CDF Dedicated page: Workshops

Healthy democracy relies on robust relationships, yet lingering wounds from the past often obstruct progress, affecting multiple aspects of life. This workstream delves into the imperative of healing broken relationships and fostering forgiveness and restitution.

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 challenges we face from the personal to the global.

We will hear from outstanding peacemakers and explore the approaches, skills and tools needed to heal the wounds of the past – and the present.

Target Audience

This workstream is particularly relevant for anyone active in conflict resolution and peacebuilding as well as students and their faculties focused on conflict resolution, peacebuilding and international relations.

Objectives of this Workstream

Through the IofC experiential approaches of storytelling, sharing and reflection, this workstream is designed to inspire, equip, and connect participants: inspiring them through interactions with outstanding peacemakers, equipping them with knowledge shared by both speakers and participants, and fostering connections through the exchange of experiences and approaches among peers.

Participants will have the opportunity to:

• Engage with grass-roots peacemakers and learn from their approaches, skills and tools.
• Reflect on personal experiences of healing past and recent wounds.
• Reflect on present needs for healing in and around them.
• Expand understanding of ‘forgiveness’ and ‘restitution’ and their critical importance.
• Reflect on why healing relationships is fundamental to a healthy democratic life at all levels.

Workstream Programme

On each afternoon there will be 2 x 75-minute sessions.

In the FIRST SESSION, presenters will share their experiences and the initiatives for reconciliation that they have taken in a wide variety of contexts, followed by questions and answers.

In the SECOND SESSION, participants will have the opportunity to:

• Discuss in small groups their take-aways from the first session
• Present their own peacemaking initiatives
• Reflect on next steps
• Share their learnings with the whole group.

The presenters will be present for consultation throughout the whole Caux Democracy Forum.

Please note that this workstream are still subject to change.

• When: 16 July  (14:30 - 16:00 & 17:00 - 18:30)
• Where: to be announced
• Language: English
• Number of participants: to be announced

DR PETER SHAMBROOK, Independant Scholar & Historical Consultant, Balfour Project

Peter Shambrook is an independent scholar and historical consultant to the Balfour Project, which works to advance equal rights for all in Palestine/Israel. He holds a PhD in modern Middle Eastern history from the University of Cambridge. Author of French Imperialism in Syria, 1927-1936 and Policy of Deceit. Britain and Palestine, 1914-1939  He lives in Durham, UK.

ASSAAD CHAFTARI, Founder of Fighters for Peace

Assaad Chaftari from Lebanon took an active part in the Lebanese civil war where he worked in the security and intelligence services of the Christian Lebanese Forces (LF). In 1985 he co-negotiated the Tripartite Agreement on behalf of the LF and co-created the WAED - National Secular Democratic party in 1990. When he met Initiatives of Change, he experienced a change of heart and wrote a public letter of repentance and apology to his victims in February 2000. In 2012 he co-created Fighters for Peace, an NGO of ex-civil war fighters from all denominations working together for civil peace, healing and immunising against violence. In 2016 he wrote an autobiography with the title The truth even with a trembling voice. Assaad has a long experience in public speaking, training and organising dialogues, conferences and mediation. Since 2016 he is a member of the Global Peace Builders Network. He is also a council member of Initiatives of Change International.

• When: 17 July  (14:30 - 16:00 & 17:00 - 18:30)
• Where: to be announced
• Language: English
• Number of participants: to be announced

JO BERRY, Founder of Building Bridges for Peace and Public Speaker

Jo Berry, an inspiring speaker and founder of the charity Building Bridges for Peace, emerged from a profound personal tragedy to become a global advocate for reconciliation. In 1984, her father fell victim to an IRA bomb, igniting a journey that led her to engage with the ex-combatant who planted the bomb, Patrick Magee. Their unprecedented relationship, documented in the BBC's "Facing the Enemy" and featured in films like "Beyond Right and Wrong" and "The Bomb," encapsulates Jo's belief in unbounded empathy as the key to transforming conflict. Jo's impactful message of hope resonates in international conferences and seminars on reconciliation, conflict resolution, and sustainable peace. She has shared her insights worldwide, from Lebanon to South Korea, contributing to panels, radio, and TV discussions. Her work has become a vital resource in peace studies and conflict transformation education globally. As a TEDx speaker and Visiting Fellow at the University of Nottingham, Jo's influence extends beyond speeches. She has crafted workshops on conflict resolution, difficult conversations, and navigating uncertainty, both in-person and virtually. Jo Berry's journey exemplifies the power of empathy in overcoming deep divisions and fostering understanding.

DR PATRICK MAGEE, Author and Public Speaker

Dr Patrick Magee was released from prison in 1999 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. Shortly after his release, he completed a PhD examining the representation of Irish Republicans in ‘Troubles’ fiction. For 27 years he was a committed member of the IRA. In November 2000 he agreed to meet Jo Berry, whose father had been killed along with four others in the IRA’s attack on the Grand Hotel, Brighton in 1984. Since then they have met on more than 200 occasions, in Ireland, the UK and overseas. Although Pat carries the burden of knowing he had caused Jo profound hurt, they continue to explore their common humanity, recognising that war robs combatants of what it is to be human, of an essential capacity to empathise and to see the world through the eyes of others. Patrick Magee's memoir 'Where Grieving Begins - Building Bridges after the Brighton Bomb' was published by Pluto Press in 2021. 

• When: 18 July  (14:30 - 16:00 & 17:00 - 18:30)
• Where: to be announced
• Language: English
• Number of participants: to be announced

REV DR JAMES MOVEL WUYE, Pentecoastal Pastor and Co-Executive Director of the Interfaith Mediation Centre Kaduna, Nigeria

Rev Dr. James Movel Wuye is a Pentecostal Pastor with Assemblies of God Northern Nigeria (AGNN), and Co-Executive Director of the Interfaith Mediation Centre in Kaduna, Nigeria. During the 1980s and 1990s he was involved in Christian activities targeted at protecting the Church from ethno-religious violence. He served in various committees for peace and reconciliation in Kaduna State, national and international level and was a member of the African Union (AU) Interfaith Committee. He is Assistant District Superintendent of the Assemblies of God Northern Nigeria (AGNN), Secretary-General of the North-Western States of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), and also a member of the National Executive Council of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). His peacebuilding effort has earned him numerous awards, including the Peace Activist Award of the Tanenbaum Center of Interreligious Understanding. He is the subject of several documentary films, like The Imam and the Pastor; a moving story of forgiveness and a case-study of a successful grass-roots initiative to rebuild communities torn apart by conflict.

IMAM DR MUHAMMAD NURAYN ASHAFA, Co-Executive Director of the Interfaith Mediation Centre Kaduna, Nigeria

Imam Dr. Muhammad Nurayn Ashafa is the Co-executive Director of the Interfaith Mediation Centre in Kaduna, Nigeria, a faith-based non-governmental organisation he co-founded in 1995, working to end violent clashes between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria. His work has spread beyond Nigeria to Ghana, Burundi, Chad and Kenya, among some other countries in Africa, and he has featured in documentary films promoting forgiveness and reconciliation. Imam Ashafa's work has earned him numerous honours and awards. Imam Ashafa took an active role in several  documentary films, like Belief, a seven-part documentary series hosted by Oprah Winfrey. Iman Ashafa is the Ambassador of the Golden Rule of the United Religions Initiative (URI) and presently an Advisor on the Community Initiatives to Promote Peace (CIPP) programme, a USAID funded project under the lead of the Mercy Corps. He is recognized as one of the 500 Islamic influential figures around the world for his efforts in development in line with his peacebuilding efforts across the globe.

Please note that these workstreams are still subject to change. 

WORKSTREAM COORDINATORS

PETER RIDDELL, Convenor, Agenda for Reconciliation, Initiatives of Change UK

Peter Riddell (UK) is Convenor of Initiatives of Change UK’s Agenda for Reconciliation programme which supports refugees who wish to contribute to rebuilding their countries of origin. He has spent several decades with IofC organizing trustbuilding programmes between people of different faiths based on shared moral and spiritual values, in particular with people who have suffered due to Britain’s imperial legacy. He is a founder member of several organizations including British-Arab Exchanges and the Balfour Project.

AMINA DIKEDI-AJAKAIYE, Immediate past-president of Creators of Peace International

Amina Dikedi-Ajakaiye (Nigeria/UK) has been actively involved in the work of the Initiatives of Change (IofC) since 1982. Originally a teacher, Amina decided to change her profession and run a fashion business in Lagos. While involved in her profession, Amina remained involved with IofC volunteer work. In 2000, as a member of the IofC International Coordination Group, Amina and others ran international pan-African ethical leadership programmes across Africa. In 2013, Amina was contracted as Project Leader to support the South Sudan Initiative for Peace and National Reconciliation. From 1994 to 2013 Amina served as International Coordinator to the Creators of Peace (CoP).  She has been a Board member of IofC Nigeria since 2012 and a member of the IofC African Coordination Group (ACG) 2007 – 2010. She has worked with the Agenda for Reconciliation programme for over 10 years, served as convenor of the ACG and was President of Creators of Peace International. Through her work and her caring approach, Amina has earned the respect, trust and friendship of a large network of individuals throughout Africa and many countries beyond, from Presidents, and politicians, senior civil servants, traditional leaders, educators, business people and ordinary citizens.

DAYA BHAGWANDAS, Founding Director Neuro Network 

Daya Bhagwandas works in the field of neurosciences and brain development with adults and children. A passionate social entrepreneur, her approach focuses on transformation linking brain development and achieving human potential. Her neuroeducation programme, Achieving Brain Competency (ABC), has been rolled out in schools in many countries. Daya`s work experience includes rehabilitating child soldiers and more recently at-risk youths in Malaysia. In Australia she was Assistant Director at Gymbaroo the country’s largest Early Childhood Development programme with 65 centres. Daya is editor of book Tomorrow`s Children. She is also an internationally certified Yoga Master and lives in Melbourne, Australia. 

Healthy democracy relies on robust relationships, yet lingering wounds from the past often obstruct progress, affecting multiple aspects of life. This workstream delves into the imperative of healing broken relationships and fostering forgiveness and restitution.

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 challenges we face from the personal to the global.

We will hear from outstanding peacemakers and explore the approaches, skills and tools needed to heal the wounds of the past – and the present.

Target Audience

This workstream is particularly relevant for anyone active in conflict resolution and peacebuilding as well as students and their faculties focused on conflict resolution, peacebuilding and international relations.

Objectives of this Workstream

Through the IofC experiential approaches of storytelling, sharing and reflection, this workstream is designed to inspire, equip, and connect participants: inspiring them through interactions with outstanding peacemakers, equipping them with knowledge shared by both speakers and participants, and fostering connections through the exchange of experiences and approaches among peers.

Participants will have the opportunity to:

• Engage with grass-roots peacemakers and learn from their approaches, skills and tools.
• Reflect on personal experiences of healing past and recent wounds.
• Reflect on present needs for healing in and around them.
• Expand understanding of ‘forgiveness’ and ‘restitution’ and their critical importance.
• Reflect on why healing relationships is fundamental to a healthy democratic life at all levels.

Workstream Programme

On each afternoon there will be 2 x 75-minute sessions.

In the FIRST SESSION, presenters will share their experiences and the initiatives for reconciliation that they have taken in a wide variety of contexts, followed by questions and answers.

In the SECOND SESSION, participants will have the opportunity to:

• Discuss in small groups their take-aways from the first session
• Present their own peacemaking initiatives
• Reflect on next steps
• Share their learnings with the whole group.

The presenters will be present for consultation throughout the whole Caux Democracy Forum.

Please note that this workstream are still subject to change.

WORKSHOP EXPERTS

JO BERRY, Founder of Building Bridges for Peace and Public Speaker

Jo Berry, an inspiring speaker and founder of the charity Building Bridges for Peace, emerged from a profound personal tragedy to become a global advocate for reconciliation. In 1984, her father fell victim to an IRA bomb, igniting a journey that led her to engage with the ex-combatant who planted the bomb, Patrick Magee. Their unprecedented relationship, documented in the BBC's "Facing the Enemy" and featured in films like "Beyond Right and Wrong" and "The Bomb," encapsulates Jo's belief in unbounded empathy as the key to transforming conflict. Jo's impactful message of hope resonates in international conferences and seminars on reconciliation, conflict resolution, and sustainable peace. She has shared her insights worldwide, from Lebanon to South Korea, contributing to panels, radio, and TV discussions. Her work has become a vital resource in peace studies and conflict transformation education globally. As a TEDx speaker and Visiting Fellow at the University of Nottingham, Jo's influence extends beyond speeches. She has crafted workshops on conflict resolution, difficult conversations, and navigating uncertainty, both in-person and virtually. Jo Berry's journey exemplifies the power of empathy in overcoming deep divisions and fostering understanding.

DR PATRICK MAGEE, Author and Public Speaker

Dr Patrick Magee was released from prison in 1999 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. Shortly after his release, he completed a PhD examining the representation of Irish Republicans in ‘Troubles’ fiction. For 27 years he was a committed member of the IRA. In November 2000 he agreed to meet Jo Berry, whose father had been killed along with four others in the IRA’s attack on the Grand Hotel, Brighton in 1984. Since then they have met on more than 200 occasions, in Ireland, the UK and overseas. Although Pat carries the burden of knowing he had caused Jo profound hurt, they continue to explore their common humanity, recognising that war robs combatants of what it is to be human, of an essential capacity to empathise and to see the world through the eyes of others. Patrick Magee's memoir 'Where Grieving Begins - Building Bridges after the Brighton Bomb' was published by Pluto Press in 2021. 

DR. MUNA ISMAIL, Programme Manager Refugees as Re-Builders™, IofC UK

Dr Muna Ismail is the Programme Manager and team leader for Refugees as Re-Builders™ of Initiatives of Change UK. She is a plant scientist by training and an environmentalist interested in the ecosystem restoration of degraded arid land for sustainable livelihood regeneration. A former refugee herself, Muna’s vision has guided the development of the Refugees as Re-builders™ training programme since 2016. Muna completed her doctoral research at King’s College London and subsequently held visiting postdoc research at the School of Pharmacy, University College London and the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew. Muna is interested in arid land wild crops domestication and rural community land regeneration for food security in the Horn of Africa for sustainable livelihood. Muna is Founder of The Yeheb Project charity focused on regeneration and domestication of the yeheb plant, a hardy droughtresistant legume that is a source of food to both humans and livestock in the Horn of Africa.

ALHAMISS DICKO, President GEN-émergent, Mauritania

Alhamiss Dicko is the President of the GEN-émergent association in Mauritania. Alhamiss is developing new opportunities for refugees in Africa.

ANGELA STARAVOYTOVA and colleagues from Ukraine

Angela Starovoytova is passionate about building connections between people and communities. Her expertise is in using non-formal education and participatory facilitation methods to create a safe and trusting environment where individuals and groups can find personal transformation and changed  relationships. Angela has 20 years of international experience organizing and running workshops/conferences/long-term programmes on such themes as ethical leadership, conflict-resolution, trust- and peacebuilding and critical thinking. She is one of the founders of Foundations for Freedom/Initiatives of Change (Ukraine), and has worked in Ukraine, UK, Switzerland, Germany and Uganda. 

RICHARD WERLY, Journalist - France & Europe correspondant for Blick

Richard Werly is the France and Europe correspondent for Blick, Switzerland's largest newspaper. He appears frequently in TV news programmes in France and Switzerland, and has been awarded the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French Republic. He is also senior strategic advisor to the Swiss Diplo Foundation, which aims to improve global governance and international policy development, especially by increasing the power of small and developing states to influence their own futures.

CAROLINE VUILLEMIN, General Director Fondation Hirondelle

Caroline Vuillemin has been General Director of Fondation Hirondelle since 1 January , 2017. Fondation Hirondelle is a Swiss non-profit organisation founded in 1995, which provides information to populations facing crises, empowering them to take action in their daily lives and as citizens. Her career reflects a commitment to international development in the field of good governance, democratic participation and access to information. She joined Fondation Hirondelle in December 2003. Committed to helping public-interest media, including radio, meet the economic, governance and technological transformation challenges they face, she is a board member of the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD). Prior to Fondation Hirondelle, she worked for the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES), where she took part in numerous electoral observation missions in Africa. Caroline holds a bachelor's degree from the Institut d'études politiques de Lyon, complemented by a degree in international relations from Georgetown University in Washington, DC.

SARAH NOBLE, Head of Global Engagement, Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation

Sarah Noble is the Head of Global Engagement at the Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation. She is passionate about showcasing people's stories about how we build peace with each other and the planet. She brings with her more than 20 years of experience and has held leadership positions at international organisations focused on peacebuilding, humanitarian issues, and independent media. Sarah is co-founder and curator of the Peace Talks at Interpeace and also served as Director of External Relations at The New Humanitarian, a non-profit newsroom that puts quality, independent journalism at the service of the millions of people affected by humanitarian crises around the world. In her TEDx talk, Storytelling is Our Real-Life Superpower, she invites us to embrace this ability to take on the existential issues of our time and create a better future.

MARK GOYDER, Founder Director of Tomorrow’s Company

Marc Goyder is the Founder and Director of Tomorrow's Company, a London-based think-tank focusing on rediscovering the human purposes of business.

ANTOINE JAULMES, Consultant in business ethics, corporate management and corporate social responsibility

Antoine Jaulmes is a graduate engineer from Mines ParisTech. He worked for 35 years at Peugeot SA, where he held several management positions, including eight years as Director of the global platform for commercial vehicles and cooperation projects.With a long experience in industrial and R&D management positions, he is now a consultant in business ethics, corporate management and corporate social responsibility, and he also leads the Initiatives of Change Business & Economy Programme. Since his youth he has been concerned about the tragedy of extreme poverty in the world and by the prospect of planetary exhaustion in the face of world population growth. He now works to help business leaders take all their stakeholders, near and far, into account and to steer their companies towards serving humanity’s needs. He chaired the board of the Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation from 2012 to 2018.

SIDRA RASLAN, Creative Leadership & HP Amplify Impact Partner Sustainability Programme

Sidra Raslan from Syria is the Co-coordinating manager of Creative Leadership, a Caux Initiatives of Change initiative for young leaders that organises programmes focused on reconceptualizing leadership through dialogue and storytelling. Sidra also volunteers on topics of refugees rights and inclusion, inner development, and youth empowerment. Sidra holds a masters degree in environmental, economic and social sustainability from UAB and works at HP on their partner sustainability programme.

DR IRINA FEDORENKO-AULA, Researcher, Serial Green Tech Entrepreneur

Dr Irina Fedorenko-Aula is a researcher and a serial green tech entrepreneur working on nature-based solutions. She is a steering group member at Initiatives of Land Lives and Peace, a programme of IofC International. She previously served as a Managing Director of Caux Dialogue on Environment and Security.  Irina co-founded the first tree-planting drone company and ran ecosystem restoration projects in Asia and Africa. She is a co-founder at Flying Forests that uses technology to empower local communities and Vlinder that develops Social Blue Carbon projects. Irina is an expert on carbon sequestration, having obtained a Ph.D. from the University of Oxford as a recipient of the Weidenfeld-Hoffman Trust Scholarship. In Oxford, she mentors young climate activists and entrepreneurs, who want to work on the interplay of people, technology and sustainability. 

DR ALAN CHANNER, Film Director, Environment and Peace Specialist

Dr Alan Channer is a specialist in the nexus between environment and peace. He has carried out research in agricultural ecology in Tuvalu, Malawi and China and worked in peacebuilding in Cambodia, Kenya, Nigeria and Chad. He has served as a consultant for the United Nations Development Programme, the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Transparency International, the Global EverGreening Alliance, World Agroforestry and the World Council of Churches. He was director of the award-winning documentary film ‘The Imam and the Pastor’ and a runner-up for the Bremen International Peace Prize. He has been inspired by growing up within the ethos of Initiatives of Change.

AILI CHANNER, Researcher & Writer

Aili Channer is a researcher and writer interested in thinking historically and philosophically about the cultural patterns that have led to our contemporary ecological crises and how to create societal renewal. This interest took her to Bhutan to learn how this country puts its economy at the service of human wellbeing and the natural world. More recently, she has been working for Earthrise, Al Jazeera’s environmental solutions series. She is a graduate of the University of Oxford.

• When: 17 July(17:00 - 18:30)
• Where: to be announced
• Language: English
• Number of participants: to be announced

About the workshop

Democracy depends on media which tells the truth. Journalists and others who are devoted to developing a media of integrity will outline the challenges, and will discuss how media consumers can help.

About the speaker

RICHARD WERLY, Journalist

Richard Werly is the France and Europe correspondent for Blick, Switzerland's largest newspaper. He appears frequently in TV news programmes in France and Switzerland, and has been awarded the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French Republic. He is also senior strategic advisor to the Swiss Diplo Foundation, which aims to improve global governance and international policy development, especially by increasing the power of small and developing states to influence their own futures.

CAROLINE VUILLEMIN, General Director Fondation Hirondelle

Caroline Vuillemin has been General Director of Fondation Hirondelle since 1 January , 2017. Fondation Hirondelle is a Swiss non-profit organisation founded in 1995, which provides information to populations facing crises, empowering them to take action in their daily lives and as citizens. Her career reflects a commitment to international development in the field of good governance, democratic participation and access to information. She joined Fondation Hirondelle in December 2003. Committed to helping public-interest media, including radio, meet the economic, governance and technological transformation challenges they face, she is a board member of the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD). Prior to Fondation Hirondelle, she worked for the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES), where she took part in numerous electoral observation missions in Africa. Caroline holds a bachelor's degree from the Institut d'études politiques de Lyon, complemented by a degree in international relations from Georgetown University in Washington, DC.

SARAH NOBLE, Head of Global Engagement, Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation

Sarah Noble is the Head of Global Engagement at the Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation. She is passionate about showcasing people's stories about how we build peace with each other and the planet. She brings with her more than 20 years of experience and has held leadership positions at international organisations focused on peacebuilding, humanitarian issues, and independent media. Sarah is co-founder and curator of the Peace Talks at Interpeace and also served as Director of External Relations at The New Humanitarian, a non-profit newsroom that puts quality, independent journalism at the service of the millions of people affected by humanitarian crises around the world. In her TEDx talk, Storytelling is Our Real-Life Superpower, she invites us to embrace this ability to take on the existential issues of our time and create a better future.

• When: 17 July (14:30 - 16:00)
• Where: to be announced
• Language: English
• Number of participants: to be announced

About the workshop

Corruption undermines democracy. This session will hear of initiatives in Asia, Africa and Europe which have proved effective against corrupt practices. It will explore how these approaches and others could be applied to confront current corruption.

About the speaker

FARAI MAGUWU, Executive Director, Centre for Natural Resource Governance, Zimbabwe

Farai Maguwu founded the Centre for Natural Resource Governance to improve governance of natural resources in Zimbabwe. He has done extensive research and documentation on human rights abuses and illicit trade in diamonds. In 2011 Human Rights Watch honoured him with the Alison Des Forges Award for Extraordinary Activism.

• When: 17 July (17:00 - 18:30)
• Where: to be announced
• Language: English
• Number of participants: to be announced

About the workshop

Throughout history people have migrated, and this will probably increase in the coming years. Will the reaction from wealthy countries be xenophobic, or can there be a better approach? This workshop will explore initiatives which are enabling migrants to benefit both the country to which they come, and their country of origin.

About the speakers

DR MUNA ISMAIL, Programme Manager Refugees as Re-Builders™, IofC UK

Dr Muna Ismail is the Programme Manager and team leader for Refugees as Re-Builders™ of Initiatives of Change UK. She is a plant scientist by training and an environmentalist interested in the ecosystem restoration of degraded arid land for sustainable livelihood regeneration. A former refugee herself, Muna’s vision has guided the development of the Refugees as Re-builders™ training programme since 2016. Muna completed her doctoral research at King’s College London and subsequently held visiting postdoc research at the School of Pharmacy, University College London and the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew. Muna is interested in arid land wild crops domestication and rural community land regeneration for food security in the Horn of Africa for sustainable livelihood. Muna is Founder of The Yeheb Project charity focused on regeneration and domestication of the yeheb plant, a hardy droughtresistant legume that is a source of food to both humans and livestock in the Horn of Africa.

ALHAMISS DICKO, President GEN-émergent, Mauritania

Alhamiss Dicko is the President of the GEN-émergent association in Mauritania. Alhamiss is developing new opportunities for refugees in Africa.

• When: 18 July (14:30 - 16:00)
• Where: to be announced
• Language: English
• Number of participants: to be announced

About the workshop

Some nations are under attack with the aim of destroying their existence as democracies. We will hear from people in Ukraine and other conflict situations who are working to maintain a functioning society and economy. The workstream will explore how to support them.

About the speakers

ANGELA STARAVOYTOVA and colleagues from Ukraine

Angela Starovoytova is passionate about building connections between people and communities. Her expertise is in using non-formal education and participatory facilitation methods to create a safe and trusting environment where individuals and groups can find personal transformation and changed  relationships. Angela has 20 years of international experience organizing and running workshops/conferences/long-term programmes on such themes as ethical leadership, conflict-resolution, trust- and peacebuilding and critical thinking. She is one of the founders of Foundations for Freedom/Initiatives of Change (Ukraine), and has worked in Ukraine, UK, Switzerland, Germany and Uganda. 

• When: 18 July, (17:00 - 18:30)
• Where: to be announced
• Language: English
• Number of participants: to be announced

About the workshop

Global warming calls for a transformation in our economies. This workshop will hear of economic initiatives which are pioneering this transformation, improving the environment and the wellbeing of citizens. Much more is needed, and this workshop will discuss how to support such initiatives locally and more widely.

About the speakers

SIDRA RASLAN, Creative Leadership & HP Amplify Impact Partner Sustainability Programme

Sidra Raslan from Syria is the logistics and outreach lead of Creative Leadership, a youth-led Caux Initiatives of Change initiative for young leaders that organises programmes focused on dialogue and storytelling. Sidra also volunteers on topics of refugees rights and inclusion, inner development, and youth empowerment. Sidra holds a masters degree in environmental, economic and social sustainability from UAB and works at HP on their partner sustainability programme.

DR IRINA FEDORENKO-AULA, Researcher, Serial Green Tech Entrepreneur

Dr Irina Fedorenko-Aula is a researcher and a serial green tech entrepreneur working on nature-based solutions. She is a steering group member at Initiatives of Land Lives and Peace, a programme of IofC International. She previously served as a Managing Director of Caux Dialogue on Environment and Security.  Irina co-founded the first tree-planting drone company and ran ecosystem restoration projects in Asia and Africa. She is a co-founder at Flying Forests that uses technology to empower local communities and Vlinder that develops Social Blue Carbon projects. Irina is an expert on carbon sequestration, having obtained a Ph.D. from the University of Oxford as a recipient of the Weidenfeld-Hoffman Trust Scholarship. In Oxford, she mentors young climate activists and entrepreneurs, who want to work on the interplay of people, technology and sustainability. 

DR ALAN CHANNER, Film Director, Environment and Peace Specialist

Dr Alan Channer is a specialist in the nexus between environment and peace. He has carried out research in agricultural ecology in Tuvalu, Malawi and China and worked in peacebuilding in Cambodia, Kenya, Nigeria and Chad. He has served as a consultant for the United Nations Development Programme, the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Transparency International, the Global EverGreening Alliance, World Agroforestry and the World Council of Churches. He was director of the award-winning documentary film ‘The Imam and the Pastor’ and a runner-up for the Bremen International Peace Prize. He has been inspired by growing up within the ethos of Initiatives of Change.

AILI CHANNER, Researcher & Writer

Aili Channer is a researcher and writer interested in thinking historically and philosophically about the cultural patterns that have led to our contemporary ecological crises and how to create societal renewal. This interest took her to Bhutan to learn how this country puts its economy at the service of human wellbeing and the natural world. More recently, she has been working for Earthrise, Al Jazeera’s environmental solutions series. She is a graduate of the University of Oxford.

WORKSTREAM COORDINATORS

JOHN BOND, Journalist & Author, Initiatives of Change

John Bond lives in Oxford, England, and has worked with Initiatives of Change in over 30 countries. For five years he coordinated the Caux Forum for Human Security. Previously he was the Secretary of Australia’s National Sorry Day Committee, which enlisted a million Australians in initiatives to overcome the harm done to Aboriginal Australians by cruel and misguided past policies. For this he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia. He is also a writer. His most-recent book, a biography of Professor Jerzy Zubrzycki, known as 'the father of Australian multiculturalism', has been published in English and Polish.

SARAH NOBLE, Head of Global Engagement, Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation

Sarah Noble is the Head of Global Engagement at the Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation. She is passionate about showcasing people's stories about how we build peace with each other and the planet. She brings with her more than 20 years of experience and has held leadership positions at international organisations focused on peacebuilding, humanitarian issues, and independent media. Sarah is co-founder and curator of the Peace Talks at Interpeace and also served as Director of External Relations at The New Humanitarian, a non-profit newsroom that puts quality, independent journalism at the service of the millions of people affected by humanitarian crises around the world. In her TEDx talk, Storytelling is Our Real-Life Superpower, she invites us to embrace this ability to take on the existential issues of our time and create a better future.

The social tensions in our societies have their root causes in violations of human rights, discrimination and poverty. These factors have repeatedly been the focus of the Conference of INGOs at the Council of Europe, where Initiatives of Change holds Participatory Status. These challenging situations can be addressed by dialogue, which enables all parties to collaborate in finding mutually acceptable solutions, and to share responsibility for their implementation.

This workstream draws on the INGO Dialogue Methodology.  This enables all stakeholders to respond to a blocked or polarized situation that requires sustained and carefully thought-through approaches.

It builds social cohesion, good democratic governance and a human rights-based approach to diversity issues.

Target Audience

This workstream invites changemakers wishing to bring constructive change in a challenging situation that they care about and wanting an enabling experience leading to action.
 

Objectives of this Workstream

This workstream is designed to enable each participant to leave with a guide to action according to their own sense of need and commitment, enriched by three afternoons of learning from each other based on the matrix, “Identify your own course of action”. 

• When: 14 - 18 July (14:30 - 16:00 & 17:00 - 18:15)
• Where: to be announced
• Language: English
• Number of participants: to be announced

Workstream Programme

Each afternoon there will be two 90-minute workshops following the INGO Dialogue Methodology. Participants will engage in thematic presentations, small group conversations, personal reflection and story-telling, culminating in a summary sharing session.

The structure of the afternoon workshops comprises three key components aligned to the cross-cutting issues:

• Exploring Cornerstones and Values for progress while avoiding double standards;
• Unpacking the methodology of INGO Dialogues, harmonizing the inner and outer development;
• Identifying your own course of action, recognizing that words and deeds matter.

The INGO Dialogue Toolkit booklet will be available upon arrival at the Caux Democracy Forum for those who register for this workstream.  Each of its eight elements ends with a set of Action Points, to be used in the situation when and where dialogues are being initiated. It also provides dialogue initiators with a variety of useful references and links.

Please note that these workstreams are still subject to change. Stay tuned for the detailed programme coming soon.

Workstream 3: Civil Society Fostering Dialogue

WORKSTREAM COORDINATORS

CHRISTOPH SPRENG, Advisor to the Standing Comittee CINGO

Christoph Spreng, Switzerland, has been representing Initiatives of Change at the Council of Europe since 2006 and in his role has been entrusted a large variety of specific assignments. He was Vice-President of CINGO until April 2024 and was asked to continue his work at CINGO as Advisor to the Standing Comittee. Christoph is also the coordinator of the INGO Dialogue Toolkit Hub. In June 2017 he was appointed INGO Special Advisor for Human Rights and Business and has been representing CINGO at the CoE North-South Centre since 2018.

At the occasion of 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe, Christoph Spreng has helped his colleagues to organise this 10th edition of World NGO Day as their contribution as representatives from and in Europe to a global event that wants to treasure the civic space and show its potential at a time when this space is so challenged.

DR LAURIE JOHNSTON, Professor of Theology, Emmanuel College, Boston/USA

Dr Laurie Johnston is Professor of Theology at Emmanuel College in Boston where she teaches courses on social ethics. She is the author or editor of works on peacebuilding, reconciliation, and just war theory and most recently edited a journal issue on the thought of Jacques Maritain and contemporary challenges to democracy. She also serves as the Executive Vice President of the Sant'Egidio Foundation for Peace and Dialogue. She first visited Caux in 1999.

Facilitated by Creators of Peace and Women on the Front Line

• Time: 16 - 18 July - 17:00 to 18:30  
• Where: Salon du Lac   
• Participants: 30 people 

About the workshop

Do you have a vision for a democracy for yourself, your community and your nation. Can we learn from past conflicts and from the conflicts that we are experiencing today. This workshop is designed for individuals who are passionate about creating positive change.  

We will work with visioning a manifesto for a democratic society, integrating art expression, nature-inspired creativity, and open discussion over three days. We will be inviting you to bring your personal experiences and perspectives to the workshop to envision this manifesto for Democracy and Change. 

This workshop is delivered over 3 days - please sign up for all three sessions. 

 About the organisers

ELIZABETH LASKAR, Programme Manager Creators of Peace IofC UK, Facilitator & Trainer

Elizabeth Laskar is a Creators of Peace facilitator and trainer, and a mindfulness practitioner. Since 2021, she has been part-time programme manager with Initiatives of Change UK and joint National Coordinator of Creators of Peace UK. From 2004 to 2014, she advocated for justice in the sustainable fashion sector. She holds a master's in shelter and disaster, led the Oxford Human Rights Festival (2019-2021), and volunteers as Treasurer of the Oxford Fair Trade Coalition. She loves cooking and hospitality.

RUKMINI IYER, Founder of Exult! Solutions

Rukmini Iyer is the founder of Exult! Solutions and integrates leadership development, organisational transformation, and peacebuilding. With over 23 years of experience, she emphasises ecocentrism, dialogue, and conscious leadership. She is a Creators of Peace facilitator and also leads governance on the CoP International Committee and has master's degrees in Organisational Psychology and Business Management. Rukmini has received multiple awards, including the Soularize Award (2023) and Vital Voices Visionaries Fellow (2022). Her interests include nature art, space fiction, and philosophy.

MIRANDA SHAW, Programme Manager Initiatives of Change UK

Miranda Shaw has been a programme manager with Initiatives of Change UK since 2021 and is a facilitator and trainer with Creators of Peace. She currently volunteers as Treasurer for Creators of Peace International. She has been involved with Creators of Peace since 2011 and been one of the UK National Coordinators since 2016. She graduated with a degree in Conflict Resolution from the University of Bradford in 2009 and since then has been involved in climate and housing activism, personal development work, catering large community events, and supporting activists fighting illegal deportations from the UK. She has taught the violin and managed a community cafe until 2021. She loves to dance and spends as much time as possible reading and gardening. 

JANE NAMURYE, Facilitator, UK/South Sudan

Jane Namurye from the UK/South Sudan is a facilitator is passionate about peace and reconciliation work. She iskeen in reaching out to women and enable them to become peacemakers in their own contexts. Her international and local involvement in pursuit for peace has enabled her to connect and network with many peace loving women in her country South Sudan and internationally.

KEREN LEWIS, Artist & Art Psychotherapist

Keren Lewis is an Artist and Art Psychotherapist and member of Women on the Front Line, an initiative which supports women living and working in conflict environments. She has co-led retreats and training in South Sudan, DRC, Melanesia and India with a particular emphasis on enabling creative and therapeutic spaces. Keren has most recently been working as an Art Psychotherapist with homeless women and vulnerable children in London, all of whom have experienced complex trauma.

Previously Keren worked as part of the Community of St. Anselm at Lambeth Palace, a global community of young people, running art workshops, co-leading retreats and providing spiritual accompaniment. Alongside this, she worked as a multi disciplinary Artist in residence, providing contemplative work for their exhibition space in her mediums of printmaking, painting and fibre art. Keren also worked alongside refugee women at the British Red Cross's Destitution Centre in East London establishing a retreat and making space.

Keren's wider background includes a decade in international development; including reconciliation projects in Israel/Palestinian Territories and Southern Nigeria, rapid recovery programming in South Sudan supporting local communities to build on existing local systems for implementing projects, as well as seeking opportunities to provide creative classes and projects for local children.

Translation:

IRRYNA MUSHIKINA, Translator & Coordinator Foundations for Freedom

Iryna Mushkina is originally from Ukraine. She has 2 master's degrees in economics and English Business Translation, 2 children and loves nature and playing piano. In 2008 Iryna became a coordinator at Foundations for Freedom. After finishing The Trainer for Trainers and Ethical Leadership Courses, she became a trainer and facilitator of F4F courses for Eastern Europe. In 2010-2011 Iryna was a coordinator of Interns Programme in Caux. She was a board member of Foundations for Freedom, and now co-running an IofC community house in Sheffield. Currently, Iryna is a trained Peace Circles facilitator and planning to run this program for Ukrainian refugees in the UK.

ANGELA STARAVOYTOVA, Facilitator & Coach, Foundations for Freedom

Angela Starovoytova is passionate about building connections between people and communities.  Her expertise are in non-formal education and participatory facilitation methods in creating safe and trusting environment to inspire personal transformation and change of relationships between individuals and groups. Angela has 20 years of international experience organizing and running workshops/conferences/long-term programs on ethical leadership, conflict-resolution, trust- and peace-building, critical thinking, etc. Angela is one of the founders of an International NGO Foundations for Freedom/Initiatives of Change (Ukraine) and has worked in Ukraine, UK, Switzerland, Germany, Uganda, etc. She is currently involved mainly with the 'Network of dialogue facilitators', using non-violent approach in running dialogues, trainings, forums and other events on conflict-resolution, participatory facilitation, peace-building and social cohesion. Angela is an invited expert in some projects with UNDP, IOM, GIZ, IREX, OSCE, etc. both in Ukraine and abroad, a certified trainer in non-violent communication by the Center of NVC and a mediator.

Collaborating Organisations

Association of Mothers and Wives of Defenders of Ukraine

Our Mission: We, women from the families of soldiers of the Russian-Ukrainian war, united for the sake of helping each other and developing an active, nationally conscious civil society capable of controlling the actions of the authorities and actively influencing the development of Ukraine as a peaceful, sovereign, democratic State
https://familyato.org/

Initiatives of Change UK and Initiatives of Change International
Initiatives of Change UK is part of a global movement of people who are changing the world for the better, starting with themselves. Active in over 60 countries, including the UK, we inspire, equip and connect people to address world needs. We bring together people who come from diverse backgrounds, all with one aim – to build trust across the world’s divides.
https://iofc.org.uk/ & https://iofc.org/en

Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation
Caux Initiatives of Change's vision is a just, peaceful and sustainable world in which people act from a sense of global interdependence and responsibility. https://www.iofc.ch/

Creators of Peace International and Creators of Peace UK
Creators of Peace International is a global network working to build resilient and hospitable communities one person at a time. We offer a guide to group discussions around the grand narratives that shape our lives to explore a new story of our shared humanity.  Our values and our work are directly aligned with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Creators of Peace UK are funded by Initiatives of Change UK and align their work with Creators of Peace Internationals methodology.
Creators of Peace UK: https://iofc.org.uk/initiatives/creators-of-peace/
Creators of Peace International: https://www.creatorsofpeace.org/

Women on the Front Line
Women on the Frontline (WFL) is a unique ministry within the Anglican Communion. The ministry, established nearly six years ago and led by Caroline Welby - also known as “Mama Canterbury” - supports women in provinces and dioceses across the Communion and sometimes women leaders from other denominations. WFL recognizes that in any violent conflict, women are often the first to notice the beginning of any tension, whether it is with self, family, church, community or the wider community and naturally defuse the tension, make peace and bring about reconciliation. WFL values the importance of equipping and training women as key actors in reconciliation and any other peace process.
https://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/wfl