On 1 April 2020, Rainer Gude and Stephanie Buri became co-Directors General of Initiatives of Change (IofC) Switzerland, after a two-month handover process with the outgoing Secretary General, Barbara Hintermann. Rainer has been Strategic Partnerships Manager of IofC Switzerland since 2018, having started work with IofC international in 2012. Stephanie has been Director of Communications and Knowledge Management with IofC Switzerland since 2014.

Like so many institutions launched after World War II, IofC Switzerland is at a turning point, looking for new ways of operating in order to continue our mission of addressing the world’s needs whilst maintaining financial sustainability. For the sake of continuity in a time of change, our Council has decided to opt for an internal collaborative appointment to succeed Barbara Hintermann.

‘In midst of all the troubles of this spring some very positive things have happened around us,’ says the President of IofC Switzerland, Christine Beerli. ‘Barbara Hintermann, who for five years showed us what strong ethical leadership means in practice, was elected Director General of Terre des Hommes Switzerland. We are sad to lose her but also happy to see her move on in such an ideal direction. Thank you, Barbara, for everything you did for us – we will miss you!

‘It’s also very positive that we were able to find her replacement amongst our colleagues internally. Stephanie Buri and Rainer Gude are young, polyglot and motivated professionals who know the IofC movement well. I am looking forward to our collaboration, as they and the Council lead IofC Switzerland into the future.’

The co-leadership model is new for IofC Switzerland, although we have been promoting the concept that ‘we are all leaders’ for years. Co-directorship is a growing trend amongst non-profits, businesses and political parties and has been shown to increase productivity, team collaboration, coordination and innovation.

Stephanie and Rainer say that they knew there would be challenges when they accepted this new task together, but they did not expect a world-wide health crisis to be one of them.

‘With COVID-19, this is a pretty peculiar time to take on the lead of an organization,’ says Stephanie. ‘Amongst all the uncertainty, the co-leadership model has already been a real strength and support. The collaborative approach – not just between the two of us, but also with our team, Council and network – brings out the best in us and leaves space for creativity, honest feedback and adaptability. “Be the change you want to see in the world” has never been more relevant. We are looking forward to what lies before us.’

Rainer adds, ‘Our first major action, besides trying to care for our team, has been to adapt to COVID-19. This has meant getting our whole team safe in their homes and able to work remotely, and, of course, drastically transforming our summer programme, the Caux Forum. This was not a small to-do list for our first few weeks! We can only give a huge thank you to our team, our Council and Barbara who have supported us tremendously in this transition.’

Rainer and Stephanie bring a variety of experience to their new shared role.

Rainer has worked for IofC since 2012, first as Chargé de Mission for IofC International and then, since 2018, as Strategic Partnerships Manager for IofC Switzerland. He grew up in New York, with a Spanish father and a German mother, and is a talented public speaker, moderator and facilitator. With a Masters in International Affairs from the Graduate Institute in Geneva, he speaks five languages and has built up an extensive international network.

Stephanie has led IofC Switzerland’s Communications Department since 2014. She had her first experience of co-leadership when she co-led the international brand refresh of Initiatives of Change in 2018. She grew up in France, with a Swiss mother and American father. She has a Masters in Cultural Anthropology and Development Studies from KU Leuven in Belgium and has studied, lived and worked in nine countries. She is fluent in four languages.

If open communication is the secret of successful co-leadership, they joke, their backgrounds give them a head start: ‘We have four different languages to speak to one another in, so no excuse for not understanding each other.’

What is their vision for the future of IofC Switzerland?

‘As we develop IofC Switzerland’s strategy for 2021-2024, we really want to focus on the collective wisdom of the team and our network,’ they say. ‘With all the uncertainty around the world and at home, we feel that IofC’s message is more relevant than ever. Inspiring, equipping and connecting changemakers to be the change they want to see in the world will continue to drive us. Together with our network, partners and all others working for change, we feel that we can seize the hidden opportunities that COVID-19 is giving us to make important changes that our world desperately needs.  We may not know the exact way to get there yet, but we know the starting point is within each one of us. We are excited to take this next step together with our great team.’

Photo top: Group picture in Caux of some members of the group developing the new 2021-2024 strategic framework for IofC Switzerland. Picture taken February 2020. 

Photo in text: Rainer and Stephanie before social distancing had been the new norm.

Dana Salama is 24 years old and lives in Syria. She was part of the Caux Peace and Leadership Programme 2019 and had just started a new job when the COVID-19 crises began. The COVID-19 crisis is a global challenge for people from all over the world and all walks of life. Discover our interview series how they experience the current situation and which lessons they are drawing from their time in lockdown.

What is your current situation? How is the spread of COVID-19 impacting you?
My name is Dana Salama. I had just started a new job when the COVID-19 crisee began. We had to close company offices for our safety. It is not that easy working remotely when it’s a new job. It's challenging but I am happy to live this new experience of online work.  

Describe in 3 words how you are feeling right now?
Worried but optimistic.

What is your biggest challenge at the moment?
In my opinion, working from home needs a lot of time control abilities, especially when it comes to waking up early in the morning and getting my daily home activities done. Bad Internet connection and electricity could be also a challenge, so I am trying to find ways to keep everything right on track.

What are the lessons you have already learned from this time?
Time is precious. I have learned to appreciate it more and take more time for my personal well-being by practicing mind sports, like chess (as a beginner).
Meanwhile staying at home, I constantly in touch with my family and it’s really adding joy and satisfaction to my life.

Do you practice quiet time? If yes: what is your practice and how does it help you?
One of my favorite parts of my day is the quiet time part. I practice it at night when I can listen to my own thoughts and feelings and write things down. It can help me to know myself better and guide me to solve my problems in the right way.

What are your best tips and tricks to fight anxiety/loneliness/uncertainty (whichever you struggle most with)?
I am fighting routine by doing one new thing a day. Reading, cooking, dancing and redecorating can help me to fight all unnecessary feelings and can keep me away from bad news. All I have to do is stay home.  

How can we connect with others and support them when we have to barricade ourselves?
Social media can do everything! I’m keeping in touch with all my friends through regular conversations and video calls. There are no hugs when I need to support them but I do know that souls can meet through warm words.

What made you laugh today?
I saw pictures on Facebook with animals on the roads all around the city and people watching them from their windows (because of the quarantine). Everything can change in this world!

How would you (as a person) like to emerge from this crisis?
I hope to become more responsible for what is happening in the world and be stronger than before.

What are you grateful for?
I am grateful for having a big family which surrounds me with love. The IofC family is taking a big part in this for making me grateful to be the person who I am now.  

The UN’s fourth Sustainable Development Goal is about access to quality education and life-long learning – both essential to bringing positive change into the world.

We are living in times of constant, rapid and profound change, triggered by climate change and digital transformation. To find the right answers to new questions we need to learn more, and maybe differently. Curiosity, creativity and critical thinking are as important as maths, IT, languages skills, etc... We need to be innovative and ingenious to build a just, peaceful and sustainable world for us and our children.

Learning needs well-run education systems, but it comes from inside the human being. It’s fun, but sometimes it’s painful. In preparation for the upcoming Ethical Leadership in Business event in June 2020, we have invited diverse people from around the world to share stories of their learning journeys. These stories offer inspiring insights and invite us to reflect on our education and life-long learning.

‘My Learning Story’ hopes to become a global learning experience, connecting people around the world as they share their stories of what we all do every day: learning to build a brighter future.

Interview with Christine Beerli, President of the IofC Switzerland foundation

Christine, you chose the sentence: I am learning every day! What have you learnt so far from the current corona virus epidemic?

I am learning what a lot of us are being forced to learn: how to live with an empty agenda and to relate with my family, friends and professional contacts without meeting them. This has shown me what I always knew: that I like (most) people. I am looking forward to the time when we can meet again face to face. 

We are very honoured to have you as the President of the Council of the Initiatives of Change Foundation. What unexpected things have you learnt in this role?

I did not expect the international network to be as big and strong as it seems to be. It is impressive to see that so many people around the world are building on the same values and are promoting ethical leadership in business, for instance.
 

What was the one key thing that you learnt during  your time as a member of a law firm?

 That the rule of law and an independent judiciary is as important for the wellbeing and development of a country as democracy is.
 

Politics is said to be a ‘hard school’: what was the hardest lesson you learnt when you were in Parliament in Switzerland?

This may not be the most difficult lesson, but it was an interesting one: the politicians whom you hear and see most in the media are not the ones who work hardest for the wellbeing of the country.

What was your best learning experience as a Vice-President of the International Committee of the Red Cross?

People in very difficult, even seemingly hopeless, war situations are not mere ‘victims’. They are extremely strong personalities who just want the space and the opportunity to look after their families.
 

You were also a teacher; in what ways should the Swiss educational system be changed to respond to the opportunities and challenges of the 21st century?

The present crisis and the shutdown of schools is pushing the Swiss school system towards much more digitalization. This will have a lasting positive effect.
 

Because of demographic changes and technological innovation, 33 per cent of Swiss employers are finding it difficult to recruit. How can we speed-up life-long learning and reskilling in Switzerland?

I think people’s attitudes have changed very much in recent years. Everybody knows that he or she will have to invest in learning throughout their life if they want to keep up with new developments and safeguard their employability. 

How do you keep up with digital transformation?

I don’t know if I do keep up. I use my computer and my tablet because it is not possible to work without them. I do not really know how they work: but then the same is true for my car!
 

You are officially retired, but in reality, but you are very active. How do you share your life lessons?

I have no lessons to share: I am very happy if I can be of help here and there.

Who is your best teacher?

Life and my dog.
 

What has life taught you?

That if you try to give your best in ever situation, it keeps you rooted and calm. But the most important things in life can barely be influenced.
 

What do you want to learn which you haven’t yet dared to?

The tango.
 

The COVID-19 crisis is a global challenge for people from all over the world and all walks of life. Discover our interview series how they experience the current situation and which lessons they are drawing from their time in lockdown.

Karina Cheah had just started her internship at Initiatives of Change Switzerland when the COVID-19 crises started and she had to move back to the US in a hurry.

What is your current situation? How is the spread of COVID-19 impacting you?

My name is Karina Cheah. I am currently back in the States (DC area) after my university’s study program in Geneva ended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I am spending 14 days in self-isolation, and what happens afterwards depends on what regulations are next put in place, but the pandemic seems such that I will be staying home for several weeks.

Describe in 3 words how you are feeling right now?

Disappointed but grateful and curious.

What is your biggest challenge at the moment?

Coming to terms with the end of my planned semester abroad and having to readjust to this unexpected turnaround.

What are the lessons you have already learned from this time?

I’m confined to two rooms due to my quarantine, so I’ve had to look for ways to keep my morale up and pass the time. Walks outside (while practicing safe social distancing, of course) are a great way to give myself a break and keep morale up, especially when working from home.

Also, if there’s ever a time to try things you’ve always wanted to, it’s now. I’m teaching myself ukulele and learning more about Thai history between classes and work.

Do you practice quiet time? If yes: what is your practice and how does it help you?

I take a little time at the end of every day to write a short journal entry on the good things that happened that day, my thoughts on the day, and my aspirations for tomorrow. If I really need to reset during the day, I make tea or hot chocolate and listen to music without looking at my phone.

What are your best tips and tricks to fight anxiety/loneliness/uncertainty (whichever you struggle most with)?

I’ve turned off my news notifications and stopped looking at the updates as often to try and lower my anxiety, and it helps a lot to not have doomsday headlines popping up on my screen every hour.

How can we connect with others and support them when we have to barricade ourselves?

Keep in regular contact with friends and family. Most of us are inside now – there's no reason not to reach out to someone you have been thinking about or want to talk to. In those conversations, catch up on things you’ve missed in each other’s lives or trade stories. Forget about the virus, even if just for a little. It’s refreshing.

What made you laugh today?

My dad trying to teach our dog, Moose, to do yoga. It didn’t go so well.

How would you (as a person) like to emerge from this crisis?

I’m hoping to be more resilient and more optimistic, and who knows what else the crisis will bring?

What are you grateful for?

I’m so, so grateful for the experience that I did get to have in Geneva, even though it was drastically shortened, and for the IofC team in Geneva who are helping to keep me busy and sane by staying in contact. I’m lucky enough to have an amazing network of family and friends around me who understand my disappointment about the semester ending the way it did and who are supporting me and each other to push through this surreal experience.

The COVID-19 crisis and the lockdown in many countries around the globe is taking its toll on all of us. In an attempt to help people connect and encourage each other we hosted a live Quiet Time event on Tuesday, 31 March 2020, led by Nick Foster (UK), Director of the Caux Forum.

Quiet Time is a form of silent reflection that consists in becoming mindful of what is going on inside (thoughts, feelings, motives) and writing it down. Whether you are an experienced practitioner or have never heard of it - all you need is a pen and some paper to write down your insights.

Quiet Time is different from the forms of meditation that consist in letting thoughts come and go. It is also different from effortful focused thinking about a question or problem. Rather, Quiet Time is about looking inside and seeing whether what we find points to areas in the past that need attention, future actions, relationships that need care, etc.

59 people from all over the world took part in the live event on 31 March and in spite of some technical issues at the beginning the general feedback has been very positive.

So if you would like to join in next time please stay posted for our next live Quiet Time event coming up soon!

You were not able to join live? Don't worry, you can still watch the video here.

Elly Stigter has been working for Initiatives of Change Netherlands (IofC) as a project coordinator and administrative assistant since May 2018. She is a mother of two young adults, loves to cook, travel, go hiking and have a good conversation. Here are her reflexions on life during the first two weeks of lockdown in the Netherlands.

By now we are in the second week of staying at home as much as possible. Last Monday, Prime Minister Mark Rutte told us that all meetings are forbidden until June 1st, also for groups of less than 100 people. Automatically I thought that we are not allowed to go to the office or school, because sitting the whole day in a class of 30 students is not an option. So we have to spend the next two months at home! That's a bit scary.

Don't get me wrong, it's a horrible virus. I'll do everything I can to prevent infection. Everyone should do that, so that the virus costs as few lives as possible. We shouldn't make it any harder than it is for the healthcare personnel. But two months at home, day in, day out, with all social activities virtually at a standstill? No social contacts except by phone or computer? How am I going to do that?

In the meantime it appears that I have concluded too quickly that the government will take a decision next week about the compulsory closure of schools, catering and working from home. For the time being, the measure applies until 6 April. In the coming days, the number of infections will determine whether or not to extend this measure.

Every day we hear the number of new infections, the number of patients in intensive care and unfortunately also the number of deceased. Every day there are more and we are only at the beginning of the pandemic in The Netherlands. All hospitals in The Netherlands are increasing the number of beds with breathing facilities. Hotels that are empty are now being converted into nursing homes or maternity homes.

I find the creative solutions and the willingness of people to help each other fantastic and very hopeful. Whether it's a curtain studio that will now also make medical masks, DSM that will make disinfection gel for the hospital, or a local restaurant that started to bring meals to the homes of the elderly.

I always try to pay attention to the positive side. On the internet you can clearly see the environmental effects of a total Lock down in China and Italy. The water in Venice has never been so clear and blue in colour and is now full of fish. The photos about the air pollution and CO2 emission over China are also very clear. During a total Lock down or mandatory stay at home, nature will catch its breath again.

Isn't this also a good moment for us to reflect and think about what we can do differently from now on? Before we start running again as we did before between home, school and/or work, supermarket and back home? We now have time to think about this for ourselves and in the meantime enjoy the blossoms, green leaves that carefully appear on trees and shrubs and a beautiful blue sky with an ever warmer sun.

I wish everyone lots of love, strength and health. Take care of yourself and each other.

Elly Stigter, 26 March 2020

• Please click here to read the original blog entry on the website of IofC Netherlands.
• Photos: IofC Netherlands