"We must be fully authentic as Creators of Peace and advocates for a new story coming from the transformational liberation of our own hearts and minds", said Jean Brown, conference convener as the Living Peace conference came to a close on 10 August 2016.

The conference gathered 200 participants, mainly women, from 43 different countries to celebrate the 25^th anniversary of Creators of Peace (CoP), aiming to further connect and empower women to be peacebuilders, starting with their own lives and communities.  Over the week, the conference provided a safe space for sharing stories and reflecting on what it means to be “living peace” both on a personal and on a communal level, as well as an exploration of what it means to tell a new story.

A key moment was the Encounter with the Creators of Peace Founding Mothers on 5 August 2016 which saw the founding mothers share the journey that made Creators of Peace a strong network of women from around the world. Drawing inspiration from the legacy of the pioneers who founded Creators of Peace in 1991 in Caux and from each other, participants experienced an inspiring and emotional week of connection, intercultural exchange, healing and mutual empowerment. Watch our interview with founding mother Ahunna Eziakonwa-Onochi.

“Knowing who you are is the number one factor of empowerment” – Jin In, Founder of 4GGL

Participants heard from strong and inspirational speakers tackling what it means to live peace across the world’s divides, with head, heart and hands, in leadership, and through forgiveness. The panel on Living Peace in Leadership on 7 August 2016 saw speakers Maryam Bibi, Founder of Khwendo Kor; Dr Gill Hicks, Founder of M.A.D. for Peace, Dr Rosina Wiltshire, first CARICOM advocate for Gender Justice and Jin In, Founder of 4GGL share examples of women taking the lead about a cause they care about and turning it into something that makes a difference for others. As noted by Dr Gill Hicks, “leadership in seeking peace is to take initiative and not wait for someone else to do something about it”. 

“I met my enemy and I’ve seen his humanity” – Jo Berry, Founder ‘Building Bridges for Peace’

Speaker Jo Berry received a standing ovation from the audience on 9 August 2016 for sharing her poignant story of meeting and forgiving Patrick Magee, the man responsible for the IRA bomb that killed her father. They now work together, speaking and demonstrating their ability to see each other’s humanity, dignity and respect.

Some of the most heartfelt and powerful moments happened outside of the plenaries. Participants shared openly their stories with others, breaking down internal and external barriers to conquer inner fears and build trust. As summed up by a participant from Ukraine, “this was a transformational experience for me, thanks to all the stories and the love from so many women. One lesson that I’m taking away with me is that I cannot change my past but if I learn to be grateful for everything I have, I can change my future.”

On Sunday 7 August, participants spent a full day workshopping ideas around how to tell a new story and how to see our stories in a new way. Participants were challenged to draw new learning out of old narratives that they were living out of and in doing so, focus on some of the positive aspects that have come out of their story.

Parallel to the conferences, the annual Global Assembly of Creators of Peace saw the election of a new team, including a newly elected coordination team, elders and ambassador. Delegates also made changes to governance procedures and discusses how to bring the Creators of Peace network forward.

“The more we stand together, the more effect we will have” – Dr Gill Hicks

There have been many wonderful outcomes of the Living Peace conference – a renewed sense of connection between CoP women, new partnerships that have been formed, a deeper commitment to the work of CoP, and perhaps the most powerful is the unconditional love that was experienced by all who came.

The closing plenary left participants inspired, ready to take action and bring change to their communities. “I’m going back inspired, energized to do more work on Peace Circles”, concluded a participant from Nigeria. As they sang the Living Peace theme song written especially for the conference by Australian, Glenyce Durdin, these ‘women of courage, women of strength’ (download lyrics here) left the conference empowered to claim their voices and be part of a new story of love and peace that is so needed in the world.

• Click here for more information about Creators of Peace
• Download the Living Peace song lyrics here
• Watch our video interview with Ahunna Eziakonwa-Onochi, a founding mother of Creators of Peace 

The Living Peace Conference opened on 6 August 2016, bringing together women, and some men, from 43 different countries at the Caux Palace to celebrate all that Creators of Peace has achieved over the last 25 years and to look forward to what is ahead. 

“We are here united in our firm belief that we can make a difference, that we can bring positive change to the place in the world in which we live.”, said Dr Gill Hicks, survivor of the London terrorist bombings at the opening. 

Participants and visitors gathered in the Main Hall for the plenary on Living Peace Across the World’s Divides to hear from two prominent and extraordinary speakers: Dr Omnia Marzouk, President of Initiatives of Change International and Dr Gill Hicks, survivor of the London terrorist bombings on July 6, 2005 and founder of M.A.D. for peace. 

"Do what you are passionate about and take one day at a time" - Dr Omnia Marzouk

“People can make a change in their community provided they apply the same values in their daily life”, said Dr Omnia Marzouk, as she shared how her experiences as IofC President and as a pediatrician in one of London's busiest hospital has led her to enriching encounters with people of different faiths and values. Impressed by the global solidarity network created by CoP for last 25 years, Dr. Marzouk commented that interpersonal and informative dialogue during the conflict and in post-conflict situations is a must and that women’s engagement is needed in every level of peacebuilding. She remarked that peacebuilding is not a once in a life time decision but a daily commitment and on-going journey. 

"Living our peace is about living our example, advocacy, leadership. Living Peace is our collective responsibility" - Dr Gill Hicks

Dr. Gill Hicks shared with the audience the powerful and inspirational story of how her encounter with terrorism and the permanent injuries she suffered during the London bombings on 6 July 2005 led her to enter life with a different outlook and motivation and her process of healing encouraged her to advocate for sustainable peace. This experience taught her to value people as they have the capacity to make or break situations, make the right choices as to how to react and respond, overcome fear with confidence, and receive and give love as much as possible. Dr Hicks ended her poignant speech by asking the audience: “Does it have to take a tragedy or a disaster for us to feel deeply connected as human beings, as one species?”

The day continued with an enriching session with the seven of the original founding mothers of Creators of Peace. The session comprised of seven of the original group that planned the first CoP conference back in 1991, that saw 700 people come to Caux. Ahunna Eziakonwa of Nigeria, Vijaylakshmi Subarmanyan of India, Paige Chargois and Tata Mbugua of the USA, Amina Dikedi of the UK, Digna Hitzen of the Netherlands and Christiane Garin of Switzerland all shared how they started CoP regionally and then internationally; the challenges they faced; the initial conferences they pulled together in the absence of the internet and other technologies, the way they raised funds and so on.

The most important message the mothers gave the audience was that despite the odds and discouragement they faced, they kept moving forward towards establishing this movement. Deep listening, dialogue and trusting each other is what kept the women going and they were encouraged by each other’s dedication and passion towards bringing sustainable peace in the world. 

The session ended with a beautiful dedication to remember CoP women who are no longer with us and a touching moment when the children placed specially made scarves around the founding mothers who then distributed the scarves to all of the women at the conference as a symbol of gratitude and handing over to the next generation. 

The conference will explore what is means to "live peace" and will bring forward the incredible stories of women creating peace all over the world. 

• Follow the conference live on Facebook

Children as Actors for Transforming Society (CATS) met for the 4^th edition. The conference provided space for sharing stories, learning and playing. This year’s focus was on how adults, children and young people could contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The last day of the CATS Conference 2016 left participants with a great sense of engagement and will to take action. On the final day, participants shared their commitments based on the work over the week on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“I want to go back to my country and do more to fight inequalities" said Riku Kimura, 15 years old, from Japan.

Others committed to contributing with very simple every day activities such as recycling more or by not wasting resources. They also committed to being more actively involved in policy making, by setting up local children and young people’s council as one example.

The past week saw a great amount of surprising moments. Unexpectedly, during the ‘Night of change’ on 31 July, the Polish Ombudsman for Children Marek Michalak, awarded the CATS Director Jonathan Levy the Medal of Honour of Infanti Dignitatis Defensori, for his efforts in defending children’s rights. (photo: Federico Lanzo/Eurochild)

The Human Library on 30 July allowed the sharing of amazing stories from the four corners of the world: from the Middle-East to South America, from Asia to Europe. Esteban Quispe, a 17-year-old from Bolivia who turns waste into robots shared his remarkable story. He went from being a boy from a disadvantaged background to being widely recognised and called a ‘genius’.  

During the CATS Parliament, a Member of the European Parliament, Julie Ward, advised children and young people on how to lobby to politicians like her. She also said, “the CATS conference is a model of what society should be like”. “I encourage you to keep doing what you are doing and keeping me involved”. Click here to view our interview with MEP Julie Ward.

During the ‘Talent Night’, the CATS crowd was amazed by the young talents in dancing, piano playing or singing. Much more learning and bonding happened during the workshops, the community groups, and the evening programme. Kittens, children under 10, also learned about the SDGs in workshops adapted to them.

The CATS conference is a space where children, young people and adults learn how they can work together to be partners of change.

“We need to continue to strengthen our impact towards a more just, sustainable, inclusive and equitable society”, said Dr. Gerison Lansdown, international consultant on children’s right to participate, in her speech on the final day. She demonstrated the impact the 2015 CATS conference had made on law making at the EU level and reiterated the importance of the conference to further implement the Rights of the Child and the SDGs while including children and young adults. 

CATS is organised by the Universal Education Foundation, CAUX-IofC Foundation, Initiatives of Change France, Eurochild and Child to Child. The conference is hosted every year by the CAUX-Initiatives of Change Foundation in Switzerland.

• Check out our interview with MEP Julie Ward.
• Follow the Caux Conference live on Facebook.

“I was a child and you will be adults. We need to share power as well as sharing resources”, said the Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Julie Ward at the CATS conference 2016.

During the “CATS Parliament” on the fourth day of the Conference, MEP Julie Ward stressed the importance of including children in policy making: “We need children because they have a great sense of justice, fresh view on things and they are not afraid to challenge”, she said.

She gave a speech explaining how the children and young people, of which there were 160 in the crowd, could be in contact with MEPs like her. “MEPs have very busy lives and receive millions of email which they don’t all manage to read”, she said. “So you need to try to stay in our heads”, she added. “One way to stay in my head is to come and meet me, no matter the location, and bring ideas that I will not forget”.

Among the advice on how to lobby to politicians, Julie Ward mentioned, “You need to be in touch with our staff, they are the ones who help to keep us on top of things. Last year one of my staff members came to CATS with me and now we often talk about CATS together”. “Another point is, you need to be informed on what the European Parliament does and about what my party’s values are”, she continued.

“The CATS conference is a model of what society should be like” Julie Ward said. “I encourage you to keep doing what you are doing and keeping me involved”, she concluded.

The MEP intervened on the 4^th day of CATS, which is the day when the different delegations presented their ideas for policy change on poverty reduction, peace and justice and quality education.

During the rest of the conference up until 1 August, the participants will choose the best of all proposals on SDG-related participatory policies.

Stemming from this proposal, the CATS conference will release recommendations to governments and international bodies (e.g. UN, the Council of Europe and the European Union) on how children and adults together can help achieve SDGs. 

Philippe Herzog,  a former Member of the European Parliament, and a former leader of the French Communist Party, called for reform of the EU. But he said ‘It is not just the European Union, but European civilisation that is in crisis’, he said. ‘There is a flaw, a failure on otherness. We do not know each other!  The peoples of Europe must be brought nearer to each  other. But what’s most important is what gives breath, it is a soul for Europe.”

He was speaking at the third annual ‘Addressing Europe’s Unfinished Business’ (AEUB) where this year’s theme was ‘New Reasons for Hope in Challenging Times’. The aim of the conference was to ‘give an opportunity for people from across the continent to gather and listen to each other, to reflect on the changes we each need to make and common actions we can undertake, to help create a more secure, just and sustainable Europe.’

Europeans came from countries as far apart as Spain and Russia, Cyprus and the Nordic North and from many walks of life, ethnicities and belief traditions. They included young people from 42 European countries who had been selected for the ‘AEUB Young Ambassadors’ programme.

Speaking before Mr Herzog in a session on one of the conference’s three themes, ‘Bridging the gap between our principles and our practice’, Victoria Martin de la Torre, Press officer at the European Parliament  and author of “ Europe, a leap into the unknown” , identified the sources of inspiration of the founding fathers of the European Union, and those who had followed them. She made a balance sheet of what of the original impulse had been retained, and what had been lost. She concluded that to remain faithful  to the original inspiration it would be important to retain both the word and concept of ‘Community’, to keep federation as the long-term goal of political union, to keep the balance the economic and social dimensions, and between the ‘person’ and the ‘individual’. Culture and education were vital in creating active citizens.

Active citizenship was also present in the topic of Migration, and the way ordinary people in many places had acted more rapidly than governments in responding to the emergency.

A young French woman Célia Demoor, President of DEEP France, who lives near the “jungle of Calais”, spoke about her work organising dialogues between some of the 7000 refugees in the camps on the outskirts of the town, and the town’s residents. Terttu Laaksonen from Finland told how she and others created an association to help refugees who had come to her city after crossing from Sweden via the northern border. She said, ‘It has given me a lot of hope to see how people are reaching out. Some ‘new Finns’ who had arrived earlier, were our interpreters, working alongside us at the railway station, in the camps.’

Imam Ajmal Masroor from the UK, who is frequently asked by prominent media channels to comment on current affairs, made a passionate plea to remember our common humanity. ‘We are all immigrants! Let’s welcome them, let’s share our wealth with them. We need gratitude and hope, respect and acceptance!’

‘A new narrative for Europe’ was a theme that ran through the whole conference. American/British academic Dr Margaret Smith gave a definition of ‘narrative’ as ‘a special kind of story that gives meaning to a larger group experience’. She suggested that the ‘narrative offered by Caux is the story of what it means to bring life to our best aspirations by figuring out how to live the values we talk about.’

An outcome of the ‘Enquiry Stream’ that worked on a ‘new narrative’ throughout the conference was: ‘The great European house - a home for all its citizens, a cultural, economic and political community taking its responsibility towards the rest of the world.

Young ambassadors and participants of the conference left Caux as close-knit group of friends ready to support each other in their diverse projects to address Europe’s challenges.

Stay tuned for next year’s conference!

Mpanzu Bamenga closed this year’s International Peacebuilders’ Forum (IPF) by sharing his story of migration from Zaïre to the Netherlands.  He spoke of difficulties he encountered as a migrant, and he described the way in which he overcame barriers in his past and barriers today that arise in his political work. Through his story, he encouraged participants to approach those with whom they feel the biggest conflict with forgiveness, compassion, and understanding.  

Mr. Bamenga’s speech was a perfect end to this week that has brought reflection, heartfelt dialogue, and constructive brainstorming on the future of peacebuilding among people displaced by violent conflict. 

IPF 2016 opened on Wednesday 20 July with Janet Lim’s reflection on her work with UNHCR. Ms Lim invited participants to consider how to use grassroots projects to better involve migrants in addressing the societal problems associated with mass migration. 

On Thursday 21 July, participants worked together to identify challenges to peacebuilding in their own contexts. They then broke into workshops to explore peacebuilding methods and approaches that they have not previously encountered. These workshops inspired them to consider new ways of addressing the challenges they identified.

The comedians who performed at Comedy for Change offered yet another novel way of approaching deep-rooted societal problems. Through humor these comedians have learned how to provoke discussion, challenge stereotypes, and incite societal change, while diffusing tensions associated with socially ‘taboo’ topics.

After identifying challenges and exploring new ways of addressing these challenges, participants were given a day of reflection. Participants shared stories with each other and reflected independently on the ways in which they have each changed since arriving at Caux this week.

On Friday 22 July, participants were asked the question: “What will I bring with me, and how can I apply it to my everyday life?” Some participants expressed the need to maintain the valuable connections that they have made during these four days. One young woman explained that these connections are both external, with others, and internal, with themselves. Others noted specific concepts that moved them and that they intend to share with their communities back home. For example, one man from Burundi expressed that he will bring back to his community the idea of transforming conflict into opportunity. Another participant said that this forum has greatly “expanded her horizons.” 

An important aspect of the forum was embodied work. Although some participants found it challenging to engage with exercises, one man expressed that it increased his awareness of his body. One woman asserted that this kind of work helped her to better connect to the other participants, especially as the participants were linguistically split between English and French. Embodied work allowed everyone to connect, overcoming linguistic barriers.

But most broadly, participants walked away from the forum inspired by new ideas, encouraged by learning of others’ experiences, and connected to an international community of peacebuilders. 

Comedy for Change drew a lively crowd to Caux’s theatre on the evening of Wednesday 20 July with four internationally acclaimed comedians! South Africa’s Stuart Taylor, Celeste Ntuli, Conrad Koch, and Canada’s Dana Alexander left the audience breathless from laughter with their observational comedy. 

These comedians use their talents not only to entertain, but also to provoke discussion, challenge stereotypes, and incite societal change. Each of them has a unique style that draws on their personal experiences of racism, conflict, multiethnic identity, and post-apartheid South Africa. By using humor to diffuse tensions associated with uncomfortable topics, they are able to talk about things that are usually considered ‘taboo’ and open them up to critique.

At the end of the performance, the comedians engaged with the audience in a panel discussion. Audience members asked the comedians about their creative processes, about concepts of race, and about the use of humor as catharsis. A few people described their own experiences of racism and conflict, and some shared their reactions to this innovative use of comedy. 

CATS conference opens in the splendid Caux Conference Centre with the commitment to foster policy change with future generations.

“We must enable children and young people to contribute to decision making. Everyone should be focused on policy making, not just those at the top,” said the CATS conference Director, Jonathan Levy, at the opening.

According to the United Nations (UN), an estimated 5.9 million children under 5 died in 2015; 1 in 8 people lived in extreme poverty in 2012; and 800 million people are currently suffering from hunger.

In 2015, UN Member States agreed on the Global Goals for Sustainable Development to fight poverty and hunger, to improve education and to protect the environment. If we are to achieve these goals, children must be involved.

As SDGs’ implementation begins this year, CATS conference 2016 aims at supporting collaboration between children and adults in policy making. The title of the CATS Conference is “Local to global: how will we influence policy?” and will run from 27 July to 1 August 2016.

Keynote speakers at CATS include MEP Julie Ward, the Polish Ombudsman for Children Marek Michalak, the child rights reporter Tako Rietveld, and Esteban Quispe, an 18 year old from Bolivia who turns waste into robots.

On its final day, CATS Conference will release recommendations to governments and international bodies (e.g. UN, the Council of Europe and the European Union) on how working with children and adults together can help achieve SDGs.  

Key moments will also include the CATS parliament on 29 July, when proposals on SDG-related participatory policies will be debated as well as the ‘Night of Change’ on 31 July, when the best of all policy proposals will be voted on.

CATS is a conference co-led and co-organised by adults, children and young people. This year, CATS is hosting 310 participants, of whom more than half are children and young people.

Every year the conference gathers stakeholders, civil society organisations, representatives of international and governmental bodies as well as young delegations and families.

CATS is organised by Eurochild, the Universal Education Foundation, the CAUX-Initiatives of Change Foundation, Initiatives of Change International and Child to Child. The conference is hosted every year by the CAUX-Initiatives of Change Foundation in the Swiss Alps.

• More information on CATS can be found here
• Join us on Facebook to follow all main meetings live!

It is 70 years since 95 Swiss families bought the Caux Palace Hotel as a place where people from the warring nations could meet after the Second World War. The anniversary has been marked by several public events in the course of the CAUX-Initiatives of Change summer conferences. 

On Tuesday, 19 July 2016, a public event kicked off the conference Adressing Europe's Unfinished Business on the theme ‘Passing the baton’, with four of those who were young when they participated in Caux conferences at that time. They were hosted by two of today’s young people, Noucayba Soltani a post-graduate student from France, and Jonathan Nelson, a teacher from Norway. Noucayba said, ‘Each of us has a responsibility to rethink Europe. Everyone can make their contribution. If we look around the world, nothing is working. There is war, refugees, and no one knows what to do. But Europe has faced great difficulties and it overcame them. If we don’t learn the lessons of the past, we are condemned to repeat them.’

Jens Wilhelmsen from Norway had been a junior member of the Resistance in Norway before he came to Caux in 1946. Elsa Vogel was a medical student in Paris who narrowly escaped a massacre by a Nazi soldier in the hours before Paris was liberated. Fiona Daukes’ father was a British chaplain with the Royal Air Force who had stayed with his men on a ship which was sunk by a German torpedo rather than save his own life. And Charles Danguy from Geneva had discovered Caux by chance because of his passion for the Swiss railway system!

For Jens, overcoming his hatred for the Germans was a particular challenge. But having done so, the subsequent experience of spending five years among the miners of the Ruhr ‘witnessing the hardship of their lives, and the courage with which they fought for their convictions’ had given him a love for the Germans. He believed that the efforts he had been part of in the Ruhr at that time had helped turn class war in the area into cooperation between management and labour.

All of them referred to the challenge they had encountered in Caux to make a new start by looking at themselves honestly, and putting right anything they had on their consciences. Elsa realised that she was resentful of the way she had been treated by her family because she was illegitimate. ‘I realised that you can’t be a victim all your life. You have to face the choices you made and their consequences, and change and move forward.’ As a result of accepting that, she said, ‘A wind of new life swept into my heart and I felt I was a new person’ and she became a full-time volunteer with IofC, serving on all five continents. 

Charles stressed the importance of another tool of IofC, the ‘quiet time’ – the daily practice of spending time in silence to seek correction and direction. It had led him into a 30-year ministry with IofC to members of the European Parliament, connecting MEPs and citizens from around Europe.

Fiona was filled with hope when she arrived in Caux in 1946 aged 15, particularly by meeting many other young people ‘who seemed to have a light in the eye and a sense of purpose’. She decided not to embark on an acting career, but to give all her time and energy to work with IofC, and had done so ever since. She and her husband subsequently lived in four European countries. She said, ‘We are facing ever more anger, hate and violence, but as we use our hearts to care for one another and to listen to that “arresting tick”, which I believe is the voice of a higher power, we will bring something entirely new and fresh to our very dear, exasperating old continent’.

Gilles Grin, Director of the Jean Monnet Foundation and historian at Lausanne University, rounded off the event with a reflection on the evolution of the European Union, its different phases and the crises it had passed through. His conclusion: ‘The European project is more relevant than ever’!

Antoine Jaulmes, president of the CAUX-IofC Foundation then proceeded to officially open the AEUB Conference and called for ‘a necessary change of attitude to address the issues and to overcome the lack of trust between European countries’. 

• Follow the Addressing Europe's Unfinished Business 2016 conference live on Facebook! 
• More of Antoine Jaulmes' insights on addressing Europe's challenges in daily videos on Youtube (in French). 

We are excited to announce the opening of the International Peacebuilders’ Forum (IPF) 2016! In light of current trends in mass forced migration across the globe, this year’s theme of the forum is “Peacebuilding among people displaced by violence and war.” The aim is to provide a platform and safe space for reflexivity for practitioners in refugee and migrant work, and people from these communities to deepen contextual understanding, foster collaboration and joint action, and establish an international community of peers.

Janet Lim, former UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Operations, launched the forum 2016 on Wednesday, 20 July with her speech “Exploring the Big Picture on Refugees and Migrants.”  She drew on her 34 years of experience to present an overview of the present situation, operational challenges, and changes within the migration sector of development. Among the changes she noted, she included the emerging relevance of acknowledging the agency of migrants themselves: “Another area of change, one that is close to my heart, is the need to recognize that displaced people, whether they be refugees, IDPs, or migrants are people who have capacities and need also to be given a chance to help themselves.”

In the afternoon of the the same day, participants broke into discussion groups to engage with the topic “How the big issues play out in our own contexts.” After this discussion, participants have been invited to attend an exclusive comedy show at the end of the day. Comedy for Change presents four internationally acclaimed comedians: Conrad Koch, Stuart Taylor, Celeste Ntuli, and Dana Alexander. Participants will explore the element of comedy and how it can be used in conflict transformation through their own experience of comedy at the show tonight.

On Thursday, 21 July, participants will have the opportunity to choose between seven workshops that address various relevant topics such as how to create calm in chaos and that are led by professional peacebuilders from around the world. Friday will offer time for sharing stories and for reflection. The afternoon session will encourage participants to brainstorm possibilities to progress, improve, and collaborate in their work. The forum will close on Saturday, 23 July, with a speech by Mpanzu Bamenga, former asylum seeker from Zaïre and founder of the Dutch Inclusion Leaders Network.

Built into the program of this week’s forum are opportunities for self-reflection, like morning quiet time and afternoon reflection, and opportunities for embodied engagement. Special exercises are designed to allow participants to engage with the forum, express themselves, and relate to each other using their body. These exercises are especially relevant at a bilingual forum such as this, as they allow for people who do not speak the same language to relate to each other wordlessly.

We welcome you to follow us on Facebook and Twitter as we undertake serious discussion, thoughtful reflection, and exciting collaboration at IPF 2016!