Art and Peace Encounters
Art and Peace Encounters
The Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation is delighted to announce the launch of our new Art and Peace Encounters on the occasion of the charity concert by the world-renowned pianist Khatia Buniatishvili which took place on 25 May at the Caux Palace.
This concert marked the soft launch of the Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation's innovative new programme, Art and Peace Encounters, which brings together policy makers, artists and experts to explore opportunities for promoting peace through artistic expression and culture.
We are deeply grateful for Khatia Buniatishvili's support for this programme, which aims to foster dialogue, inspire change, and build bridges between cultures through art. Her own humanitarian values closely align with those of the foundation, making her the perfect artist to collaborate with for this launch.
Why launch this programme?
Art and Peace Encounters is taking place in a global context where the challenges of peace and intercultural understanding are more pressing than ever. By bringing together key players on the political scene, well-known artists and visionary thinkers, this initiative will explore the potential of art as a vehicle for social transformation and conflict resolution.
How are the Art and Peace Encounters organized ?
Designed as a participatory initiative, these encounters include events, conferences, workshops and artistic activities. Their objective is to foster dialogue, collaboration and the development of support measures for policy makers, by tackling subjects such as conflict resolution, peacebuilding and the exploration of cultural identities.
The main venues for the Arts and Peace Encounters will be the Caux Palace, a former Belle Époque grand hotel, and the Villa Maria, nestling in the mountains above Montreux at an altitude of 1,000 metres. With its breathtaking views of the Leman and the Alps, it offers a unique and inspiring setting.
A series of workshops on this topic will be held this summer, and we will be holding a dedicated event during Geneva Peace Week in October 2024. Through the meetings, conferences and exchanges taking place over the coming months we will be refining the programme concept, with a view to launching the finalised three-year programme in 2025.
Who is the programme aimed at ?
The programme is aimed at government representatives, diplomats, artists, cultural activists and conflict resolution experts, who will work together to develop creative solutions to promote a culture of peace and tolerance.
Through our Geneva office, strategically located at Maison de la Paix, we will leverage the extensive network of International Geneva, including NGOs, governments and UN agencies, to engage policy makers.
« There is growing interest in the role of art in processes of societal transformation, in peacebuilding and in the empowerment potential of people affected by war. Art has the power to give individuals and communities empathy, hope and the energy to act. Moreover, by stimulating our imagination, art helps us to move from binary and linear thinking to a holistic experience. A wide range of strategies for working with art in conflict regions or fragile contexts has evolved," says Ignacio Packer, Executive Director of Caux Initiatives of Change. "By bringing together policy-makers, artists and experts, the Art and Peace Encounters programme offers a unique platform to drive change, stimulate creativity and foster mutual understanding".
Ignacio Packer, Executive Director, Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation
Advisory Committee
- MICHEL ABOU KHALIL (VS, SWITZERLAND), PhD, Director of Swiss Made Culture, Crans (VS)
- SARAH NOBLE (CANADA/SWITZERLAND), Head of Global Engagement - Caux Initiatives of Change
- MARUEE PAHUJA (INDIA), Creative Leadership, Visual Artist, Intermodal Expressive Arts Therapy Practitioner and an Arts-Informed Ecotherapy Practitioner
- IGNACIO PACKER (SWITERLAND), Executive Director Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation
- ANNE-CATHERINE SUTERMEISTER (SWIZERLAND), Community Engagement Responsable engagement communautaire, arts et programmes de formation
- BARRY HART (USA), Professor of Trauma, Identity and Conflict Studies, Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, Eastern Mennonite University