Caux is a place where we put the people at the center, and that is what is necessary for Europe.

Barbara Hintermann, 14 July 2019

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 Business’ and marked the beginning of a new three-year conference cycle on Europe. This year the focus was on the links between personal and collective identity from a human-centred approach. The aim was to show how to jointly rewrite a collective history based on justice and facts in order to confront rising populism and nationalism in Europe.

Deconstructing our personal identity            

The first two days of the conference tackled the topic of identity as a factor of inclusion and exclusion. Whilst it gives certain groups a feeling of belonging, it is also used as justification for xenophobia and rejection of others. Senator Bogdan Klich, Leader of the Opposition in the Polish Senate and Vice-President of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, also highlighted the link between the rise in nationalism, the exclusion of certain groups and the erosion of democratic systems. 

‘We must begin to go towards the people we disagree with, mistrust or fear,’ said Jens J. Wilhelmsen, who works for the Initiatives of Change movement. The process must involve all the generations, notably young leaders, and all cultures and religions to strengthen transnational movements for democracy and human rights. These ideas were at the heart of two parallel conference programmes: ‘Learning to be a Peacemaker’ and the Young Ambassadors Programme 2019.   

Sharing stories was used as a tool to encourage participants to think about their own journey and to deepen their connections with others. Mounir Beltaifa, Vice-President of Initiatives of Change International and Founder of Bridgers One, Agnes Otzelberger, trainer and facilitator, and Louie Gardiner, Director of Presence In Action (PIA) CIC Collective and Potent 6 addressed the topic of identity from the point of view of their own personal change. Understanding that we are dependent on others and our environment, is a first step towards humility and honesty but also towards a more liberated and fulfilling life. 

I’ve learnt for the first time that to heal I need the other; to heal I need my enemy.

Arshalouys Tenbelian, 16 July 2019

Exploring our relationships with others – our shared story

The second conference theme focused on how our feelings develop and our identity in relation to others.

‘No one is born hating, you learn how to hate; and as you learn how to hate, you can learn how to un-hate’ said Arshalouys Tenbelian, who is Armenian, a communications specialist and Co-President of the Armenian-Kurdish-Turkish peace initiative. At the Caux Forum in 2017 she met Burak Han Çevik, a Turkish immigration lawyer who works for the Consular Office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Netherlands. Their meeting and discussions let her transform her hate and for the first time ever make friends with a Turk, ‘an enemy’. This year they have worked together on the Armenian-Kurdish-Turkish Dialogue, a programme which seeks to question our prejudices in order to build peace. 

Art was also used throughout the conference to address our relationship with our past and with others. The British artist Lynne Barker explored the concept of identity and traditions through dolls as the expression of a community’s myths and values (‘National Costume Dolls Project’) while Mark Isserles explored the topic of memory in his show ‘We must save the children.’ Through songs, testimony and photos, the show tells the story of his Hungarian Jewish grand-parents journey up until their arrival in Caux in 1944. 

Re-writing a collective story 

‘We need to develop and tell a new story’ said John Bond, Secretary of Initiatives of Change International and writer, when introducing the conference’s third theme. 
After showing the impact that our personal identity has on our experiences as well as the influence others have on it, the plenary on Wednesday 17 July focused on the importance of rewriting a collective story.

‘The world lives through our stories, coming together to form a dominant narrative’ explained Jean Brown, Founder of Creators of Peace. Together with Anne-Claire Frank-Seisay, also from Creators of Peace, she led ‘Advocating for a new story,’ one of the five training tracks. They highlighted the potential of every individual in the creation of a new story. By practising deep listening and exchanging perspectives, it becomes possible to promote integrity and honesty about the past and defend peace. The values at the heart of this rewriting process are forgiveness, justice and listening.

The other training tracks focused on theatre with Olena Rosstalna and Olha Boiko, ‘Presence in Action’ with Louie Gardiner and Su Riddell, 'Sustaining your spark' with Agnes Otzelberger and 'Working with difference' with Neil Oliver to equip participants with new tools for building trust and social cohesion in their communities.

History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.

Maya Angelou

‘Change begins with me.’ 

The first edition of the ‘Tools for Changemakers’ conference shone a spotlight on the potential of every individual to promote peace. ‘Change begins with me’: change begins with working on our own identity and our past; how we tell it, how we live with it as well as pursuing it. Change is also intrinsically linked to our relationships with others. ‘Rewriting a common story’ is therefore necessary to develop solidarity at the local, national and international levels. The second edition of the conference will continue to look at this theme whilst concentrating on dialogue. 

• More photos of T4C 2019
• Discover the Young Ambassadors Programme
• Learn more about Learning to be a Peacemaker
• More on the Armenian-Kurdish-Turkish Dialogue
• More information on the National Costume Dolls Project
• "Save the children" - A One-man show with Marc Isserle
• Watch the video

Report: Apolline Foedit
Photos: Leela Channer

We are increasingly reliant on smartphones, smart watches and other interconnected devices which influence nearly every aspect of our life:  our relationship with ourselves and others, our private, public and professional lives. Initiatives of Change (IofC) Switzerland is aware of the historical opportunity to influence the impact of new technologies for the common good. In collaboration with Digital Switzerland and its partners, the IofC team will lead an interactive session based on a fictional character named "Fabrice", allowing a dialogue to be launched between experts and participants on opportunities offered by new technologies and related risk management.

More information about the session led by IofC

Dialogue is the focus of the third Swiss Digital Day

The Swiss Digital Day will take place for the third time on 3 September. This day of action initiated by digitalswitzerland is held under the motto “experiencing digital together”. Over 80 partners will bring different facets of digitisation closer to the population with free activities in twelve locations throughout Switzerland. The President of the Swiss Confederation Ueli Maurer and Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin have assumed the patronage of Digital Day. The Federal Council is underlining the importance of this event with the presence of Simonetta Sommaruga. Dialogue with the population will be at the heart of the Swiss Digital Day: “tell” is a new series of events dedicated to fostering this dialogue.

“Digital starts with you – speak up !” is the motto for “tell”. With this new session format, digitalswitzerland is making dialogue and critical examination of digitisation the focus of this year’s Digital Day. Visitors will have the opportunity to discuss changes, hopes and fears surrounding digitisation with experts, using the World Café format. Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin will kick-off this new series in Berne. “tell” sessions will take place at almost all locations. “Digitisation is not a force of nature. Although it changes all areas of our society in a lasting way, we can shape it. Therefore, on Digital Day 2019, visitors should not only experience digitisation, but also actively participate. ‘tell’ offers the ideal opportunity for this,” says Diana Engetschwiler, overall project lead for Digital Day. The “tell” highlight will certainly be the participation of Federal Councillor Simonetta Sommaruga in the evening in Berne. digitalswitzerland will capture the findings from all “tell” sessions through a research partnership with the Zurich University of Applied Sciences ZHAW, the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland FHNW and the University of Zurich and also plans to publish a report.

Official opening in Berne and activities throughout Switzerland

The highlight of this year’s edition of Digital Day is the official opening by the President of the Swiss Confederation Ueli Maurer in Berne. For the first time since the launch of Digital Day, the federal capital is the venue for the opening ceremony. After the speech by the President of the Swiss Confederation and a live broadcast in the regional languages, two special trains will leave the Berne station, one heading east and one west, underlining the fact that Digital Day is a national event. “The Swiss population is the backbone of all sustainable development, including digitisation. With increased dialogue, we are placing the population even more at the center of digital transformation. The population is part of this transformation and can play an active role,” says Ivo Furrer, President of digitalswitzerland. Visitors to Lugano, Lausanne, Yverdon-les-Bains, Geneva, Chur, St. Gallen, Basel, Berne, Zurich, Biel, Vaduz and Thun can look forward to events, discussions and expos on the various Digital Day topics. A moderated stage programme with talks, dialogue formats, live broadcasts and start-up pitches will take place throughout the day at Zurich Main Station. The whole programme can also be followed live online.

Using the opportunities of digitisation with lifelong learning

Digitisation brings about changes in all areas of our lives. To benefit, we must learn how to deal with these changes. Further training courses, for example, serve this purpose in our daily work. On Digital Day 2019, we will raise awareness that these changes represent an opportunity and that lifelong learning is key. On 3 September there will be many free courses for people of all ages, and visitors can, for example, gain their first experience with programming.

Multi-stakeholder initiative with international appeal

The digitalswitzerland initiative, which was launched at the WEF in 2015, has now become a movement with over 150 major Swiss companies and institutions. This is a tremendous success, which is beneficial to the Swiss start-up ecosystem, the legal framework and relations with authorities. The founders’ goal to develop Switzerland into a leading digital hub is well on its way. Meanwhile, the idea has been taken up by other European countries, including Germany and Austria. “Digital Day is a fundamentally important vehicle for giving a positive boost to digitisation among the general population. Digital Day is hands-on digitisation for the whole family, for young and old. It is important that people learn to understand the opportunities offered by digitisation. This also includes pointing out risks. We have been delighted with the success of our initiative at home and abroad and the support we have received from policymakers since it was launched three years ago,” says Marc Walder, founder of digitalswitzerland.

• More information about Digital Day can be found at www.digitadlay.swiss
• Information on the “tell” series of events can be found here: www.digitalday.swiss/tell

 

Mohamed Sahnoun leaves behind the memory of a very wise man. There have been very few men like him, may he rest in peace.

Cornelio Sommaruga

Mohamed Sahnoun was an Algerian diplomat and President of Initiatives of Change from 2007 to 2008. His great ability to listen and understand others enabled him to bring together certain conflicting parties. He created the Caux Forum on Human Security, a conference which still runs today. A commemoration ceremony was held for his family and friends on Wednesday 10 July 2019 in the main hall of the Caux Palace.

It was in this intimate and solemn atmosphere that his friend and Honorary President of Initiatives of Change, Cornelio Sommaruga, recalled the life of Mohamed Sahnoun. He was an exemplary figure in the diplomatic world whether in his role as Ambassador of Algeria, advisor to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Kofi Annan or President of Initiatives of Change. In the words of Cornelio Sommaruga, ‘he was a source of motivation and encouragement in his role as diplomat and mediator in the service of peace.’

His Excellence the Ambassador of Algeria to Switzerland recalled that in addition to his exceptional professional career, Mohamed Sahnoun was, above all, a friend. ‘During my first meeting with him I saw his humility, his lucidity, his ability to listen and his love for his country.’ These touching words were followed by a trumpet performance by Nick Foster, Director of the Caux Forum.

Hania Sahnoun, Mohamed’s daughter, highlighted that ‘peace can only be achieved by civil society’. It was for this reason that Initiatives of Change held an important place in Mohamed Sahnoun’s heart. Finally, Richard Werly, friend and journalist for Le Temps, expressed his thoughts through a piece read by Barbara Hinterman. For him, Mohamed Sahnoun, was a source of wisdom, someone who knew how to listen and understand whether in a personal or diplomatic situation.

Mohamed Sahnoun’s family and his closest friends were invited into the prayer room which will be renamed in his honour. The gathering observed a minute’s silence whilst his portrait was hung on the wall. Mounir Beltaifa, IofC’s Vice-President then offered a prayer in Arabic.

The commemoration ended with a few words from Andrew Stallybrass who remembers Mohamed Sahnoun as the epitome of the values he spoke about, a characteristic which makes him so memorable. Barbara Hinterman encapsulated these values, ‘Mohamed was a man of dialogue, a man who believed in loving each other, in human fraternity and in the responsibility to protect.’

Text: Nicole Walther

Photo: Paula Mariane

The importance of working closely with local communities and promoting a creative and inclusive peace was at the forefront of the third and final edition of the ‘Towards an Inclusive Peace’ conference which took place from 8 to 12 July 2019 as part of the Caux Forum. While attention was focused on the victims and causes of violent extremism in 2017 and 2018, this year it focused on three subjects: deep prevention, community resilience and protection of peacebuilders. The approaches presented are based on the concepts of inclusiveness, sustainability and context-specificity.

Establishing the facts: some details on the consequences of violent extremism.

‘Violent extremism divides communities, exacerbates conflicts and destabilizes regions,’ stated Barbara Hinterman, Secretary General of Initiatives of Change Switzerland during the Conference’s opening ceremony. ‘In the countries where we work, violent extremism has killed, injured and displaced millions of people,’ continued Dr Khalid Koser, Founder and Executive Director of the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF).

Taking an interest in violent extremism is critical not only for populations but also for States and the private sector. If security approaches seem inefficient, it is best to go beyond them and include local actors. Accordingly, GCERF seeks to strengthen three vital elements of community resilience: capacity building, social cohesion and equal access to opportunities.

Community resilience as a driver of change.

‘We must commit ourselves to articulating a positive vision of what we want’ said Melinda Holmes, Director of the Women’s Alliance for Security Leadership (WASL) of the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN). Indeed, peace is not defined purely by the absence of war and violence but rather by a state where the values of justice, democracy and human rights are respected. Prevention approaches need to concentrate on both the context and the strength of the community.

As Daniel Hyslop, Director of Policy and Learning for Interpeace, recalled ‘99% of terrorism occurs in the context of armed conflict or political terror’. As a result, the context must first be understood by working with local populations. Secondly, the approach must be integrated and positive. It must allow dialogue between all the actors and prioritise community resilience.

Mercy Corps, who was represented by Emilie Tankora, a programme specialist for social cohesion, peace and conflict in Niger, has an approach that is in line with these principals. Mercy Corps’ aim is to work with local communities to understand the different realities and make projects sustainable. Their approach is two-fold: a short-term component to respond to immediate needs and a long-term one to rebuild societal links through dialogue.

The programme to prevent violent extremism presented by Lisa-Raine Hunt, Community Coordinator for the UK Home Office, also emphasizes community resources and resilience.

During interactive group workshops, participants tackled the subjects of prevention, community resilience and protection of peacebuilders. Through the life journeys of local actors, the contexts of six countries were compared and studied in-depth: Nigeria, Ukraine, India, Nepal, the United Kingdom and Indonesia.

Creativity and art in the healing process

Dr Ram Baghat, Co-founder of the Drums No Guns Foundation and the Massive Resilience Project presented his approach to promoting resilience. He showed how music and dialogue can restore the balance by encouraging dignity and respect.

‘Recognizing one’s own vulnerabilities to then be able to connect with others, and working on one’s values to engage with communities’ are two of the actions undertaken by the Fighters for Peace association in Lebanon, co-founded by Christina Foerch Saab. Theatre is used by the association as a tool to start a discussion about individual and collective memories.

Storysharing also allows people to understand how to go through the process of healing from trauma. Hasan Davis who is now a national leader in US justice juvenile reform was drawing on his personal experience when he said, ‘everybody deserves to become the hero of their own story’. The role of hope and trust, and the importance of adopting a long-term vision were more formally explained the next day during the plenary.

The varied points of view, meeting formats and discussions make the Caux Forum not only a unique place for personal inspiration and learning but also for connecting with others and oneself, just as Initiatives of Change encourages.

Keeping safe through action

Against the backdrop of a crisis in global democracy, Guissou Jahangiri, Vice-President of the International Federation for Human Rights (Fédération Internationale pour les Droits Humains, FIDH) underlined the importance of networks and connections to protect peacebuilders.

Having highlighted the failure of the international community to protect peacebuilders and the lack of recognition for peacebuilding processes, Stacey Schamber, Senior Program Officer for ICAN illustrated the importance of networks in promoting peace. As an example, she spoke about one of her peacebuilding colleagues who was held at an airport for more than seventeen hours. Through the ICAN network she was supported by other women and was able to find a solution to the situation. ‘Solidarity is a way of supporting each other and staying safe,’ she concluded.

Rodolfo Dominguez Marquéz continued this discussion with a presentation of his work as Coordinator of the Justice, Human Rights and Gender Civil Association in Mexico. He discussed several action plans to combat violence: identifying the risks with the assistance of specific methodologies then implementing protocols as well as strengthening peacebuilder networks and promoting restorative justice.

The aims of the conference have therefore been achieved: collaborations have begun while the participants feel inspired by the conference, exchanges and meetings.

The graphic summary provided by Anna Lena Schiller combines these observations with drawings and words from the participants.

Solidarity, human dignity, equity...Peace and dialogue can be promoted through a human- and community-centred approach.

• Discover the photos of the 2019 TIP conference
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The sun is slowly setting but the air is still warm as ten people form a circle to listen to Brian Iselin’s captivating story told during the human library as part of the Ethical Leadership in Business conference. He tells us how he discovered the extent of modern slavery and how he decided to fight it.

He first came into contact with human trafficking during his time as a federal agent combatting narco-trafficking. While searching for narcotics, he found two baby girls in a sports bag who were meant to be sold for adoption in Vietnam. Profoundly appalled by this discovery he shifted his priority to modern slavery and decided to take action.

But what is modern slavery? Slavery is not a new problem, the main difference today being that trafficked and abused people are not part of our society as they are not seen. Scandals such as child labour are common amongst big fashion brands but most people distance themselves and continue to buy the clothes. As Iselin says, ‘80% of what we all buy is slave tainted (…) we are talking about hundreds of millions of people’.

Two years ago, Iselin created the NGO Slavefreetrade based on his belief about customers that ‘nobody would willingly do something wrong if [they] knew that it was not right’. The aim is to show the customer what they should do instead of blaming them for doing what they should not and therefore relies on a positive message and incentive.

In practice this means that on a regular basis Slavefreetrade asks workers at every stage in a brand’s supply chain if their human rights are being resepcted. The questions include rights such as dignity, equality and child-free labour. Slavefreetrade then provides the company with access to the results so that they can address any issues. Iselin told us about one case in which the head of human resources for a big label discovered that sexual harassment was happening in a factory that he did not even know existed. With the help of this detailed information, he could do something about it.

The platform brings transparency in a sector where it formerly did not exist. The challenge is now to convince big brands to join the movement and face what is really happening in their supply chains. This will only happen by ‘bringing good actors together’.

Text: Nicole Walther

Photo: Paula Mariane

Bram Jonker is involved in bringing innovation and technology to the digital transformation within Deloitte Tax & Legal. It may be his first time at the Caux Forum but he is no stranger to the Caux Palace where he studied as a student of the Swiss Hotel Management School. He found the Ethical Leadership in Business conference, during which he was a speaker, an enriching experience. ‘It is really about listening, no judgements, no right or wrong answers. It is a safe environment where people can share what they truly believe.’ Bram, for example, has a lot to share about the impact of technology on children now and in the future.

For him, technology is like the water in a bathtub. ‘When parents put their children in the bathtub they first have to check the temperature of the water.’ Parents have the same responsibility when it comes to checking the technology their children use. This is why Bram tests every gadget himself before giving it to his children. If he feels that he cannot trust it, he will search for an alternative.

Bram is convinced that technology will evolve in a way that helps children. For example, when a child asks the virtual assistant what the weather is like instead of simply giving the answer, it could take a more educational approach and explain how to look at the clouds. However, evolution takes time. ‘Until [the technology] is ready, people have to take responsibility. We are not victims; we are making choices.’

Bram believes that ‘jobs remain, tasks shift’ and as a result automatization will be a great opportunity for future generations. Indeed, repetitive tasks are slowly disappearing and being replaced by work involving creativity, collaboration, communication and critical thinking. As robots take care of the boring tasks, more time is freed for meaningful human activities and interaction.

During the conference Bram shared these insights with a wide range of people, who might give him a new perspective about the role technology will play in his children’s life.

As he says,‘I have never been in such a diverse group of people, with different positions in governmental agencies, non-profit organisations but also in the commercial industries and it is very interesting to hear their different points of view.’

• Watch the video on 2019 Ethical Leadership in Business's highlights
• Read our report on ELB 2019
• Discover the pictures of the event
• Relive some of the moments by watching our interviews and coverage on Facebook.

Text: Nicole Walther

Photo: Paula Mariane

This year’s Just Governance for Human Security conference, part of the Caux Forum, focused on good governance, social inclusion and healing memory. These three human security pillars were linked to the following Sustainable Development Goals: Reduced Inequalities, Gender Equality, and Partnership for the Goals. The participants represented many countries, notably Mali with a delegation supported by the FDFA, Ukraine and Japan. Over the course of five days they were inspired by the panels, equipped through workshops and training tracks, connected during their community groups and reflected in the quiet times. Dominique de Buman, former president of the Swiss National Council, opened the conference on Tuesday 2 July.

‘People that attain a state of good inner governance trust themselves and trust is a natural outcome of good inner governance’ said Iqbal Singh Bains

The panel on 3 July focused on good governance. Iqbal Singh Bains from the Ministry of Happiness, in Madhya Pradesh, India talked about inner governance as a level of wellbeing. With the help of Initiatives of Change, he has set up a happiness programme based on gratitude, responsibility, acceptance and forgiveness.

Dr Christiane Agboston Johnson from the Centre de Hautes Etudes de Défense et de Sécurité, pointed out that women often do not trust the armed security forces and that in order to tackle this strong women are needed in leading positions. Dr Achim Wennmann, Executive Coordinator of the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform, and Jonathan Rudy, from the Alliance for Peacebuilding, spoke about the importance of dialogue between individuals in conflict in order to foster understanding and trust.

The theme of the interactive session on the third day was social inclusion as a condition for trustbuilding with a focus on women, indigenous communities and youth. The first speaker, Nicole Pitter Patterson, Co-Founder of SheLeadsIt spoke about how her organization empowers girls to create apps and podcasts, and to take part in hackathons so they too can be part of the technological revolution while Md Mozahidul Islam, from Rights-based Programming and Advocacy for HEKS/EPER Bangladesh, spoke about the importance of protecting marginalised communities such as indigenous people. Finally, Tinotenda Mhungu, a social and economic justice activist from Zimbabwe, explained how and why he strengthens youth participation in politics.

The plenary on 5 July focused on healing memory as a condition for a peaceful common future. For this to be possible, equitable justice for all, safe spaces for voices to be heard, and a collective and common memory are necessary. Sunny Mawiong, one of IofC India’s young leaders, grew up in a racist environment and talked about his inner transformation. He rid himself of his deep bitterness through reflection during an IofC India programme. He discovered the importance of ‘being open to forgive but also to seeing forgiveness’. Laurent Munyandilikirwa, a human rights defender, talked about the spiral of conflicts in the Great Lake Region. This is caused by a lack of justice as the perpetrators have only partly been judged.

When not in a plenary the participants took part in training tracks and workshops each with a different focus, for example, how to use Forum Theatre to reduce inequalities. The six workshops gave participants a deeper understanding of human security. In one workshop Jonathan Rudy explained how the multi-stakeholder process sparks collaborative action and includes civil society. In another, Hiroshi Ishida, Executive Director of the Caux Round Table, gave an interactive demonstration of Japan’s alternative leadership approach which leaves space for incompleteness. Thanks to a group of experts from various African countries, participants were also able to hear an overview of the governance situation in Africa.

As the conference progressed the participants began to realize that their country was not the only one having problems and that everyone has stories of pain and stories of success to tell. Attending the workshops and talking to each other has given them the energy and motivation to tackle the issues they face. With this renewed vigour, actions will undoubtedly be taken once the participants get home, starting with them sharing with their communities the tools they learned during the Forum.

Furthermore, several ideas for projects emerged during the five days. With the insight that exclusion leads to extremism, one participant wants to create a programme to tackle exclusion in central Africa. Another, having connected with Muslims during the Forum, will seek to bring Muslims and Christians together in his community in the UK. Finally, Ishida will organise exchanges abroad to teach Japanese children about the importance of diversity. These ideas and projects aim to enhance trust in the participating communities to in turn create good governance, heal memories and foster social inclusion.

• Discover the pictures of the event
• Relive some of the moments by watching our interviews and coverage on Facebook.
• Watch the video on JGHS 2019

By Nicole Walther

Photos: Paula Mariane