Caux Scholars Program: Alumni Reunion 2014

Caux Scholars Alumni

“The ride back up the mountain brought back fond memories of the weeks I spent learning about conflict transformation; transformative and collaborative peacebuilding; and the fantastic life-long connections and friendships that shaped the future trajectory of my life.

It felt great to be back and it felt like coming home!“ 1 2004 –Ify Malo,

Europe / Asia

Africa

Africa

Alumni Attendees

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Sam Doe 1995, Liberia: Senior policy adviser and team leader in the policy and planning division of UNDP’s bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery.

Suleiman Hussein Boayo, 2001, Ghana/Malaysia: Senior Lecturer at Centre for Advanced Studies on Islam, Science and Civilization, University of Technology Malaysia.

Ify Malo, 2004, Nigeria: Senior Technical Adviser to the CEO of the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

Selly Wane, 2007, Senegal/ Germany: Entrepreneur, SWANE-Design, focusing on social and environmental sustainability.

Ednah Kang’ee, 2011, Kenya: Immigration Liaison Assistant British High Commission, Nairobi, Kenya.

Nelly Njoki, 2010, Kenya: Co-Founder of Community Education and Empowerment Centre, an NGO working on gender, human rights and peacebuilding in Kenya.

Alex Nuwagaba, 2013, Uganda: Co-founder and head of Programs at Jengo Africa, focusing on building sustainable solutions for human security issues in Africa.

Mercy Shahale, 2013, Kenya: Co-founder of Jengo Africa, addressing human security threats and vulnerabilities though technology-based products and services.

Ioana Bunescu, 1999, Romania/ Sweden: Social Scientist working with issues related to inter-ethnic relations, migration, asylum and return.

Adela Sedlackova, 2003, Czech Republic: Lawyer formerly working for a judge at the Constitutional Court and now assists a district court judge.

Elin Roos, 2013, Sweden: Medical student at Karolinska Institute, passionate about Health/ Economics /Politics, health in areas of conflict, as well as environmental health issues.

Abduljalil Abdurasulov, 2003, Krygyzstan: Producer and cameraman for the BBC since 2006.

Asia Asia/ South America/ North America North America

Khalil El Masry, 2010, Egypt: Software development consultant; co-founder of "Selmiyah" (Peaceful) and "Madad� for IT with the mission of providing support to civic society.

Saira Bano Orakzai, 2010, Pakistan: Research Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London, concentrating on conflict resolution techniques, religious-cultural approaches to peace, human rights and religious interpretations.

Janjarang Kijtikhun, 2010, Thailand: International Development consultant with the Non-Violence Project Foundation, creating e-learning programs for trainers worldwide. Co-Founder of Localalike.com.

Maguy Arnous, 2011, Lebanon: Masters in Social Psychology at the American University of Beirut, focusing primarily on intergroup relations and majority/minority dynamics.

Lamiya Adilgizi, 2013, Azerbaijan: Freelance journalist, presently in a fellowship program in Berlin.

Formerly, reporter for Today's Zaman, Turkey's best-selling English daily.

Xeniya Mironova, 2013, Tajikistan: Project Coordinator for UN OHCHR, Dushanbe office.

Monica Heincke, 2005, Colombia: Consultant, facilitator and trainer in strategic management, entrepreneurship and sustainability with an emphasis on Corporate Social Responsibility.

Muzit Mesfun-Mehari, 1992, Eritrea/USA: Quality Manager at Booz Allen Hamilton in Washington, DC.

Bruce Myers, 1992, USA: Risk Manager and Audit Director in large bank holding companies, providing audit and investigative services to the Federal Reserve, and the US Department of Treasury.

Michelle Aldridge, 2011, USA: Rotary Scholar in peacebuilding at the International Christian University in Japan. She has previously worked with experiential education projects in Nicaragua and Ecuador.

Ismaila Ceesay, 2011, The Gambia/USA: Law Student, formerly a policy analyst and also spent a year working with youth in AmeriCorps.

Mark Kennedy, 2013, USA: Attorney working for the Bloomberg Bureau of National Affairs.

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Alumni Reunion 2014:

From the alumni vantage point It is hard for Ismaila Ceesay CSP 2011 to describe the single defining moment of his time with CSP, since he considers it as a defining process. Nevertheless, he reflected on the presence of an African farmer during the Human Security Forum he attended in 2011. The farmer was being recognized for his contribution in combating desertification in Africa.

This farmer, whom he considered to be one of the most important people in that forum, underlined the fact that everyone can contribute to peace no matter what they do for a living. He realized that the way in which you live your life is the best way to spread the message of what you do and its importance: “Do your thing, no matter what that might be, in the best way possible.” And that way, everyone makes their contribution in their own style.

Interviewed by Diana Franco, CSP 2014 The Caux Scholars Reunion encouraged me to reflect on my career and how it has contributed to my ethics in business. I have worked with large banks that took on excessive risk that caused the crises, and witnessed first-hand the ethical failing of the industry. Executives that I have audited have knowingly broken laws, and put little or no emphasis on ethics that played a significant role in the financial crisis. CSP boosted my ethical foundation and professional integrity to deal with the conflict of interest in auditing the firm that pays my income.

Bruce Myers, CSP 1992 So what does Caux mean to Selly Wane CSP 2007? “It’s the people you meet the networks you make, they are role models. Caux helps bring a sense of identity and self-transformation.” She has mentored several young African youths looking for employment: “I have been doing a lot of mentoring of younger people. Sometimes a small discussion changes their lives and they come back to me with lots of positive stories.

That gives me satisfaction.”

Interviewed by Daisy Kosgei, CSP 2014

Operating since 1991, The Caux Scholars Program is a one-month course in conflict transformation and transitional justice, now under the guidance of Dr. Carl Stauffer, Development and Justice Studies, Center for Justice and Peacebuilding at Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, Virginia and Jitka Hromek-Vaitla, Program Director. CSP opens up the chance for personal reflection within the challenge of global community building among 20 scholars from around the world. http://csp.iofc.org 4

Arriving from 19 different countries, Caux Scholar Program alumni were welcomed back into the soaring halls of the Caux Palace hotel for the second CSP reunion at Caux in its 22-year history (CSP reunions have also been held in London, Washington and in the mountains of Virginia). The alumni were invited to participate in the 2014 summer theme, “Exploring the Human Factor in Global Change.” Some of the questions on the table when they arrived were: Does forgiveness undercut justice? Does forgiveness translate into other cultural realities?

Alumni stepped into this creative and challenging engagement of ideas, hopes and realities with their own life experiences accumulated since their first attendance at CSP. Reunited with alumni from 11 different classes, Carl Stauffer, CSP current academic director, and Barry Hart, former academic director from 1997-2010, designed a workshop on self-care. Having worked for years with people traumatized by violence, both Carl and Barry understand the challenges of maintaining energy and avoiding compassion fatigue.

Barry, who has conducted workshops on psychosocial trauma recovery and reconciliation and who developed and edited a book called Peacebuilding for Traumatized Societies, described the challenge of self-care as “a dance between boundary setting and how porous we allow our lives to be.” The workshop emphasized that a peacemaker’s ability to maintain balance is individual and often fluctuates, hence the importance of regular self check-ins. As caregivers, self-knowledge and awareness of your ability to cope with stress and trauma is important—experienced through interior strength and in seeking exterior help.

A “Self-Care Wheel” to assess where anxiety may be hampering energy, vision and drive was given to every alumnus.

Carl underscored how taking time to reflect can help alumni “go the distance” rather than burn out. Quoting Mary Clark’s book, In Search of Human Nature, Carl emphasized that we can change our habits since “love can create new pathways.”

Self-care practices reviewed in the workshop included: • Spiritual and meditative disciplines • Understanding that the exhaustion and stress you feel are normal for caregivers who deal with high stress and

trauma • Making sleep, deep breathing, exercise and good nutrition a priority • Talking with others • Getting professional help if symptoms persist (Be aware that professional help might reveal personal unhealed

trauma that needs to be addressed.)

• Building into your life time to cultivate what gives you joy and meaning • Taking time off to reflect and rest (There are some studies that say this is what most people do to reduce stress

and regain their sense of equilibrium.)

• Who you are, what culture and context you come from and what context you find yourself in as a caregiver,

contribute to finding ways to better help others and take care of yourself.

If you wish you could’ve been there, watch the video and be a part: bit.ly/CSPReunion2014

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Symposium

Symposium:

The Importance of Dignity, Integrity and Identity in Building Peace with Justice

Osh, Krygyzstan (photo: A. Abdurasulov)

With some advanced discussions, a symposium was coordinated with Dr. Barry Hart’s guidance on The Importance of Dignity, Integrity and Identity in Building Peace with Justice. Four Caux Scholars presented; two in academia, and two in the field: one in government and one in media.

The scholars captured the intensity and personal connection each had to their conflict. Abdujalil Abdurasulov (CSP 2003), who works at the BBC, using his skills as a photo-journalist, illustrated his experience as an Uzbek living in the town of Osh, Krygyzstan. “Refugees, despair, feeling betrayed, dividing the town into Uzbek and Kyrgyz zones. Although on the surface, Uzbeks and Kyrgyz are living in peace, their feelings of hatred, anger and humiliation still remain. Uzbeks feel they lost their dignity, as they had to adjust to new ‘realities,’ change their life patterns, traditions and other practices. This ultimately has affected their identity.”

His description of how this relatively new conflict was shifting the behaviors and thus identities of the Uzbeks in Osh, changing even the traditional wedding dress and celebrations, Abdujalil continued by quoting a reflection from one Uzbek elder, “I no longer know where I belong.”

Abdujalil advised that while people had stopped fighting, the distrust and fear in the Uzbek and Kyrgyz communities still runs deep. He suggested that the government of Kyrgyzstan address these issues by ensuring justice is carried out and, most importantly, showing that the government will protect both Uzbeks and Kyrgyz equally.

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Pakistan (photo: United Nations)

The tribal areas of Pakistan are something most outsiders only hear of when talking about the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

Academic fellow, Saira Bano Orakzai (CSP 2010), illuminated the hidden situation in the Pashtun area. Since most media is banned from the region, reports and stories that emerge are sketchy at best. The government of Pakistan has been operating a military campaign in the region displacing over 1 million people and killing thousands.

“The question of addressing and transforming this conflict,” Saira explains, “within the framework of identity, integrity, and dignity for building peace with justice is very critical.

Recognition is one of the underlying concepts for longterm peaceful relations. This process of recognition is dependent on ‘self’ and ‘other’ transformation by recognizing each other’s key elements of identity. The recognition of victimhood, grief and suffering leads to validation, which can pave the way for a better relationship. The aim of recognition is not the assimilation or amalgamation of narratives, or the constructing of a joint identity, but acknowledging the differences and building a new relationship.”

From her observations the over emphasis on military solutions to the conflict have been reflected in a lack of vision and long-term goals at the negotiation table. The lack of regard by the military for civilians has also fed ethnic targeting throughout the region and in Karachi. Concluding her remarks Saira suggested a renewed interest in the Khudai Khidmatgar (God’s Servant) movement led by Abdul Gaffar Khan, and a study of his philosophy of nonviolence from a ‘subaltern’ (the disempowered) perspective.

Population Map of Nigeria (Map: Wikipedia)

Ify Malo (CSP 2004) invited the 50 people gathered during the symposium to understand the interplay between Boko Haram and the lack of available resources in Nigeria. Ify works with the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) as the Senior Technical Adviser to the CEO, she was the Special Assistant on Legal and Policy Issues to the Nigerian Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance. In her presentation, Building Peace - Giving dignity: What’s Energy Got to do with it? she asked, “What form of ethnic and communal conflicts are we currently experiencing globally today? What types of conflicts are erupting and what types are being resolved? What are the mechanisms peacebuilders are employing to provide services; give dignity and opportunity?”

“The sense of hopelessness,” Ify explained, “under which this group emerged; and the shockingly brutal way in which they operate can be traced to poverty, and a lack of opportunities in the part of the country where this insurgency reigns. However, it is important to note that no matter how legitimate a claim, a cause or a position, that the shedding of innocent blood, by anyone to achieve or advance their causes is wrong.”

Much of the current discourse on peacebuilding deals with the fundamental issues of identity and security.

However, the roots of these conflicts are often a struggle for resource control and distribution. She expanded on three themes: poverty as a strong trigger for conflict, the global economy as a driver for peace and electricity as a critical tool for economic mobility.

Displaced people in any conflict are a global concern.

How the European Union is processing asylum seekers was Ioana Bunescu’s (CSP 1999) focus.

Ioana, an academic, received funding from the European Return Fund to study whether human dignity is safeguarded by the current European legal procedures or does it require more than what current laws and policies capture?

“In my experience,” she continued, “trying to communicate with stakeholders, each party displayed genuine interest in doing their job well. However, more often than not, the least heard or legitimized voice has been that of the asylum seekers themselves.

Different stakeholders have different leverage on influencing how the law is formulated and enforced.

Power relations could obstruct the process of formulating just laws. My work is dedicated to making the voices of the asylum seekers heard and integrated in the process of policy making by creating a channel in which their voices could be heard and taken into account by policy makers.”

Migrants on board a ship in the Mediterranean Sea (Photo: The Guardian)

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Forum

International Peacebuilders’ Forum August 10-13th was the first International Peacebuilders Forum at Caux and both CSP alumni and the class of 2014 participated and through assisting with media outreach, and with some set-up and design of the gathering. The IPF was hosted by Caux-Initiatives of Change and the Institute for Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding (ICP) in cooperation with the Caux Scholars Program. Lamiya Guliyeva (CSP 2013), a journalist from Azerbaijan wrote an article for the Turkish paper Today’s Zaman. Here is an excerpt: In plenary sessions, workshops and discussions over the three-day-long forum participants discussed: How does change occur? And how can we change structures of violence into structures of peace and harmony?

The field of peacebuilding right now is experiencing tension between those who say we should change the individual because institutions do not work, and those who believe that if we don’t change policies, institutions and structures, change will not take place; that it is a waste of time to start on the individual level.

To address these concerns, the international peacebuilders agreed that personal and global changes need to come together. But how they can come together as long as we continue to operate within rigid structures? The only possibility to bring the two types of change together is by uniting people who share the same values and beliefs, so they can make transformations happen.

“You are doing a lot of good jobs but you are not connected to those who are doing a lot of good work with you,” said Carl Stauffer, academic director of the Caux Scholars Program, in his opening speech of the plenary session, on August 11.

According to Stauffer, the heart of the mystery is how to connect so many people and small organizations into a powerful network, to become a larger and more influential force than the parts would be alone.

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“Peacebuilding is many things. Multi-levels are necessary. If people are brought together… from all sectors of community and society, and are trained to tell their stories and name the… people that have dramatically changed their lives, then they become participants in their own healing and actors in their society, preventing future violence and destruction.”

–Barry Hart The international peacebuilders agreed that individual behavior can actually change culture and society. Seeing separate segments as a system, they understand that the social environment is dynamic, and that individual behaviors and choices become self-enforcing through positive and negative feedback, which in turn become structural and thus contribute to much bigger changes.

So changing systems, as well as individuals, is possible, and it is possible to expand systems through such changes, which means a lot for peacebuilding. So, for the conference participants, success is “not only [on an] individual transformational level, but also in replacing the old systems that have been driven and influenced by systems of violence into a system of peace.”

Dr. Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, senior research professor in trauma, forgiveness and reconciliation at the University of the Free State, South Africa, spoke about trauma -- tragic events that control and overload the minds to the extent that we don’t know how to respond to them. Trauma affects our lives as well as our environment. It is critical to understand that traumatic experiences tend to be passed on to others, sometimes because it is witnessed and sometimes through researching it.

Reunion

The alumni reunion weekend expanded beyond the workshops and symposium: cooking together in the kitchen, serving in the dining room, chatting over dinner and a chilly, early morning hike up the Rochers de Naye to view the sunrise. The participants were able to both find some rest from their daily work at home and get reinvigorated with renewed energy by hearing and connecting with so many peacebuilders. Mixing breathtaking vistas with intellectually stimulating conversations, laughter and reflection was the best practice of self-care in action.

The CSP experience keeps giving and challenging Calling the reunion a “fantastic” experience, Sam Doe, a 1995 Caux Scholar from Liberia who is now working for the United Nations in New York, says what brings him to Caux every year is “something special” at the conferences -- things like positions, histories, fears and prejudices all are left at the bottom of the hill and people, who are different but share the same values, come to meet.

“No matter what place you come from, you are human again [in Caux],” Doe said, adding that in Caux you have the space to be who you are and to connect with who you are…This is good for inner regeneration and recovery… from the difficulties of life. No matter… what kind of chaos you are meeting… you are able to find peace here in Caux,” Doe said.

Doe believes that individual changes are important in the hope of transforming society. “Each of us has the responsibility to become the change we want to see and to demonstrate that change and to become contiguous; then [we can] affect more people and bring more change,” he said, adding: “Despite our differences, fear is what we have in common and this is our humanity. If we embrace our individual humanity, it allows us to embrace others’ humanity -- and then change happens. That, for me, is the foundation of peace.”

Interviewed by Myriam Aziz, CSP 2014

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Engage

Alumni Overview The Caux Scholars Program now has over 400 alumni in locations throughout the world and in countless sectors.

Alumni sectors of work

3% 3%

Art/Media (3%)

13%

Business/Law (23%) 23%

Education (24%) Government/Social sector (4%) Health/Social Work (4%)

21%

International Organizations (4%) NGO (21%) 24%

4% 4%

4%

Other (13%) Religion (3%)

Alumni Locations Around the World

Sign On! When the alumni gathered together in a discussion about the future of CSP, Khalil, CSP 2010 from Egypt, mentioned that he had designed a platform for NGOs and offered it to CSP in order to improve communication among scholars.

He sees it as a way for peacebuilders to communicate, knowing we cannot solve problems alone.

El-Midan Portal is a web-based solution dedicated to socio-political activists. NGOs, political parties, and individuals, who need the help of such communication portal customized to their special needs and activities, especially the requirement of documentation, and coordination among the key players in civil society. Through El-Midan, we can meet, talk, share knowledge, and most importantly establish a dialogue to better understand ourselves, the others, express our dreams, seek our common values, and use it as a foundation for our mutual well-documented and well-coordinated activities.

The El-Midan Portal: http://www.elmidan.net 10

For additional information and instructions, visit http://csp.iofc.org

Continued Engagement with the CSP Community Since the CSP experience for many is a time for a realignment of life purpose, there are high expectations about how to continue this process.

How do we connect better, in order to maximize the potential of our peacebuilding community?

Some ideas emerged: • Improve communication among alumni via our new platform • Create regional networking • Work on systemic peacebuilding resilience • Sharing best practices to encourage Corporate Responsibility • Create a wider plan for CSP Ubantu—we are not complete without each other • Expand CSP: http://in.iofc.org/caux-scholars-program-asia-plateau • Create opportunities for alumni to engage in new programs • Caux reunion every five years

What do you want to see happen in the next five years?

In the next five years, I hope to see CSP expand in a variety of facets, including program types, locations, and alumni relations. Utilizing digital software and online portals will allow for former scholars and alums to stay in contact for a variety of purposes, such as networking, social awareness, and personal updates.

---Mark Kennedy, CSP 2013 It is very important to create an active alumni network in each region, so the scholars will have an opportunity to use gained knowledge and skills, and share their experience. It will be good to organize workshops on developing specific skills, for example, in the field of mass media. I am ready to take active part in the implementation of these ideas.

--Abdujalil Abdurasulov, CSP 2003

Have something to add? Email us at cauxsp@us.iofc.org 11

Overview of the 2014 Caux Conference Season

by Nick Foster - Caux Conference Manager

Building on the narratives of previous years, pressing issues were tackled in 2014. We examined the gritty reality of ongoing corruption and conflicts in places such as Ukraine, Gaza, South Sudan and Zimbabwe during Just Governance for Human Security.

Developed with high-level partnerships, the Caux Dialogue for Land and Security conference focused on the need to reduce conflict to recover dry and wetlands around the world.

The exciting momentum that is Children as Actors in Transforming Society explored the imperative to enable participation of younger people in co-creating the future.

Economic challenges have been examined since 2006 through the Trust and Integrity in the Global Economy conference driving forward truly sustainable economic models and providing structures and thinking to support them.

This was closely connected to Heart of Effective Leadership, EPIC: Entrepreneurs, Pathfinders, Innovators and Changemakers and Impact Initiatives for Change. There was also much needed time dedicated to the sharing of inspiration and creativity between changemakers in this year’s second edition of Seeds of Inspiration.

Two new events were launched: Addressing Europe’s Unfinished Business, forging a think tank for a constructive re-positioning of Europe, and the International Peacebuilders’ Forum, using the platform of Caux to promote vital refreshment and connectedness between those working for peace.

Come next summer and take part!

For information on the 2015 season, visit http://caux.iofc.org.

Caux Scholars Program 641 S St NW Washington DC, 20001, USA

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Telephone: 202-872-9077 Fax: 202-872-9137

Email: cauxsp@us.iofc.org www.facebook.com/CauxScholarsProgram http://csp.iofc.org

The Caux Scholars Program is a program of Inititatives of Change USA. Initiatives of Change is a diverse global movement of people committed to the transformation of society through change in human motives and behavior, starting with their own.

Photo credits: Abdujalil Abdurasulov, Jitka Hromek-Vaitla, Alex Nuwagaba