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 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...
Training in group facilitation and participatory strategic planning
01/12/2019
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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!’
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...
2019 Geneva Peace Week: Building trust in Geneva and in Europe
27/11/2019
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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.
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 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 ...
Building Trust, Breaking Barriers: an opportunity to re-imagine the future
01-04 July 2020
5 - 19 July 2020: Workshops & Community Building
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.
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.
Irina Fedorenko, Managing Director of the Caux Dialogue on Environment and Security
What's next?
The conversations will be carried forward in monthly calls. We look forward to hearing about the initiatives and collaborations which develop out of them.
Watch the replays
1 July 2020: Anticipating the security risks of land degradation and climate (Livestream Plenary)
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.
Anna Brach, Head of Human Security, Geneva Centre for Security Policy
2 July 2020: Community Action: entry-point to holistic solutions (Livestream Plenary)
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:
Oumar Sylla,Acting Director for the Regional Office for Africa in the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat)
Tony Rinaudo AM, Senior Climate Action Advisor, World Vision Australia
Maxi Louis, Director of the Namibian Association of Community-Based Natural Resource Management Support Organisations (NASCO)
Dr. Himanshu Kulkarni, Executive Director, Advanced Center for Water Resources Development and Management (ACWADAM), India
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.
With:
Gareth Phillips, Manager, Climate and Environment Finance Division, African Development Bank
Chau Duncan,Chief Operating Officer, Earthbanc, Australia
Rishabh Khanna, Executive Committee, Initiatives for Land, Lives and Peace
Dr Dhanasree Jayaram, Assistant Professor, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, India
Members of the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP)
Members of Initiatives for Land, Lives and Peace (ILLP) Steering Group
Ranjit Barthakur, Founder & President, and Saurav Malhotra, Co-Founder & Designer Balipara Foundation
BetaEarth Ventures Lab Team
Louise Brown, Climate finance specialist, Namibia
Oli Brown, Associate Fellow, Chatham House (The Royal Institute of International Affairs) and GCSP
Kaleigh Carlson, Environmental conservationist, MSc candidate in Environment, Resources and Sustainability, The Graduate Institute, Geneva
Dr Humberto Delgado Rosa, Director for Natural Capital at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for the Environment
Stéphane Delogne, Founder and Manager of the Highland d'Ardennes Beef Farm in the Belgian Ardennes
Archana Dubey, Artist, IC Centre for Governance, and National Coordinator, Ecoskillarts, India
Chau Duncan, Chief Operating Officer, Earthbanc, Australia
Dr Papa Faye, Executive Secretary of Centre d'Action pour le Développement et la Recherche, Senegal
Josef Garvi, Founder and CEO of Sahara Sahel Foods
Dr Thomas Gauthier, Professor of Strategy, Emlyon Business School, France
Larry Gbevlo-Lartey, CEO Human Security Research Centre of Ghana, former AU High Representative for Counter-Terrorism
Dr Raphaëla le Gouvello, Expert in marine coastal zone management, fisheries and aquaculture-dependent territories, sustainability, blue growth
IofC Bardic circle, coordinated by Sven Snygaard, ILLP Steering Group
Dr Dhanasree Jayaram, Assistant Professor, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, India
Dr Himanshu Kulkarni, Executive Director, Advanced Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (ACWADAM), India
Olivia Lazard, Deputy Researcher at the Environment and Development Resource Centre, France
Maxi Louis, Director of the Namibian Association of Community-Based Natural Resource Management Support Organizations (NASCO)
Bengt Mattson, Policy Manager, Swedish Association of Pharmaceutical Industry
James Nikitine, Marine scientist, consultant, filmmaker, CEO Manaia Productions and Blue Cradle
Mukhtar Ogle, Executive Office of the Presidency, Secretary for Strategic Initiatives in the President's Office, Republic of Kenya
Dr Guillermo Ortuño Crespo, Postdoctoral researcher, Stockholm Resilience Centre, Youth Focal Point for the UN Ocean Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development
Cecilia de Pedro, Head of Sustainability, Apotek Hjärtat
Gareth Phillips, Manager, Climate and Environment Finance Division, African Development Bank
P Niroop Reddy, Environmental Lawyer, Advisor to EnvirohealthMatters
Tony Rinaudo AM, Senior Climate Action Advisor, World Vision Australia
Oumar B Samake, Anthropologist, Programme Coordinator, Association Malienne d’Éveil au Développement Durable (AMEDD)
Dr Mahamadou Savadogo, Consultant on violent extremism in the Sahel, Burkina Faso
Nicolai Schaaf, Programme Manager, Swedish Water House, SIWI (Stockholm International Water Institute)
Neal Spackman, Founder and CEO of Regenerative Resources Co, USA
Oumar Sylla, Acting Director for the Regional Office for Africa in the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)
Torsten Thiele, Ocean finance and governance expert, Founder, Global Ocean Trust
Nathalie Tops, Regional Resilience and Livelihoods Coordinator at the Danish Refugee Council
Abasse Tougiani, Chief researcher, Institut Nationale de la Recherche Agronomique du Niger (INRAN), Niger
Dr Bishnu Raj Upreti, Advisor to the Nepal Centre for Contemporary Research
Wim Zwijnberg, Project on Humanitarian Disarmament at PAX for Peace
The dialogue that I have joined this week has been exceptional in that it provides a restful, safe and neutral place for people to really explore what the issues are in a way that is going to change the world.
Gina Pattisson, Development Director, Commonland
I enjoyed the event and have gained a lot of insight from discussions with many participants, young and old!
Martin Lees, former Secretary General of Club of Rome and Member of Gorbachev High Level Task Force on Climate Change
We’ve been introduced to organizations deeply trusted by local communities, so they are natural partners for introducing technology we believe has huge potential. They are a great bridge between what we’re building and what we hope to achieve – massive reforestation.
Matthew Ritchie, representative of BioCarbon Engineering, CDLS 2016
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....
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...
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...
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...
Caux Dialogue on Environment and Security - Programme
1 - 4 July: Panels
5 - 19 July: Workshops & Community Building
programme
Wednesday, 01 July
14:00 - 15:00 (CEST)
Plenary 1: Anticipating the security risks of land degradation and climate
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.
Anna Brach,Head of Human Security, Geneva Centre for Security Policy
Thursday, 02 July
10:00 - 11:00 (CEST)
Plenary 2: Community Action: entry-point to holistic solutions
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:
Oumar Sylla,Acting Director for the Regional Office for Africa in the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat)
Tony Rinaudo AM, Senior Climate Action Advisor, World Vision Australia
Maxi Louis, Director of the Namibian Association of Community-Based Natural Resource Management Support Organisations (NASCO)
Dr. Himanshu Kulkarni, Executive Director, Advanced Center for Water Resources Development and Management (ACWADAM), India
Plenary 3: Sustainability risks in the Pharmaceutical Industry in the context of COVID 19
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.
With:
P Niroop Reddy,Environmental Lawyer, Advisor to EnvirohealthMatters
Bengt Mattson, Policy Manager, Swedish Association of Pharmaceutical Industry
Nicolai Schaaf,Programme Manager, Swedish Water House, SIWI (Stockholm International Water Institute)
Moderator:
Rishabh Khanna, Executive Committee, Initiatives for Land, Lives and Peace
Friday, 03 July
14:00 - 15:00 (CEST)
Plenary 4: Climate Finance: catalyst of holistic solutions
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.
With:
Gareth Phillips,Manager, Climate and Environment Finance Division, African Development Bank
Chau Duncan,Chief Operating Officer, Earthbanc, Australia
Rishabh Khanna, Executive Committee, Initiatives for Land, Lives and Peace
Dr Dhanasree Jayaram, Assistant Professor, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, India
Workshop 1: Rural Futures: Ecosystem Restoration for Universal Basic Assets in the Eastern Himalayas
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.
Workshop 2: Enterpreneurship and Innovation: building the world you want to live in
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.
With:
Robert Suarez,Founder and Director of the Forest Venture Lab
Dr Lauren Fletcher, Co-founder BetaEarth
Greg FitzGerald, Principal at Venture Stem
Moderator:
Dr. Irina Fedorenko, Managing Director Caux Dialogue on Environment and Security
Wednesday, 08 July
11:00 - 12:30 (CEST)
Workshop 3: Land degradation and remediation: latest developments and best practices
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.
With:
Dr Humberto Delgado Rosa, Director for Natural Capital at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for the Environment
Dr Papa Faye, Executive Secretary of Centre d'Action pour le Développement et la Recherche, Senegal
Josef Garvi, Founder and CEO of Sahara Sahel Foods
Neal Spackman, Founder and CEO of Regenerative Resources Co, USA
Stéphane Delogne, Founder and Manager of the Highland d'Ardennes Beef Farm in the Belgian Ardennes
Moderator:
Patrick Worms, Senior Science Policy Advisor, World Agroforestry Centre
15:30 - 17:00 (CEST)
Workshop 4: Is the environment the missing dimension of peace?
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.
Moderators:
Peter Rundell & Olivia Lazard
With:
Larry Gbevlo-Lartey, CEO Human Security Research Center of Ghana, former AU High Representative for Counter-Terrorism
Nathalie Tops, Regional Resilience and Livelihoods Coordinator at the Danish Refugee Council
Wim Zwijnberg, Project on Humanitarian Disarmament at PAX for Peace
TBC Mukhtar Ogle, Executive Office of the Presidency, Secretary for Strategic Initiatives in the President's Office, Republic of Kenya
Thursday, 09 July
19:00 - (CEST)
Workshop 5: Interactive sound meditation (45 min)
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.
Workshop 6: La terre et la sécurité en Afrique Subsaharienne: évaluer les risques et chercher une réponse
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.
Organisateurs :
Rainer Gude, Co-Directeur général (Initiatives et Changement Suisse)
Carol Mottet, Conseillère principale (Division Sécurité humaine du Département fédéral des affaires étrangères de Suisse)
Modérateur :
Rainer Gude, Co-directeur général, Initiatives et Changement Suisse
Invité-e-s:
Olivia Lazard, Chercheuse adjointe à Environment and Development Resource Center (Centre de ressouces sur l’environnement et le développement), directrice de Peace in Design Consulting Ld
Oumar B. SAMAKE, Anthropologue, Coordonnateur de Programmes, Association Malienne d’Éveil au Développement Durable (AMEDD)
Dr. Mahamadou SAVADOGO, Consultant sur les questions de l'extrémisme violent au Sahel, Burkina Faso
Abasse Tougiani, Chercheur principal, Institut Nationale de la Recherche Agronomique du Niger (INRAN), Niger
Saturday, 11 July
14:00 - (CEST)
Workshop 7: Arts and love in politics (60 min)
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.
Workshop 8: First Caux Ocean Dialogue: Science, Policy, Conservation and Finance - The Future is now!
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).
With:
James Nikitine, Marine scientist, consultant, filmmaker, CEO Manaia Productions and Blue Cradle.
Dr Guillermo Ortuño Crespo, Postdoctoral researcher, Stockholm Resilience Centre, Youth Focal Point for the UN Ocean Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development
Dr Raphaëla le Gouvello,Expert in marine coastal zone management, fisheries and aquaculture-dependent territories, sustainability, blue growth
Kaleigh Carlson,Environmental conservationist, MSc candidate in Environment, Resources and Sustainability, The Graduate Institute, Geneva
Torsten Thiele, Ocean finance and governance expert, founder, Global Ocean Trust
Tuesday, 14 July
9:00 - 10:30 CEST - 15:00 - 16:30 (CEST)
Workshop 9 (Part 1): Creativity for Sustainability - a journey from the personal to the global
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:
Kjersti Webb,Actor, Artist, Educator, Founder, Everything Theatre Company, Sweden. More on Kjersti here.
Workshop 9 (Part 2): Creativity for Sustainability - a journey from the personal to the global
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:
Kjersti Webb,Actor, Artist, Educator, Founder, Everything Theatre Company, Sweden. More on Kjersti here.
Participants will be guided to explore possible futures for life on our planet using embodied imagination. From our imagined futures we will reflect on how to create todays changes by writing a letter home to our present selves. This is a creative workshop leading the participants through intuitive exercises and guided practices and meditations. This workshop is run by the Bards network within IofC.
Members of the steering group of Bardic circles within IofC
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.
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.
What's next?
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.
Peoples' thoughts on creative leadership
"Self-expression, innovation" - Tanaka
"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
Harmen van Dijk is a former Dutch diplomat who worked for 13 consecutive years in The Hague, La Paz (Bolivia) and Berlin before leaving to pursue a new dream and training as a human potential coach at the MMS Institute in Amsterdam. Passionate about spiritual politics and certified by the International Coaching Federation, he now works as a coach, trainer and facilitator.
Pepe García is Country Support Coordinator for North America, Central America and The Caribbean of the Open Government Partnership. He is co-founder of the Mexican School of Conscious Politics. In addition to that, he is also the co-founder of Dulce Maguey, a former mezcal bar in Mexico City and now a traditional mezcal brand. He is a vegan and an environmental activist. His life purpose is to open governments and societies through open hearts, open minds and good public policies, to tackle systemic inequality and suffering, and to help dismantle the patriarchal-capitalist-oppressive system to build fairer and kinder societies.
Movement builder, changemaker, storycatcher – Jin In’s mission is to ignite the next generation of empowered women changemakers. Called to serve girls in the wake of 9/11, Jin has worked with both Democratic and Republican administrations, UN agencies, grassroots and global organizations, uplifting over 10 million girls worldwide. Now as the founder of For Girls GLocal Leadership (4GGL), she collects empowerment data and shares stories of girls who are a force for change, amplifying the Girl Power Movement.
Sonita Mbah is undertaking an MSc in Integrative EcoSocial Design with Gaia University. She is certified in Permaculture, Ecovillage design and Social Enterprise and has led several agro-forestry and youth projects in Cameroon. As a facilitator, trainer and consultant, she has dedicated more than seven years to building the Better World Cameroon non-profit, building the Bafut Ecovillage and working with young people on social entrepreneurship. She has worked in sustainability in more than 21 countries, represented the voices of African youth and communities at the UN climate negotiations and developed demonstration projects. Her work has not only transformed people's relationship with their land but also challenged cultural gender norms in Africa. She is the Executive Secretary of GEN (Global Ecovillage Network) Africa and in 2017 received the Gender Just Climate Solutions Award from Women and Gender Constituency.
Rodrigo Martínez Romero has been serving the IofC mission for the last 10 years. His current Master’s thesis at the VU Amsterdam examines how crosscultural dynamics influence the understanding and application of spiritual politics as a practice of servant leadership and dilemma reconciliation. He initially trained to become a diplomat and follow in the family tradition of working in the civil service. Exploring the intersection between spirituality and politics with holders of ancient wisdom traditions from India, Colombian pre-Hispanic shamans and Catholic Jesuits led him to reframe his leadership as diplomacy of the spirit. This has led him to study ontological coaching, promote social justice, aspire to grow as a social entrepreneur and engage in holistic advocacy in research and education by recognizing the need to recover the soul as a valid domain of learning.
Maria Paula Garcia Romero has a Masters in Commercial Direction and Marketing. She is the founder and Director of the Suuralairua Library programme, an educational social entrepreneurship, which was born in the search for rights and respect for the Wayuu indigenous community in Colombia. The programme aims to transform and lift communities while respecting indigenous roots. She is passionate about the power of co-creation to develop programmes that allow the integral growth of a community and develop bridges of opportunity through education.
Tony Sakr is a Senior Transportation Engineer based in San Jose, California. He has been working in the mobility field since 2017. He has a Master’s in Management from IE Business School in Madrid, Spain. His voluntary work has included the creation of a crowd-sourced campaign to support young people affected by the ongoing Syrian crisis. He believes that it is through crisis that innovative leaders emerge.
Lázaro Valiente is a muldisciplinary artist, musician, meditation guide, and mindfulness and creativity coach. Currently, he is the mental health coach of the Los Capitanes professional basketball team from Mexico City. He is a leadership consultant on Mexican and international projects, a researcher and a facilitator of Circulo HE, which offers a space for critical reflection about the concept of masculinity. As an artist he has performed and shown his art in Vive Latino, Lollapalooza, Mexico City Museum, Carrillo Gil Museum, El Museo del Barrio in New York, Wilfredo Lam Museum in Cuba, Cartier Foundation in Paris, amongst others. As a musician, he has played and collaborated with a wide range of artists, including Calle 13, Natalia Lafourcade, Devendra Bahart, Cold War Kids, Adan and Alejandro Jodorowsky.’
Antoine Chelala is from Beirut, Lebanon. He graduated from the American University of Beirut in 2019, with a Bachelors in Business Administration and Social Psychology and also enjoys writing and music. In 2017 he took part in the Caux Peace and Leadership Programme and has been involved with Initiatives of Change ever since. Today Antoine is part of IofC Lebanon’s coordination and training team and he is the Assistant Manager of IofC Switzerland’s Caux Peace and Leadership Programme.
Antoine is a firm believer in the transformational power that young people have in changing today’s world. He is convinced that this is why it is important to equip ourselves with the right set of values, skills, and servant leadership. He aspires to work so all young voices are raised and heard in order to face the many challenges of the world.
Zeinab Dilati, aka Zee, is a feminist activist, a maths teacher and a mentor. She has been part of the CPLP faculty team for the past two years. She considers Caux as one of the best places in the world to provide a safe space for people from different backgrounds to share, listen and eventually understand and learn more about each other. She believes that the key to becoming a great leader is empathy and taking the initiative whether on a personal level or in the world around us.
Sebastian Hasse’s career path has been serpentine. He started out studying Computer Science in his hometown, Lübeck. Realizing that this diploma did not make him happy he followed an acting career, changed to filmmaking and finally returned to IT as a consultant in the family business.
He is first chairperson of a small volunteer-based NGO in Berlin which focuses on non-formal education for young adults in Central- and Eastern Europe. Through several international encounters over the years, he found his way to IofC and Caux. This inspired him to train in mediation and to be part of the Caux Peace and Leadership Programme in 2019. Sebastian loves stories and believes that paradoxes and contradictory perspectives are an essential part of human life.
John Paul Kulumba is a young Ugandan, currently in his third year studying Industrial Engineering. He is also part of the student leadership structure at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. He is a keen sportsman, enjoys reading and is always looking for new experiences. He is especially interested in interacting, collaborating, and forming friendships with people from all around the world.
My name is Ahmed Mosaab and I'm a data analyst, amateur photographer, woodworker and CPLP alumnus. During the time I spent at Caux I had the opportunity to share my story and listen to the stories of people from all corners of the world. Through this dialogue I realized that even though we come from different backgrounds, we share the same problems and the same hopes for our communities. There is so much to learn from each other and that is why I want to be part of this conference. I believe in the power of people coming together, united by the desire to change the world for the better.
My name is Siya Myeza and I work with marginalized communities in Cape Town on social and environmental justice issues and specifically on access to clean, equitable and affordable water. My work with the Environmental Monitoring Group focuses on creating space for ordinary citizens to engage with and influence decision makers. I knew about Caux before I got there. It was explained as a peaceful and majestic place. The feelings I felt when I was in Caux were a huge sense of peace, tranquility and freedom. To me leadership is the way a person lives his/her life. Being peaceful, caring, supportive and creative is leadership at the personal level. Everything starts there.
Alvin Odins is currently working as a programme officer with a humanitarian organization. His focus is on the implementation of stabilization policy within the context of peace and security. Outside work he is engaged with information technology, reading, cooking, mentoring young people and enjoying personal quiet time.
Maruee Pahuja is an Expressive Arts facilitator and is pursuing her Master’s in Expressive Arts Therapy from the European Graduate School. She is also a specialty contact lens consultant and ocularist. She is the creative training co-lead for People Beyond Borders. Her passion, curiosity and research lie in the direction of building a wholesome healthcare system that incorporates intermodal art practices in the medical field. Maruee finds her grounding through her love for gardening and believes that nature and art are her soul food. She was part of CPLP 2019 and is excited to connect with her global family (virtually) this year.
Lisette Palella is from the United States, but considers herself a global citizen. She came to Caux for the first time in 2015, as a part of the interns programme. She was part of CPLP in 2017 and joined the Caux Hospitality team for 2018 and 2019. She works for a financial company in New York, and is always trying to bring the values of Caux into the world around her.
My name is Amy Randles, I’m 20 and I’m an international development student from near Liverpool, England. This will be my third, although quite unusual, year doing something with Caux. I’ve been both a Young Ambassador (YAP), and a YAP facilitator. My favourite part of Caux is meeting new people and hearing their stories in group discussions and Human Library events. I’m interested in working in the charity sector, so I’m looking forward to learning leadership skills from participants. I really hope that you all enjoy this year’s conference!
My name is Sawsan Raslan and I am a young Syrian activist, enthusiast and explorer. I joined the Caux family during 2016 and found myself wanting to be involved in everything IofC has to offer. I have a certificate in facilitating dialogue groups from Erasmus. I am really excited about the Creative Leadership conference and hope you are too!
Veronika Verner is a communication specialist with five years of professional experience in international communication and advocacy, currently working for the Council of Europe. She previously worked with the United Nations in Senegal. Veronika has also worked for non-profit organizations in the area of social policy and did an internship with UNDP, assisting in research on SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions). She volunteered in a social cohesion project in Paris, which aimed to reduce tensions among citizens from different cultural backgrounds. She participated in the Caux Peace and Leadership Programme 2018. She has been selected as a UNAOC Fellow 2020.
Marla Zgheib is currently serving as a National Junior Professional at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. She is working collaboratively to enhance the Tribunal’s contributions to peace and justice in local communities. She graduated with a degree in Political Studies with a focus on international law. She has been directly involved in various victim protection projects in local NGOs in Lebanon. After participating in several international programmes, Marla took part in the Caux Peace and Leadership Programme in 2019. This experience increased her political consciousness, leadership potential and heart for service and motivated her to join Initiatives of Change IofC Lebanon and to seek humanitarian career paths. She is also involved in Theatre of the Oppressed workshops as she believes theatre can be used to challenge the oppression that people face in everyday life.
My name is Sarah Soussi and I'm an MS candidate in International Studies and Public Policy at North Carolina State University and a visiting student at Duke University under the Fulbright Programme. I have served as a community developer at Open Startup Tunisia and was the lead in the organization's first fundraising round. I have also worked as a Venture Capital trainee at Africinvest, which specializes in investments in Africa. I first came to Caux in 2016 as a trainee, and later became a member of the Caux Peace and Leadership Programme team.
Besfort Syla is a 21-year-old graphic design/photography student from Kosovo. He is currently working as a graphic designer in his hometown, using his platform to highlight and tackle social issues. His journey with Caux and IofC started in 2018 when he participated in the Caux Peace and Leadership Programme. He is comfortable with showing his emotional side and he loves hearing others’ stories. In his opinion, sharing stories and listening enable us to come together as one and be the change the world needs. Besfort believes that we all live life with the same goal – to live in peace and find love within ourselves – and that’s what Caux is all about to him.
Rachel Howden is currently living in Utah in the United States having completed her BA in Intercultural Peacebuilding and Anthropology from Brigham Young University in Oahu, Hawaii. Rachel is passionate about young people having the space and education to develop critical thinking skills and emotional literacy for building sustainable peace. She is honoured to participate in the Creative Leadership Conference and excited to collaborate with others to listen and learn under the IofC values. She explains how even though we cannot be at Caux again in person she is grateful to have this online opportunity to self-reflect, discuss and be inspired to use our power for good. She also mentioned how she knows that we can improve our families, communities, and environments when we apply our unique perspectives and skills.
My name is Dana Salama and I have a degree in Environmental Science with a focus on renewable energy and climate change. I am part of the HR team in an online initiative for teaching English. I am passionate about helping people overcome their problems – it fills my soul with happiness to draw a smile on their faces. I started being part of the Caux Peace and Leadership Programme team/family in 2019. It was a milestone in my life, where I had the opportunity to meet people from all over the world. I have joined the Creative Living conference to help people live the experience of Caux virtually.
Recent graduate Sala McCarthy-Stonex, 22, was born in Auckland, New Zealand. After her dad died in a car accident, Sala’s mum relocated the family to a Navajo reservation in Arizona, US, where they lived for about three years before moving to Laie, Hawaii. When she was 16, Sala started her undergraduate degree at Brigham Young University–Hawaii. She graduated in 2016 with a BS in Political Science, a minor in Japanese and certificates in Intercultural Peacebuilding and Mediation and Legal Studies. She went on to Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, and has just graduated from there with a Master of Public Administration and a Juris Doctor degree. She is currently exploring career opportunities in both the US and New Zealand. She plans to run for POTUS (President of the United States of America) in 2032, when she’s old enough.
Hi! My name is Andrea Morán and I am an Ecuadorian economist with a Research Master’s in International Relations. Working for almost seven years in different Government ministries allowed me to realize that academic cooperation is my passion. I currently work as the Coordinator of International Cooperation of the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador. My relationship with Caux started in 2016 when I participated in the Caux Trainee Programme. That experience changed my way of seeing personal and professional life. I learnt that being a leader is not as simple as giving people orders. Instead being a good leader means being a better version of yourself, a person who can teach others new skills and show them a different perspective. Caux gave me the tools and knowledge to see the big picture and to identify what is important for my well-being and happiness, always making a difference in other people's lives.
I'm Diana Carolina Morales and I am almost a physician. Since I participated in the Caux Peace and Leadership Programme back in 2016, I have become passionate abot making a change. For this reason, I am following the path towards social entrepreneurship related to health. I am an ambassador of the Thought for Food (TFF) movement and I'm a counselor at a camp related to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. I'm also passionate about traveling, books and cats.
Angelika Kobl is a facilitator, space holder and musician. Her purpose is to open spaces of encounters and reconnection - for ourselves, others and the land - to remember and tap into the wisdom that lies within all beings and be once more aware of our shared humanity and the sacredness of all life. Her objective is to heal divisions and trauma, and ultimately help people to walk together in unconditional solidarity towards a more caring, trusting, loving, mindful and wholesome future. She aims to bring transformation, she opens doors and gently points to the way/the first steps when people are ready.
Kasia Stepien is a facilitator, non-formal education trainer and programme designer. She has been running projects on social change, holistic learning and personal transformation since 2012. She is passionate about creating heart-based spaces for people to be, share, learn and connect and has facilitated learning and group processes with young people, community leaders, NGO staff, volunteers and educators from all around Europe. In her work she weaves together regenerative practices of embodied learning, mindfulness, nature connection and community-building, inspiring reconnection with self, others and the Earth. She is an environmentalist at heart (and in action) and in her free time she plays drums, bakes bread and grows tomatoes.
Redempta Muibu spearheads the Free the Girl Initiative Project in Nakuru, Kenya, and is passionate about making a difference in the academic lives of underprivileged girls. The project specifically supports girls, who would otherwise stay out of school due to menstrual-related challenges, by providing them with free sanitary pads.
Redempta is also a member of the Nakuru branch of the East Africa Women’s League (EAWL) – a charitable organization that supports underprivileged women and children. She is currently representing the branch at the organization’s national forums.
Aside from her charitable work, Redempta has several years of professional experience in project management. For over four years, she was project coordinator and office manager for a Rapid Assessment on Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) survey on cataract impact. She holds a certificate in secretarial studies from Kianda College, Nairobi, and worked as Secretary/Administrator at Kenya Golf Union. She is a deaconess in her church.
Georgina Flores Fernández is an industrial designer and human rights activist born in Mexico. She focuses her work on sustainability and fair trade as well as preservation of cultural heritage through Change is Wild, the movement she co-founded. She specializes in conflict resolution strategies covering both design and human rights issues. She has spoken and taken part in international forums in New York and the UAE. She has been a TED Talk Translator since 2013 and is also a TED Mentor, in an effort to make ideas and knowledge accessible to everyone.
Anatasiia Yakush is a project manager at X23, 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 manages 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. She was recently certified as a facilitator at the Soliya Programme (Erasmus+ Programme).
Anne Sofie Nielsen is studying to become a Free School teacher, specializing in Theatre, English Language and Arts. She wants to rethink what school can be and create holistic, intercultural learning environments that can empower, with a focus on connecting with nature, changemaking and joyful creativity. She is passionate about the transformative power of the arts, regenerative community projects and learning by doing. She believes in the importance of global citizenship, poetry, laughter, kindness and singing loudly in community.
Asmaa Sleem is Egyptian and believes that the main hope of any nation lies in the education of its youth. She is also convinced that hope for this world means spreading peace, mindfulness, justice and moral integrity through people’s education, raising awareness, living consciously and the power of togetherness. She sees herself as a lifelong learner and has worked in peace facilitation and conflict transformation. She was a Caux Scholar at Asia Plateau/India in 2015/16, a participant of the Caux Peace and Leadership Program (CPLP) 2017, a CPLP faculty member (training/logistics) in 2018 and took part in the Mandela Mile programme in 2021. She studied teaching methodologies, has a post-grad degree in social sciences and liberal arts and is currently planning to study positive psychology and trauma-informed education. Asmaa is vice-president of the Association for World Education International (AWE), a global platform for educators that works with innovative methods for sustainable education, lifelong learning and global citizenship.
Shadi Malak is a highly motivated global citizen who believes in the power of volunteering, self-development, compassion, and leading by example to promote human dignity and create a more peaceful world for all living beings. For many years he worked with refugees in Egypt as a legal assistant and educator, and currently works for a programme that offers capacity-building training to refugees. He holds a Master's degree in International Law and has a background in youth empowerment, curriculum designing, and development. Shadi loves to listen to other peoples' stories and believes that sharing stories can create miracles!
Nourhan Badr is an Economics graduate from the cosmopolitan city of Alexandria. Nourhan currently works as a technical recruiter and also as a journalism, facilitator and future thinker fellows.
As a nomadic seeker, this is Nourhan’s second experience at the Creative Leadership conference which came for her in a time of personal change. She is here as part of her inner journey, searching for answers in life, meaning, purpose, reality and narratives from different perspectives.
Burak Tantay is a mechanical and electronics engineer in Istanbul and is heavily invested in sustainable development. He has been the spearhead of many service projects that address local and international community issues. He took part in the Addressing Europe’s Unfinished Business conference at Caux in 2014 and in the Caux Peace and Leadership Programme in 2016 and 2018. He believes that the programme helped him to grow and to realize his potential even more effectively.
Anuradha Abeykoon is a young professional in the development sector who dreams of and works for a world with social justice. He engages with conflict transformation and climate change adaptation initiatives locally and internationally, building on his academic background in Development Studies, Social Work and Diplomacy and World Affairs. Anuradha is also an alumnus of the Caux Scholars Programme and Caux Peace and Leadership Programme.
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.
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.
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.
We are delighted that Maruee Pahuja from our Creative Leadership youth programme received the inaugural Love Force Awards at Kanha Shanti Vanam, Hyderabad/India....
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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...
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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...
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.
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.
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:
Touch the depth of Sonita’s work and its connection to who Sonita is.
Learn and un/learn creative tools, holistic approaches, strategies.
Embrace challenges and celebrate harvests that may have come from Sonita’s journey.
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.
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.
Tools for Changemakers – Shaping the future together through dialogue was a three-day online event that aimed at bringing together people of all backgrounds, who want to make a difference in their communities and explore how dialogue can help to build a more cohesive and inclusive society.
The conference took participants on a journey of discovery of the power of dialogue through three interactive online sessions. These offered opportunities to listen to experts, to experience dialogue in groups, and to reflect and share personal experiences.
We would like to thanks our partners, KAICIID and Creators of Peace, as well as all the generous donors who support our efforts to promote dialogue for a more peaceful and inclusive world.
Participants’ feedback
Sincere thanks to the amazing team for a superb series of meetings. What particularly comes to my mind is how well-organized the sessions have been. You anticipated our every need before we even realized them. It felt like a very safe space and, for me, allowed very deep sharing. Hoping that next year we'll be back in Caux.
A wonderful and wonder-filled event! Thank you.
This is the gold standard for how to do a meaningful forum on line.
Thank you to everyone for a fantastic three days. I am inspired, challenged and feel connected to a wider narrative of peace and dialogue.
I was inspired by the stories. I am encouraged to overcome my fears, eager to carry out dialogue in my family, community and at work. Thank you to the organizers for bringing Caux to us.
Watch the replays
17 July: Let’s talk! – Exploring dialogue principles and learning from experienced practitioners
With:
Simon Keyes, Professor of Reconciliation and Peacebuilding at the University of Winchester, United Kingdom
Dr. Iryna Brunova-Kalisetska, Researcher, trainer, dialogue facilitator, Ukraine
Mohammed Abu-Nimer, Professor at the American University School of International Service in International Peace and Conflict Resolution, Washington, DC, USA
18 July: Let’s listen! – Experiencing a dialogue
With:
• Ebony Walden,Trainer, Facilitator, Urban planner, Community facilitator, Ebony Walden Consulting, USA
• Matthew Freeman, Trainer, Facilitator, Dialectix Consulting, USA
• Rob Corcoran, Training Consultant, Initiatives of Change International, USA
19 July: Let’s reflect! – Taking inspiration from stories of impact, sense making and looking ahead
With:
Angela Starovoytova, Dialogue facilitator, Trainer in effective communication | Network of dialogue facilitators, Ukraine
Janine Farah, Masters student in Peace and Conflict Studies, Australia
We trust our participants found the Tools for Changemakers experience inspiring and will strengthen their confidence in dialogue as a tool for addressing the challenges faced by their communities.
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. He also founded the Salam Institute for Peace and Justice, an organization that focuses on capacity building, civic education, and intrafaith and interfaith dialogue. In addition to his numerous articles and books, he is the co-founder and co-editor of the Journal of Peacebuilding and Development.
Iryna Brunova-Kalisetska has been involved in conflict and peace studies as a researcher, trainer, dialogue facilitator and author of manuals since 2000, with a focus on identity-based conflicts. Since 2015 she has been an expert/facilitator on a number of dialogue initiatives organized in Ukraine by the Policy Coordination Unit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (PCU OSCE). These dialogues have addressed conflict or poor communication between the authorities in Donetsk and Luhansk regions and local communities and activists; conflicts involving journalists and the media, such as the one between media organizations and the Ministry of Defense; and conflicts between the Ministry of Education and minorities in Transcarpathia, Odesa and Chernivtsy regions around the medium of education.
Iryna also has eight years of experience in dialogue on memory issues. She is part of the Ukrainian Network of Dialogue Facilitators (in cooperation with Foundations for Freedom) and with them has designed dialogue elaboration and training programmes for community and civil activists, police, journalists, human rights activists, local authorities, ethnic and religious leaders and other groups. Since 2008 she has been a member of the Working Group on Peace Education of GPPAC (the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict). This has taken her to Moldova-Transnistria, Kyrgyzstan and Tadjikistan.
Rob Corcoran is a trainer, facilitator, writer and racial healing practitioner. He has led trustbuilding workshops among diverse and polarized groups across North America, Europe, South Africa, Brazil, India and Australia. Originally from Scotland, he served as the National Director for Initiatives of Change USA and founded its internationally recognized programme, Hope in the Cities, in Richmond, Virginia. He is also a co-founder of the Caux Scholars Program. He collaborated on a dialogue guide for President Clinton’s Initiative on Race. He served as consultant to the WK Kellogg Foundation in launching a national Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation project. He is a member of a UNESCO Slave Route Project Taskforce on Healing the Wounds of Slavery, and of the advisory committee for the National Episcopal Church’s Becoming Beloved Community project. He is currently the training design consultant for IofC International’s Trustbuilding Program. His book Trustbuilding: An Honest Conversation on Race, Reconciliation, and Responsibility has been described as a ‘visionary, compelling account of healing and change’.
Janine Farah, 23, lives in Sydney, Australia, and comes from a Lebanese background. She completed her undergraduate degree in Economics and International Relations at the University of Sydney. She is currently writing the dissertation for her Masters in Peace and Conflict Studies. Janine has undertaken fieldwork in India and Lesotho focused on inequality and development. Alongside her studies, she works for Oaktree, an NGO which aims to motivate young people to engage in political and social impact work. She also teaches English as a second language to migrants and refugees with Navitas, and is a Creators of Peace Circle facilitator. Her main areas of interest are post-conflict peacekeeping, dialogue and reconciliation, and the economics of peace.
Matthew Freeman’s passion for racial equity and social justice has led him across the United States and overseas, helping people connect across difference and begin to address the challenges that divide them. Matthew has worked with Members of Congress and the Federal Reserve System, as well as with organizations of all sizes, from Fortune 500’s to small non-profits. With degrees in the sciences and the humanities, Matthew brings his diverse educational background to bear on topics like unconscious bias – exploring what we know about how the brain functions and how that impacts our human interactions. He is the author Overcoming Bias: Building Authentic Relationships Across Differences. He heads the faculty of the Community Trustbuilding Fellowship, the leadership formation programme of Initiatives of Change USA.
Since reading Zoology at Oxford, Simon Keyes' career has mostly been in NGOs involved with homelessness, mental health and crime prevention. He was Director of Shelter’s Housing Aid Services and set up the Revolving Doors Agency which pioneered new approaches to helping people with mental health problems in the criminal justice system. After a spell as Director of Lambeth Crime Prevention Trust, he moved to the World Community for Christian Meditation, where he organized The Way of Peace 2000 interfaith initiative with the Dalai Lama in Northern Ireland. He was Director of St Ethelburga’s Centre for Reconciliation and Peace between 2004 and 2014.
Since 2015, he has been Professor of Reconciliation and Peacebuilding at the University of Winchester and now teaches an online distance learning Masters programme in Reconciliation to students around the world. His current areas of interest are the notion of successful disagreement, the nature of dialogue and appreciative approaches to community reconciliation. He is an experienced trainer and facilitator who has worked with a wide range of groups in the UK and abroad.
Angela Starovoytova is passionate about building connections between people and communities. Her expertise is in using non-formal education and participatory facilitation methods to create a safe and trusting environment where individuals and groups can find personal transformation and changed relationships.
Angela has 20 years of international experience organizing and running workshops/conferences/long-term programmes on such themes as ethical leadership, conflict-resolution, trust- and peacebuilding and critical thinking. She is one of the founders of Foundations for Freedom/Initiatives of Change (Ukraine), and has worked in Ukraine, UK, Switzerland, Germany and Uganda. Currently her main involvement is with the Network of Dialogue Facilitators, using a non-violent approach to run dialogues, training programmes, forums and other events for UNDP, IOM, GIZ, IREX, OSCE and other organizations, both in Ukraine and abroad.
Ebony Walden is an urban planner, consultant and facilitator with over a decade of experience working to transform communities. She is the Founder and Principal Consultant of Ebony Walden Consulting (EWC), an urban strategy firm based in Richmond, Virginia. At EWC, she works with organizations in the housing and community development arena to design and facilitate workshops, training programmes, strategic plans and community engagement processes that explore race, equity and the creation of just and inclusive communities. In addition to her work at EWC, Ebony is an adjunct professor at Virginia Commonwealth University where she teaches a class on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the City. Ebony is member of the faculty for the Community Trustbuilding Fellowship.
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...
The Young Ambassadors Programme (YAP) went online for the first time this summer, after six years of continuous growth and development and a pause in 2020 for reflection and adjustment to the new real...
A bi-monthly drop-in book club to resource you and fellow change-makers. Dive or dip into important and inspiring resources and ideas, connect with kindred spirits and explore your inner wisdom. ...
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 ...
Mohammed Abu-Nimer is Professor at the American University’s School of International Service in International Peace and Conflict Resolution in Washington DC and a Senior Advisor to the International D...
"I am really thankful to the person who introduced me to the Initiatives for Change programme "Learning to be a Peacemaker". It was life-changing in so many ways. It opened my eyes to things we know i...
Can you truly listen? What if we all had the power to make our communities more cohesive and inclusive by starting to deeply listen to each other? The Tools for Changemakers conference was a three-day...
This year’s Young Ambassadors Programme (YAP) brought 39 young people from across Europe to Caux for four intensive days of training in how to work for change in their communities. They then took part...
The Armenian-Kurdish-Turkish Dialogue 2019 took place during the Tools for Changemakers conference, bringing together people of Armenian, Kurdish and Turkish backgrounds to explore sensitive issues th...
How can the alienation felt by so many young Muslims be healed? Imam Ajmal Masroor believes that the alienation stems largely from the inner conflict generated by feeling caught between two value-syst...
After fighting against the German occupation of his country, Norway, Jens Wilhelmsen worked with Initiatives of Change (IofC) in Germany and Japan. In over 70 years of fulltime work for IofC on three ...
Marc Isserles’s poignant one-man show, We Must Save the Children, comes to life when you discover that his grandparents sought shelter at the Caux Palace in 1945 as Jewish refugees. The play took plac...
The first edition of the ‘Tools for Changemakers’ conference took place from 14-18 July 2019 at the Caux Forum. It was based on the conclusions from the conference ‘Addressing Europe’s Unfinished Busi...
Let’s talk! – Exploring dialogue principles and learning from experienced practitioners
For the first day we have invited experts to talk about their approach to dialogue, with examples from fieldwork, and to share how these practices could help us to respond to the challenges facing the world. Small discussion groups will give participants the opportunity to share personal experiences and their own dialogue practices. Together we will look for inspiration and vision for a more cohesive world.
I. Word of welcome
II. Getting to know each other
III. What is dialogue?
Simon Keyes, Professor of Reconciliation and Peacebuilding at the University of Winchester, United Kingdom
IV. Conversations with invited practitioners
Dr. Iryna Brunova-Kalisetska, Researcher, trainer, dialogue facilitator, Ukraine
Mohammed Abu-Nimer, Professor at the American University School of International Service in International Peace and Conflict Resolution, Washington, DC, USA
V. Discussion groups
VI. Wrapping up the session
Saturday, 18 July
10:00 - 12:00 (CEST)
Let’s listen! – Experiencing a dialogue
The second day will give our participants the opportunity to witness and then take part it an online facilitated dialogue. This will be followed by discussion groups, in which they can reflect on what they have learnt.
I. Word of welcome
II. The role of dialogue in the #BlackLivesMatter context
With:
• Ebony Walden,Trainer, Facilitator, Urban planner, Community facilitator, Ebony Walden Consulting, USA
• Matthew Freeman, Trainer, Facilitator, Dialectix Consulting, USA
Moderator:
• Rob Corcoran, Training Consultant, Initiatives of Change International, USA
III. Experiencing a dialogue
IV. Discussion groups - unpacking the learning and the experience
V. Wrapping up the session
Sunday, 19 July
10:00 - 12:00 (CEST)
Let’s reflect! – Taking inspiration from stories of impact and looking ahead
On the final day we will present two inspirational stories of the impact of dialogue and give our participants further opportunities in small groups to explore their next steps in addressing local or global issues.
I. Word of welcome
II. Stories of impact:
Angela Starovoytova, Dialogue facilitator, Trainer in effective communication | Network of dialogue facilitators, Ukraine
Janine Farah, Masters student in Peace and Conflict Studies, Australia
III. Small groups exercise/ application
IV. Wrapping up the session
We trust our participants will find the Tools for Changemakers experience inspiring and will strengthen their confidence in dialogue as a tool for addressing the challenges faced by their communities.
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. No interpretation will be offered. Thank you for your understanding.
The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed weaknesses and strengths in our socio-economic systems. It is causing a global recession and many people have lost their jobs or sources of revenue. As we rebuild our economy, let us make it as sustainable, inclusive and resilient as possible. The Ethical Leadership in Business conference explored how we can achieve this by looking at what we need to learn and how leaders can promote those values.
For its first online edition, the conference offered three panels and one workshop. Two of the online panels were livestreamed on Facebook and on our website. They had a hybrid form, with some speakers and moderators being filmed from the Great Hall of the Caux Palace, and others joining in via zoom and other platforms.
Before each session, participants had the chance to take part in Caux Connection Times, networking with other participants or getting to know the speakers better through short interviews.
The discussion will be continued through a monthly check-in with all the ELB community members to exchange on a global issue; bi-monthly Ethical Leadership Business Talks intended for business leaders; and quarterly Roundtables on Entrepreneurship.
Thank you!
We would like to thank all the sponsors and donors who have made this hybrid online experience possible. We are deeply grateful for your support!
Participants’ feedback
This was my first year to attend the Ethical Leadership in Business module at the Caux Forum. Congratulations on such an excellent programme. The three sessions I attended were superb!
Jeff Berger (United Kingdom)
I would like to say a big thank you for the Caux Connection Times during the Ethical Leadership Conference. I learnt a lot during the workshop on ‘Leadership in the Community’ and hope to put all I learned into great use.
Catherine Onaifo (Nigeria)
I just wanted to say thank you very much for the fantastic panel today on lifelong learning for a resilient economy! The topic and conversation was very interesting, from soft skills versus hard skills, to ‘online space being a safe space for failure’. I really enjoyed it and I loved the 30 seconds quiet time. Great idea! I had never seen it before.
Sep Riahi (New York)
Watch the panels
25 June 2020: Roundtable - Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Africa: challenges and opportunities
The Ethical Leadership Roundtable on ’Innovation and Entrepreneurship: building resilience in the economy and society’ facilitated exchange on small and big innovations and adaptations in such fields as health care, education, work, commerce, payment services, delivery and entertainment.
26 June 2020: Livestream Panel: Leadership for a moral renewal in the economy
At a time of unprecedented crisis and uncertainty, business leaders are faced with conflicting challenges. They have to make prompt decisions, based on limited information, while anticipating future opportunities to increase business sustainability. They need to protect business performance – and to reassure employees and customers. All this requires empathy, compassion and trustbuilding.
Speakers
Vivek Asrani, Kaymo Fastener Company, Managing Director
Kristin Engvig, Global WIN&WIND Conference, Founder & CEO
Brendan Kelly, Credit Suisse, Global Head of Leadership & Professional Development
Isabella Phoenix, HP Global Channel Senior Manager and Co-Founder of Architects of Air
What is my role in shaping our future? How can I take leadership for change in my community? What special role do companies and entrepreneurs have?
The Leadership in the Community workshop offered a place to explore how we can become the change we want to see in the world. As there are no pre-existing recipes, this workshop aimed to help each participant define their own way of engagement and leadership.
Leader
Gabriele Segre,Director of the Vittorio Dan Segre Foundation, will guide you through a conversation and time of introspection in a safe space, where there will be no live streaming or social media sharing.
Caux is such a humbling place, providing you with a safe space to experiment with different topics and flourish in bold thinking, all while staying true to yourself.
Michelle Rickenbach, IT Project Management & Ecosystem Relations at Panter AG
The Caux Forum – ethics in business – provides a very open and calm environment for conversations to take place where we take the time to listen. This means we can tackle tricky topics differently from how they are treated in the press which is always the same. Here we can share ideas with a new approach to ethics and technology.
Father Eric Salobir, President OPTIC Technology
I have loved every second of this conference. Never expected to meet so many interesting and warm people. I go home with many new ideas, thoughts and friendships.
I’m leaving the conference enriched and content, and with considerable take-aways for my professional life.
Antonio Hautle, Global Compact Network Switzerland, Senior Programme Leader & Network Representative
The idea of self-reflection and what you can do on a personal level to have a bigger impact in the world is really important.
Tara Scanlan, Customer Success Group, Salesforce
The Ethical Leadership in Business conference equipped me with the mindset, knowledge and connections to contribute to ensuring that our digital transformation benefits humankind.
Tom Marshall, Innovation Community Ambassador, Deloitte (Netherlands)
On 25 October 2024, the Caux Round Table (CRT) - Japan hosted the 13th Business and Human Rights Conference in Tokyo with 225 corporate leaders, executives and experts from several Asian countries par...
Annika Hartmann de Meuron, Managing Director of Ethical Leadership in Business (ELB), looks back on four exciting years of developing ethical leadership in business in Switzerland. ELB aimed to increa...
The Co-founder of Zimba Women, Peace Kuteesa, is passionate about providing women with the tools and resources to participate in their economies and develop their communities. She spoke at last year's...
A year ago, video conferencing became the new normal in our work lives. It was the safest place for us to meet and collaborate. It seemed so easy: just invite someone to join the call and continue as...
Global Entrepreneurship Week in November 2020 included e-space, a three-day hybrid event, which offered a range of master classes and conferences. Rainer Gude, Co-Director General of Initiatives of Ch...
During Global Entrepreneurship Week in November 2020, Initiatives of Change Switzerland took part in e-space, a three-day hybrid event, which offered a range of master classes and conferences. Annika ...
The Ethical Leadership in Business conference, on 25 and 26 June 2020, kicked off the first Caux Forum Online. It offered a diversified experience with panels livestreamed from the Caux Palace, networ...
Nazrene Mannie is the Executive Director of the Global Apprenticeship Network (GAN) and talks about her learning experiences. Our interview series 'My Learning Story’ hopes to become a global learning...
Our interview series ‘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 b...
Mulham Soufi is a student of computer programming at Ecole 42 in Lyon. This university works differently because the students all learn from each other. What is its strength? Our interview series ‘My ...
‘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. Disco...
Our new feature ‘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 bright...
There are few better places to have meaningful connections and discussions than the terrace of the Caux Palace, with its exceptional view of the Lake Geneva and the Alps. This summer, we cannot gather there.
But we will connect online in the spirit of Caux to meet the world and share a moment together before we start the Ethical Leadership in Business sessions.
10:00 - 11:00 (CEST)
Roundtable: Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Africa: challenges and opportunities
Global challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and the economic crisis provide us with a chance to be innovative and to adapt the way we live and do business. Sharing experiences and expertise is a big part of leveraging such change.
The Ethical Leadership Roundtable on ’Innovation and Entrepreneurship: building resilience in the economy and society’ will facilitate exchange on small and big innovations and adaptations in such fields as health care, education, work, commerce, payment services, delivery and entertainment.
There are few better places to have meaningful connections and discussions than the terrace of the Caux Palace, with its exceptional view of the Lake Geneva and the Alps. This summer, we cannot gather there.
But we will connect online in the spirit of Caux to meet the world and share a moment together before we start the Ethical Leadership in Business sessions.
14:00 - 15:30 (CEST)
Livestream Panel: Lifelong learning for a resilient economy / Followed by a networking session with speakers and participants
Quality education and lifelong learning are key elements in building a resilient economy.
Speakers
Danièle Castle, Digital Switzerland, Senior Director, Education & Talent
There are few better places to have meaningful connections and discussions than the terrace of the Caux Palace, with its exceptional view of the Lake Geneva and the Alps. This summer, we cannot gather there.
But we will connect online in the spirit of Caux to meet the world and share a moment together before we start the Ethical Leadership in Business sessions.
10:00 - 11:30 (CEST)
Livestream Panel: Leadership for a moral renewal in the economy / Followed by a networking session with speakers and participants
At a time of unprecedented crisis, business leaders have to make prompt decisions, based on a limited amount of information. Simultaneously they need to anticipate future opportunities to increase business sustainability. At times of crisis and uncertainty, it is important to reassure employees and customers – and this requires empathy, compassion and trustbuilding. At the same time, leaders need to protect business performance.
Speakers
Vivek Asrani, Kaymo Fastener Company, Managing Director
Kristin Engvig, Global WIN&WIND Conference, Founder & CEO
Brendan Kelly, Credit Suisse, Global Head of Leadership & Professional Development
Isabella Phoenix, HP Global Channel Senior Manager and Co-Founder of Architects of Air
There are few better places to have meaningful connections and discussions than the terrace of the Caux Palace, with its exceptional view of the Lake Geneva and the Alps. This summer, we cannot gather there.
But we will connect online in the spirit of Caux to meet the world and share a moment together before we start the Ethical Leadership in Business sessions.
16:00 - 17:30 (CEST)
Leadership in the Community
What is my role in shaping our future? How can I take leadership for change in my community? What special role do companies and entrepreneurs have?
The Leadership in the Community workshop offers a place to explore how we can become the change we want to see in the world. As there are no pre-existing recipes, this workshop aims to help each participant define their own way of engagement and leadership.
It will focus on:
In the context of the pandemic crisis, how do we create the right conditions for change?
How do we help to move the narrative in the community?
What role do I want to play?
Leader
Gabriele Segre,Director of the Vittorio Dan Segre Foundation, will guide you through a conversation and time of introspection in a safe space, where there will be no live streaming or social media sharing.
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.
The prize honours people and organizations that ‘set a good example in their work for peace, justice and the integrity of creation’. Dr Channer was nominated for his work on land, security and climate. The citation said: ‘How does one mutually foster peace and climate protection? What power comes out of local peace initiatives? Alan Channer is providing an important contribution to Muslim-Christian relationships and reconciliation between ethnic groups.’
Dr Channer’s work as a film producer, project director, researcher and writer is tightly linked to Caux. For the Love of Tomorrow Films, his film production company, has its roots in Caux. Dr Channer also met the Imam and Pastor in Caux and this meaningful encounter eventually led to the making of two award-winning documentaries. More recently, Alan launched a Summer Academy on Land, Security and Climate in partnership with the GCSP which took place as part of the Caux Forum 2019.
Dr Alan Channer at the Award Ceremony in Bremen, Germany, on November 15, with the Peace Prize laureates Vilma Nuñez de Escorcia from Nicaragua (right), Olga Karatch from Belarus (second right) and Women Wage Peace from Israel (left).
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind texts. Separated they live in Bookmarksgrove right at the coast of the Semantics, a large language ocean.
A small river named Duden flows by their place and supplies it with the necessary regelialia. It is a paradisematic country, in which roasted parts of sentences fly into your mouth.
Even the all-powerful Pointing has no control about the blind texts it is an almost unorthographic life One day however a small line of blind text by the name of Lorem Ipsum decided to leave for the far World of Grammar.
The Big Oxmox advised her not to do so, because there were thousands of bad Commas, wild Question Marks and devious Semikoli, but the Little Blind Text didn’t listen. She packed her seven versalia, put her initial into the belt and made herself on the way.
When she reached the first hills of the Italic Mountains, she had a last view back on the skyline of her hometown Bookmarksgrove, the headline of Alphabet Village and the subline of her own road, the Line Lane. Pityful a rethoric question ran over her cheek, then she continued her way.
programme
Thursday, 14 November
08:00 - 09:00
Room
Introducation
But nothing the copy said could convince her and so it didn’t take long until a few insidious Copy Writers ambushed her, made her drunk with Longe and Parole and dragged her into their agency, where they abused her for their projects again and again.
09:15 - 10:15
Main Hall
And if she hasn’t been rewritten, then they are still using her. Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind texts. Separated they live in Bookmarksgrove right at the coast of the Semantics, a large language ocean.
11:00 - 12:00
Reception
Welcome talk
The Big Oxmox advised her not to do so, because there were thousands of bad Commas, wild Question Marks and devious Semikoli, but the Little Blind Text didn’t listen. She packed her seven versalia, put her initial into the belt and made herself on the way.
When she reached the first hills of the Italic Mountains, she had a last view back on the skyline of her hometown Bookmarksgrove, the headline of Alphabet Village and the subline of her own road, the Line Lane. Pityful a r
Friday, 15 November
12:00 - 13:00
But nothing the copy said could convince her and so it didn’t take long until a few insidious Copy Writers ambushed her, made her drunk with Longe and Parole and dragged her into their agency, where they abused her for their projects again and again. And if she hasn’t been rewritten, then they are still using her.
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