After five years, Barbara Hintermann, Secretary General of IofC Switzerland, will leave the Foundation in Spring 2020 to become the first woman to be Director General of Terre des hommes, the largest Swiss organization engaged in child protection. Initiatives of Change Switzerland will therefore be looking for its new Secretary General.  

Even if saddened by her departure, Christine Beerli, President of IofC Switzerland understands that this was a professional opportunity that Barbara Hintermann could not miss. ‘I am happy for her and thank her for all her engagement and the quality of the work and support that she has provided for IofC Switzerland in these last years. We truly wish her all the best. But it isn’t over just yet! Barbara will still be with us to manage the process of our new strategy until next Spring. In the meantime we will be looking for a qualified candidate to take on the task of leading the Foundation into the future.’
 

Barbara says it wasn’t an easy decision, but one she had to make. ‘I enjoyed my time here at IofC Switzerland and I will always continue to believe in its vision and the importance of its mission. I strongly believe that a just, peaceful and sustainable world starts with each and everyone of us taking on responsibility. I have had the pleasure of being responsible of IofC Switzerland for these last five years, surrounded by an amazing team and guided by a supportive council. I discovered IofC’s richness and diversity in its worldwide network and IofC’s history within the walls of the unique Caux Palace. When this opportunity arose to be leading Terre des Hommes, an organization I have supported for a long time, I knew I had to take the chance. I am honoured to have been selected. I know I am leaving  IofC Switzerland during a difficult time, but I will ensure a smooth transition, and have all the faith in the world that the very professional and dedicated team will bring the Foundation into the future.”

When Mulham Soufi heard that Caux was ‘an incredible place where people change the world’, he couldn’t believe such a place existed. So he decided to see for himself, by signing up for the Caux Peace and Leadership Programme (CPLP) in 2018. He never imagined that two years later he would be claiming that the training programme had changed his life.

Born in Syria and mostly raised in France, Mulham didn’t have much hope in 2018. His main purpose was to find a way to simply fit into French society, which he saw as unchangeable. ‘I didn’t care much about wars or exploitation’, he explains, ‘I just wanted to seek out the best for myself in this system.’

Through the CPLP, Mulham learnt about global issues and gained soft skills, such as listening and facilitation. He also discovered an international community of people who were full of hope. ‘I met incredible, inspiring, like-minded people from around the world,’ he says. ‘Everywhere in the world there is a trustworthy person I can stay with, because we connected through the programme, even if just for a few minutes.’

‘Once you have connected with so many people with different realities and contexts, you can’t not care anymore.’ 

These new relationships helped Mulham gain perspective. ‘Once you have connected with so many people with different realities and contexts, you can’t not care anymore.’ Once he got back home, he started asking himself, ‘What if I don’t have to live in this preordained system? What if things could change?’ Instead of seeking out the best for himself, he realized that he could ‘be part of a whole while seeking the best for others’. He felt a personal responsibility to work to resolve the issues facing the world. He started applying what he had learnt at Caux, listening to others more and seeking opportunities to give before looking after himself.

Mulham returned to CPLP in 2019 and was excited to share the changes he had made in his life. He told his life story publicly for the first time during the Just Governance for Human Security conference. ‘When I saw the emotions of other people listening to my story, I felt understood,’ he says. Reclaiming his story freed him. ‘It gave it less importance in my life.’  

A lot has changed for Mulham since 2018. He achieved his dream of being accepted into Ecole 42, Lyon’s renowned computer programming school. He has become active in AZUNI, a non-profit organization working to sensitize youth to the Fourth Industrial Revolution. He’s been invited to different conferences, including the World Youth Forum 2019, which took place in Egypt in December. He believes that the CPLP gave him ‘the maturity and reason to succeed in my projects’.

 ‘Caux is magical,’ he says. ‘It gave me hope.’ He plans to return to CPLP in 2020 as a trainer.

Applications for the Caux Peace and Leadership Programme 2020 are open until 19 January 2020! Alumni of the CPLP are also organizing the conference Creative Leadership, which will take place from 7 to 10 July 2020.  

Text: Sabrina Thalmann, Communications Officer