Dialogue (DNIS) from August to October 2022. In October 2022, on the day of the investiture of Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno as President of the transition, he was appointed Minister of State, Secretary General to the Presidency of the Republic. As such, he announced the list of ministers of Prime Minister Saleh Kebzabo's unity government.
LISA YASKO (UKRAINE)
Member of the Ukrainian Parliament
Lisa Yasko is a member of the parliament of Ukraine (Servant of the People party), a member of Committee on Foreign affairs and Interparliamentary cooperation, the head of interparliamentary cooperation, bilateral and multilateral relations and also a member of the Ukrainian Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. She is also the founder of Yellow Blue Strategy, an NGO with a focus on making Ukraine creative, safe and sustainable. Lisa is active in cultural diplomacy and is a producer of documentary films, TV programmes and creative music performances. Occasionally she also composes and performs music.She is a political and strategic communications specialist who worked at the presidential administration of Ukraine, the Ukrainian parliament and for the British Government (Department of Culture, Digital, Media and Sports). Lisa was a Caux Scholar and Caux Artist in 2015, 2016 and co-organizer of the Caux Dialogue for Land and Security in 2018 and 2019. In parliamentary work her focus is the protection of territorial integrity and national security issues, fostering economic reforms, and to foster the de-occupation of Crimea and Donbass. Lisa advocates for the Ukrainian Recovery NOW, military aid, reforms of the international organizations and the new European reality in peace without any aggressor.
DR NIRMALA PILLAY (UNITED KINGDOM) - MODERATOR
Reader and Postgraduate Course Director Academic
Download the full programme here.
Learn more about our workshops here.
Full Package
All participant rates include:
Daily Visitor Rate
The Visitor Rate applies to persons who are only attending one or certain non-consecutive days during the Forum; The rate is charged per day and does not include accommodation.
Kindly note that the Caux Forum 2023 events are now fully booked and registrations are closed. Some elements of the conference will be livestreamed. Stay tuned for the livestream links!
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Caux, high above Montreux overlooking the Lake of Geneva, is the site of the Swiss Initiatives of Change conference centre. Initiatives of Change International is hosting the Caux Forum in cooperation with Initiatives of Change Switzerland. Partners include the Global Indigenous Dialogue, Creators of Peace and IofC’s Trustbuilding Program.
Amid escalating conflicts worldwide, the arts emerge as a potent force to challenge misconceptions and foster positive perspectives. The pivotal role of artists in creatively raising awareness has nev...
On 25 - 28 January, some 60 CEOs and other senior staff came together under Chatham House Rules to share personal experiences on how to balance a sustainable business with integrity and trust. Executi...
Save the date for the Caux Forum 2024! This summer Caux Initiatives of Change, in partnership with Initiatives of Change International and supported by other civil society networks, UN agencies, phila...
The Caux Forum 2023 Opening Ceremony set the tone for the conference with the theme, ‘Strengthening Democracy: The Journey from Trauma to Trust.’. Discover the report and relive the highlights of this...
In a world filled with diverse cultures and languages, the journey of musician Tsvetana Petrushina is an inspiring tale of how she discovered her purpose. Her remarkable story led her to the Caux Pala...
We are excited to announce the Caux Forum will be back in Caux next summer! Find out more and save the date! ...
Arpan Yagnik, a participant of last year's Creative Leadership conference and team member of the IofC Hub 2021, talks to Mary Lean about creativity, fear and vocation. ...
When Indonesian law student Agustina Zahrotul Jannah discovered the Young Ambassadors Programme (YAP) on Google she felt both excited and hopeless: excited because she hoped it might give her the skil...
How did Sofia Syodorenko become involved in the zero waste movement, and what does it mean to her? Now Chair of Foundations for Freedom, she is also a representative of the Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine...
The second in Tools for Changemakers’ series of Stories for Changemakers took place on 25 August 2021, with an interview with Patrick Magee, who planted a bomb at the Grand Hotel, Brighton, in 1984, w...
The Summer Academy on Climate, Land and Security 2021 brought together 29 participants from 20 countries. From Egypt and Senegal to the United States and Thailand, zoom windows opened for six hours ev...
The Caux Dialogue on Environment and Security (CDES) 2021 ran online from 20 July until 30 July, for the second consecutive year, comprising three open plenaries and seven workshops. This year’s discu...
2021’s Creative Leadership conference took participants on a six-day journey ‘From Uncertainty to Possibility’. Between 25 to 31 July around 150 online participants living in over 50 countries engaged...
In the context of their partnership, Initiatives of Change Switzerland (IofC) and the Peace and Human Rights division of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs organised a webinar on the them...
‘I am super happy to have been part of the Learning to be a Peacemaker course – we learned the true colours of Islam!’ wrote 18-year-old high-school graduate Nma Dahir, from Erbil, capital of the Kurd...
After decades in which conflict has gradually reduced around the world, the tide has turned. Conflict is increasing.
This forum will focus on a fundamental cause of this trend: the broken relationships caused by unhealed wounds of the past – personal, national and international.
Participants are asked to arrive between 2.00pm and 6.00pm on Monday 17 July for the welcome dinner followed by the introductory session. The forum will end at 12.00 midday on Saturday 22 July.
After the Second World War, thousands of Germans and French came together at Caux and helped their countries build an entirely new relationship. Ever since, Caux forums have reached out across the world, contributing to healing in many painful situations.
Healing can come. New energy, vision and calling can emerge from each step taken to repair a relationship. Trust can grow again, and with it the cooperation needed to answer the huge environmental, economic and social challenges we face globally.
This forum will focus on the experiences of people from all continents and many cultures. It will offer an opportunity to learn from each other, and from quiet reflection amidst the beauty of Caux’s setting.
Through trainings, plenaries, workshops and dialogues, it aims to equip participants to contribute to peace and human security by fostering:
JOHN BOND (AUSTRALIA / UK)
Journalist
John Bond has worked with Initiatives of Change in 30 countries. Until recently he was the Secretary of Initiatives of Change International. From 1998 to 2006 he was the Secretary of Australia’s National Sorry Day Committee, which enlisted nearly a million Australians in campaigning for an apology to Aboriginal Australians for cruel and misguided policies. This campaign led to an apology by the whole Parliament in 2008, and new policies to end the tragic social condition of the Aboriginal community. For this he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia. He is a journalist andhas written four books. He and his wife, Mary Lean, live in Oxford, England.
THEMBI SILUNDIKA (ZIMBABWE / CANADA)
Council Member Initiatives of Change International
Cecilia (Thembi) Silundika is a Zimbabwean-born Canadian citizen. She holds Masters Degree in Chemistry and in International Relations. She has spent over 20 years in the Canadian federal public service coordinating international cooperation on Arctic issues. She is a member of the International Council of Initiatives of Change International, and played an active role in the inception of Creators of Peace, the Global Indigenous Dialogue and Women Economic Empowerment. On the Council she carries responsibility for Healing the Wounds of the Past.
FRANCOIS-XAVIER PRIOLLAUD (FRANCE)
Mayor of Louviers and Vice-President of the Normandy Region
Mayor of Louviers in Normandy, France and President delegate of the Seine-Eure community which brings together 60 municipalities, François-Xavier Priollaud is also Vice-President of the Normandy Region and a member of the European Union’s Committee of Regions. He is Chair of Normandie pour la Paix. A graduate of Sciences Po Paris with a postgraduate degree in Public Law at the Sorbonne, he has served at the Diplomatic Institute of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and was political advisor to the then Minister of Defense, Hervé Morin. A Vice-President of the European Movement – France, and co-founder of the European Book Prize awarded annually by the European Parliament, he is also the author of numerous books and articles of European law and has long taught European issues at Sciences Po and at L'École nationale d'administration.
PROFESSOR GERALD PILLAY (SOUTH AFRICA / UK)
President Initiatives of Change International
Gerald Pillay is the President of IofC International. Born in South Africa of Indian ancestry, he grew up under apartheid, and studied at the University of Durban-Westville and Rhodes University. He holds doctorates in theology and philosophical theology. After serving as Professor of Ecclesiastical History at the University of South Africa he and his wife Nirmala moved to New Zealand where he became Foundation Professor at the University of Otago. He then became the first Vice-Chancellor of Liverpool Hope University in UK. Under his leadership the University became highly regarded for its research culture, and received Gold status in the Teaching Excellence Framework. He is widely published, examining such topics as the relationship between the church and state, the complex interplay between theology and human sciences, as well as seeking to understand how religion can both move with the times yet still stay grounded in tradition and history.
LEWIS CARDINAL (CANADA)
Leader of the Global Indigenous Dialogue
Lewis Cardinal comes from the Woodland Cree people in northern Alberta, Canada. His long track record of public service includes founding Board Member of Alberta Aboriginal Arts, Co-Chair of the Aboriginal Commission for Human Rights and Justice, and Trustee of the Parliament of World Religions. He has received QE II’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for Public Service, the IndSpire Award for Public Service, the Province of Alberta’s Centennial Medal for his work in Human Rights and Diversity, the Distinguished Alumni Award from Grant MacEwan University, and an Honorary Degree of “Doctor of Sacred Letters” from the University of Alberta.
PROFESSOR SCHERTO R GILL (UK) _ MODERATOR
Director of the Global Humanity for Peace Institute
Scherto Gill is the Founding Director of the Global Humanity for Peace Institute, University of Wales Trinity St David. She coordinates the UNESCO Slave Route Project’s Collective Healing Initiative and chairs the G20 Interfaith Forum‘s Education Working Group. She is a Senior Fellow at the Guerrand-Hermès Foundation for Peace, and a Life Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts. She has been nominated for the 2022 Luxembourg Peace Award. As a Professor of Research, Scherto’s interests centre on understanding peace, collective healing, human well-being and global flourishing. She is exploring ways to advance educational innovation, collective healing, peacebuilding, and social transformation. Among her research projects has been the UNESCO Desk Review on Approaches and Practices of Collective Healing.
MONSIGNOR MICHAEL AOUN (LEBANON)
Bishop of the Maronite diocese Jbeil/Lebanon
DR EBA HATHOUT (USA)
Faculty member at Harvard Medical School
Dr Eba Hathout is a faculty member at Harvard Medical School where she practices Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes. She is the founding President of the Hassan Hathout Foundation, an educational organization spreading the philosophy of her late father, an eminent medical professor who also devoted himself to interpreting Islam to the West, developing interfaith dialogue, highlighting the sanctity of human life, medical ethics and initiatives to reverse the arms race.
VENERABLE GALKANDE DHAMMANANDA THERO (SRI LANKA)
Head of Walpola Rahula Institute for Buddhis Studies
A Sri Lankan and a monk of the Theravada Buddhist tradition, Dhammananda Thero graduated in history from the University of Kelaniya, has a Masters and MPhil from Jawaharlal Nehru University, India and is now reading for his PhD, while also lecturing. He heads the Walpola Rahula Institute for Buddhist Studies where programmes for religious leaders and lay persons aim to support social healing. He is working for social justice and an inclusive plural society, using social media to propagate nonviolence during recent interreligious and interethnic conflicts. He aims to implement the Buddha’s teaching of ‘Bahujana Hitaya’ (for the betterment of all) working across religious, ethnic and social divides to uplift society - especially with the vulnerable, marginalized and discriminated.
WADIAA KHOURY (LEBANON) - MODERATOR
Associate Professor at the Faculties of Education
Wadiaa Khoury is Associate Professor at the Faculties of Education of the Lebanese University and Université Saint-Joseph. Her doctorate examined the civic agency of educators, and her teaching and research currently focus on the Lebanese education system and citizenship education. Through her work with Initiatives of Change she has studied the education system of more than 20 countries, and observed their approaches to citizenship education. Currently, her main interest is empowering educators in Lebanon through helping them discover their agency in shaping national policy, rather than suffering the consequences the poor governance that has led the country into despair. Hence, she initiated the Teachers Agents of Social Change (TASC) initiative.
DR MARIA DE PILAR GRIFFIN (COSTA RICA)
Educational Consultant & Specialist in Conflict Resolution and Mediation
An international educational consultant and a specialist in conflict resolution and mediation, Maria de Pilar Griffin has a doctorate in pedagogical mediation and a Master's in international law with an emphasis on human rights. Coming from Costa Rica, now working in Seattle USA, she has facilitated dialogue among diverse community groups in the USA, Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia. She is active in IofC’s LatAm support team, and belongs to the leadership team that organizes the Yo Escucho/Eu escuto weekly sessions to inspire, connect and equip Latino-American communities.
PROFESSOR ALI MOUSSA IYE
Founder of AfroSpectives
Founder of AfroSpectives and formerly UNESCO Chief of Dialogue, Ali Moussa Iye holds a PhD in political science from the Institute of Political Science in Grenoble, France. Within UNESCO, he was coordinator of the Culture of Peace programme in the Horn of Africa, and in charge of the UNESCO programme against racism and discrimination. He then headed the History and Memory for Dialogue Department and directed the General History of Africa, the Slave Route and the Silk Roads programmes. He published several books on the history and cultural heritage of the peoples of the Horn of Africa.and on intercultural dialogue, and is currently pursuing research in political anthropology.
MEENA SHARMA (NEPAL)
Peace Practitioner
A Nepali peace practitioner, Meena Sharma has worked with over 200 civil society organisations. She is President of IofC Nepal, a Regional Coordinator of Creators of Peace Asia, Secretary-General of the national campaign, ‘Children as Zones of Peace’. She has worked with the UNDP as a gender expert, with the Ministry of Home Affairs implementing UN resolutions on women, peace and security, and with the National Women’s Commission on strategy development. From 2008-18 she was a Program Manager at Search for Common Ground.
PATRICK MCNAMARA (USA) - MODERATOR
Founder of Partners in Change LLC
Patrick McNamara PhD is a founder of Partners in Change LLC, a leadership coaching, strategy and conflict management firm. He has worked with more than 300 organizations in 16 countries. He has served in numerous positions at the University of Nebraska at Omaha including Senior International Officer, Director of International Studies, Director of Schwalb Center for Israel, Jewish Studies and the Middle East, Director of Sustained Dialogue Initiative, and Director of Omaha World Affairs Council. He is a member of the International Council of Initiatives of Change.
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Daily Visitors Rate
The Visitor Rate applies to persons who are only attending one or certain non-consecutive days during the Forum; The rate is charged per day and does not include accommodation.
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Caux, high above Montreux overlooking the Lake of Geneva, is the site of the Swiss Initiatives of Change conference centre. Initiatives of Change International is hosting the Caux Forum in cooperation with Initiatives of Change Switzerland. Partners include the Global Indigenous Dialogue, Creators of Peace and IofC’s Trustbuilding Program.
Amid escalating conflicts worldwide, the arts emerge as a potent force to challenge misconceptions and foster positive perspectives. The pivotal role of artists in creatively raising awareness has nev...
On 25 - 28 January, some 60 CEOs and other senior staff came together under Chatham House Rules to share personal experiences on how to balance a sustainable business with integrity and trust. Executi...
Save the date for the Caux Forum 2024! This summer Caux Initiatives of Change, in partnership with Initiatives of Change International and supported by other civil society networks, UN agencies, phila...
The Caux Forum 2023 Opening Ceremony set the tone for the conference with the theme, ‘Strengthening Democracy: The Journey from Trauma to Trust.’. Discover the report and relive the highlights of this...
In a world filled with diverse cultures and languages, the journey of musician Tsvetana Petrushina is an inspiring tale of how she discovered her purpose. Her remarkable story led her to the Caux Pala...
We are excited to announce the Caux Forum will be back in Caux next summer! Find out more and save the date! ...
Arpan Yagnik, a participant of last year's Creative Leadership conference and team member of the IofC Hub 2021, talks to Mary Lean about creativity, fear and vocation. ...
When Indonesian law student Agustina Zahrotul Jannah discovered the Young Ambassadors Programme (YAP) on Google she felt both excited and hopeless: excited because she hoped it might give her the skil...
How did Sofia Syodorenko become involved in the zero waste movement, and what does it mean to her? Now Chair of Foundations for Freedom, she is also a representative of the Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine...
The second in Tools for Changemakers’ series of Stories for Changemakers took place on 25 August 2021, with an interview with Patrick Magee, who planted a bomb at the Grand Hotel, Brighton, in 1984, w...
The Summer Academy on Climate, Land and Security 2021 brought together 29 participants from 20 countries. From Egypt and Senegal to the United States and Thailand, zoom windows opened for six hours ev...
The Caux Dialogue on Environment and Security (CDES) 2021 ran online from 20 July until 30 July, for the second consecutive year, comprising three open plenaries and seven workshops. This year’s discu...
2021’s Creative Leadership conference took participants on a six-day journey ‘From Uncertainty to Possibility’. Between 25 to 31 July around 150 online participants living in over 50 countries engaged...
In the context of their partnership, Initiatives of Change Switzerland (IofC) and the Peace and Human Rights division of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs organised a webinar on the them...
‘I am super happy to have been part of the Learning to be a Peacemaker course – we learned the true colours of Islam!’ wrote 18-year-old high-school graduate Nma Dahir, from Erbil, capital of the Kurd...
