Caux Arts and Peace Encounters 

 

The Caux Arts and Peace Encounters, to be held at the Caux Palace, Switzerland, from 12 - 14 May 2025, aims to inspire, connect, and equip individuals with the skills and qualities needed to foster peace through the power of art and dialogue.

The 2-day residential event is being designed to allow participants from around the world the time to gain some perspective, retreat from the bustling routine and find a space that allows for silent reflection, creative collaboration and the exchange of ideas and experiences.

 

Why Arts and Peace?

In a world where peace and cross-cultural understanding are increasingly challenged, creating spaces for dialogue, empathy, and connection has never been more urgent. Culture, the arts, and peacebuilding can come together to spark meaningful change—because culture and the arts help people navigate complex emotions, foster healing, bridge divides, and build understanding.

Peacebuilding pioneer John Paul Lederach emphasizes that lasting conflict resolution isn’t just about politics or technical fixes—it requires imagination, creativity, and a deeply human approach. And that’s where the arts can come in.

 

 

About the event

The Caux Arts and Peace Encounters 2025 invite artists, peacebuilders, changemakers, policymakers, and academics to connect and share the skills and qualities needed to foster peace through the power of arts and dialogue.

This event is not a typical “conference.” Our theory of change rests on the belief that:

•  IF we study and integrate the values and principles of peacebuilding and the arts, and through this process begin to understand their importance to each other in bringing about transformational change
• THEN we will act individually and collectively to reveal these values and principles of relationship, vision and imagination, creativity and empathy
• RESULTING in putting them into practice in ways to enhance human flourishing.

The 2.5 day residential programme focuses on creating meaningful connections, inner reflection, and collaborative action.

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Programme

The programme will include:

• Connection with self and nature through a greeting the day ceremony and inner reflection time
• Community connections: discussions in small community groups from across sectors as an opportunity for deeper connection and sharing
• Inspirational speakers who will share their personal and professional stories on arts and peace 
• Hands-on workshops, a masterclass on peacebuilding through the arts, and sessions on topics such as integrating creative approaches into peacebuilding for non-artists and using music for collective healing
• An exciting evening programme.  

 

The Caux Arts and Peace Encounters aim to create a lasting community of individuals and organisations working at the intersection of arts and peace. To maintain the momentum from this first event, we plan to host future online gatherings for collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and mutual support. Additionally, we will produce resources, including a film that highlights key moments and insights from participants, to amplify the impact of the Encounters.

We are also exploring the development of a pledge that reflects the community's shared values and goals, and aligns with global initiatives like the 2025 UNESCO MONDIACULT, promoting culture and the arts as tools for peace, dialogue, and sustainable development.

This marks the first edition of what will become an annual event, forming part of a three-year Caux Arts and Peace Encounters programme. The Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation will also host a special event and an artist-in-residence, together with the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform during the Geneva Peace Week from 13-17 October 2025.

Discover the programme

 

 

Speakers, Masterclass & Workshop Organisers

 

BENJAMIN BERGEY, Educator, Conductor and Peacebuilder

Benjamin Bergey is assistant professor of music at EMU, where he directs the choirs and orchestra, and teaches courses on music and peacebuilding, music theory, and conducting. He is an active musician who currently serves as assistant conductor for the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival, and he also conducts the Rapidan Orchestra in Orange, VA. Dr. Bergey was named “40 Under 40” in Yamaha’s Music Educator Award, received the 2023 Excellence in Teaching Award at EMU, and won 2nd place in the American Prize for both Choral and Orchestral Conducting in the University division.
He completed his doctorate and masters at James Madison University in Orchestral Conducting. His doctoral research focused on how ensemble music can be a tool in peacebuilding by bringing diverse people together for building empathy and dialogue, using two groups in Israel and Palestine as examples. He then started and now advises a new major at EMU called Music and Peacebuilding. He regularly gives presentations and trainings on the use of music in peacebuilding.
Additionally, Benjamin Bergey is a prominent music leader in the Mennonite Church, having recently served as Director of Music at Harrisonburg Mennonite Church for six years, and notably as Music Editor for Voices Together, the hymnal for Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada, as well as compiler and editor for the hymnal's Accompaniment Edition. He regularly leads worship and resourcing events at assemblies, workshops, and conferences, and was the music planner for the 2022 Mennonite World Conference Assembly music and songbook.

 

NATACHA CERNY EHTESHAM & MARTHA CERNY, One Arctic and Museum of Contemporary Circumpolar Art

Martha Cerny is a Canadian-Swiss curator, co-founder, and director of the Museum of Contemporary Circumpolar Art (MCCA) in Bern, Switzerland. Holding an MAS from Zurich University of the Arts, she has dedicated her career to amplifying Indigenous voices from the Arctic, providing a platform for artists and communities from the circumpolar regions. Since 1995, she has worked extensively with Inuit art, expanding her focus to other Arctic cultures in 1998. Over the past 15 years, her work has centered on addressing the complex cultural and environmental challenges faced by circumpolar communities—from the legacies of colonialism to the impacts of climate change. Through national and international exhibitions, events, and dialogues, she fosters understanding, knowledge exchange, and global awareness of Arctic issues, bridging the gap between the high North and the global public

Natascha Cerny Ehtesham has a background in civilian peacebuilding and human rights, with over a decade of experience in these fields. She currently works as the Assistant Director at the Museum of Contemporary Circumpolar Art in Bern, where she focuses on promoting Arctic Indigenous voices and implementing decolonization initiatives. Natascha has worked with organizations such as swisspeace, humanrights.ch as well as Library and Archives Canada, where she led projects aimed at preventing violent conflict and addressing its aftermath through collaborating with civil society organizations, human rights defenders, memory institutions, as well as multilateral organizations and governments, predominantly in Europe and the post-Soviet space. Natascha is committed to fostering dialogue and mutual understanding, drawing on lessons from the past to help build a better future. (photo: Arctic Voices)

 

AMBASSADOR ALEXANDER FASEL (Switzerland), Secretary of State, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Switzerland

Ambassador Alexander Fasel is the Secretary of State at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs in Switzerland. He is native of Fribourg and joined the FDFA in 1992 after studying law at the universities of Fribourg and Oxford. He served in Ottawa and Canberra, headed Switzerland's Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations Office and to the other international organisations in Geneva, has served as deputy state secretary in Bern, as Swiss ambassador in London, and as special representative for science diplomacy in International Geneva (since 2021). (photo: Linkedin)

 

 

KATHY JETNIL-KIJINER (Marshall Islands), poet and climate change activist, Marshall Islands Climate Envoy

Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner is a Marshall Islander poet, performance artist, educator. She received international acclaim through her poetry performance at the opening of the United Nations Climate Summit in New York in 2014. Her writing and performances have been featured by CNN, Democracy Now, the Huffington Post, NBC News, National Geographic, and more. In February 2017, the University of Arizona Press published her first collection of poetry, Iep Jāltok: Poems from a Marshallese Daughter.

Kathy also co-founded the youth environmentalist non-profit Jo-Jikum dedicated to empowering Marshallese youth to seek solutions to climate change and other environmental impacts threatening their home island. Kathy has been selected as one of 13 Climate Warriors by Vogue in 2015 and the Impact Hero of the Year by Earth Company in 2016. She received her Master’s in Pacific Island Studies from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. (photo: www.kathyjetnilkijner.com)

 

GUILA CLARA KESSOUS (France), UNESCO Artist for Peace, Peace Ambassador and Executive Coach

Recipient of a doctorate under Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Elie Wiesel’s direction and an MBA of ESSEC Business School, Dr. Guila Clara Kessous (France) is a UNESCO Artist for Peace, Peace Ambassador and executive coach. She combines performing art and activism working as an “artivist” helping population victims of post traumatic syndroms. She has worked with displaced population in Bangladesh (Rohingyas), in Rwanda (survivors of genocides) as well as in Congo with Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Mukwege. As a teacher at the Harvard Carr Center for Human Rights Policies at Harvard Kennedy School, she created the course “Theatre and Human Rights” and received the Derek Bok Center Award for excellence in teaching. As an executive coach, she developed specific training using role games and Harvard negotiation techniques to enhance executive inner empowerment. She became “Rising Talent” for the Women’s Forum for the Economy and the Society helping thousands of executives for a more assertive and positive leadership. She is running the International Day of Women’s Rights and World Art Day at UNESCO. Dr Kessous has been knighted by the French government.

 

DR JOHN PAUL LEDERACH (USA), Professor Emeritus of International Peacebuilding, Kroc Institute University of Notre Dame (via video conference)

Dr. John Paul Lederach is internationally recognized for his groundbreaking work in the fields of peacebuilding and conflict transformation. He is widely known for the development of culturally based approaches to conflict transformation; the design and implementation of integrative, strategic approaches to peacebuilding; and for carving a robust integration of the arts and social change. Over the course of his career, Lederach has garnered extensive experience working with non-governmental organizations, community-based initiatives impacted by cycles of violence, and national peace process design. He has worked extensively as a practitioner in conciliation processes in Latin America, Africa, and Southeast and Central Asia.
Lederach is the author or editor of 30 books and manuals (translated into a dozen languages), and numerous academic articles and monographs on peace education, conflict transformation, international peacebuilding, and conciliation training. He has developed training materials and manuals available in Spanish on peace education, conflict transformation, and mediation, now used widely throughout Latin America.
Lederach received his bachelor’s degree in history and peace studies from Bethel College and his doctorate of philosophy degree in sociology, with a concentration on social conflict, from the University of Colorado. He currently serves as Senior Fellow for Humanity United and Professor Emeritus of International Peacebuilding at the Joan B. Kroc Institute of International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame. (photo: Linkedin)

 

LISA YASKO (Ukraine), Musician and a Member of Parliament of Ukraine

Lisa Yasko is a musician and 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.

 

MARUEE PAHUJA (India), Expressive Arts Consultant, Process Facilitator, Visual Artist, and Eye-Care Practitioner

Maruee Pahuja is an impassioned Expressive Arts Consultant, Process Facilitator, Visual Artist, and Eye-Care Practitioner passionate about bridging arts and science. At the Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation, she fosters peacebuilding through arts-based approaches and drives strategy with Creative Leadership, the Caux Foundation's initiative for young leaders. With over 300 workshops worldwide and collaborations with 25+ non-profits, Maruee champions arts-based interventions for leadership and community resilience. A speaker at Geneva Peace Week, the International Day of Conscience and the Caux Democracy Forum, she has created 5,000+ multimedia artworks and exhibited nationally. Dedicated to transformation through creativity, Maruee continues to inspire and innovate globally.

 

KARIM WASFI (Iraq), Conductor, Iraq National Symphony Orchestra

Maestro Karim Wasfi is the Conductor of the Iraq National Symphony Orchestra, a renowned cellist, peace ambassador, and leadership strategist. As the founder and CEO of Peace Through Arts, he leverages music, education, and the arts to counter radicalization, prevent extremism, and foster sustainable peace. Through cultural diplomacy and societal engagement, he has pioneered initiatives to rebuild war-torn communities and promote healing using music and sound frequencies. His instant composition performances enhance connectivity and subconscious pattern shifts, aiding thousands in crisis areas. His groundbreaking work has earned global recognition, including prestigious awards for cultural excellence and diplomacy. Beyond conducting and performing, he explores the intersection of sound therapy and artificial intelligence. Educated in Physics and Philosophy at Cairo University and trained in performance and conducting at Indiana University’s School of Music, he studied under legendary mentors such as Janos Starker and David Effron. Beginning his musical journey at age six in Baghdad, he has since performed and conducted workshops worldwide, continuing to inspire audiences through the universal language of sound.

 

BARRY HART (USA), Emeritus Professor of Trauma, Identity and Conflict Studies, Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, Eastern Mennonite University, USA

Barry Hart is Emeritus Professor of Trauma, Identity and Conflict Studies, Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, Eastern Mennonite University, USA. He was the he Academic Director of the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding from 2009-2012 and held the same position in the Caux Scholars Program, Caux, Switzerland from 1997-2010. Dr. Hart has conducted workshops on psychosocial trauma recovery and reconciliation in Northern Ireland, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Burundi and among Rwandan refugees in Tanzania. Hart has lived and worked in the Balkans where he developed and led trauma and conflict transformation programs for schools, communities and religious leaders. He was engaged in a three-year peacebuilding institute and curriculum development project between EMU and the University of Hargeisa in Somaliland (2008-2011). He has also co-led inter-racial workshops in Richmond, Virginia for Hope in the Cities. He holds a Ph.D. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution (ICAR), George Mason University. Publications include the book ‘Peacebuilding in Traumatized Societies’, and numerous book chapters and journal articles on conflict transformation and restorative justice and the power of dignity in the negotiation process.

 

JACQUELINE COTE (Canada/Switzerland), President Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation

Jacqueline Coté is the President of the Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation. She 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. In that role she was instrumental in building the new campus of the Institute, the Maison de la Paix, as a vibrant centre of conferences and seminars, thus solidifying the reputation and outreach of the Institute in International Geneva and beyond. Prior to that Ms Coté was the Permanent Representative to the UN of the International Chamber of Commerce and also served as 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. Ms Coté believes that the global agenda can best be tackled by linking the public, private and non-profit sectors, and that dialogue and empathy are essential tools to achieve the sustainable development goals.  She recently trained as a mediator at Harvard Law School and joined the board of several associations to continue her engagement with International Geneva. Ms Coté has Swiss, Canadian and British nationalities, is a member of the Bar of Quebec and has two grown-up children who share her passion about tackling today’s global challenges in their areas of work.

 

LEWIS CARDINAL (Canada), Educator, Storyholder andLeader 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.

 

HYUNG JOON WON, Violinist & Founder of Lindenbaum Festival Orchestra

Hyung Joon Won is a South Korean violinist trained at the Juilliard School. In 1990, he performed at the World Economic Forum which celebrated the 1990 reunification of East and West Germany. This inspired him to think of music as a medium of reconciliation. In 2009, with the hope of creating a joint North and South Korea orchestra, he founded the Lindenbaum Festival Orchestra. Since 2009, he is planning to hold a joint orchestra concert between the Koreas. Hyung believes that eventually, his dreams will come true. His relentless efforts towards making his dream a reality is captured in the documentary film named “9 at 38”.

 

Discover the full programme

 

 

Organisers & Partners

The Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation is part of the Initiatives of Change global movement committed to societal transformation by starting with personal change for a just, peaceful and sustainable world.

Throughout its history, Caux programming fostered a network of people who share the belief that different forms of arts can be positive and powerful forces for change in personal lives and the world at large.

Most recently Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation renewed its work in this area which included a soft launch and  benefit concert with world renowned pianist Khatia Buniatishvilli in May 2024 as well as through a Special Arts and Peace Encounters Event during the Geneva Peace Week in October 2024

The Caux Arts and Peace Encounters 2025 edition is held in partnership with the Swiss Development Cooperation, UNESCO Artist for Peace, Guila Kessous, the Embassy of Colombia to Switzerland, the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform, the financial support of the Minkoff Foundation and sponsored by the generous donations from Khatia Buniatishvili's charity concert. Additional partnerships are being explored as well.

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The Venue: the Caux Palace

The Caux Arts and Peace Encounters takes place in our centre for dialogue and peacebuilding, the Caux Palace, a former Belle Epoque Hotel nestled in the mountains 1000m above sea level. With its breathtaking view over the Leman and the Alps, it provides a unique and inspiring setting.

 

Cost

CHF 300.- including:

• Accommodation in either shared or single room at the Caux Palace and Villa Maria
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• Coffee and tea breaks as well as refreshments
• Participation in the Caux Arts and Peace Encounters
• Materials provided during the event
• VAT & City taxes

 

SOLIDARITY FUND

We have created a fund aimed at fostering true diversity of participants by providing support to those who might not otherwise be able to participate. Every contribution helps and we appreciate any additional amount you are able to give when paying via the registration form. 

 

 

Advisory Committee

• MICHEL ABOU KHALIL (LEBANON/SWITZERLAND), PhD, Director of Swiss Made Culture, Crans (VS)
• CELINE YVON (SWITZERLAND/ AUSTRIA), Expert in venture philanthropy and sustainable development and Former Director of Leenaards Foundation,
• MARUEE PAHUJA (INDIA), Creative Leadership, Visual Artist, Intermodal Expressive Arts Therapy Practitioner and an Arts-Informed Ecotherapy Practitioner 
• BARRY HART (USA) Emeritus Professor of Trauma, Identity and Conflict Studies, Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, Eastern Mennonite University, USA
• ANNE-CATHERINE SUTERMEISTER (SWITZERLAND), Head of Community Engagement, Arts & Training Programmes, Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation
• SARAH NOBLE (CANADA/SWITZERLAND), Head of Global Engagement - Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation
• IGNACIO PACKER (SWITZERLAND), Executive Director Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation

 

 

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Art is more than aesthetics; it’s a universal language that transcends borders and ideologies….Art brings people together by fostering empathy, offering alternative narratives, and creating spaces for dialogue. From Myanmar to Colombia, we see how art not only expresses personal stories but also builds bridges between divided communities.”

Rudi von Planta, Swiss Development Cooperation, Arts and Peace Encounters, 18 October 2024

 

 

Watch the replay of the Arts and Peace Encounters event at Geneva Peace Week 2024