Lorena Mier y Teran from Mexico is passionate about peacebuilding, inner development and raising awareness through dialogue and action. She seeks experiences that help her build connections with international individuals and storytellers, believing that listening and interacting with others are essential to her own growth.
Dr. Carl Stauffer is currently Senior Expert for Reconciliation at the US Institute for Peace in Washington DC. He has practiced trauma healing, nonviolence, restorative Justice and reconciliation for 3 decades in 37 countries. For the past 10 years he has served as the Academic Director for the Caux Scholars Program in Switzerland.
Dr. Carl Stauffer is currently Senior Expert for Reconciliation at the US Institute for Peace in Washington DC. He has practiced trauma healing, nonviolence, restorative Justice and reconciliation for 3 decades in 37 countries. For the past 10 years he has served as the Academic Director for the Caux Scholars Program in Switzerland.
Anatasiia Yakush is a project manager at X23, a certified facilitator at the Soliya Programme (Erasmus+ Programme) with specific expertise in economics and business administration. She is involved in EU-co-funded programmes related to the social inclusion of migrants and refugees, with longterm and high impact scopes. She managed the EUStartGees programme and had an active role in the creation of the ME4Change Coalition (Migrant Empowerment for Change), working in close cooperation with Marika Mazzi Boém, Co-founder and Innovation Strategy Director at X23.
Shrouk Gamalfrom Cairo, Egypt, is a graduate in Media and Mass communication from Ain Shams University. She works as an Erasmus+ Virtual Exchange Facilitator and a Language Coach and is a Youth Leader with MCW Global. She recently started « Yellow vs Blue », an online initiative that helps youth globally with mental health issues like depression and suicidal thoughts.
I joined the Creative Leadership conference because I am going to lead a youth project in my community and I wanted to learn something new.
I have attended a lot of workshops before and I thought this one would be the same as normal. When I joined, it was just weird: it was amazingly effective for me. I got so much information and inspiration. I liked the way you organized it. Tea time was incredible: I met so many people. I am still in contact with most of them and have connected with them on other projects.
The conference showed me how much I really love to socialize with people. The members of our dialogue group asked me questions I never been asked before. This made me think about lots of things, in new ways.
The members of our dialogue group asked me questions I never been asked before. This made me think about lots of things, in new ways.
One question was, ‘What do I need to change to be a good leader?’ I mentioned that I cannot be calm when I see someone being racist towards someone else, because I put myself in the other person's shoes. But I know this is not the right way and that I need to advise those people instead of being aggressive.
Opening Session of Creative Leadership 2020
A few days ago, I was in a bus and the bus driver acted in a racist way towards someone whose skin colour was black. I got so mad. Then I remembered what I had said in the conference, that I want to be calm and to make a real change.
So, I just told the bus driver calmly, ‘Do you think that what you did now is right? If you were in another country and someone did that to you, would you be happy? What would you feel?’ He didn't reply, was silent. Then he said, “Sorry” and left. This simple situation means a lot to me, because I took a step towards being a better version of myself, and that was because of the conference! It was hard, and still is, but I am keeping going!
Thank you for the experience, the chance to meet amazing people and friends. The love and support that I received during the conference days, and after, was so heartwarming. I want to get involved with IofC in other and different ways.
This simple situation means a lot to me, because I took a step towards being a better version of myself.
If you would like to know more about Creative Leadership 2021 before you register (or even after registering for this year's event), join us for our online OPEN HOUSE event on Sunday 27 June at 15:00 - 16:00 GMT here.
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Çigdem (kneeling in front) with a group of Lebanese, Egyptian, Iranian and French participants in Caux, 1972
She loved arguing, to the despair of her parents. An old Turkish lady, friend of the family who knew Caux, suggested she should go there, and Marcel and Theri Grandy,a Swiss couple working for reconciliation in Cyprus, encouraged the idea, feeling that Çigdem would enjoy meeting people from the whole world and various backgrounds. Once at Caux, she argued with all the high-profile people she could find at the conference. She caused quite a lot of upset!
On her tenth day at Caux, completely worn out and talked out, she slipped into the back of the theatre where the film Men of Brazil was being shown in French, sub-titled in German. She neither spoke nor understood French or German.
The feature film tells the true story of reconciliation in the port of Rio de Janeiro, with those involved acting their own parts. At its end, there is a touching scene when the little daughter of one of the port workers is suddenly able to walk, after being paralyzed from birth. It’s a miracle. The scene shows her going into the church with her parents, carrying a huge candle.
People may not forgive me, but my Creator had done so. I felt different. I was not the centre of the universe any more.
Çigdem saw this and began to weep. It came as the culmination of all her discussions and arguments. She ran to her bedroom and threw herself on her bed. Later she said, ‘I knew there was Allah. That Allah was generous, loving, forgiving. As I cried and cried, I felt washed. People may not forgive me, but my Creator had done so. I felt different. I was not the centre of the universe any more.’
A few years later, she joined with young Asians in creating Song of Asia, a musical review telling stories of reconciliation and change. The show toured Asia, Europe and Canada between 1974 and 1976.
Çigdem (fourth from right in front standing row) and the Song of Asia cast, 1974
In Song of Asia’s programme, Çigdem wrote, ‘Frank Buchman, the initiator of Moral Re-Armament, had the vision for the Islamic countries that they could be a girder of unity for the world.
‘Everyone knows of the suffering and injustice in the Middle East, which has led to so much bitterness and acts of violence. Can those who suffered forgive and the hating ones become free to fight for a hate-free world? We need men and women from these nations who will demonstrate that it can happen."
It altered my whole thinking and freed me from the past mistakes. (...) As a result, we were able to trust each other.
She described how encountering the idea of absolute standards and of listening to the inner voice changed her life. ‘It altered my whole thinking and freed me from the past mistakes, and I put right stolen exam questions, and books which I had stolen from the library, and many things which I had hidden from my parents in my own life. As a result, we were able to trust each other.’
Çigdem and Ioanna dancing
to Turkish music
Çigdem in Song of Asia
(back row, left)
Çigdem went on to teach psychology at Izmir university. On one of her later visits to Caux, a Swiss friend told her about another friend, Ioanna, who was teaching psychology at Geneva University. She had assisted Jean Piaget in his pioneering work on child development and taken his post after his death.
Çigdem invited Ioanna to give a lecture in Izmir. Ioanna is Greek, and Izmir had a large Greek community for centuries before they were driven out by the Turks. So the visit involved much more than teaching psychology. Çigdem and Ioanna became great friends, and, among other things, enjoyed dancing to Turkish music, each in their tradition.
This story is part of our series 75 Years of Stories about individuals who found new direction and inspiration through Caux, one for each year from 1946 to 2021. If you know a story appropriate for this series, please do pass on your ideas by email to John Bond or Yara Zhgeib. If you would like to know more about the early years of Initiatives of Change and the conference centre in Caux please click here and visit the platform For A New World.
Hope never dies: the Grandy story, Virginia Wigan, Caux Books, 2005
Photo Caux 1972: Jan Franzon
Photos Song of Asia: Initiatives of Change
Photo with Ginny Wigan: Ginny Wigan
Photo Çigdem and Ioanna: Eliane Stallybrass
Men of Brazil: Initiatives of Change on For A New World
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