The COVID-19 crisis is a global challenge for people from all over the world and all walks of life. Discover our interview series how they experience the current situation and which lessons they are drawing from their time in lockdown. Maya Fiaux has been actively working for Initiatives of Change for many years and lives with her husband Jean near Lausanne, Switzerland.

What is your current situation? How is the spread of COVID-19 impacting you? 

My husband Jean  and I, both well over 70 y.o., live the imposed confinement without any major difficulties. We are lucky to receive all the support we need, we receive and make plenty of phone calls and messages and we enjoy to have more time for reading, writing and many other things. But at the same time we are aware of the dangerous situation of so many other people all around the world who are in great need and incredible suffering.

Describe in 3 words how you are feeling right now?

In three words right now I feel grateful, concerned and confident.

What is your biggest challenge at the moment?

My biggest challenge is to discern what is essential and to use enough time for this.

What are the lessons you have already learned from this time?

I am learning many new things, for instance:

• to receive every day as a unique gift, because of uncertainties of the future,
• to have longer quiet times,
• to depend on others for our shopping,
• to be flexible and adapt to what needs to  be different,
• to discover a new s sense of proximity and belonging in spite of social distance. 

Do you practise quiet time? If yes: what is your practice and how does it help you?

Quiet time is what I consider as essential in life and in particular now: First thing in the morning having prepared a hot drink, Jean and I take about 30 - 60 minutes for reading inspiring texts (e.g. in the Bible), writing thoughts down on paper and share some of them with Jean. It connects me with my inner voice and makes space for the presence of God. It gives me inner peace and it helps me to discover what is essential for the day.

What are your best tips and tricks to fight anxiety/loneliness/uncertainty (whichever you struggle most with)?

In order to fight uncertainty I use prayer. This is for me the best way to trust that there is a future we can look forward to.

How can we connect with others and support them when we have to barricade ourselves?

In order to connect with others I use phone calls to lonely friends, e-mails or postal messages for expressing gratitude, care, love, etc.

What made you laugh today?

Today I had a good laugh when I was on the phone with an old friend,  who has known Jean and myself for a many years. At the end of a long call she warned me jokingly against the risk of the growing domestic violence which was mentioned on the news last night. (Those who know Jean can see the joke even if the subject is unfortunately a very sad reality in our society!)

How would you (as a person) like to emerge from this crisis?

I wish to become more aware of what is rally essential in life and of what is going on inside other people, in order to become more sensitive to their needs.

What are you grateful for?

I am grateful for

• being together with Jean,
• knowing the link to connect with our Creator through prayer and quiet time,
• the medical staff and all those working hard to fight the virus,
• the care and  solidarity we suddenly notice all around us and in our country on the whole,
• our government who tries its best to cope with the situation,
• all those in the World Family of IofC, who have helped me to grow spiritually,
• every new day.

In light of the global health crisis surrounding coronavirus, as well as its organizational and financial implications, the Council of Initiatives of Change Switzerland has decided to adapt the Caux Forum 2020 programme so as to avoid large gatherings. This means that the Caux Forum will not physically take place at Caux this summer but will proceed in a different form, which is still under discussion.

We take seriously our responsibility to care for our participants and to protect the more vulnerable ones. It is also important for us to minimize the risk of financial loss for our participants, partners and donors.

The Caux Conference and Seminar Center will nevertheless remain open for smaller gatherings and the summer special will remain valid until further notice.

Registrations have been temporarily closed and will remain so until the new programme is in place. We welcome this change as an opportunity to walk our talk and to develop creative ways of bringing the Caux Forum to all those who want to join us in building a just, peaceful and sustainable world.

Stay tuned as more information is coming soon.

The UN’s fourth Sustainable Development Goal is about access to quality education and life-long learning – both essential to bringing positive change into the world.

We are living in times of constant, rapid and profound change, triggered by climate change and digital transformation. To find the right answers to new questions we need to learn more, and maybe differently. Curiosity, creativity and critical thinking are as important as maths, IT, languages skills, etc... We need to be innovative and ingenious to build a just, peaceful and sustainable world for us and our children.

Learning needs well-run education systems, but it comes from inside the human being. It’s fun, but sometimes it’s painful. In preparation for the upcoming Ethical Leadership in Business event in June 2020, we have invited diverse people from around the world to share stories of their learning journeys. These stories offer inspiring insights and invite us to reflect on our education and life-long learning.

‘My Learning Story’ hopes to become a global learning experience, connecting people around the world as they share their stories of what we all do every day: learning to build a brighter future.

Interview with Bram Jonker, Senior innovation Manager at Deloitte, Netherlands

What have you learned today?

That the people in my team are extraordinary individuals with a great heart.

 

How do you learn? What is your unique learning style ?

I have never been a good learner at school where the primary source of information was thought through text books. The best way for me to learn is by hearing and seeing someone talking about a topic they are truly passionate about. With the online Ted Talks I found a new way of learning for myself that has made learning fun again. I can watch Ted talks for hours at the airport or while relaxing when I am in a hot bath.

 

Does your prior learning experience influence today’s learning?

During my time in school or at University it was not possible for me to absorb knowledge by listening to a teacher reading out PowerPoint slides or pages from a text book. Although I am sometimes tempted to buy books at airports, the must reads, I never really finish reading them. So, knowing that content in text form does not work I have changed my way of learning by watching video content with speakers who show their enthusiasm and passion for their field of expertise.

 

Did you need to “unlearn” from previous learning experiences or habits?

Yes, I needed to accept that I am just not a good reader. I can be jealous of people being able to concentrate while reading books. To me it looks more intelligent reading a book than watching a video. But I have accepted that I will just never be a good reader and I need a different way of learning.

 

Did you teach recently?

Yes, I teach every day. I have two young children and I believe as a parent you are some sort of teacher. Not by telling what they should do or think but by giving them the space and safety to become who they want to be. Prepare them for the future by focusing on and supporting them in developing the skills of the future (Creativity, Critical Thinking, Collaboration and Communication) in a fun and playful way.

 

What passion drives you when you are learning?

To learn new things and being able to share what I have learned with my friends and my team members. The best thing is that I can just simply send them a link to get the same experience/knowledge as I have obtained.

 

Who is your best teacher?

The person I learn the most from is the partner I report to within Deloitte. He is an inspirational leader with exceptional knowledge and people skills. He has a lot of responsibilities as our CTO and the way he creates an environment where everyone is able to contribute, can learn and grow is something that inspires. I learn a lot from the way he interacts with people and how he leads the team.

 

What did life teach you?

 That I am me. With all my imperfections which is ok and makes me who I am.

 

What kind of learning recommendations would you give to your younger self ?

You will learn along the way so do not be too hard on yourself and allow yourself time to grow.

 

What did you learn from failure?

That it can hurt but in a later stage in life it has thaught you more than anything.

 

What did you learn during your last stay at the Caux Forum, Ethical Leadership in Business, Switzerland?

The importance of nature around me as it inspires and gives energy.

 

What do you want to learn but you haven’t dared yet?

Singing.

 

What are you going to learn next?

How Virtual and Augmented Reality works from a technical aspect and how to translate it to the business I work in.

 

What would you recommend to those struggling to restart learning?

Make it fun again. See if you can gamify learning and find different means as watching Ted Talks.

 

What do you learn to navigate constant change?

To build an environment around you of continuous learning and have a re-shift focus on our human skills.

 

What skills does it need in the 21st century?

Creativity, Critical Thinking, Collaboration and Communication. These skills cannot be replaced by computers. Secondly, be open to learn and play with technology.

 

What did you learn recently to protect the planet?

Stories of fear do not work, stories that inspire do. Therefore, I stopped watching disturbing content on how the planet is at risk and started searching for people that inspire and actually start initiatives to drive change without searching recognition for it. This inspires me and activates to contribute.

 

What are the key ingredients to build a learning culture at the workplace?

At first, re-establish for everyone that it is ok to ask questions. In our digital age we almost pretend that as information is so accessible we need to know everything. In order to learn we need to ask questions again in order to learn. So, a key ingredient is to create a safe environment and lead by example by start asking questions again. Secondly, Make learning fun again. Especially in the development of the skills of the future there is an opportunity to learn in a fun way. Imagine learning how to drag again (visual Storytelling) or doing escape rooms. Lastly, create time during the week for yourself and team to gain new knowledge and develop skills. What I see a lot in the workplace is that there is budget for learning activities. But if a manager does not make use of it than her/his team won’t do it either.

 

Companies need to build on collective purpose, values and vision. What needs to be learned to make that happen?

Two things. At first, include everyone, from all levels, in the design not focused on marketing slogans but on what everyone truly believes and feels.

Secondly; Lead by example! Having it written in documents or embedded in presentations does not lead to anything. Only when leadership displays behavior and actions that are in line with the purpose, value and vision others will follow. 

The UN’s fourth Sustainable Development Goal is about access to quality education and life-long learning – both essential to bringing positive change into the world.

We are living in times of constant, rapid and profound change, triggered by climate change and digital transformation. To find the right answers to new questions we need to learn more, and maybe differently. Curiosity, creativity and critical thinking are as important as maths, IT, languages skills, etc... We need to be innovative and ingenious to build a just, peaceful and sustainable world for us and our children.

Learning needs well-run education systems, but it comes from inside the human being. It’s fun, but sometimes it’s painful. In preparation for the upcoming Ethical Leadership in Business event in June 2020, we have invited diverse people from around the world to share stories of their learning journeys. These stories offer inspiring insights and invite us to reflect on our education and life-long learning.

‘My Learning Story’ hopes to become a global learning experience, connecting people around the world as they share their stories of what we all do every day: learning to build a brighter future.

Interview with Jowan Oesterlund, Founder & CEO at Biohax International

Jowan, you are micro-chipping people for a more comfortable life, i.e. we don’t need to think any more about our car keys, we can forget about door codes, passwords … is there any risk that we are less memorizing and less capable of learning?

No, quite the opposite actually. Getting rid of base stress in terms of always having to line your pockets and bags with disconnected tokens of ID and assets creates more time and space for creative thinking. And when in control and sovereign owner of your digital identity you will be able to benefit from the data you own thus creating sort of base pay. 

 

What do you mean by “critical” innovation?

Critical innovation is defying the elements inhibiting progress through innovation, like elements creating friction and obstacles to uphold a creative environment, i.e. procurement regulations and semi monopolized market segments.      

 

 Which learning changed your life?

The more you learn the more you realize how little you know.

 

Who is your best teacher?

My kids, my wife and my mistakes.

 

What do you want to learn but you haven’t dared yet?

Helicopter pilot, double backflip & basejumping.

     

What lessons did you learn from failure?

Fail more but faster.

 

What did you learn during your last stay at the Caux Forum?

A broader line of thinking from omnivertical diversity input.