Aliaksei Babets is originally from Minsk, Belarus, and holds an MA in Intercultural Encounters from the University of Helsinki. He is currently pursuing a certificate programme in Interdisciplinary Research at the New Centre for Research and Practice in Michigan, USA. His research interests include critical theory, postcolonial and decolonial studies, and gender studies. Aliaksei aims to become a researcher and is passionate about contributing to social change.
Sonja Przulj lives and works in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She has a BA in English Language and Literature from the University of Banja Luka and is completing an MA in Library and Information Science at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Her other interests are public and cultural diplomacy, international relations, linguistics and education. In her free time she likes to travel, read, spend time with friends, hike, dance, go to concerts and cook.
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.”
In its current edition, the top real estate magazine in French-speaking Switzerland, immobilier.ch, showcases the Caux Palace as one of five positive examples of how historic buildings can be preserve...
When the first Ukrainians arrived at the Caux Refuge, Eliane and Andrew Stallybrass were amongst the first volunteers to welcome them at the Villa Maria and to offer their support. Eliane knew that le...
What happens when 26 IofC trainers and facilitators from 12 countries embark on a three-day learning journey in Caux on designing and facilitating participatory learning experiences? At the opening se...
We are back in town! With our representation office now located at "La Loge" in the Domaine La Pastorale in Geneva we look forward to reengage more significantly with International Geneva and offer a...
We are happy to present our Annual Report 2021, covering all of last year's activities and the celebrations of 75 Years of Encounters!...
Sunday 19 June 2022 saw crowds of visitors and local people gathering in the park of the Caux Palace for the inauguration of a ‘Caux Belle Epoque’ self-guided walk. ...
Christine Beerli will step down as President of the Foundation of Initiatives of Change Switzerland in April 2022, after four years in the role. Jacqueline Coté, former Director of Public Relations at...
Former President of the Council of IofC Switzerland, Antoine Jaulmes, interviews Andrew Lancaster from Australia, who has just stepped down from the Council after 16 years....
Nick Foster, until now Caux Forum Director, will take over the role of Co-Director of IofC Switzerland, alongside Stephanie Buri. After nine years with Initiatives of Change (IofC) and one year as the...
Germany was in ruins. Europe was in ruins. Millions had been killed; millions more wounded and displaced. There were also ruins of the mind, deep collective trauma in desperate need of healing. In the...
‘At that time, even a dog would have refused a bit of bread from the hand of a German,’ remembered Peter Petersen, one of 150 Germans who the Allies allowed to come to Caux in 1947. They were some of ...
"Deep down inside, I blamed the rich, I held them responsible for so many people’s unhappiness. I couldn’t accept that some could have everything they wanted without having to lift a little finger, wh...
"My story is not special, or mine. It belongs to this conference centre. It is 75 years long and contains hundreds of thousands of train rides, walks, talks, teas, conversations, and quiet moments of ...
We are committed to inspire, equip and connect you to support you on your journey from personal to global change. But we need your help to see how we can do this best!...
Usually, Swiss National Day on 1 August is an opportunity for Caux Forum participants to discover some Swiss traditions, including cheese fondue. This year, it looked like the Caux Palace would be emp...
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
Discover inspiring initiatives of Caux Peace and Leadership alumni from Mexico, Colombia and Germany....
The eighth edition of the CPLP Talks recognizes the courage shown by CPLP alumni in responding to the challenges that the world is facing. Below alumni from Eswatini and Colombia describe intiatives t...
One year after the devastating explosion in Beirut, we meet Zeinab Dilati (also known as Zee) who took part in the Caux Peace and Leadership Programme in 2017, 2018 and 2019 as a participant, practiti...
'How do I talk about peace in what feels like the most unequal country in Latin America? How to generate social and sustainable development in a country with an internal war lasting more than 60 years...
Manuela Garay from Canada was part of the Caux Peace and Leadership Programme in 2017 and reflects on the impact her participation has had on her and her perspective on life and other people ever sin...
'I wouldn’t have imagined that with a piece of paper, a pencil and a little bit of your time and effort, you can really make a difference in someone else’s life!' - Georgina Flores and Lorena Mier y T...
'I wish the world had more safe spaces for women and for men, to work together to build safe communities', says Temantungwa Ndlangamandla in her article about gender and safety and explains how her cu...
How can we all contribute to building a sense of safety for everyone within our communities? The CPLP Talks team convened a dialogue space where they asked men for their perspective on the topic of ge...
'I now look at myself in the mirror differently. I am slowly getting comfortable under my skin.' - Tinotenda Dean Nyota from Gweru, Zimbabwe, took part in the CPLP in 2018. He is an Economics graduat...
'I realized that having two cultures is not a burden but a richness and that I am lucky to be able to take the best of both.' - Charlotte Rémié discovered Initiatives of Change through her parents in ...
'I realized that I could make a difference in the world.’- Find out how Maria set up a library in a remote community in Colombia to fight illiteracy and help children write stories which transmit thei...
Abeda Nasrat came to Denmark as a refugee from Afghanistan at the age of two. She now studies Law at the University of Copenhagen and works as a student assistant at the Danish Institute for Human Ri...
"Time and again, encounters with people who have different cultural roots from me have challenged and often overwhelmed me. But it is these encounters that have allowed me to keep growing, both in my ...
Harshani Bathwadana from Sri Lanka describes how she found the hope to bring hope through education to thousands of girls. ...
"One act of compassion continues to have a great impact on my life." - Redempta Muibu from Nakuru, Kenya, describes how taking part in the Caux Peace and Leadership Programme in 2015 inspired her to s...
Every November, the Friends of Caux meet over a weekend in Caux. This year their theme was ‘the values that challenge us’. From 16-17 November, about 30 people gathered to share stories and reflect on IofC’s four core values: honesty, unselfishness, love and purity of motive. They also heard about IofC’s current work around trustbuilding.
The Friends of Caux implement projects which further the aims of Initiatives of Change Switzerland and increase the visibility of the Caux Forum. They meet frequently in Bern, and gather for days in different parts of Switzerland.
Those who attended the November weekend agreed that the IofC’s values were not only a daily challenge, but also a guide to finding inner peace.
‘These moments of exchange and sharing encourage us to keep going, to keep the hope alive for the future of our world and to keep trying to embody these values,’ said one participant.
On Sunday, 17 November 2024, the Friends of Caux IofC Association met in Bienne, Switzerland, to prepare a weekend that will take place in spring 2015 at the Caux Palace with the aim of developing new...
The CAUX-IofC Foundation is sorry to announce the passing of Pierre Spoerri, one of its former council members, in Zurich, on 22 February 2017....
“The atmosphere was electric” – “I yodeled for Konrad Adenauer and Robert Schuman” About 30 people came together in Geneva to reminisce on the first days of the Foundation in 1946 when the former C...
At IofC Switzerland, we believe that facilitation is key for any group of people, who come together to have a conversation that moves individuals and organizations to work towards a more just, peaceful and sustainable world – whether they are a team or not. This is why we provide facilitation training and offer our facilitation services in collaboration with ICA.
On 28 and 29 October 2019, Anna Krebs and Brigitt Altwegg co-delivered our latest Group Facilitation Methods (GFM) course. The participants brought with them a unique energy and great practical questions. They said they were delighted to have learnt a framework that would help them structure their facilitation in the future. Practice sessions enabled them to fine-tune their facilitation skills.
On 30 and 31 October, Jonathan Dudding from ICA UK delivered a second course on Participatory Strategic Planning (PSP) in Geneva. Heba Aly, Director of The New Humanitarian, said: ‘This course helped make sense of the process, with a clear roadmap and tools to use to run successful strategic planning processes with your teams. I had been searching for help with this and didn’t quite know where to turn. Very happy I came across this course!’
Click here for more information on our facilitation services and trainings.
What happens when 26 IofC trainers and facilitators from 12 countries embark on a three-day learning journey in Caux on designing and facilitating participatory learning experiences? At the opening se...
Do you think that we have way too many ineffective and non-participatory meetings? Your meeting may have not met its objectives, you may feel disengaged or that precious time is being wasted. Brigitt ...
A safe space is key to dialogue and trustbuilding. Yet I have been at many events which claimed to be safe but where I did not feel at ease. So what is a safe space and what is needed to create and ma...
On Tuesday March 20th, during the ICVA's (International Council of Voluntary Agencies) annual conference, IofC was asked to facilitate an interactive session at the Centre International de Conférences...
Geneva is full of organizations which are working for peace, human rights and wellbeing, but they rarely come together. Each year, Geneva Peace Week seeks to break down the silos between these actors and to stress that ‘each and every person, actor and institution has a role to play in building peace and resolving conflict’.
IofC facilitated three events at this year’s Peace Week, which ran from 4–8 November. Two focused on networking and aimed to encourage collaboration between Geneva’s humanitarian, human rights and development organizations as well as the private sector, academia and the media. The other was a human library on ‘building trust in and around Europe’.
The first networking event addressed ‘What is thriving and what is missing in the field of truth and trust?’. It was driven by participants’ questions and the topics they wished to be addressed.
The second event, on ‘Who is who at Geneva Peace Week?’, took place just before the official opening on the second day of the week. This one-hour facilitated event buzzed with energy, as around 120 people connected meaningfully with each other. Newly formed groups left together to attend the opening ceremony.
As in previous years, IofC also organized a human library, in collaboration with the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, the Hospice général of Geneva, the Kofi Annan Foundation, Lake Aid, the Geneva Centre for Security Policy and the UN Library Geneva. About 80 people took part, choosing two ‘human books’ to engage with out of five possibilities:
Geneva’s Hospice Général is the canton’s main social welfare office. Its Director General, Christoph Girod, and Project Coordinator, Brice Ngarambe, focused on the integration of refugees and asylum seekers in Switzerland. Brice shared his own story as an asylum seeker, who is now well integrated and helping new arrivals. ‘Not being afraid of going towards the other and learning the language is the most important thing,’ he said. He spoke of the difficulty of building trust when you are unsure whether you’ll be allowed to stay. Going to university, sharing a flat with other students and volunteering had all helped him to integrate. Christoph Girod mentioned the difficulty caused by decisions being made far away in Bern. He welcomed a new law on asylum which, he said, will allow refugee and asylum seeker welcome centres to make decisions on the spot and thereby shorten the application process.
Yevhen Shybalov, who works for the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue in Ukraine, told how war came to his home region of Donbas. Half of Ukraine’s toxic waste is stored there, and this poses a threat to all parties in the conflict. He described how he helped to facilitate unofficial talks between experts on either side of the frontline, in the hope that ecological issues will become an essential part of any future settlement. ‘Common problems unite people,’ he said.
Muna Ismail, a scientist and environmentalist of Somalian origin living in Great Britain, is passionate about land restoration in post-conflict states. Over the last four years, she has been developing IofC UK’s Refugees as Rebuilders™ training programme for settled refugees from the Horn of Africa and other conflict-affected regions. She leads the programme’s module on sustainable livelihood. She is also developing a major project to reintroduce Yeheb, a drought-resistant plant which is native to Somalia and Somaliland and provides food for both animals and humans.
Independent filmmaker Manuela Fresil presented clips of her documentary, The Good Wheat and the Tares, in which Burim, a 14-year-old asylum seeker from Macedonia, stars. Then she asked Burim, who arrived in France when he was four, about his personal experience. He said that the most difficult part of those 10 years in limbo were the nights he spent on the floor. His family has spent the last two years in an ‘emergency welcome centre’ and his biggest dream now is to live in an apartment and be ‘normal’, like the other children in his school. Manuela said she made the documentary because she couldn’t ‘live knowing that children live on the streets my own country’. The combination of Burim’s shyness and Manuela’s activism made this ‘book’ a very emotional one to ‘read’.
The fifth human book was Hajer Sharief, co-founder of the Libyan NGO, Together We Build It, and part of the Extremely Together Initiative of the Kofi Annan Foundation. She made the point that what happens outside Europe affects the continent and vice versa. Her work focuses mainly on capacity building in Libya and raising awareness among the international community. She believes the present peace process is being handled as if it were a trade agreement and that women and children in particular are not adequately represented. ‘If people do not feel part of the process then peace will not be sustainable,’ she said. She called for a ban on supplying weapons to the armed groups. In Libya she organizes workshops for the community where she breaks down the formal concept of peace and security and brings it closer to community members, demonstrating that we all have a role to play.
After listening to two stories, participants gathered back in the main room to exchange what they had heard with each other. The books were then asked to share some final thoughts on how trust could be built in Europe.
As intergenerational dialogue is an issue in Europe, Manuela half-jokingly suggested a language exchange programme for grandparents. She also thought that reinstating night trains across Europe could boost intercultural exchange. Burim hoped for the day when that no one will have to wait ten years to get their papers
Brice and Christoph invited the audience to consider volunteering to help refugees and asylum seekers to integrate and to help them build trust in themselves. If you'd like to have more information on how to volunteer yourself you can take a look at their dedicated guide on how to volunteer (in French).
The event was part of IofC Switzerland’s Enriching Encounters series.
The Arts and Peace Encounters at Geneva Peace Week 2024, held on 18 October 2024, took us on an immersive journey through different forms of artistic expression, including music, theater, poetry and v...
What strategies are effective in building confidence and trust between conflicting parties and what is the role of trust in healing and reconciliation to generate peace that is sustainable? The peace ...
“As crises multiply, we are in dire need of courageous and ethical leadership!” said moderator Ahmad Fawai, in his opening words at the Peace Address, entitled “Rising Peacebuilders”. His words set th...
On 15 October 2024, Maruee Pahuja was a panelist at this year's Kofi Annan Peace Address where she discussed with Mary Robinson, first woman President of Ireland, former UN High Commissioner for Huma...
It has been an honour to have been part of the 10th anniversary edition of Geneva Peace Week. But once the curtains are drawn and the week is over - where do we go from here? Against the backdrop of c...
On 4 November 2021, Initiatives of Change Switzerland and the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (Peace and Human Rights Division) organised a webinar in the framework of the Geneva Peace Wee...
The theme of 2020’s Geneva Peace Week was ‘Rebuilding Trust after Disruption: pathways to reset international cooperation’. On 6 November, Initiatives of Change and the Geneva Centre for Security Poli...
Listening is a powerful tool that can have powerful effects on its recipient. It is also a difficult one to master. On 5 November 2020, Initiatives of Change Switzerland led an online workshop on the ...
On 23 January 2020, Initiatives of Change Switzerland delivered a training for the organising team of ‘Servette against racism’ in order to prepare them for running an Enriching Encounters event durin...
For the 2019 European Action Week against Racism, IofC facilitated two human libraries in Montreux and Vevey, offering face-to-face interactions on the links between discrimination, immigration and un...
An adage that some people ignore these days is that mobility has shaped each human society, and a recent meeting of the Maison Internationale des Associations in Geneva focused on this. Many colours a...
On the International Day of Tolerance, Initiatives of Change, who received the Ousseimi Prize on Tolerance in 2014, was invited to contribute to a panel discussion hosted by the UN Library in Geneva o...
Humanitarian field workers who deal every day with belligerent groups in the most dangerous places in the world need specific skills and techniques. Such institutions as the International Committee of...
The 5th and 6th editions of Enriching Encounters took place in May 2018. They shone a light on local residents' stories as a tool for building trust amongst the locals by using a version of the Human ...
Climate change, deforestation and overgrazing are leaving vast swathes of land across the drylands of Africa and Asia degraded and marginally productive. Violent conflict and migration often result, making it more difficult to implement measures to mitigate or adapt to climate change. In the worst cases, ungovernable areas emerge, sustaining non-state armed groups such as Boko Haram and Al Shabaab. Thankfully, all is not lost. There is growing evidence that the vicious cycle of land degradation, conflict and fragility can be reversed. Integrating land restoration with community-based peacebuilding can create a virtuous cycle leading to both environmental and social recovery.
The Caux Dialogue on Environment and Security 2020 looked for ways to initiate the virtuous circle of environmental regeneration and peace, focusing on cross-pollination of knowledge and best practices. Through workshops and panels, the participants learnt about the latest developments in the fields of peace and environment, and also had the opportunity to present their own initiatives and to meet like-minded people.
The first online Caux Dialogue on Environment and Security (CDES) offered four plenary sessions, three of which were livestreamed on the CDES website and Facebook, and 12 workshops, including panels, hands on learning, and a sound meditation.
Working with the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the forum has brought together policy makers, farmers, NGOs, community leaders, businesses and entrepreneurs in one of the first international forums to spotlight the links between sustainable land management and peace.
Initiatives of Change and the Geneva Centre for Security Policy also co-designed the Summer Academy on Land, Security and Climate as part of the Caux Dialogue on Environment and Security 2020.
We are deeply grateful to our partners and all those who by making a donation have helped make this conference possible and accessible to those who need it the most.
If you would like to support our efforts to raise awareness and educate on land degradation and security, you can donate here.
The conversations will be carried forward in monthly calls. We look forward to hearing about the initiatives and collaborations which develop out of them.
Climate change and land degradation pose potentially devastating threats to human security. Can we anticipate future scenarios? What will it take to respond accordingly? Three global experts from France, Nepal and UK shed light on questions that will affect the future of humanity.
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From villagers replenishing groundwater in India to pastoralists mapping land rights in Darfur; from farmer-managed natural regeneration in Niger to communities managing wildlife in Namibia: durable solutions are based on effective community action. Meet practitioners from Australia, India, Namibia and Senegal who are leading the way in catalyzing community-based solutions.
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Global resources are streaming into efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. How can such efforts benefit the world’s poorest? Expert practitioners and scholars from the African Development Bank, Earthbanc and pioneering academic centres will share insights and prospects.
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Click here to see the detailled programme.
Food security is a key to understanding the complex connection between climate and security, Dhanasree Jayaram, Assistant Professor in the Department of Geopolitics and International Relations Manipal...
The Caux Dialogue on Environment and Security aimed high in its first online edition, with more than 15 sessions and a cumulative total of 450 participants. Experts discussed the connection between se...
The effusive feedback from participants in the five-day 2020 Summer Academy on Land, Climate and Security vindicated the difficult decision to take the course online. Four months ago, this had seemed ...
I have never been to Caux. I had also never moderated a dialogue group before, in or outside of the Caux Forum. As I faced the prospect of co-facilitating an online dialogue group in the Caux Dialogue...
Chau Tang-Duncan, co-founder and chief operating officer of Earthbanc, has been coming to Caux regularly since 2010. It was there that she first embraced the role she could have in connecting people a...
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 Environme...
As part of the Caux Forum Online 2020, Initiatives of Change Switzerland and the Human Security Division of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs organized a video-conference in French on ‘L...
Dr Visier Sanyü often sleeps in his tree house. It’s a feature of the 12-acre Healing Garden which he created in Medziphema, Northeast India. Sanyü, a retired professor of history and archaeology, lik...
As pandemic-related lockdowns and travel restrictions slowly begin to ease and a return to normal life seems nearer at hand, we are at a critical juncture as to how we choose to act towards our enviro...
Dr Alan Channer, who has been one of the organizers of the Caux Dialogues on Land and Security since their inception, was a runner-up for this year's Bremen International Peace Prize....
Bo Sprotte Kafod volunteered to help organize the Caux Dialogue on Land and Security (CDLS) in 2019, after meeting former CDLS participants at the UN climate change conference (UNFCCC COP24) in Katowi...
One-man film crew, Oliver Gardiner, travels to remote regions around the world to tell stories of how people have addressed complex issues through food, farming and land use....
Webmarketing consultant and social entrepreneur Nhat Vhuong is passionate about tackling water scarcity. A Vietnamese refugee, who grew up in Switzerland, he worked in Japan for eight years before ret...
Tom Duncan is CEO of Earthbanc and passionate about problem solving and strategic systems thinking, primarily in regenerative economics, green finance and financial technology, as a means of restoring...
Some billion people rely on water sourced in the hills of Meghalaya, in North East India. One of those responsible for water conservation in the State, Aibanshngain Swer, took part in the Summer Acade...
Climate change and land degradation pose potentially devastating threats to human security. Can we anticipate future scenarios? What will it take to respond accordingly? Three global experts from France, Nepal and UK shed light on questions that will affect the future of humanity.
With:
Chair:
From villagers replenishing groundwater in India to pastoralists mapping land rights in Darfur; from farmer-managed natural regeneration in Niger to communities managing wildlife in Namibia: durable solutions are based on effective community action. Meet practitioners from Australia, India, Namibia and Senegal who are leading the way in catalyzing community-based solutions.
With:
Chair:
This plenary will dive into the challenges and opportunities for sustainability in the pharmaceutical industry, in the context of COVID 19. We will draw on diverse perspectives from industry and civil society on the sustainable production and consumption of medicines. The dialogue will highlight antibiotic resistance as one of the most pressing challenges facing the world. Lastly we will touch upon technical, political and legal solutions and explore how we can use the current crisis to transform the sector by building a more transparent supply chain.
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Global resources are streaming into efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. How can such efforts benefit the world’s poorest? Expert practitioners and scholars from the African Development Bank, Earthbanc and pioneering academic centres will share insights and prospects.
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The Eastern Himalayan region stretches across two biodiversity hotspots and over 220 indigenous communities, prompting a battle for resources where human aspirations threaten the region’s biodiversity. The Rural Futures model reconciles these human and biodiversity needs through promoting habitat-mediated livelihoods for indigenous communities, thereby alleviating the economic incentives to destroy habitats. The programme enhances natural assets, creating a system for sustainable natural capital optimization that builds the capacity of indigenous communities to become stewards of their natural inheritance. In the long term, sustainable liquidation of this natural capital will facilitate the delivery of universal basic assets to forest-fringe communities.
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Build your future world and retrocast back to today – a method for designing your life, business or community. This process will help you create and take action on a strategy for developing regenerative ecosystems. With others, you’ll frame a challenge to identify current barriers, project into the future, build your ideal world and work backwards from that future to create a plan for getting there. Create a vision for your future, a plan for getting there, an inspired sense of direction and a new tool for your innovation toolbox.
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Land degradation springs from the interplay between the degradation of traditional management systems, ignorance of modern insights into restoration science, poor governance and competing claims. We tend to associate such conditions with poor countries, yet they can also affect the world's richest nations. Join this workshop to learn about the latest developments in the relationship between land degradation and exile, to discuss how EU environmental policy can effect change globally and to witness astonishing innovations in areas ranging from the rich temperate soils of Belgium to the most degraded landscapes on Earth, the saline flats of desert shores and the shifting boundaries of the Sahel and the Sahara.
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We will consider the nexus of environmental restoration, peacemaking, trust and security. Violence may come from communal tensions, ideological preconceptions, disruptions of livelihoods, mistrust and fear, or criminal exploitation. Environmental degradation can exacerbate many of these drivers of conflict, and we need new tools to reverse the downward spiral and rebuild hope and trust. We also need to scale up the re-creation of environments which provide the physical and spiritual sustenance on which we all depend. The panel will bring perspectives that cut across the usual silos, and will explore the opportunities for tackling local and global risks through innovative and familiar approaches, restoring physical environments and human relationships alike. From community activists to security forces, from pastoralists to climate researchers, these issues matter for everyone, and everyone can contribute to addressing them.
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Reunite the inner and outer world through an interactive meditative musical trip. We will go inwards to reconnect with the feeling of oneness with the world, reinforcing and broadening the quality of compassion, guided by improvized music, the sound of the flute and occasionally a few words. This zoom session will only use sound (no visuals, cameras off) and will offer a moment of relaxation for conference participants.
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Pour beaucoup de communautés d’Afrique subsaharienne, un drame est en train de se dérouler. Sous la pression d’une population croissante, du changement climatique et parfois de mauvaise gouvernance, les terres fertiles se font rares. Les gens s’appauvrissent, les jeunes cherchent une vie qui semble meilleure en ville ou en Europe, voire en rejoignant des groupes armés. Mais il est encore possible de mobiliser des ressources humaines et techniques pour restaurer la terre et la confiance. Cet atelier cherchera à mettre en lumière des scénarios positifs qui permettent d’attaquer les causes de l’extrémisme violent. En réunissant des représentants des secteurs de l’environnement et de la sécurité, l’atelier favorisera une perspective plus holistique sur ces questions complexes et contribuera à amorcer les grandes lignes d’une réponse conjointe.
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How can artistic expressions be combined with real life politics as part of the same drive for good in the world? How can one imagine a wonderful world and still be realistic and practical about what needs to be done to get there? Lisa Yasko will share her personal journey as a member of the Ukrainian parliament and politician.
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Since 2012, the Caux Dialogue on Land and Security has explored issues of desertification, deforestation, conflict, and such solutions as land restoration, agroecology, peacebuilding and innovative green finance. But land only actually represents 29% of the world’s surface.
Now that the Caux Dialogue is focusing more on the environment in general, it can begin to explore crucially important issues concerning the remaining 71% of the Earth’s surface: the ocean, the world’s largest source of protein, which directly provides a livelihood to more than 3 billion people.
Through a collection of viewpoints, from the science, conservation, policy and finance sectors, this session will pave the way for several more Caux Ocean Dialogues.
The future of life on our planet indubitably lies in our ability to save the ocean: this is not to exclude terrestial issues, as everything is connected. The future is now. (Find out more here).
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Creativity holds the power to communicate without borders. This power has been harvested in the past to put across messages of equity, equality and social causes. Creativity offers the flexibility to move through different media – especially the visual arts – to work for nature conservation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic we have all learnt that if we take care of nature, nature will take care of us. In the four sessions of this workshop, we will take you on a journey, starting from the personal and moving to the global, towards deeper connection with sustainability in your daily life.
Participants must commit to all the four sessions, two each day. Facilitation will take place in two or three groups, depending on the facilitators.
Please note that this workshop is held on 2 consecutive days. Participants are expected to attend on both days to get the full experience!
With:
Coordinator and Moderator:
Creativity holds the power to communicate without borders. This power has been harvested in the past to put across messages of equity, equality and social causes. Creativity offers the flexibility to move through different media – especially the visual arts – to work for nature conservation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic we have all learnt that if we take care of nature, nature will take care of us. In the four sessions of this workshop, we will take you on a journey, starting from the personal and moving to the global, towards deeper connection with sustainability in your daily life.
Participants must commit to all the four sessions, two each day. Facilitation will take place in two or three groups, depending on the facilitators.
Please note that this workshop is held on 2 consecutive days. Participants are expected to attend on both days to get the full experience!
With:
Coordinator and Moderator:
Please note that this programme is subject to change. For technical reasons the Caux Forum Online will be held mainly in English with some sessions in French. No interpretation will be offered. Thank you for your understanding.
The Creative Leadership conference explored what leadership is and how we can all embody it. A six-day programme with webinars, quiet times, dialogue groups and times for social interaction enabled participants to learn from inspiring young leaders, to connect with each other and to reflect on the change they want to bring in the world.
The conference offered two similar programmes in parallel, to accommodate time zones, with common sessions. Each day offered participants an opportunity to learn in webinars, to reflect on their leadership skills in quiet times, to share authentically with fellow participants in dialogue groups, to hear stories in the Human Library and to connect more informally with each other and with speakers during ‘tea times’.
The Human Library was a chance to listen to various people sharing stories from their lives, often revolving around leadership. This was a powerful and moving experience and enabled the participants to gain a greater understanding of how to surpass obstacles and to find a sense of solidarity that leaves us less alone in our own endeavours.
Discover our Human Books:
We are extremely grateful to all the donors who have helped us make this event possible and to the Caux Peace and Leadership Programme network for their engagement and support.
If you would like to support our conference and the CPLP network please donate here.
Participants will stay connected as they start to practise what they have learnt during the conference. One participant has already realized a long-time dream: creating her own Youtube channel.
"Being creative is brave, willingness to go into things or make choice when we don’t know the outcome. It is the wisdom to know how to adapt to different people, projects, and environments. 'Who we are is how we lead'". - Rachel
"Ability to think differently. How do you think creatively in a situation where there is pressure and people are dependent upon you. How do you have creative thoughts and ideas and put it into action? Discernment, what does that look like?" - Phoebe
"First identify what you want to achieve, how and for what purpose? How do I impart what I’ve learned at Caux to the world? How to use skills." - Redempta
"Involves visionary leadership and it gives direction and steps on how to get there. Peoples ideas matter in creative leadership and consensus are built from various voices/opinions . Creative leadership embraces listening ear to various opinions and ideas so as to make an informed and inclusive decision." - Romano
"In my opinion creative leadership is knowing what task is for who. Helping members reach their full potential in the right areas and not waste their time and effort in a place where they don't belong. Creative Leadership is also being able to solve problems in a fast and efficient way. In other words, working smarter not harder." - Sawsan
.jpg "Maria Paula Garcia Romero")
We are delighted that Maruee Pahuja from our Creative Leadership youth programme received the inaugural Love Force Awards at Kanha Shanti Vanam, Hyderabad/India....
“As crises multiply, we are in dire need of courageous and ethical leadership!” said moderator Ahmad Fawai, in his opening words at the Peace Address, entitled “Rising Peacebuilders”. His words set th...
On 15 October 2024, Maruee Pahuja was a panelist at this year's Kofi Annan Peace Address where she discussed with Mary Robinson, first woman President of Ireland, former UN High Commissioner for Huma...
In September 2024, Caux Initiatives of Change participated as a knowledge partner in the Global Ethics Forum, with contributions on 3 panels from Sidra Rislan, member of the Creative Leadership youth ...
How can singing make a difference in people's lives? Pioneering Egyptian musician Dalia Younis was a guest speaker at the Creative Leadership conference in 2022 where she talked about how she uses sin...
Afghan soccer player and women’s rights advocate Kawser Amine doesn’t believe in giving up. On International Women's Day 2023 she talks about her remarkable journey and her fight for every woman to be...
Creative Leadership 2022 guided participants on a six-day journey from healing to action. The conference took place online from 23 to 29 July – with a break day in between – and brought together aroun...
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. ...
How can we face times of uncertainty as individuals and as an organization? Anas Badawi from Y-Peer was one of four young leaders who presented their perspective on overcoming fear and responding to s...
2021’s Creative Leadership conference took participants on a six-day journey ‘From Uncertainty to Possibility’. Between 25 to 31 July around 150 online participants living in over 50 countries engaged...
'I have never been to Caux, because of visa issues. So when I received an email asking about the impact of the conference, I wrote as part of my reply, ‘Thank you for bringing Caux to us’. - Betty Nab...
'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 n...
Manuela Garay from Canada was part of the Caux Peace and Leadership Programme in 2017 and reflects on the impact her participation has had on her and her perspective on life and other people ever sin...
'This extraordinary conference has changed me to be more ambitious, intellectually honest and more consistent', said Hani Abou Fadel from Lebanon after his participation at last year's Creative Leader...
'I wouldn’t have imagined that with a piece of paper, a pencil and a little bit of your time and effort, you can really make a difference in someone else’s life!' - Georgina Flores and Lorena Mier y T...
With: Maria Paula Garcia Romero
Join us for a conversation with our first keynote speaker, Maria Paula Garcia Romero. Her presentation will focus on ‘Creating a Space for Change’. She will take participants on a journey of understanding, enabling them firstly to be creative and customize an impact leadership model focused on their project; secondly to build bridges of opportunity for change and create spaces that transform community; and finally to understand the power to co-create. Maria will share a case study of how she was able to give a voice to indigenous communities in Colombia.
With: Rodrigo Martinez Romero
Join a one-hour webinar with four life travellers who will share different aspects of spiritual politics as a creative leadership journey. This is an opportunity to reflect on our own purpose, cultural heritage, calling and coalition-building work. In the context of current academic research, governance paradigms, coaching practice and IofC tradition, you will be invited to reflect on your own self-leadership journey.
With: Sonita Mbah
This webinar will expand on the theme of ‘Who we are is how we lead’. More than ever, young people across the world are stepping up and taking on leadership roles in their communities to help find lasting solutions to the growing socio-economic and environmental crises. Most of these youths have been flung off the conveyor belt of traditional education, entering the ‘real’ world poorly equipped to navigate the complexities of community engagement. Sonita Mbah will share practical tools for connecting culture, identity and leadership: exploring how young people can be possessed by their ideas, commit their lives to changing the direction of their field and the system, spread the solution and persuade entire societies to take new leaps.
Join us on a journey through Sonita’s experiences as a youth leader:
With: Jin In
There has never been a moment like NOW to be a changemaker. An unprecedented pandemic is not only upending our lives. It is demanding that we tackle the great sufferings and injustices we humans have created and continue to allow. But are you ready? Are you prepared? Do you have the most powerful tools for changemakers? The world is calling on you – NOW.
With: Tony Sakr
In our final webinar Tony Sakr will dive into the power of networking by exploring why it is important in creating success. He will speak about the ‘We Dynamic’, how we can help one another. He will describe the creation of Live Love Syria and focus on how to leverage social media to establish personal connections. Finally, Tony will cover how to become a great networker, why you need to network and ten ways to build a successful personal connection.
Please note that this programme is subject to change.
NB: Please note that for technical reasons the Caux Forum Online will be held mainly in English with some sessions in French. No interpretation will be offered. Thank you for your understanding.
