Violent extremism touches communities around the globe. There is a need for ways to reintegrate those who have committed violent extremist acts back into their communities. So Towards an Inclusive Peace (TIP) 2018, part of the Caux Forum, explored the power of restorative justice as a peacebuilding approach to transforming violent extremism. Nearly 150 people from over 40 countries took part from 11 to 15 July. In addition to those who had come specially for the event, the 2018 Caux Scholars acted as co-facilitators, helped with logistics and ensured the conference’s success.

‘There’s never been a more crucial time for working to create a more inclusive society,’ said Amina Khalid,head of IofC UK’s Sustainable Communities programme and a trustee of Somali Initiatives for Dialogue and Democracy (SIDD). Inclusive peace means bringing to the table religious leaders, activists, youth from all walks of life to create sustainable and lasting change. Participants heard from counter-terrorism and community policing expert David Smart, Superintendent in the National Counter-Terrorism Policing HQ in the UK, who stressed that ‘tackling extremism is a team effort’. Restorative justice practices such as narrative change, peace circles and dialogue techniques can help facilitate more inclusive processes in communities around the world.

Mohamed Abu-Nimer, senior adviser to the KAICIID Dialogue Centre in Vienna, stressed the role of inter-religious dialogue in creating inclusive social structures which are resilient in the face of violent extremism. KAICIID’s programme manager Moise ‘Mike’ Waltner ran a two-day workshop, which offered tools and techniques to help participants engage in inter-religious dialogue to bridge divides in their own communities. Other participants took part in restorative justice circles led by Thalia González.

Melinda Holmes, senior adviser and programme manager of the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN) offered a three-day workshop on gender perspectives in peacemaking. She examined the different roles men and women play in conflict situations and the different ways extremism affects them. For example, women who lack agency due to social structures can become more vulnerable to violence. Participants also learned about ICAN’s Better Peace Tool, which seeks to create more inclusive peace processes by putting the lessons of gender perspectives into practice.

TIP also offered training in self-care, including presence-in-action, human rights education, peace circles and more. These sessions focused on the way personal transformation and inner peace are linked to community-building and creating a shared understanding within a community. Global peace starts with inner peace, and personal change can create global change. As Barbara Hintermann of Initiatives of Change Switzerland explained at TIP’s opening, ‘At Caux, we believe change comes from within.’ If we are truly to create an inclusive peace, we must start by creating space for inclusivity in ourselves and in our own communities.

In 2019, Towards an Inclusive Peace will focus on integrated approaches to transforming violent extremism. Join us from 9–14 July 2019 as we examine the role of resilience in creating inclusive communities, through a holistic focus on prevention.

• Watch the interview with Chelsea Higgs Wise, Narrative Change Officer of the Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation enterprise from Initiatives of Change USA here
• Read the daily blogs and discover TIP as it happened
• Watch the interview with Melinda Holmes, Senior Advisor and Program Manager at the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN) here
• Find all the pictures of the event on Flickr
• Find out more about Towards an Inclusive Peace 2018
• Discover the reports and highlights 2018

During a workshop over three days’ time at Towards an Inclusive Peace, Melinda Holmes, senior adviser and program manager with the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN), taught participants about gender perspectives in peacemaking.

Melinda Holmes opened the session by explaining how much of the existing discourse around extremism has involved approaches such as counter-terrorism (CT) and countering violent extremism (CVE). These perspectives are often more militarized in their approach and fail to take into account topics such as gender and youth involvement in solutions to addressing violent extremism. If preventing and transforming violent extremism is our goal, we must include gender in our approach to involve both men and women in the affected communities.

Next, the group delved into the different roles men and women play in conflict situations and the unique ways extremism affects men and women in their communities. For example, women who lack agency due to social structures can become more vulnerable to violence. Women may also radicalize men through a process called “domestic radicalization” in societies which are either matriarchal or patriarchal in structure. Violent extremism can also take hold when marginalization and stereotypes of extremists are present, or the belief that particular groups are de-facto extremist in nature. By reforming security sector approaches and working with the cooperation of groups like the National Counterterrorism Center, we can develop ways to address violent extremism which are more inclusive and holistic and which take into account gender perspectives.

This workshop also examined the role of toxic masculinity, gender norms, non-binary identities, and intersectionality in creating inclusive societies and changing patriarchal systems. One way to help create equity is by forming feminist groups and support systems which can challenge patriarchy by generating awareness of equity issues and sharing lessons learned from the field. By working together to share our knowledge, skills, and experiences, we can create communities which are inclusive to all, regardless of where they fall on the gender spectrum.

• Find out more about Towards an Inclusive Peace 2018
• Discover the reports and highlights 2018

By Shannon McClain, with assistance from Caux Scholars Program

The last full day of Towards an Inclusive Peace was focused on the challenges of reintegration and deradicalization. Amina Khalid, Head of Programme for Sustainable Communities and founder of Peace Begins at Home, and Sergey Markedonov, Associate Professor at Russian State University for the Humanities, led the discussion. 

Sergey Markedonov discussed the challenges in Russia and Chechnya of how to rebuild statehood after the collapse of the USSR and in particular challenges to political and ethnic group identity. As generations change, it’s necessary to understand the perspectives of youth and religious groups. Inter-generational dialogue is key to creating a lasting peace. “I try to explain the experience of my country - it’s my contribution,” says Sergey Markedonov. Understanding the history of one’s country is also key to creating and sustaining a peaceful and inclusive narrative. “Peace is won by teachers of history and other teachers.”

Amina Khalid continued by explaining that “there’s never been a time more crucial than this in working to create a more inclusive society.” Treating political, religious, and other refugees fleeing violence as a problem is a problem in and of itself. She shared her personal story of growing up as a refugee in Somalia and immigrating to the United Kingdom at a young age. “A new and positive narrative is emerging,” she said. By working to develop sustainable communities, we can enable and empower individuals to create positive change. This change happens from the bottom-up, starting at the personal and local level, rather than top-down. Justice starts by building relationships with each other.

In the afternoon, participants went to workshops to learn about gender perspectives in peacebuilding, disrupting dominant narratives of racism, circle processes, presence-in-action, peace circles, peace cafes, and peace education programs. In the peace circle workshop, participants learned how people can be reconciled through restorative circles. Through the power of forgiveness, peace circles can contribute to building a more inclusive and peaceful society. Participants shared personal stories of growth and change as well as things that can disturb peace in peoples’ minds. The workshop was tied to self-care and seeking inner peace, because when one has inner peace one does not feel the need to be violent.

Thanks for reading! Follow along with our discussion on social media with #CauxTIP and #CauxForum.

• Find out more about Towards an Inclusive Peace 2018
• Discover the reports and highlights 2018

By Shannon McClain, with assistance from Caux Scholars Program

During a workshop over two days’ time at Towards an Inclusive Peace, Moise “Mike” Waltner, Programme Manager of the International Fellows Programme at the International Dialogue Centre in Vienna (KAICIID), taught participants about inter-religious dialogue as a tool for peacebuilding.

The session opened with a discussion about what dialogue is and what it is not. Dialogue, Moise “Mike” Waltner explained, is not negotiation, debate, or discussion - it is instead a social contract, sharing, and surfacing that which is hidden. The purpose of interactive dialogue is not just to raise awareness but also to improve social cohesion. Interactive dialogue can build bridges between different religious groups.

By using tools such as appropriate communication skills, interactive activities, and creating safe spaces, we can also create effective dialogue. It’s important to note that the multiple religious, ethnic, and social identities people bring to the table can play a significant role in the way we interact with others. The role of inter-religious dialogue is to achieve an environment of trust and peace. Inter-religious dialogue can also help prevent violent extremism through restorative justice processes. “This training is really related to the restorative justice concept,” one participant said. “It represents a good starting point for those who are interested and reveals the most important factors that lead to violent extremism.” The training also shared factors that could prevent or transform violent extremism in communities by engaging in inter-religious dialogue.

Inter-religious dialogue could be led by faith leaders, community participants, or individuals in the religious group. In any case, facilitating inter-religious dialogue requires building collective understanding and shared trust between participants in order to create a safe space for dialogue to take place. With these factors in place, dialogue is more likely to be successful and to create the opportunity for personal growth and community-level action. It’s also possible to build stronger ties between different faith groups using inter-religious dialogue as a tool for local community building.

• Find out more about Towards an Inclusive Peace 2018
• Discover the reports and highlights 2018

By Shannon McClain, with assistance from Caux Scholars Program

On July 13, the third day of Towards an Inclusive Peace 2018, the group opened with a discussion about community approaches to violent extremism. Panelists David Smart, National Coordinator for Prevent in the UK, Gulalai Ismail, Founder and Chairperson of Aware Girls in Pakistan, and Amjad Saleem, Manager of the Inclusion, Protection, and Engagement Unit at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies kicked off the discussion.

Communities must be at the center of any bottom-up, local approach to addressing violent extremism. “It’s also really important that schools and authorities take responsibility,” explained David Smart. “Tackling extremism is a team effort.” By involving youth and women, community-based efforts to prevent and transform violent extremism will be more successful. With 1.8 billion people on the planet between the ages of 18 to 24, engaging youth is key to building narratives of non-violence and peace.

“I believe that the world has a lot to learn from the civil society organizations from Pakistan,” said Gulalai Ismail. While violent extremism is a global issue, the Youth Peace Network in Pakistan has helped build prosperous and peaceful communities by offering alternative paths for young people. With dialoguing, workshops, and peace circles, they have found success in preventing violent extremism.

“Extremism happens when people are on the periphery, when they are left out,” said Amjad Saleem. Not just inclusion, but the recognition of human dignity is important to build resilience to withstand the draw of violent extremism. Ensuring that basic needs are met such as access to services can help communities recover from the shock of extremist actions.

After breaking into community groups to discuss the morning’s plenary, participants joined workshops to learn about inter-religious dialogue, gender perspectives, ethics education, racism and narrative analysis, personal transformation, self-care, and peace circles. In one session on gender perspectives, Melinda Holmes, senior adviser and program manager with the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN) explained how to address extremism inclusively and holistically. Much of the discourse around extremism has involved approaches such as counter-terrorism (CT) and countering violent extremism (CVE). These often militarised perspectives fail to take into account topics such as gender and youth involvement in solutions to addressing violent extremism. If preventing and transforming violent extremism is our goal, we must include gender perspectives in our approach to involve both men and women in the affected communities.

Join us tomorrow as we discuss the challenges of deradicalization and reintegration. Follow the conversation on social media with #CauxTIP and #CauxForum.

Today at Towards an Inclusive Peace, we discussed the power of restorative justice. On July 12, Dr. Carl Stauffer, Associate Professor at Eastern Mennonite University, and Thalia González, Associate Professor of Politics at Occidental College, opened the conversation with a discussion about how restorative justice practices can address violent extremism. Restorative justice isn’t just saying sorry, it’s “doing sorry” through active listening and participating in the restoration process.

The voices of the marginalized and victimized must be centered in these processes, explained Carl Stauffer. He shared that restorative justice practices may include facilitation and mediation techniques, as well as circle processes. Thalia González described how restorative justice can work in school systems to break the school-to-prison pipeline which furthers punitive justice practices. In juvenile justice systems, restorative justice (although not always called that) can also help repair harm and bring reconciliation to offenders and victims.

The afternoon was comprised of several workshops about restorative justice and self care. Trainings included guidance and information about inter-religious dialogue, gender perspectives, practical tools, personal change, and human rights education. Nearly 150 participants spread out among five sessions in the afternoon to explore and learn from presenters, speakers, and each other.

In one session, titled “Restorative Justice: From Theory to Practice,” Thalia González, who is also a Senior Visiting Scholar at Georgetown Law, taught participants how to have honest and open conversations using a circle model. With circles, it’s important to use language carefully and respect the cultures of all participants in the group. This model can set the stage for building shared values, trust and confidence between those involved. Using natural elements such as the environment, water, stones, and sticks can also be a powerful way for the group to connect individuals and open the discussion.

Tomorrow, we’ll talk about how communities can address violent extremism at the local level through narrative change techniques, ethics education, and more.

Follow the discussion online with #CauxForum and #CauxTIP!

On 11 July 2018, Initiatives of Change (IofC) began its second year of the three-year Towards an Inclusive Peace programme in Caux, Switzerland.

The programme kicked off with remarks from IofC Switzerland Secretary General Barbara Hintermann. She explained that youth are one group especially at risk from recruitment by violent extremists. As a result, young people need opportunities such as work and education but also an understanding of each other which can build shared trust and resilience.

His Excellence Faisal Bin Muaammar, Secretary General of the KAICIID Dialogue Centre spoke next about refugees. “Peace is not possible when some citizens are robbed of their dignity,” he said. "The solution is not found in fear or blaming the other but instead in the belief that all have equal rights. Education can build a tolerant understanding of the other and create a more inclusive peace."

To round out the opening ceremony, Towards an Inclusive Peace Managing Directors Eliana Jimeno and Johannes Langer discussed the pressing need to discuss violent extremism as it impacts communities around the world. Rather than taking a militarized approach, this event takes into account community-level solutions and identifies root causes of violent extremism.

So what’s next for the event? Towards an Inclusive Peace 2018 will involve different training tracks, one focused on restorative justice and one focused on self-care. The restorative justice track is comprised of tools, training and techniques to help participants address violent extremism in their own communities. We’ll answer the question, “How can restorative justice practices help build a peacebuilding framework for violent extremism?” Training sessions will include inter-religious dialogue as a tool for peace, gender perspectives, ethics education, circle processes and more.

For those who are interested in self-care, Towards an Inclusive Peace offers a unique track with training sessions focused on this topic. These sessions include presence-in-action, human rights education, peace circle guidance and more. Towards an Inclusive Peace also offers an open track on its final day for participants to propose a session and engage in discussion.

What else can participants expect at Towards an Inclusive Peace? In addition to exciting panels and plenaries each day, participants will take part in special community groups which have a unique role in the Caux Forum. Community groups will form during the first day of the event and participate in service activities. Taking part in these offers a break from the traditional roles and rules of a typical forum event, where speakers and facilitators are often separate from participants. By working together in service, everyone at Towards an Inclusive Peace will have the opportunity to break barriers and have interesting conversations.

We are thrilled to begin this year’s Towards an Inclusive Peace event! Join the discussion on social media with #CauxTIP and #CauxForum.

In July 2018, for the second year running, the humanSecurityX certificate track programme ran in parallel to the forum on Just Governance for Human Security (JGHS). Its core aim: for participants to gain a deeper personal understanding of human security and its application – moving from talk to action.

A cohort of 25 fellows, from 15 nations and diverse backgrounds, embarked upon an exploration of each of the six pillars of human security: good governance, inclusive economics, food security, social inclusion, sustainability and healing memory. They shared a desire to develop a more thorough perspective on human security.

This year’s programme started with an introductory seminar, which gave fellows an opportunity to meet and, to discuss their understanding of human security and its impact upon their own lives. Power breakfasts each morning provided fellows with the opportunity to interact one-on-one with speakers. Bilyana Hadzhikyanova, originally from Bulgaria, says this helped her to ‘see the human behind the person on stage and that they are not so different from me’. Fellows attended plenaries and a range of seminars and workshops covering each pillar. They then produced reflective essays on how they would apply what they had learnt.

Zarina San Jose, from the Philippines, said, ‘I now realize how much my country has in common with other countries: [how] we have a responsibility to others outside our own circle and family.’ She hopes to pass on what she has gained in her work, which, she now recognizes, encompasses the pillars of human security.

humansecurityX continues to pave the way for human security to move from theory to reality. It will run again next year with enrolment open to all Just Governance for Human Security participants.

Join us from 2 - 7 July 2019!

Follow us on:

• Twitter @JustGovHS
• Facebook: /justgovhs
• Instagram: @cauxforum_jghs
• Find out more about Just Governance for Human Security 2018
• Discover the reports and highlights 2018

By Sarah Haynes

A call to action has been sounded for global citizens to stand up and take responsibility in addressing the social and economic issues which threaten communities worldwide by working together to achieve the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Just Governance for Human Security (JGHS) has sought to respond to this call. For five days over 230 delegates from 75 nations gathered at the Caux Palace – Conference and Seminar Centre to explore their own role in meeting the SDGs.

At the forefront of the event was an emphasis on the need to holistically embrace each of the Six Pillars of Human Security in order to accomplish the SDGs.

‘We cannot talk about human security without looking at it holistically’ stated Her Excellency Aja Fatoumatta Jallow-Tambajang, former Vice-President of The Gambia in her opening keynote address. Setting the tone for the rest of the forum, she not only challenged participants to reflect on their personal role in achieving the SDGs in their communities, but also pledged to play her own part in championing just governance for human security. She said she would do this “by promoting and supporting all programmes, projects, partnerships, networks and communities to effectively implement the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030.”

Weaving together an array of plenaries, peacebuilder-in-action sessions and space to reflect, the forum provided space for delegates to share, learn and agree on actions to advance human security. A number of participatory workshops were offered including conflict resolution skills, dialoguing across difference, non-violent action, advocacy and resource management planning. An excursion to a local family-owned winery also took place and centred on environmental sustainability and food security.

Meanwhile the second cohort of fellows from the humansecurityX certificate track programme also graduated after a week of delving deeper into the understanding of human security issues.

Examples of the interconnection between the Human Security Pillars and SDGs were highlighted. Via a statement delivered by his Press Secretary, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Minister of Education for Ghana commented, ‘Our fate as human beings is intertwined in ways which may not always be obvious […] No matter how unique some turmoil somewhere looks, we will find common threats and footprints which affirm our shared community.’ He cited both environmental degradation and food insecurity as factors leading to displacement, along with other issues which transcend international borders. Speaking in the context of rural poverty in Africa, Dr Edward Mabaya, Assistant Director of the Cornell International Institute for Food, Agriculture and Development, emphasized the role of education as not only a goal but also ‘a tool to tackle and solve the other SDGs’.

The inherent relationship between social inclusion, inclusive economics and various SDGs was highlighted by Rado Razafindrakoto, financial inclusion specialist for Madagascar’s Ministry of Finance and Budget, who spoke of increasing access to financial services for displaced/excluded populations who could then engage with and stimulate the local economy.

Personal stories enabled delegates to share how they had been able to apply the Human Security Pillars and SDGs, and how issues could be addressed at a grassroots or even state level to bring about change. Emphasising the importance of stories, Victoria Vdovychenko stated, ‘Change comes from within, and stories motivate others to make changes...and this is the secret of making a can-do generation.’ 

Conversation then moved to action as delegates offered pledges. These ranged from listening more closely in relationships, to advocating for policy change, to creating a ‘travelling book and scarf’ to give a voice to women. The 90 days following the conference provide a timeframe during which delegates are encouraged to take action on these pledges.

Additionally, in the months leading up to the conference, the JGHS team along with a group of UN volunteers produced ‘Crossing Paths: a Guide to the Pillars for Human Security and the 2030 Global Goals’, a downloadable E-book and free resource for communities to create actionable change by aligning human security pillars with specific SDGs. The team encourages everyone to make use of this tool in the pursuit of the goals and thanks all the delegates, staff and volunteers for making JGHS2018 a transformative event.

Join us next year! Just Governance for Human Security, a Caux Forum event, will take place from 2-7 July 2019.

• Find out more about Just Governance for Human Security 2018
• Discover the reports and highlights 2018

Raghad Al Saadi was one of this year’s speakers at the Just Governance for Human Security conference. Raghad and her family were displaced by the different armed conflicts in her home country, Iraq. When she moved to the United States, she started developing a project to bring more safety to refugee women and children.

Raghad Al Saadi's cheerfulness and enthusiasm make it hard to believe her when she says how exhausted and stressed she was before coming to Caux. But apparently Caux made it all go away: ‘You have no idea how happy, how peaceful, how calm, and positive I am now. I feel that I have wings and that I am flying!’

Raghad experienced three wars in Iraq. She remembers the harsh conditions in which she and her family had to live when they went to the rural areas to flee the bombing in Bagdad.  It was especially hard for a young girl: having no privacy, sharing one room with her entire family. Once she almost slipped into a deep stream. There was no one around and she could not swim.

At 31, despite the reluctance of her parents, she decided to leave Iraq for the United States. There she started a Masters in peace operations and UN interventions. As she studied armed conflicts and population displacement, the violence and the lack of security that women and children face caught her attention and brought back some of her own memories. Women and children are still often the first to pay the cost of conflicts.

Shelters are often located in remote areas where, most of the time, there isn’t any access to the internet and where communication to service providers is lacking. This puts refugees at even greater risk of being victims of abuse or of simply feeling in danger, like Raghad did back then. So Raghad began to look for ways to help women and children to feel safer and empowered to report cases of abuses: ‘I want women to have evidence, so that if they are abused they can report it and justice can be done.’ She contacted an engineer, who had developed a wireless device capable of tracking supplies and objects and who agreed to develop a similar device for humanitarian purposes. So Raghad now has a prototype, through which users can send a distress signal if they are in danger. She wants it to look like a watch and has called the device ‘misBit’.

When she is discouraged Raghad imagines children using the watch. This vision of ‘children smiling and being intrigued’ keeps her going. 

‘There were times, especially getting to know the technology, where I asked questions and where I felt unqualified,’ Raghad says. ‘But then I realized that not being an engineer does not make me less than an engineer.’ Once an older man told her that she should get a white man to talk about her idea because people would not take her seriously.

This is where Raghad’s story goes beyond helping women refugees. It is a story of empowering everyone, especially young women, to be confident, not to give up in the face of challenges, to believe in their dreams and to become changemakers.  ‘You are powerful if you want to be,’ she says. ‘If you choose to be effective in any field, you can develop the necessary skills. There are no barriers, except the ones you put up for yourself.’

In 2017, Raghad presented misBit – Empowering women and children to combat sexual and gender-based violence and human trafficking in refugee camps and disaster zones at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum. She has established her own company, Polar Lights Prime, to take the project to the next level. Several aspects still need to be considered. Who will have access to this data? Who will be the providers? Raghad is conscious of the challenges and risks that come with such a device but she believes strongly in the benefits of technology: ‘Increasing connectivity, access to information, are all part of protecting human beings,’ she says.

• Find out more about Just Governance for Human Security 2018
• Discover the reports and highlights 2018