A WEEK OF "SHARING INSPIRATION THAT SHAPES LIVES"

After six days of creating, sharing and inspiring, the “Seeds of Inspiration” conference has come to an end. With a strong focus on sharing stories and experiences, many new insights were gained.

During plenaries people came together to listen and learn from each other. For example, during one session Odette shared her personal struggles with her identity. She had grown up with two names and her entire life these had been at conflict with each other. Often she was ridiculed for having a “strange” Vietnamese name – a name that was not her own. She much more identified with Odette. Many in the audience were unaware of the pain she had felt and the power a simple thing such as a name could hold. Her story raised an intercultural awareness amongst the participants, that can often be overlooked.

Another highlight of the conference was the commemoration of the 70^th anniversary of the first atomic bomb drop. The commemoration was emotional and moving, but also a hopeful reminder of the change that can be brought on by working together. Read more here.

Participants of the “Seeds of Inspiration” conference had the opportunity to attend different workshops every day. Some were more activity based: Learning how to juggle or mastering the art of Japanese-style woodcarving. Other workshops allowed participants to explore their most inner feelings with questions such as: What defines you? Or is there really a place for everyone?

The days were enriched through evening performances. From musicals to plays and puppet shows, participants of the conference enjoyed something new every night. The Intermission Theatre in Education from London inspired the audience with their talent and energy, and set an example on finding strength through art and community. The theatre group brings together young people and helps them escape from the hardships of life.

As Aeschylus said: “From a small seed a mighty trunk may grow”, and the seed that has been planted here at Caux will just continue growing.

• For more information on Seeds of Inspiration, click here.
• For more information on Intermission Youth Theare in Education, click here.

INSIGHTS INTO "SEEDS OF INSPIRATION"

As I sit on the balcony of my room, watching the final moments of the sun setting behind the mountains across Lake Geneva, I feel a deep sense of gratitude towards the gift of life. My life.

Prior to my arrival at Caux Palace, I was apprehensive and didn’t know what to expect from this first ever visit. In a place with breathtakingly stunning views and what feels like an infinite amount of natural space, I felt claustrophobic and wanted to escape. I felt uncomfortable, but I didn’t know why. The people I was meeting were different; people I would not normally associate myself with. The following morning at our first plenary meeting, we were invited to foster an attitude of turning judgement into curiosity, so I asked myself why I was thinking and feeling this way.

I realised very quickly that the people were in fact individuals who were open, loving, human and unafraid to be themselves. And that scared me and provoked within me feelings of envy. I was interacting with people - young and old – from all walks of life who unashamedly embraced who they were: their identity, their struggles in life and all with a willingness to share their stories and be vulnerable in front of others.

Seeing this stirred within me something very deep and somewhat painful and I wondered: am I afraid to be me? What does ‘being me’ even mean? And so, I have begun a journey of curiosity about who I really am and who I would like to be. There are inner whisperings encouraging me to make a change within myself – a big one – so that I can truly reach my full potential and stop being held back by fear; fear that on the surface was creating judgements about others and myself.

Yasmine Kamel

On the third day of the Seeds of Inspiration conference under the theme “Listening to Unheard Voices: Hiroshima Day” Caux remembered the victims of the nuclear bombings alongside a delegation from IofC Japan.

Mr. Mitsuhisa Kato, from IofC Japan, read the letter from Kazumi Matsui, current Mayor of Hiroshima, in which he states that a visit to Caux in 1950 by the then Mayors of Nagasaki and Hiroshima deeply influenced them as they faced Japan’s reconstruction after the bombing: “if every person listens to the voice of his conscience, he can orient himself in a positive direction, bringing about positive changes not only in the family, workplace, school, community and nation, but also in the relationship between both people and countries.”

Mr. Matsui calls for a total nuclear disarmament as he sees nuclear weapons as “absolute evil” and encourages “people from all over the world, [to] take the testimony to heart, and [to go] beyond differences of nationality, race, and religion, [and] endeavour to build a world in which we can have a future-oriented dialogue.”

Another member of the Japanese Delegation moved the audience as she told her personal experience of how the Bombing had affected her life and that of those around her, especially under the then circumstances that speaking about the bombing and the consequent suffering had become a taboo.

Claudine Rochat, a member of Initiatives of Change who had been at Caux in 1950 as the mayors visited, told the audience that the mayors had given a Cross to IofC, which was made out of the wood of the only tree that had not been destroyed by the bombing in Hiroshima.

The Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation thanks Mr. Matsui for his letter and for the Japanese delegation’s support and testimonials. This commemoration reinforces the Foundation’s vision to work for a just, peaceful and sustainable world.

Click here for an article in a local newspaper about the commemoration.

OPENING OF CAUX CONFERENCE "SEEDS OF INSPIRATION"

The Seeds of Inspiration Conference started today at the Caux Conference Centre

The Seeds of Inspiration Conference is a unique experience and differs from the other conferences held in the former Caux-Palace. Rather than drawing together expert speakers, it focuses on the idea that each and every one of us has a story to tell. The conference aims to create a safe space where everyone can feel welcomed and free to be who they are.

Through workshops and together times, participants will have the opportunity to connect to their inspiration, to share it with others and to be inspired by theirs. The feeling of community that surrounds the Caux Conference Centre makes it the perfect place for this. Seeds invites you to discover the magic of diversity, the gift of silence, and the energy of the unexpected. Over the next five days, there will be space for reflection, conversation, friendship, and creativity. Come join us on this inspiring journey!

Find out more about SofI.

The last days of the CATS Conference were full of positive feelings about what had been learned, shared, exchanged, acquired, explored and discovered.

On Saturday the Kittens’ Workshop was visited by young adults to learn more about the activities and what the ‘Kittens’ had accomplished this week. It was an opportunity for them to realize that no matter their age, children could learn about their rights in many different ways even while playing.

On Sunday the participants discussed the key learnings of the week at CATS. The 26 delegations representing over 40 countries were all very enthusiastic about the Conference and full of projects to take back home to enhance children’s participation in their community.

During the feedback session a young person, talking on behalf of her Community Group, said: “The CATS Conference served as a reminder of how life should be in the aspect of team spirit and even collaboration between adults and children. This was experienced in ALL aspects and activities undertaken at CATS, through fun games, chores, Community Groups and Together Times.”

Participants presented a short summary of the document that was drafted by adolescents during the conference to be submitted to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child as part of the General Comment on the Rights of Adolescents. A few points included were to raise the general age of marriage and to drop the voting age in some countries to sixteen. Additionally, children, no matter at what age, should have access to knowing their rights.

Gerison Lansdown, international consultant on children’s right to participate, concluded the conference by drawing lessons from a week of child participation at CATS. She pointed out that “CATS has shown that it is possible for young children, young people and adults of all ages to learn, play and have fun together,” but stressed that “to make that happen we have to collaborate at every level – in the development, planning, designing, organising and delivery of CATS.”

Click here for an overview of CATS 2015 and here to see the Conference in pictures.

You can also visit the following websites with blog posts about CATS 2015:

• Eurochild,
• Child to Child, 
• Jean Gordon's blog, Gemma Perkins' blog 

CHILDREN LEARN HOW THEY FACE SIMILAR ISSUES AROUND THE WORLD AT CATS 2015!

Day 5

Credits: Eurochild

On Friday CATS 2015 explored two moral dilemmas on the implementation of children’s rights that emerged from consultations with the participants. The first one touched on the question of house chores and school assignments in an African context, whilst the second addressed the issue of punishing children for participating ‘too much.’ 

The activity gave the participants the chance to learn about the different contexts and how those impact on children’s lives. For instance in Eastern Europe and in Eastern Africa, children, carers, teachers, parents, etc., face contextual challenges that create dilemmas which can have a more universal angle. That was mirrored in the evening during the CATS Got Talent theatre performance, which addressed an issue that everybody had experienced in their own context.  

The day was full of learning as Julie Ward, Member of the European Parliament part of the children’s rights intergroup, gave her address on the role Members of Parliament should play in listening to children in order to give them the possibility to influence policy and bring about change. 

Lastly, the 300 participants made the best out of the sunny day by gathering in the park for a group photo!

Photocredits: Eurochild

Click here to learn more about CATS.
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FRENCH TV VISITS CAUX!

29 July 2015

On 29 July CAUX-IofC welcomed a team of journalist from the French TV channel TF1 to experience this year’s CATS conference for a day. Their report was broadcasted a day later as part of the evening news report “le 20 heures”.

Check out their report about the conference here.

FOCUS ON CHILDREN'S RIGHTS AT CATS 2015

Day 4

On the morning of 30th July at CATS 2015 the participants were busy building timelines to compare children's rights in all regions of the world. The evening was less studious if not less interesting, as the participants discussed issues tackled in the various films of the Film festival.

After building their regional timelines, both the adults and children participants took the floor to give key dates of children's rights in their country or region. Some were horrified to learn the late dates when corporal punishment was finally banned in some parts of the world, and that it is still allowed in 19 US States. Gerison Lansdown, international consultant on children's participation in charge of the Workshop on the General Comment on Adolescents, commented on that and talked about the need for universal abolition of corporal punishment. She stressed that most countries have laws to protect children against those abuses, yet they don't take the measures to implement them.

Judith Diers, Chief Adolescent Development and Participation at UNICEF, discussed another topic picked up by the participants: the right to access to education. She pointed out that this right can only be properly fulfilled if education is free of charge and of quality. She also mentioned the recent movement to reach universal secondary education, often unjustly put down for being too expensive.

The day concluded with the screening of films related to children's rights. La Porte d'Anna is a documentary that portrays life in a child psychiatric hospital; the director Patrick Dumont answered the audience's questions at the end, discussing his interest in the notion of difference.

Click here to learn more about CATS.
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THE AMAZING EXPERIENCE OF THE HUMAN LIBRARY

Day 3

Wednesday 29 July was an exciting day at Caux as the Main Hall turned into a Human Library where people were books telling their personal stories of change, which created inspirational energy among the 300 participants. Moreover, a journalist from the French TV channel TF1 filmed the various activities of CATS 2015.

The concept of the Human Library is that some people become “books” and tell their stories, while other people are “readers” and listen to the people-books. Through sharing their personal stories with one another, the participants connected on a deeper level, which allowed for a common energy and sentiment of solidarity to emerge out of the power of stories.

In a safe environment where people could fully express themselves, the “books” told stories on many themes related to children’s rights and their participation: We are strong, We have rights, We have dreams, We are growing, We do social media, and we want change.

For instance, a boy from Uganda shared his experience learning about issues that affect girls, such as menstruation; a boy from Kosovo talked about his learning of peacebuilding and his experience in a war-torn country as a child; and Susie Morgan spoke about her work at the Council of Europe.

The 300 participants concluded the session by saying what had moved them most, among the inspirational personal stories they had heard, and how they planned to apply some of the learning once back home.

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INSPIRATIONAL KEYNOTE SPEAKERS AT CATS 2015

Day 2

On Tuesday morning the 300 participants of CATS 2015 minus the young children had the chance to listen to our three keynote speakers, each of them explaining from a different perspective the need for better implementation of child participation in the world.

Firstly the former Chairperson of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child Kirsten Sandberg pointed out that children are human beings and citizens living in society, so it would be more relevant to ask “why should children not participate.”

Kesz Valdez, the 2012 Winner of the International Children’s Peace Prize, followed her motivating speech with his personal and incredibly inspiring story. He told the audience about his life in the dumpsite in Cavite City, Philippines, and how his life changed when he met a social worker who took him in and gave him love, in addition to a roof, food, and the opportunity to create an organisation to help other children in street situations.

Lastly Nkem Oselloka-Orakwue shared her experience of working for children’s right to participate in decisions that affect them at a time when children were not valued on the Nigerian television.

Click here to learn more about CATS.
Follow the CATS updates on Facebook: iofcCATS and Twitter: @Cats_Caux and #CATS15