• Venue: Auditorium Ivan Pictet, Pétale 1, Maison de la Paix, Chemin Eugène-Rigot 2, Geneva, Switzerland  
• Time: 14:30 - 17:00 CEST 
• Language spoken: English 
• Attendance: free
• Download the programme

About the Caux IDG Forum Opening Ceremony

The Opening Ceremony for the Caux Inner Development Goals Forum will be held at the Maison de la Paix in Geneva. Bringing together 200 participants and distinguished speakers drawn from the Inner Development Goals and Initiatives of Change communities, civil society, government, youth movements, academia and business, the ceremony promises to be a vibrant convergence of ideas and perspectives.   

Following the ceremony, attendees will have the opportunity to network and engage further during a coffee break. For those attending the full-residential Caux IDG Forum, transport will be arranged to the Caux Palace afterwards where the evening meal will be served.

The Caux IDG Forum Opening Ceremony is co-organised by Caux Initiatives of Change, the Inner Development Goals Foundation and the Permanent Mission of Costa Rica to the United Nations Office in Geneva in partnership with Initiatives of Change International.

Programme

Please note that this programme is still subject to change.

14:30 - 16:30

MUSIC 

• Jean-Marc Vignoli, Violinist

WELCOME BY THE MODERATOR

• Sarah Noble, Head of Global Engagement, Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation

WELCOME ADDRESS

• Jacqueline Coté, President Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation

REMARKS

• Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the United Nations Office in Geneva

KEYNOTE

• Ambassador Christian Guillermet Fernández, Permanent Representative of Costa Rica

MUSIC 

• Jean-Marc Vignoli, Violinist

IGNITE TALK

• Louise Le Gat, Founder and President A Purpose-Led World And School

CULTIVATING OUR COURAGE IN TIMES OF CHANGE

• Ignacio Packer, Executive Director Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation

MUSIC 

• Jean-Marc Vignoli, Violinist

UNVEILING THE PATH WITHIN: A FRAMEWORK FOR INNER DEVELOPMENT GOALS

• Jan Artem Henriksson, Executive Director of the IDG Foundation

LIVING LIBRARY: VOICES OF THE MAP 

Three youth from three continents sharing testimonies of their day-to-day life and what inner development means to them.

• Daniel Clements (UK), Teacher & Programme Manager Creative Leadership initiative for young leaders 
• Asmaa Sleem (Egypt), Educator, Storyteller and Founder of Lifelong Learning Talks
• Steven Lin (Canada), Community Organizer

REFLECTIONS 

• Prof. Rajmohan Gandhi, Historian, Biographer, former Member of India’s Parliament and grandson of Mahatma Gandhi  

MUSIC 

Jean-Marc Vignoli, Violinist

COMMEMORATION CORNELIO SOMMARUGA

• Jacqueline Coté, President Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation
• Andrew Stallybrass, Caux Palace Historian

MUSIC 

• Jean-Marc Vignoli, Violinist

CLOSING: WHAT'S NEXT IN CAUX? 

• Sarah Noble, Head of Global Engagement, Caux Initiatives of Change

16:30 - 17:00

Refreshments & Networking

17:00 & 17:15

Bus Transfer to the Caux Palace for the participants of the full-residential Caux Inner Development Goals Forum

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Speakers & Contributors

TATIANA VALOVAYA, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva

Tatiana Valovaya is Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva. Ms. Valovaya has brought to the position over 35 years of extensive experience in journalism, diplomacy and government service.  She is currently Member of the Board and Minister in charge of integration and macroeconomics of the Eurasian Economic Commission, the executive body of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) which is responsible for implementing decisions, upholding the EEU treaties and managing the day-to-day business of the Union. She began her career with the Government of the Russian Federation in 1989 and served in various capacities, including as the Third and Second Secretary at the Russian Permanent Mission to the European Union in Brussels (1989-1994) and Deputy Director and subsequently Director of the Department of International Cooperation of the Russian Federation (1999-2012).  Before joining the Government of the Russian Federation, she worked as a reporter to “The Economic Gazette” in Moscow (1983-1989). Ms. Valovaya graduated from the Department of International Economic Relations of the Moscow Financial Institute, holds a Ph.D and a Doctorate of Economic sciences from the State Financial Academy, Moscow. She has written extensively on international monetary relations, European economic integration and economic cooperation with Member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States. (photo: UN Geneva)

AMBASSADOR CHRISTIAN GUILLERMET-FERNÁNDEZ, Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the United Nations in Geneva

Ambassador Christian Guillermet-Fernández is the Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the United Nations in Geneva. He has been a career diplomat in the Costa Rican foreign service since 1998 and, from April 2020 to June 2023, was appointed as Deputy Minister of Multilateral Affairs. He was Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative at the Permanent Mission of Costa Rica to the United Nations in New York (2019-2020), Director General of Foreign Policy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica (2016- 2018), Deputy Director General of Foreign Policy (2015-2016), Deputy Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the United Nations in Geneva (2010- 2015), Deputy Permanent Representative and Political Coordinator during Costa Rica's membership in the Security Council at the Permanent Mission of Costa Rica to the United Nations in New York (2008-2009) and Director General of Foreign Policy after working with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva and in Santiago, Chile as Regional Representative a.i. of the High Commissioner (2006-2008). During his diplomatic career, he worked as Chair-Rapporteur of the United Nations Open-ended Working Group on the Right to Peace, among others. In addition, he has collaborated extensively with different universities and think tanks and has written for prestigious peer-reviewed journals worldwide.

JACQUELINE COTÉ, President Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation

Jacqueline Coté was the Director of Public Relations and previously Head of Communications at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva from 2009 to 2021. In that role she was instrumental in building the new campus of the Institute, the Maison de la Paix, as a vibrant centre of conferences and seminars, thus solidifying the reputation and outreach of the Institute in International Geneva and beyond. Prior to that Ms Coté was the Permanent Representative to the UN of the International Chamber of Commerce and also served as Senior Advisor Advocacy & Partnerships to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.  In the early part of her career, Ms Coté practiced as an international lawyer in Canada and Switzerland and held management positions with multinational companies SGS and DuPont. Jacqueline Coté believes that the global agenda can best be tackled by linking the public, private and non-profit sectors, and that dialogue and empathy are essential tools to achieve the sustainable development goals.  She recently trained as a mediator at Harvard Law School and joined the board of several associations to continue her engagement with International Geneva. Jacqueline Coté has Swiss, Canadian and British nationalities, is a member of the Bar of Quebec and has two grown-up children who share her passion about tackling today’s global challenges in their areas of work.

LOUISE LE GAT, President of A Purpose-led World

Louise Le Gat is the Founder of A Purpose-Led World And School. As an activist, she is a strong advocate of the new economy that is emerging based on the long term well-being of people and planet. And is part of the purpose-driven movement that is pioneering, experimenting and reshaping how we do business, work and leadership to meet these unprecedented times. As a speaker, educator and catalyst, she supports with her Purpose-Led Method, a new generation of leaders to actualise their purpose - by evolving the world being uniquely themselves and channelling that through their personal purpose, future-fit work and next generation leadership. With 23 years experience in Transformation, Career And Leadership Development, she is a regular Curriculum Designer and Facilitator on Acceleration Programmes, Sustainability Incubators and In-Depth Transformational Initiatives for High Potential Corporate Leaders, Social Entrepreneurs and Intrapreneurs. This has included clients like Nestle, Nespresso, Zurich Foundation, Allen & Overy LLP, Adobe, SAP, Cotty (now Wella) and also working with The Global Fund, Interpeace, The Impact Hub and UNICEF. She is a certified NLP Coach, RAPSI Counsellor and Mediator. Her first career was as a lawyer in a leading Law Firm in the City of London. She was recognised through the ICF Prism Award for outstanding coaching as part of Nestle's external Coaching Faculty.

JAN ARTEM HENRIKSSON, Executive Director Inner Development Goals 

Jan Artem Henriksson is the Executive Director of the Inner Development Goals (IDGs) – a global initiative that develops inner abilities, skills and other qualities for people and organizations to contribute to a more sustainable global society. He also initiated ‘MindShift: Growth that Matters’ – a global conference bringing academia, public sector and business together to focus on the link between human growth and sustainable development. In the past, Jan has been a public speaker and adviser for several global organizations and governments, and he also founded two companies: 1) Self Leaders – a Nordic leadership development company that has put 70 000+ people through leadership development programs and, 2) Relate – a relationship building app and thought leader for healthy relationships. Jan is also a faculty member and senior lecturer at Stockholm School of Economics Executive Education and a board member at Ekskaret Foundation.

IGNACIO PACKER, Executive Director, Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation

Ignacio Packer was appointed as Executive Director of the Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation in May 2023. Until March 2023, he served as Executive Director of ICVA, the global consortium of humanitarian NGOs. ICVA is a global network of non-governmental organisations whose mission is to make humanitarian action more principled and effective by working collectively and independently to influence policy and practice. Ignacio has over 30 years of experience in humanitarian work and development issues. He served a five-year term as Secretary General of the Terre des Hommes International Federation, and previously worked for the Terre des Hommes Foundation, the Swiss Tropical Institute, the European Association for Development and Health, Medecins Sans Frontieres, KPMG and the European Bank for Latin America. He is an expert on human rights and social issues. He has been strongly engaged in global advocacy on protection frameworks for migrants and refugees with a particular focus on children and youth. Passionate for long-distance challenges, he is also an enthusiastic ultra-trail runner.

RAJMOHAN GANDHI, Historian, biographer, former President of Initiatives of Change International

• Rajmohan Gandhi is a historian, biographer and former President of Initiatives of Change International. He was born in 1935 and has worked as a journalist, writer, politician and professor of political science. Rajmohan Gandhi is unique in that he is both one of Mahatma Gandhi's grandsons and a grandson of C. Rajagopalachari, an Indian National Congress leader and the only Indian to have served as Governor General of India (from 1948 to 1950). Like Gandhi and Rajagopalachari, Rajmohan Gandhi is committed, including in politics, to a peaceful democracy with integrity and respect for the dignity of every individual. He is the author of numerous works on the figures of the struggle for Indian independence, the drama of the partition of India and the relations between Hindus and Muslims.

DANIEL CLEMENTS, Teacher & Programme Manager Creative Leadership

Daniel Clements is the Programme Manager of Creative Leadership, an international team born from within the Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation. Creative Leadership organises conferences and storysharing programmes based on the belief that we first need to change ourselves in order to generate change within society and authentic leadership. He works as a Maths teacher in the UK with a degree in Mathematics and Physics. Daniel is driven by the conviction that the absence of virtues and values is one of the reasons behind the social and moral decline that the world is witnessing.

ASMAA SLEEM, Educator, Storyteller and Founder of Lifelong Learning Talks

Asmaa Sleem is an Egyptian educator, storyteller, and lifelong learner. She is actively engaged in spreading awareness, fostering inner development, and promoting togetherness. Asmaa is part of the organising team behind the youth-led programme Creative Leadership and is the founder of the Lifelong Learning Talks in Egypt. With postgraduate degrees in teaching methodologies and social sciences, Asmaa focuses on youth empowerment, peacebuilding, and creative leadership. She serves as Vice-President of the Association for World Education (AWE) and has corporate experience in marketing research, notably co-founding and co-leading 'Nielsen Cares' Egypt. Asmaa's work encompasses education, development, CSR, SDGs, and peacebuilding, both locally and internationally, while she pursues further studies in positive psychology and community psychology.

STEVEN LIN, Community Organizer

Steven Lin is passionate about empowering youth to achieve their goals through capacity building, self reflection and soft skill development. Steven has spent the last decade working with various nonprofits to tackle SDG 4 quality education. Some examples include his work with the Alberta Mentorship Program, providing high school students the opportunity to develop their leadership skills or working at the Terra Centre to help teen parents advocate for themselves and for policy and system change. In addition to that, Steven has been engaged with young leaders globally through Creative Leadership as well as Global Shapers to support young professionals in tackling local issues in their community. Steven follows the model of Servant and Authentic leadership in his daily practice. Steven was recognized for his work by Alberta Council for Global Cooperation and named one of Alberta’s Top 30 under 30.

ANDREW STALLYBRASS, Caux Palace Historian

Together with his wife Eliane, Andrew Stallybrass has been involved in the work of Initiatives of Change for many years and in many capacities, including conference organisation, the work weeks and communications. His extensive knowledge of the history of the Caux Palace makes him the perfect person for a guided tour through the building and the gardens.

MODERATOR

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.

MUSICIAN

JEAN-MARC VIGNOLI, Violonist

Jean-Marc Vignoli is a musician and lives in France. After training as both a violinist and an engineer, and a long career in industry, he (re)discovered the path to his own creative expression. For the last ten years or so, he has been living and sharing the mysteries of sound, improvisation and creativity and has also recorded several CDs. Jean-Marc Vignoli describes himself as a 'tailor-made' violinist. The music he plays is inspired by the message, the mood and the moment in which it takes place. Having become aware of the therapeutic dimension of music, he has turned his attention to the dimension of sound that soothes, relieves and harmonises, helping to transform and heal the human being in intimate contact with nature. 

Tribute to Cornelio Sommaruga

To honour Cornelio Sommaruga, former President of the Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation and founder of the International Association of Initiatives of Change, a testimonial will be given by Andrew Stallybrass, who worked alongside Mr Sommaruga for many years, and Jacqueline Coté, President of the Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation. A symbolic gesture marking Mr Sommaruga's lasting contribution to the movement will accompany these testimonies.

How to register for the Opening Ceremony

The participation at the Opening Ceremony on 9 July at the Maison de la Paix in Geneva (14:30 - 17:00 CEST) is free!  If you wish to attend the Opening Ceremony only without registering for the full Caux IDG Forum, please register here! You can also join us online!

Useful Information 

• General Terms & Conditions 2024

QUESTIONS?

For any further information, don't hesitate to reach out and contact us by EMAIL.

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Please note that if you have already registered or are planning to register for the full residential Caux IDG Forum at the Caux Palace, you do not need to register separately for the Opening Ceremony as it is part of your package. 

The Caux IDG Forum will start with the Opening Ceremony in Geneva on Tuesday, 9 July (14:30 - 17:00 CEST). Attendees who have signed up for the full residential Caux IDG Forum are encouraged go straight to Geneva and travel up to Caux following the Opening Ceremony. Information on transportation from Geneva to the Caux Palace will be communicated to all confirmed participants prior to the event. For those who prefer to check in earlier or drop off luggage beforehand at the Caux Palace, our reception in Caux will be available from 10:00 CEST on 9 July, 2024. A safe luggage room will also be available at the Maison de la Paix in Geneva.