Kaleigh Carlson will present key insights from her recent Masters’ dissertation on the motivations behind community-based resource management (CBRM) in a remote area of the Solomon Islands, where indigenous Kwaio communities are effectively integrating both local knowledge and scientific research in order to conserve their unique culture and wildlife.
Dr Raphaëla le Gouvello (DVM, PhD) has long been involved in the aquaculture field as a veterinarian and she is now working within IUCN’s Ecosystem-based Aquaculture Group of Experts, to explore and document the sustainability of aquaculture on a worldwide basis. She will be presenting some recent work on aquaculture and marine conservation conducted in Zanzibar and elsewhere.
Dr Guillermo Ortuño Crespo is a marine spatial ecologist whose research focuses on understanding the spatial and temporal overlap of high seas fisheries with biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction. He was recently awarded his PhD in Marine Science and Conservation by Duke University and will soon be starting a postdoctoral research position at the Stockholm Resilience Centre.
Why would an Australian farmer who moved to Africa in the 1980s be called ‘the forest-maker’? Tony Rinaudo, World Vision Australia's climate action advisor, told this year's Caux Dialogue on Environment and Security how he embarked on his journey to tackle deforestation in Niger and about the challenges he met on the way.
The three-week long Caux Dialogue on Environment and Security was part of the first online version of the Caux Forum and took place from 1–19 July 2020. The conference offered plenaries and workshops on a large range of environmental and health topics. Rinaudo's story was one of a number of case studies from all over the world, which illustrated the connection between climate change, desertification and other environmental issues. They depicted various approaches to transforming conflict and searching for sustainable solutions. (Watch the plenary here).
When Rinaudo moved to Niger in the 1980s he was confronted with a country on the brink of environmental crisis, suffering from severe droughts and accelerated desertification. Niger faced crop failure, famine and an increase in crop-ravaging insects.
His first attempts to tackle the situation were a failure. The locals called him the ‘crazy white farmer’. The early years were ‘very very difficult’, he said.
In time he managed to inspire local farmers to join initiatives for farmer-managed natural regeneration (FMNR), a strategy which involves pruning out weak tree stumps to help the stronger ones grow faster. The method, which the poorest could implement ‘with a pocket-knife’, led to revolutionary results.
Today Niger has an average of 40 trees per hectare, compared to only four per hectare in the 1980s. The reforestation has led to better supplies of food, fuelwood and water, thereby increasing food security and reducing conflicts over water resources.
Rinaudo concluded: ‘If you work with nature and allow trees to regrow, then nature will care for you and you'll have a better future for yourself and for your children.’
Photo: Reforestation, WWF
As COP29 opens in Baku, advocates for climate action, including Initiatives of Change, push for bold, actionable policy recommendations to address the urgent link between climate change, conflict and ...
"In a democracy, each of us carries the responsibility to engage, listen and to contribute. It is more than a political system. It is about choice and voice. How does this resonate with you?" With the...
Spanish journalist Victoria Martín de la Torre is passionate about Europe, diversity and interfaith relations. Here she reflects on different aspects of Europe, based on her PhD research which led her...
Amid escalating conflicts worldwide, the arts emerge as a potent force to challenge misconceptions and foster positive perspectives. The pivotal role of artists in creatively raising awareness has nev...
On 25 - 28 January, some 60 CEOs and other senior staff came together under Chatham House Rules to share personal experiences on how to balance a sustainable business with integrity and trust. Executi...
Save the date for the Caux Forum 2024! This summer Caux Initiatives of Change, in partnership with Initiatives of Change International and supported by other civil society networks, UN agencies, phila...
The Caux Forum 2023 Opening Ceremony set the tone for the conference with the theme, ‘Strengthening Democracy: The Journey from Trauma to Trust.’. Discover the report and relive the highlights of this...
In a world filled with diverse cultures and languages, the journey of musician Tsvetana Petrushina is an inspiring tale of how she discovered her purpose. Her remarkable story led her to the Caux Pala...
We are excited to announce the Caux Forum will be back in Caux next summer! Find out more and save the date! ...
Arpan Yagnik, a participant of last year's Creative Leadership conference and team member of the IofC Hub 2021, talks to Mary Lean about creativity, fear and vocation. ...
When Indonesian law student Agustina Zahrotul Jannah discovered the Young Ambassadors Programme (YAP) on Google she felt both excited and hopeless: excited because she hoped it might give her the skil...
Water Warriors is a groundbreaking collaboration between experts and activists in Kenya, India and Sweden launched by Initiatives for Land, Lives, and Peace (ILLP), the organizers of the annual Caux D...
How did Sofia Syodorenko become involved in the zero waste movement, and what does it mean to her? Now Chair of Foundations for Freedom, she is also a representative of the Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine...
The second in Tools for Changemakers’ series of Stories for Changemakers took place on 25 August 2021, with an interview with Patrick Magee, who planted a bomb at the Grand Hotel, Brighton, in 1984, w...
The Summer Academy on Climate, Land and Security 2021 brought together 29 participants from 20 countries. From Egypt and Senegal to the United States and Thailand, zoom windows opened for six hours ev...
Before taking up his present roles, Professor Mohammed Abu-Nimer served as Director of the Peacebuilding and Development Institute (1999-2013) at the International Peace and Conflict Resolution programme of the American University. He has conducted interreligious conflict resolution training and interfaith dialogue workshops in conflict areas around the world, including Palestine, Israel, Egypt, Chad, Niger, Iraq (Kurdistan), Philippines (Mindanao) and Sri Lanka.
Robert Suarez is the founder and director of the Forest Venture Lab where he originates, develops and grows sustainable climate initiatives in the areas of land stewardship, forest health, carbon sequestration and the conversion of woody biomass to higher-value products and services.
Kim Milanes is an English language teacher currently residing in Spain, and will soon move to Germany. She has a long history working with youth of different ages, backgrounds and goals. She participated in the Caux Peace and Leadership Programme in the summer of 2016. This experience enriched her life with the tools to empower not only herself, but now many youth across the world. She believes in being a global citizen and is a strong advocate for mental health, education and community development.
My name is Nour Diab and I work within a humanitarian organization serving refugees in Lebanon. We ensure that children are safe and get their rights. I’ve been involved with IofC since 2016. I took part in the Caux Peace and Leadership Programme for two summers in a row and it was a life-changing experience for me. I had the chance to learn more about leadership, connect with people and most importantly serve others. I am excited about this year’s virtual experience with Caux, especially the Creative Leadership conference.
My name is Faouma Tabet Salem and I am currently doing an MSc in Public Health and Health Promotion in the UK. I believe in education and in empowering the women and girls in my country through building a safe and healthy space for them to grow and succeed. ‘The only thing worth doing is what we do for others’: my goal is to help make an impact in my community, change the system and give back.
Very early on, I became interested in the disappearance of species and their protection. Peasant societies and their autonomy fascinate me and I consider agriculture a key sector for the protection of living things. I studied journalism with the ambition of being able to influence these subjects, but the reality of journalism quickly pushed me to return to nature. I first worked as an environmental adviser to farmers and then developed my own beef breeding operation.
