In a colourful evening presentation on 6 July, TIGE marked its 10th anniversary of hosting conferences in Caux, Switzerland, on the theme of Trust and Integrity in the Global Economy, a topic today more pertinent than ever. The laughter- and music-filled celebrations were hosted by workshop leader Alexandra Berg, founder of Caring Group of Sweden, and other friends of TIGE.

A short film specially made for the occasion opened the session, capturing some of the magic of TIGE Caux, including interviews with key members involved in co-creating TIGE. Over the last decade, TIGE participants have converged in Caux from 83 different countries to discuss broad issues of sustainability, ethical leadership, values-based decision-making, new economic models, and personal and organizational integrity.
Mohan Bhagwandas, co-founder of the TIGE conferences who is now Executive Vice-President of Initiatives of Change International, shared about the beginnings of TIGE. It grew out of his vision for a new type of conference - "a new format for the new informational era" -- that would bring people from the developed and developing world together to start conversations about the global economy. Berg called on leaders of TIGE chapters around the world to share their activities in their respective countries. Participants heard how TIGE-inspired initiatives are evolving in the UK, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, Switzerland, Mexico and Kenya, evidence of how encounters and conversations begun in Caux continue long after the conference closes.

The final part of the evening was devoted to music and singing, starting with Greek singer-songwriter, Gautier Velissaris. In the true spirit of IofC, he opened his performance by sharing his own personal story of transformation to fulfill his dreams of becoming a musician. Using the beginnings of some lyrics scratched out in Stockholm by TIGE organisers, Gautier put them to music, producing a unique TIGE song that he performed - with plenty of audience participation!

A diverse range of musicians and singers then took up the invitation to step up on stage, or to the piano, and perform, leading to a spontaneous and truly global mix of music, songs and performers. They ranged from Dutch singer and social entrepreneur, Merel Rumping, singing Portuguese fado to songs by Nigerian and Kenyan participants, each accompanied by Dutch guitarist, Ralph Bijvoet. Uplifting, energising food for the soul - and a fitting tribute to TIGE and its success in creating lasting human connections that bring about positive change.

By Esme McAvoy

Opening the Caux conference last night on Trust and Integrity in the Global Economy, speakers Sir Mark Moody-Stuart, vice chairman of the UN Global Compact, and Laurence Cockcroft, co-founder of global anti-corruption coalition, Transparency International, talked about the corrosive effect of corruption on societies and on people’s trust in businesses. Truly global in their outlook and careers, both have taken a strong stance against corruption in their respective fields and been instrumental in establishing regulatory, anti-corruption frameworks. Moody-Stuart has been the chairman of both Anglo-American plc and, before that, Royal Dutch/Shell Group. The talk and Q&A session was facilitated by Anita Hoffmann, MD of executive search company, Executiva.

Although a “strong believer” in the power of markets, Moody-Stuart acknowledges that markets cannot deliver everything. “Markets offer choice to people, they release creativity. But you need frameworks for transparency.” The right regulations can push companies to meet more stringent environmental standards more rapidly and effectively. Catalytic converters, for example, “were installed by regulation, at a cost to all car buyers, but they almost immediately eliminated vehicle emission smog.” Moody-Stuart views regulation as essential in tackling our looming environmental crises, such as climate change.

“No single group, whether a business, a civil society organisation or even a government, can solve problems alone.” Cross-sector alliances - engaging different groups to work together - can help solve problems, keep business practices honest and even develop sector-specific ethical regulations. Responsible businesses have an important role to play, even in places where governance is corrupt. “Responsible business is about reporting openly and being accountable to not only stakeholders but to society at large.” Staff also need to see what ethical decision-making looks like; “It might be, ‘We lost that contract because we wouldn’t pay the bribe.’ That way, people see that values trump profit.”

The UN Global Compact can be seen as one of the world’s biggest corporate alliances, with some 8,500 companies involved in 140 countries. “Companies sign up voluntarily but they must report openly on what they are doing on each of the 10 points of the compact.” And the rules are strict: 3,500 companies that signed up have been ejected for not fulfilling the reporting requirements.

‘Responsible investing’ is another potential force for good. “Ten to 15 years ago, if you asked shareholders about what the company was doing, they probably wouldn’t have known.” But today, more informed investors are “raising the bar”, pushing companies towards greater social and environmental responsibility.

After 25 years of working in agricultural development in East Africa, Laurence Cockcroft of Transparency International, sees corruption as a threat not only to the way business operates but to civil society as a whole. He defines corruption as “the misuse of entrusted power for private gain.” However, with the rising power of lobbying groups on political decision-making, the definition can be widened to include the purchase of influence, too.

Cockcroft outlined the multiple ways corruption can impact development, including the distortion of projects, such as “large-scale infrastructure projects that end up as roads that…lead to nowhere.” Public services are diminished and there is environmental destruction, such as illegal logging. Corruption also leads to breath-taking sums of public money being siphoned off illegally, often into off-shore tax havens. “Washington-based non-profit, Global Financial Integrity, puts the figure of such illicit outflows at over $1 trillion dollars” - missing cash that has “disastrous effects” on developing economy government budgets.

Although Cockcroft has witnessed progress, such as greater monitoring of corruption by organisations such as the World Bank and the UN, there are still entrenched ‘roadblocks’ to its effective eradication, such as embedded corrupt networks at the highest echelons of government and society who invest in political machines in order to secure their position and determine outcomes. For real change to happen, the anti-corruption movement needs both “a groundswell of grassroots movements” as well as truly ethical individuals in positions of power. “Leaders that live their anti-corruption beliefs can make the difference.”

By Esme McAvoy

After an intense and productive week, the Caux Dialogue on Land and Security (CDLS) closed with a final plenary giving all participants the opportunity to reflect on the new insights gained and look ahead to changes they want to initiate in the future.

In the final keynote address, Luc Gnacadia, Executive Secretary of UNCCD, former Minister for the Environment in Benin and father figure of the CDLS pointed out three new lenses that CDLS has provided to the topic of land restoration. First, the crucial role of leadership; especially the one based on personal change that can lead by example and be a valuable asset for profitable investment to enhance stability locally and globally. Second, the importance of trustbuilding for the situational analysis and decision-making within land restoration. Third, Gnacadja also engaged with the question why land users and farmers do often not invest in sustainable land management. His answer is simple: Farmers and land users are often not able to capture the multiple and often off-side socio-economic benefits of sustainable land management which is why it is essential for them to become landscape managers. It is this kind of accountability and benefit sharing along value change through just governance that makes land restoration achievable.

While looking back at the achievements of the Caux Dialogue on Land and Security 2016, the following highlights invite for a short review:

Dr. Martin Lees: “It is the poor who face the most severe impacts, even though they are in no way responsible for the warming of the planet…Degradation of soils, water and the oceans will intensify poverty and migration for a growing world population.”

Dina Ionesco, a migrant herself who is now Head of Migration, Environment and Climate Change of IOM: “Migration is not always mass migration. Migration is not always south-north. Migration is not only negative.”

Ambassador William Lacy Swing, Director General of the International Organization for Migration: "Migration is not a problem to be solved, it is a reality to be managed - start by accepting reality in perspective."

The official closing of this year’s CDLS ended with the social entrepreneurs of the Fellowship Programme 2016 presenting the main findings and developments of their projects. As moderator Peter Rundell, from Initiatives of Land, Lives and Peace, stated: We are looking forward to hear from them soon and hopefully see them again at CDLS 2017!

On 1 July 2016 the 2016 edition of the Caux Conferences was officially kicked off. In light of the CAUX-IofC Foundation’s 70 year anniversary, a special all-day event was organized on the theme: Crossing Borders, Crossing Cultures: How to Build Trust Around Migration? To tackle this theme, a range of speakers including representatives of the national and international policy level, refugees and migrants were invited to share their perspectives and stories about trust and migration.

The tone was set right away by musician Noam Vazana, linking love and migration in song as attendees gathered in the splendid main hall of the Caux Palace. 

Mr Laurent Wehrli, mayor of Montreux, officially welcomed guests and participants to the Montreux region and to the Official Opening of the 2016 Caux Conferences. Mr Wehrli noted that while it took only 2 years to build the Caux Palace Hotel, it takes more time to build partnerships and relationships between people. Alternating in English, French and German, Mr Wehrli thanked the Foundation for its commitment to build trust beyond borders and across cultures. 

Mr Antoine Jaulmes, President and Ms Barbara Hintermann, Secretary-General of the Caux-IofC Foundation both highlighted the active work of the CAUX-IofC Foundation since 1946 in trustbuilding, reconciliation, sustainable living and ethical leadership. Find Mr Jaulmes's speech here and Ms Hintermann's here.  

Ambassador Urs von Arb, Director International Cooperation at the State Secretariat for Migration presented the challenges posed by migration in terms of trust from the Swiss perspective. Ambassador von Arb stressed that solutions to the challenges of migration can only be implemented in a spirit of solidarity.

“We need to move the debate from one about identity to one about shared values and common interests”. 

Ambassador William Lacy Swing, Director General of the International Organization for Migration gave a keynote speech on the theme of human mobility in a world at odds with itself. Reminding the audience that 1 out of every 7 persons in the globe is in migratory status, Ambassador Swing stressed the need to change the migration narrative from a negative to a positive one and as societies become more and more multicultural to ‘learn to manage and embrace diversity’.

In an interactive panel led by Serge Michael, Journalist at Le Monde, Mr Abo Hawi, Mr Carlos Vasquez, Prof. Ladislaus Löb and Mr Yvan Sturm exchanged stories of migration and integration. For Carlos Vasquez who came from Bolivia to live in Geneva at the age of 12 and who experienced a culture shock and violence in his new school, integration is about breaking the walls (“casser les murs”) and not being afraid of going toward the other. Prof. Löb spoke of his time as a Jewish refugee in the Caux-Palace in 1944 and how he managed to acclimatize in Switzerland and in the UK, the host countries he now calls home. In the context of the Caux Dialogue on Land Security which takes place from 29 June to 3 July, Mr Abo Hawi, leader of a village in a very dry and degraded area in Northern Ethiopia shared the success story of how his village became fully self-sufficient in terms of food production. During the Q&A members of the audience seized the opportunity to share their own stories of migration with the rest of the room and the panel. 

Dr Omnia Marzouk, President of the International Association of Initiatives of Change International concluded the Official Opening by encouraging participants of the 2016 Caux Conferences to move out of their comfort zones and to take the steps to build a better world. 

The 2016 Caux Conferences will take a multifaceted approach to tackle issues linked to migration and will aim to inspire, equip and connect people for change this summer. 

• Missed the Official Opening? Check out our video footage on our Facebook account here

• More information about the Caux Conferences here

• Click here to see our upcoming public events in Caux
  
   

Martin Lees’ (see interview below) keynote speech opened the Caux Dialogue on Land and Security 2016 on June 29 with a sense of urgency about the situation the world is facing today. With over 7.4 billion people and not enough resources, it cannot be stressed enough that habits/behaviors and economic/financial models but also Politics needs to change. He discussed land use as a key to human development, climate change, migration and peace. Former Secretary General of Club of Rome and Member of Gorbachev High Level Task Force on Climate Change, Dr Lees reminded the audience that 2 Degrees rise in the planet’s temperature can make the difference for the survival of human civilization on this planet. He criticized that trillions of dollars were found in a matter of hours to save the banks, but that the will was lacking to invest in our future.

When asked what could be done concretely to change the current habits, he said that collaboration between developed and developing countries must be revitalized; political agendas need to be set aside if we want to survive as a species. 

'The future is by no means pre-ordained but will be determined by our choices and actions – if, that is, we act in time.  But time is running out.'

He noted the importance to “optimize the use of the scarce and vital land”. Mathew Tuitoek, the Deputy Governor of Baringo County, Kenya, joined the conversation via skype. Watch the facebook videos here. 

Dr Lees and Mr Tuitoek intervention set the tone for a conference set on finding innovative solutions to a global crisis. 

What we are expecting in the coming days:

The 1 July will mark the Official opening of the Caux Conference season- more info here. It is also a momentous occasion for CDLS, with the launch of Land Restoration: Reclaiming Land for Sustainable Future, the product of previous Dialogues, written by Martin Frick and Jennifer Helgeson. The inspiring book brings together practitioners from NGOs, academia, governments, and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) to exchange lessons to enrich the academic understanding of these issues and the solution sets available.

A highlight of the Dialogue will be a keynote speech by Dina Ionesco addressing land degradation and migration pressure, building on the Initiatives of Change’s experience from North Rift Valley, Kenya, and benefitting from current research. The conference will also foster reflection on the outcomes of last year’s CDLS, with Professor Muhammad Swazuri, the Chair of the National Land Commission of Kenya leading feedback from the Kenya Dialogue on Land and Security. The CDLS is excited to welcome Joseph Simcox, The Botanical Explorer, in debate with Barbara Bendandi from UNCCD and Dr Antje Herrberg of mediatEUr, to discuss holistic solutions in land restoration, sustainable land management and trust building to address migration. Through such open debate between a diverse group of individuals with different areas of expertise, the CDLS will foster a comprehensive and practical approach to land difficulties, aiming to produce innovative solutions.

‘When I started work on these international issues at OECD in 1971, they were less acute, on a smaller scale and further ahead in the future.  They were then more manageable and open to resolution.  Due to our failure to act effectively and jointly for several decades, the issues we face today are far more substantial and dangerous.  And they are no longer issues for the future: they are already damaging the lives, safety, health and livelihoods of millions of people today. The risks and impacts we face are escalating and immediate.  It is therefore imperative to take strong international action if we are to achieve and preserve a progressive, prosperous and peaceful world.’

Martin Lees, opening statement of CDLS 2016, Caux, Switzerland

• To follow the confeence live check our Facebook account here
• More info on CDLS here

“The atmosphere was electric” – “I yodeled for Konrad Adenauer and Robert Schuman”

About 30 people came together in Geneva to reminisce on the first days of the Foundation in 1946 when the former Caux-Palace hotel became the international conference center it is still today.

Most of them remembered the incredible atmosphere of the time. People were determined to make a change by opening a centre for reconciliation for Europe in Switzerland, country that had been spared by WWII.

Many spoke of the deplorable state the Caux Palace was in as they first bought it and how they had to clean and reform it in just a matter of months before the first international conference started. Those who were part of the cleaning teams remember that it took them days to clean the floors, “we had to clean our room in order to sleep in it”.

First time Buchman came to Caux the only thing he asked was “where are the Germans?” – we could not rebuild Europe without the Germans.

“It was the first time after the war that a German delegation participated in an international forum.  I remember that as they walked in, we greeted them with a song we had learned in German “es muss alles anders werden” – it was such an electric moment.”

Many also described what they remembered of Buchman: he was a visionary but he was also very practical to organize meetings and initiatives.

Many talked of their memories of the first times they met Americans and how their world views were broadened “it was all very exciting- through them we discovered the power of music and of theatre”.

“In Caux I found the courage to really listen to my interior voice, and trust my intuitions. That is something I also shared as a nurse to my colleagues”.

Cornelio Sommaruga also talked of his first impressions of Caux and how he accompanied the change of name from Moral Re-amarment to “Initiatives of Change” as President of the Foundation in 2001.  

Barbara Hintermann, Secretary General of the CAUX-IofC Foundation concluded the meeting by thanking all those present and by expressing her appreciation for the many stories shared during the afternoon. She noted that of course many things have changed since 1946 but the essential remains:  the four values, the time for reflection, the importance of storytelling and the community service.

The afternoon was also an important moment for the current team of the Foundation, to remember how it all started and to be reinforced in their motivation to bring positive change in this world.

In the year 2015/16, the CAUX-Initiatives of Change Foundation was invited by AIESEC to deliver workshops to students on four themes:“Working in an Intercultural Team”, “You as a leader”, “Handling Leadership Challenges” and “Facilitation Tools for Meetings”.  The workshops took place in Fribourg, Bern, Basel, Zürich, Lugano and during AIESEC Switzerland’s National Assembly in Leysin, Switzerland.

The workshops aimed at inspiring, equipping and connecting students to work together more effectively in order to tackle challenges in their immediate environment and lead diverse and intercultural teams in view of a more just, peaceful and sustainable world.

In the evaluation of the workshops, 80 out of 133 participants (60%) said that they expected it to make a considerable to high difference in the way they live their life or do their job.  A participant wrote that “the workshop was very motivating, inspiring, innovative, […] amazing!” and another wants to now “go out there and be a leader instead of talking about it!”.

The CAUX-Initiatives of Change Foundation is immensely grateful to its team of highly qualified and motivated volunteer trainers and facilitators who are contributing to sharing their knowledge and skills, as well as the Foundation’s approach and values with the younger generation.

Click here for more information and stay tuned for more workshops to come!

Swiss Ambassador Martin Dahinden welcomed alumni, academic and program directors, faculty and supporters to a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Caux Scholars Program at the Swiss Embassy in Washington, DC, on April 28.

Referring to Switzerland’s hosting of the Syria peace talks in Geneva, the Iran nuclear talks in Montreux and the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Ambassador underlined his country’s commitment to global peacebuilding, from which followed support for the Caux Scholars Program. The embassy not only provided meeting space but also invited everyone to the residence on the grounds for a generous reception following the program.

Liberian alum, Dr. Samuel Gbaydee Doe (CSP 1995), who has also been a member of the faculty many summers, was the featured speaker. He currently serves as Senior Policy Advisor and Team Leader of the Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery with the UN Development Program, based in New York. Arriving at Caux in 1995 straight from the terrible Civil War in Liberia, Doe spoke of the huge contrast that Caux offered – “an alternative to deprivation, to terror; another world where people are people again.” His second principle takeaway was that Caux is a place where “the ordinary confounds the extraordinary” - where a person like Kofi Annan might be found washing dishes - the sort of occurrence that “shook my image of the world.”  And thirdly, Doe emphasized the impact of the stories that are told in meetings, over meals and on walks. “Each encounter changes something in me,” he said, underlining “the courage of opening oneself to another’s stories, even if that person is an enemy.  Weaving them into a tapestry recreates our world.”

Barbara Hintermann, who became Secretary-General of the Caux Foundation just over a year ago after serving in numerous positions with the International Committee of the Red Cross, came from Switzerland for the occasion. Noting that Caux was celebrating its 70th anniversary, she spoke of IofC’s commitment to training future leaders in peacebuilding and ethical business. Using the powerful tools of “inner reflection” and “storytelling”, the Caux Foundation hopes to help build bridges of trust between the migrant and resident populations in Switzerland. It also plans to offer training in ethical leadership for the private sector and to continue hosting confidential dialogues between groups in conflict. 

Appealing for “investments” in future scholars and to “ensure the program’s continuation,” graduate Dr. Ian Ralby (CSP 2001) said that “more often than not, CSP ends up being a pivotal moment in the lives of the scholars.” Elaborating on his experience that “the best things that happen to the scholars often come together after they leave the program,” Ralby told of helpful encounters with fellow alum, often from quite different years, in Bosnia, Malaysia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Abu Dhabi, as well as how his experience with leaders from Sierra Leone at Caux prepared him for later work on security issues there. Ralby, founder and director of I.R. Consilium, works with governments and organizations solving complex security-related problems.

“Every place in the world should look like Caux. Unfortunately, we have not arrived there yet, but the Caux Scholars are the first soldiers striving towards these ideals,” concluded Ambassador Dahinden. 2016 CSP class is remarkably diverse with students from Syria, Turkey, Pakistan, Sudan, Burundi, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Qatar, Kenya, Brazil, Mexico, Armenia,  Ukraine, Lithuania, Nepal, Bulgaria, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, and the United States. They are teachers, journalists, social workers, business professionals, government employees, lawyers, and students. 

Generous gifts were made to support the Caux Scholars class of 2016 including a gift of $7500 from one family. We still need to raise 4 full scholarships of $3800 each for scholars coming from Syria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Mexico. 

For more information on the Caux Scholars Program please click here.

What’s trust got to do with migration? This is one of the questions answered by human books who participated in the Human Library event organized by CAUX-IofC at the United Nations Library in Geneva on 11 May 2016. The event was part of a range of activities organized in celebration of the foundation’s 70th anniversary. Instead of checking out regular books, participants were invited to listen to personal stories of 5 human books sharing their experiences of migration and to interact directly with them.

The event was kicked off by Cornelio Sommaruga, the honorary president of Initiatives of Change International, who stressed the importance of trust building in addressing the current migration crisis, noting that ‘there will be no sustainable peace without justice, no justice without trust and no real trust without forgiveness.’ Mr. Sommaruga referred to the reconciliation efforts made in Caux in 1946 to build trust among former enemies France and Germany as a crucial model for establishing mutual trust and understanding in Europe today.

‘Readers’ were then invited to pick from a catalog of 5 ‘human books’ they wanted to learn more about: Melissa Fleming, Head of Communications and Chief Spokesperson for UNHCR; Dr. Imad Karam, Executive Director of Initiatives of Change International; Jens J. Wilhelmsen, Norwegian writer having worked for Initiatives of Change for 60 years; Leonard Doyle, Director of Media and Communications for IOM; Huruy Gulbet, Eritrean refugee born in Sudan and student in Geneva.

Thank you to our human books + @CAUXIofC + Participants for today's event. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!

                                                             - UN Library at Geneva (@UNOGLibrary) May 11, 2016

Groups of 10 to 20 curious ‘readers’, including Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva Michael Møller, then gathered around their human book to hear about engaging stories ranging from the perilous journey of refugees fleeing conflict and persecution across the Mediterranean to building trust at a personal level between discouraged and broken-hearted Europeans after World War II.

The intimate setting of the UN library allowed for real personal exchanges: to hear the stories first-hand and to have the opportunity to ask questions about the storyteller’s experience and life. Participants were then invited to share the compelling stories they were told and the emotions and thoughts that were triggered by these stories in small groups.

As ‘readers’ and ‘human books’ were brought closer together by their shared experience, the human library became a unique platform to promote understanding between people and to challenge stereotypes about migration. As noted by human book Jens J. Wilhelmsen, the key to immigration in Europe is integration and ‘integration is welcoming people and trusting in the contribution that they can make.’

This is what the Human Library at the UN library was all about: sharing personal stories of migration with each other and building trust to understand the other.

On April 21, 2016, the World Council of Churches and the Focolare Movement hosted a round-table discussion at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland, around a major question: is there a European Identity? The event gathered representatives of non-governmental organizations, academics, and journalists to share perspectives and ideas about how to deal with the current challenges Europe is facing on migration and integration.  

An initial presentation was made by Mr. Pasquale Ferrara, an Italian diplomat, and professor in Rome and Loppiano (Italy). Reactions followed by Mr. Andreas Gross, former Swiss parliamentarian and former member of Council of Europe’s Assembly, Mr. Eric Ackermann, member of the Israeli community in Geneva and Ms. Gaëlle Courtens, a journalist for the Italian Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy.

Over the past decades, and especially in these last years, institutional responses in Europe towards migration flows and integration have not been effective when tackling phenomena such as intolerance, religious and political extremism, and exclusion, among others.

Instead of moving towards a more tolerant, respectful, plural and diverse European community, there is a sense of regression and a lack of political will to accept plurality and diversity.  A “creative integration” is needed, according to all panelists and participants. However, how to achieve a tolerant and respectful integration remains an open discussion. 

Identities should not be blurred within Europe, but strengthened in order to achieve a common European identity, all participants agreed. Trust building becomes essential in a complex multi-ethnic and multi-religious scenario such as today’s Europe.

Discover our summer conference: Addresing Europe’s Unfinished Business! This year, European citizens from all backgrounds will be reflecting on topics such as immigration, cultural and religious minorities and interethnic conflicts, focusing on their own personal role in achieving the peace and trust building efforts needed in Europe.

Photo credit: World Council of Churches