AEUB 2015: Closing of Addressing Europe's Unfinished Business

The final day of Addressing Europe’s Unfinished Business was a time for reflection on the next steps to be taken. Participants also made commitments about what they would do in the coming year. Part of the morning was dedicated to discussing a peace voyage across Europe in 2018. This would involve visiting places that have suffered or continue to suffer conflict.

Those involved would meet locals wherever they travelled, sharing practical stories of conflict resolution and trustbuilding. There were many suggestions for places that could be visited, as well as ideas about the message to be transmitted and what could be done at each point on the journey. Many participants committed to contributing to this project. In the course of the rest of the day, there were several heartfelt testimonies from people who felt moved by their experience at Caux and wanted to start initiatives, including writing papers and having a more proactive role in bringing minority groups in Europe together.

Oleh Ovcharenko from Ukraine said he had found hope in Caux that the European community is ready to offer help. He hopes that one day people from different sides in the Ukrainian conflict will come together and shake hands in Caux. Camilla Nelson, a member of the International Council, closed the seminar by sharing the values of Initiatives of Change and calling on each of us to think about the role we might play as individuals. There will be ongoing discussions as participants go down the mountain and small projects start to take shape in different parts of Europe.