INTERNATIONAL CAUX CONFERENCES
2016
Exploring the Human Factor in Global Change
2 | International Caux Conferences Report 2016
SEEDS OF INSPIRATION
International Caux Conferences 2016 | 3
LIVING PEACE
Nick Foster Forum Director, CAUX-IofC Foundation
CHILDREN AS ACTORS FOR TRANSFORMING SOCIETY (CATS)
Barbara Hintermann Secretary General, CAUX-IofC Foundation
ADDRESSING EUROPE’S UNF INISHED BUSINESS
We look forward to welcoming you and working with you to build a just, sustainable and peaceful world, one initiative at a time.
INTERNATIONAL PEACEBUILDERS’ FORUM
What happens at Caux is much more than conferences. Caux is about a human experience, a holistic approach to change, a platform on which everyone can find a space to contribute. We are working to offer an enhanced experience next year: the Caux Forum 2017. It will provide more space for training and dialogues and will focus on the human potential for global change, especially in relation to addressing extremism of all kinds.
JUST GOVERNANCE FOR HUMAN SECURITY
This report offers highlights of the eight conferences of 2016. They set the frame for a summer filled with profound stories and inspiring exchanges – all in the stunning setting of the Caux Palace. It also offers a glimpse of the new training programme to equip those who come to Caux for a longer period with peacebuilding and leadership skills. This is now being supported by a grant from FONDATION SMARTPEACE.
Nick Foster Forum Director, CAUX-IofC Foundation
TRUST AND INTEGRITY IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY (TIGE)
<
Barbara Hintermann Secretary General, CAUX-IofC Foundation
The 2016 summer reminded us of the power of small initiatives to change the status quo. Seventy years ago, 99 Swiss families came together to buy the Caux Palace.The centre they created continues to inspire, equip and connect hundreds of changemakers every year. T wenty-five years ago Caux moved a group of women to start the ‘Creators of Peace’ initiative, which is empowering women in 43 countries to work for peace, justice and reconciliation. That same year, the Caux Scholars Program set out to teach a holistic approach to conflict transformation and peacebuilding. It now has over 500 alumni across the world. The Trust and Integrity in the Global Economy conference, which started in Caux 10 years ago, has developed into a programme in 5 countries.
CAUX DIALOGUE ON LAND AND SECURITY
This year the CAUX-Initiatives of Change (CAUX-IofC) Foundation celebrated its 70th anniversary. Over the decades CAUX-IofC and the IofC network around the world have gained solid experience in dialogue facilitation, trust building and reconciliation, and in promoting ethical leadership and sustainability. Today, in the context of ongoing conflicts, soaring migration, natural disasters and terrorism, the Caux Conferences are more relevant than ever. They offer a safe space which
fosters inspiration and connection between individuals, groups and organizations and equips them with tools to promote and facilitate dialogues for peace.
<
A World War II Jewish refugee shares his story with a land restoration specialist from Ethiopia; a Syrian who works in refugee camps in Turkey studies restorative justice with a social entrepreneur from Brazil; a survivor of the 2005 London bombings shares her story of forgiveness with a Ukrainian peace activist… these are just a few of the encounters which took place between the 1,500 participants in the Caux Conferences in 2016.
PEACEBUILDING AND LEADERSHIP PROGRAMMES
EDITORIAL
WHAT ARE THE CAUX CONFERENCES? Sharing personal stories in a safe place, taking the time to reflect, learning through service, and engaging with a wide network of changemakers from around the world: this is what over 1,500 participants experience every summer during Caux’s conferences, dialogues and training programmes.
Caux catalyzes change: it encourages individuals to explore their inner strengths and their role as changemakers, under the premise that everyone has the potential to make a difference.
Every year, people from diverse origins and backgrounds get together in the Caux Palace, high above Lake Geneva, to exchange views and stories and bring forward solutions to the world’s needs.
DID YOU KNOW? Caux is pronounced ‘Co’ (/’kә /) CAUX’S UNIQUE APPROACH:
Storytelling Caux encourages individuals to share their own stories as a means of inspiring others. Storytelling is central to our conferences, dialogues and training programmes and has proved a powerful tool for igniting personal and global change.
Time to reflect Silent reflection is another core feature of all activities at Caux, offering participants a way of seeking inner wisdom and unlocking their creative potential.
4 | International Caux Conferences 2016
The stunning view of Lake Geneva and the surrounding mountains provide a wonderful backdrop for this inner listening.
Experiential learning through service Those attending the conferences are encouraged to take part in some of the tasks related to the running of the conference centre. This provides a unique way for participants to connect with each other in a more informal setting, placing everyone on an equal footing and breaking down silos.
NEAR EAST 10%
AFRICA
AMERICAS
14% 3%
AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND
GENDER BREAKDOWN
FEMALE
59%
PEOPLE IN THE CAUX PALACE:
OVERALL AGE BREAKDOWN: 33
0-5 PARTICIPANTS
1,105
TRAINING PARTICIPANTS
161
159
6-17
248
18-25
303
26-35
CONFERENCE TEAMS
160
36-45
INTERPRETERS
46-55
52
229 191 198
56-65
STAFF (INCL. TEMPORARY)
46
SCHOLARS
22
162
66-80
23
80+ 0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
International Caux Conferences 2016 | 5
SEEDS OF INSPIRATION
ASIA
6%
LIVING PEACE
41%
CHILDREN AS ACTORS FOR TRANSFORMING SOCIETY (CATS)
7%
ADDRESSING EUROPE’S UNF INISHED BUSINESS
60%
MALE
INTERNATIONAL PEACEBUILDERS’ FORUM
EUROPE
JUST GOVERNANCE FOR HUMAN SECURITY
IN THE 2016 CAUX CONFERENCES
TRUST AND INTEGRITY IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY (TIGE)
PEOPLE PARTICIPATED
CAUX DIALOGUE ON LAND AND SECURITY
NATIONALITIES OVERVIEW
PEACEBUILDING AND LEADERSHIP PROGRAMMES
1,546
70 YEARS OF TRUST BUILDING 2016 marked 70 years of CAUX-IofC’s dedication to trust building, peacebuilding and reconciliation. A former luxury hotel, the Caux Palace was in disrepair when it was bought in 1946 by Swiss who wanted to change the world. In its early years, the conference centre played a role in reconciling Europe after World War II. Since then, it has gained a reputation as a platform for intercultural, intergenerational and interreligious dialogue.
<
Antoine Jaulmes President of the CAUX-IofC Foundation
6 | International Caux Conferences 2016
To mark this special anniversary, a range of public events were held over the summer: MIGRATION AS A POSITIVE FORCE: 2016 CAUX CONFERENCES OPEN The current global migration and refugee crisis has led to increased tensions and mistrust between host societies and migrants. Fostering dialogues, respect and mutual understanding is essential to moving toward peace and social cohesion. The Caux Conferences were officially kicked off on 1 July with an all-day event on ‘Crossing Borders, Crossing Cultures: how to build trust around migration?’ A range of speakers including national and international policymakers, refugees and migrants were invited to address this theme from different perspectives.
The mayor of Montreux, Laurent Wehrli, officially welcomed guests and participants to Caux. The President and Secretary General of the CAUX-IofC Foundation, Antoine Jaulmes and Barbara Hintermann, highlighted CAUX-IofC’s work since 1946. Ambassador Urs von Arb, Vice Director of State Secretariat for Migration, presented a Swiss perspective on the challenges posed by migration. Ambassador William Lacy Swing, Director General of the International Organization for Migration, emphasized the ‘need to change the migration narrative
<
International Caux Conferences 2016 | 7
SEEDS OF INSPIRATION
Ambassador William Lacy Swing, Director General of the International Organization for Migration
<
The exhibition consisted of portraits and stories of people who had initiated extraordinary changes after attending conferences in Caux. Its title, First Steps, was chosen to show that each action, whether it transforms the world or an individual, starts with a first step.
LIVING PEACE
Over 100 people came to discover the Caux Palace during the Open House Day on 16 July. The event featured an introduction to CAUXIofC’s work, a historical treasure hunt through the Caux Palace and a workshop on mediation skills.
CHILDREN AS ACTORS FOR TRANSFORMING SOCIETY (CATS)
The CAUX-IofC Foundation chose to mark its 70th anniversary with an exhibition about its rich history and vision. The travelling photographic exhibition moved from Montreux, where it made its debut, up to the gardens of the Caux Palace for the conference season.
ADDRESSING EUROPE’S UNF INISHED BUSINESS
THE CAUX PALACE OPENED ITS DOORS TO THE PUBLIC
INTERNATIONAL PEACEBUILDERS’ FORUM
The 2016 Caux Conferences took a multifaceted approach to migration issues: exploring the link between land restoration and migration; bringing practitioners in peacebuilding together with asylum seekers and refugees; and using the arts to break down barriers and build trust.
FIRST STEPS EXHIBITION TRAVELS TO CAUX
JUST GOVERNANCE FOR HUMAN SECURITY
Dr Omnia Marzouk, outgoing President of the International Association of IofC International concluded the Official Opening by encouraging those who took part in the 2016 conferences to move out of their comfort zones and take steps to build a better world.
TRUST AND INTEGRITY IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY (TIGE)
In an interactive panel led by Le Monde journalist Serge Michel, Abo Hawi, leader of the village of Arbha Weatsbha in Ethiopia; Carlos Vasquez, a Bolivian-born student living in Switzerland; Prof Ladislaus Löb, who stayed at the Caux Palace as a refugee during World War II; and Yvan Sturm, Assistant Director of Operations and Head of the Migrants Contingency Task Force at Geneva’s Hospice Général, exchanged stories of migration and integration.
CAUX DIALOGUE ON LAND AND SECURITY
PEACEBUILDING AND LEADERSHIP PROGRAMMES
First Steps Exhibition in Caux
from negative to something that is historically more accurate: migration is a positive force in our lives’.
PEACEBUILDING AND LEADERSHIP PROGRAMMES Service to others as a first step to peace and true leadership lies at the heart of Caux’s approach. Caux supports today’s and tomorrow’s changemakers by offering training, an experiential learning environment and active participation in the conferences to a diverse group of people who stay for several weeks. The Foundation sponsors the stay of people who have been to Caux before and want to give their time and talents to supporting the running of the conference centre. Their contributions involved
183 PARTICIPANTS
61 NATIONALITIES
supporting the dining-room, kindergarten, kitchen, reception and conference administration. They engaged in the conferences and also benefited from tailored training sessions on such issues as facilitating dialogue and peacemaking. They met and connected with changemakers from around the globe and were also encouraged to spend time in personal reflection. Marienne Makoudem Tene, an economist and mother of five children from Cameroon, supported the operations team. She also presented her business project, A Banana Tree for Education, as part of the Caux Dialogue on Land and Security Fellowship Programme and connected with social entrepreneurs working in related fields. ‘Engaging with people from different countries and professional backgrounds gave me valuable input,’ she said. ‘Thanks to the conversations I had in Caux I changed the implementation strategy of my project.’ A more intensive one-month training programme was offered to Caux
8 | International Caux Conferences 2016
first-timers between the ages of 18 and 30, with a dual focus on personal growth and community. The participants started bonding on day two, with a three-hour hike up the nearest mountain, and within a week began a variety of workshops on self-reflection, communication and leadership. There were also opportunities for stillness and observation. These, said Mohammed from Egypt, helped participants ‘take a stop in life’ and gain ‘deeper insight on yourself, how you feel about things, how you react’. The trainees also wrote reflective essays and exchanged their personal stories. Many of them described the latter as an emotional roller coaster, but one that brought profound connection with their fellow riders.
SEEDS OF INSPIRATION
LIVING PEACE
International Caux Conferences 2016 | 9
CHILDREN AS ACTORS FOR TRANSFORMING SOCIETY (CATS)
Sawsan Programme participant from Syria
ADDRESSING EUROPE’S UNF INISHED BUSINESS
‘ I’m a completely different person, maybe not personality-wise but in the way I think. Maybe I was living in a bit of a bubble in Syria. Now I have different perspectives.’
INTERNATIONAL PEACEBUILDERS’ FORUM
The first week focused on trust building, which Martin from Germany described as ‘essential to make us feel like a whole community sharing a safe place’. For Suchith from Sri Lanka, the highlight was the discussion on restorative justice during the second week. ‘We discovered and discussed alternative approaches and were able to listen to indigenous viewpoints rather than the standard western one.’ During the third week, the scholars gave operational support to the Just Governance for Human
JUST GOVERNANCE FOR HUMAN SECURITY
Reflecting on her month, Sian from the UK said, ‘What I’ve got out of it is, I think, more contentment with myself. I really like the idea of finding your inner peace, your inner development and focusing on yourself before you attempt to change the behavioural mindset of others.’ Sawsan from Syria said that coming to Caux ‘opened her mind’. ‘I’m a completely different person, maybe not personality-wise but in the way I think. Maybe I was living in a bit of a bubble in Syria. Now I have different perspectives.’
The graduation ceremony was also a celebration of the programme’s 25th anniversary. Bruce Myers, a 1992 Caux Scholars alumnus, spoke of his own life battles and of the importance of personal conflict resolution for those who want to be agents of peace. He was enthusiastic to see that the spirit of Caux was still going strong in this year’s graduates.
TRUST AND INTEGRITY IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY (TIGE)
The month culminated in a group project in which they developed plans and projects for changemaking in their home situations. For instance, Nelea from Moldova wants to draw on Caux’s values to offer coaching to parents.
The four-week academic programme taught students to understand both the factors that create and sustain conflicts and approaches to resolving and preventing them. RussianArmenian scholar Akop appreciated the programme’s ethos of ‘openmindedness, honesty, readiness not only to talk but also to listen’ and ‘to understand that we are not alone in our problems’.
Security conference. In the final week, they discussed trauma and how to put sustained dialogue in place. Hiking up the Rochers de Naye above Caux, swimming in Lake Geneva and cycling to France contributed to the group dynamics.
CAUX DIALOGUE ON LAND AND SECURITY
Participants in the Caux Scholars Program, now in its 25th year, are selected for their experience and interest in peacebuilding, public or community service and their leadership ability. Many of the 19 chosen this year were actively engaged in such projects as building a school in Pakistan, helping displaced people in Syria, managing health programmes in India or assisting their peers in healing their past wounds and trauma.
PEACEBUILDING AND LEADERSHIP PROGRAMMES
25 YEARS OF CAUX SCHOLARS
CAUX DIALOGUE ON LAND AND SECURITY
REALIZING THE POTENTIAL OF LAND RESTORATION TO MITIGATE MIGRATION 29 June - 3 July 2016
The Caux Dialogue on Land and Security (CDLS), convened by Initiatives for Land, Lives and Peace (ILLP), delved into the links between land degradation, migration and conflict. The dialogue’s open and honest environment facilitated personal exchanges between participants, and encouraged deeper insights and fresh initiatives. The Caux dialogue was organized in collaboration with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). It sought to promote large-scale land restoration in conflict, post-conflict
71
24
PARTICIPANTS
NATIONALITIES
10 | International Caux Conferences 2016
and fragile regions and to identify research and policy gaps. 2015 saw the highest numbers of people forced to leave their homes since World War II. More than a million migrants and refugees arrived on Europe’s shores alone, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). This number is in addition to the millions displaced elsewhere. In arid and semi-arid regions, where livelihoods are finely tuned to environmental conditions and to reliable weather patterns, human
security is further undermined by climate change. The Economics of Land Degradation Initiative concludes that nearly 25% of the world’s productive lands and 10-20% of drylands are degraded, forcing farmers to migrate in search of fertile land and pastoralists to venture further to seek pasture. More than 70 policy-makers, activists, researchers, business people and representatives of NGOs concerned with land, food, environment, peace and migration attended the four-day dialogue on ‘Realizing the potential of land restoration to mitigate migration’. Through a host of panels
International Caux Conferences 2016 | 11
SEEDS OF INSPIRATION
After the success of the North Rift dialogue, which was presented during CDLS 2016, ILLP has been invited to host a follow-up session in a neighbouring county, Turkana.
‘These organizations are a great bridge between what we are building and what we hope to achieve, which is mass scale reforestation. Caux has completely changed the way we thought we were going to engage with the people on the ground,’ he concluded.
LIVING PEACE
Matthew Ritchie BioCarbon Engineering Representative
ILLP and Initiatives of Change Kenya have been active in the North Rift region since 2012. The impact in Baringo County of the ILLP approach – linking building trust with land restoration – was commended by UNCCD as an example of good practice.
‘At CDLS we have been introduced to organizations which have a deep level of trust with local communities and are, therefore, good natural partners for the introduction of a technology that we believe has a huge potential,’ said Matthew Ritchie, one of the representatives of BioCarbon Engineering at CDLS 2016.
CHILDREN AS ACTORS FOR TRANSFORMING SOCIETY (CATS)
‘ Caux has completely changed the way we thought we were going to engage with the people on the ground.’
Approximately 100 people attended this pioneering dialogue in a region which has been the epicentre of ethnic tensions, cattle rustling and land degradation. Local and international experts presented the latest debates on land, food, water, climate and human security.
One of them was BioCarbon Engineering, an international and interdisciplinary team, led by former NASA engineer Lauren Fletcher, which seeks to use drones as a tool for reforestation. They will use Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) to inject seeds into the soil, at a rate of six every second. The trial phase has just been concluded and the final technology encompasses 150 teams of two people with six drones, which are able to plant 24,000 trees per day.
ADDRESSING EUROPE’S UNF INISHED BUSINESS
The Caux Dialogue 2016 highlighted the way in which effective land restoration programmes, which include clear elements of trust building, can break this chain. Practical, effective and inspiring solutions were identified and shared.
The Governors of Baringo and ElgeyoMarakwet counties in Kenya took part in the Caux Dialogue on Land and Security in 2015. This led to a local dialogue in Baringo County, convened by ILLP, the National Land Commission of Kenya, IofC International and Caring for Environment for Development in April 2016.
INTERNATIONAL PEACEBUILDERS’ FORUM
During the plenary sessions expert speakers made it clear that climate change, land degradation, migration and conflict are all complex problems: they are each simultaneously multiscalar, multi-causal, trans-boundary and intergenerational in nature. Further, these global challenges and their impacts are interconnected. Where climate change, land degradation, migration and conflict converge, poor policy decisions and inadequate governance frameworks complicate attempts to find solutions. Unravelling this destructive cycle is imperative.
LAND AND SECURITY DIALOGUE IN KENYA’S NORTH RIFT REGION
JUST GOVERNANCE FOR HUMAN SECURITY
and interactive workshops, participants discussed solutions based on trust building and agro-ecological insights.
The CDLS Fellowship Programme gave a selected number of start-ups involved in land restoration the opportunity to share their search for innovative solutions at the 2016 dialogue.
TRUST AND INTEGRITY IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY (TIGE)
LOOKING FOR HANDS-ON SOLUTIONS TO LAND AND SECURITY ISSUES
CAUX DIALOGUE ON LAND AND SECURITY
< Book Launch: Authors Martin Frick and Jennifer Helgeson presenting Land Restoration: Reclaiming Landscapes for a Sustainable Future
TRUST AND INTEGRITY IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY (TIGE)
CATALYZING NEW MODELS OF ECONOMIC LEADERSHIP 5 – 10 July 2016 In 2016 the Trust and Integrity in the Global Economy (TIGE) conference celebrated its 10th anniversary in Caux and gathered 138 participants from 29 countries, ranging from Iran and Nigeria to Cambodia, Colombia and Slovenia. Its focus was to catalyze new models of economic leadership.
138 PARTICIPANTS
29 NATIONALITIES
12 | International Caux Conferences 2016
The global economy fuels the appalling gap between the world’s rich and poor, where the world’s 62 richest people have the same wealth as the 3.5 billion people who make up the poorest half of its population. The conference addressed these issues by illuminating models of the new economy, which serve the common good. Four inquiry groups examined various aspects of economic leadership, using the metaphor of the development of a butterfly to shape their process. They fed their discussions into the TIGE hub each day. A graphic artist harvested their insights, which were woven together in the closing session. Workshop topics included the role of business in peace, the struggle against corruption, the Gross National Happiness model, realizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Holacracy organizational model.
Participants were inspired by stories of best practice from Integral Green Slovenia and Dutch social entrepreneur Merel Rumping (see below). Enno Schmidt, co-initiator of Unconditional Basic Income, and Jaime González Aguadé, President of the National Banking and Securities Commission of Mexico, presented their methods of using finance as a tool for empowerment. Sir Mark Moody-Stuart, Vice-Chairman of the UN Global Compact, spoke about the corrosive effect of corruption on societies and on people’s trust in businesses. Their messages were underpinned by daily morning reflection times to help participants connect to their authentic selves. The energy created by the conference will be captured in the TIGE Chapters that are expanding around the world – from Sweden, Switzerland and the
<
Rumping put together a group of business developers, researchers and design engineers to launch LegBank, which provides high quality prosthetics to low-income amputees in Colombia. It has helped beneficiaries to recover their dignity and to re-engage fully in social and productive life. Rumping believes that social business combines the best of the two worlds of NGOs and enterprise.
International Caux Conferences 2016 | 13
<
SEEDS OF INSPIRATION
Her encounters at Caux and experiences visiting Colombia led her to tackle a devastating legacy of Colombia’s 50-year armed conflict: it is the country with the world’s second highest number of landmine victims.
LIVING PEACE
Merel Rumping, a social entrepreneur from the Netherlands, has attended four TIGE conferences in the last five years. ‘When I first came to Caux,’ she said, ‘I didn’t really know what I wanted to do professionally. I only knew my purpose was to contribute to a more just and inclusive world. I really never expected that five years later I would win entrepreneurial awards, receive a million dollars from Google.org (funding) or meet Bill Gates.’
CHILDREN AS ACTORS FOR TRANSFORMING SOCIETY (CATS)
The project also creates spaces for elders to meet young people and identify those who can be custodians of the knowledge for the future. This intergenerational dialogue, which lies at the core of Chabalala’s project, was one of the things he appreciated most during his stay, as the mentoring of young people by elders is an essential part of Caux.
THE BEST OF TWO WORLDS
ADDRESSING EUROPE’S UNF INISHED BUSINESS
Merel Rumping Social entrepreneur
Aunkh Chabalala is Director of the Indigenous Knowledge based technology Innovation Division of the South African Department of Science and Technology, and also a traditional healer. His division uses a holistic research method, by bringing scientists and elders together as equals, to develop an innovation value-chain that includes traditional knowledge to create products that once commercialized will benefit the traditional knowledge holders and their communities. Profits will then benefit the poor and marginalized, reduce poverty and bring equity.
INTERNATIONAL PEACEBUILDERS’ FORUM
‘ When I first came to Caux, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do professionally. I only knew my purpose was to contribute to a more just and inclusive world. I really never expected that five years later I would win entrepreneurial awards, receive a million dollars from Google.org (funding) or meet Bill Gates.’
CONNECTING INDIGENOUS AND SCIENTIF IC KNOWLEDGE
JUST GOVERNANCE FOR HUMAN SECURITY
UK to, potentially, Mexico and the USA. In coming years TIGE will focus on nurturing the growth of these chapters as well as developing ‘TIGE integrity training’ for business schools and organizations. TIGE members will be connected through Changemakers Forward, a virtual networking and sharing space for changemakers.
TRUST AND INTEGRITY IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY (TIGE)
Swiss participants discuss values and the role of ethics in business in a workshop organized by TIGE-Switzerland.
JUST GOVERNANCE FOR HUMAN SECURITY
THE HUMAN FACTOR IN JUST GOVERNANCE 12 - 17 July 2016
The struggle for just governance depends on people of integrity, vision and commitment at every level – in parliaments and governments, in the media, education, industry, business and civic affairs. This year’s Just Governance for Human Security conference focused on this personal dimension. Over 183 people from 41 countries took part. The participants brought their own experiences, struggles and questions to bear on the challenges of migration, violent extremism and climate change. David Chikvaidze, Chef de Cabinet of the UN Director-General at Geneva, and Matthias Stiefel, founder of Interpeace, led a plenary on creative responses to Europe’s migration crisis. A session on the skills of
183 PARTICIPANTS
41 NATIONALITIES
14 | International Caux Conferences 2016
trust building heard from people working in the Middle East, the Great Lakes region of Africa and other conflict situations.
sponsored by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. In all, 20 African countries were represented at the conference.
Leela Mani Paudyal, former Chief Secretary of the Government of Nepal, told of the struggle to overcome corruption in his country, and interacted with others who are fighting corruption in Europe, America and Africa. Armenians and Turks met to dialogue on how to improve the relationship between their nations. A delegation from Tulsa, USA told of their work to heal wounds resulting from the city’s tragic history of racial conflict.
Workshops dealt with the skills of negotiation and mediation, improving food security in Africa, the ethical dilemmas facing evolving democracies and the media’s role in meeting global challenges.
Ukrainians described how they are bringing people from East and West Ukraine together in dialogue to address their divisions, and Malians told of a similar initiative in their country. The Malians were part of a delegation from 27 regions of the Sahel
All these experiences threw light on the central quest of the conference: what does it take to become an effective changemaker? The participants’ evaluations of the conference showed a determination to implement its ideals. ‘I went from believing that peace between Armenians and Turks is absurd to believing that peace could exist between these two nations, or at least between most of our peoples,’ stated an Armenian. ‘We return home energized,’ said Susan Savage, former mayor of Tulsa.
<
<
FOOD SECURITY AND JUST GOVERNANCE Just as corruption is an obstacle to just governance, so is lack of food security. ‘Unless you have food, it’s almost impossible to say that “I will not be corrupt”,’ said Dr Edward Mabaya, Assistant Director of the Cornell International Institute for Food and Agricultural Development in New York. ‘The dialogue around this issue is almost secondary, it assumes that we’re all fed.’ Mabaya, who delivered a workshop during the conference, shared his journey from his
childhood in rural Zimbabwe to becoming an expert on food security. In the next 70 years, he said, the world is expected to produce the same amount of food as it has in the last 10,000 years. This unsettling situation was one of his motivations for founding The African Seed Access Index (TASAI), which aims to tackle starvation by improving farmers’ access to ‘locally adapted, affordable, and high-quality seed of improved varieties’.
‘I’m here to explore how community becomes resilient, forgives, faces truth about itself, and works to change,’ she said. ‘Whether one is in a position of authority or one is simply a citizen, the most important thing is to engage at a very basic level as human beings, and the capacity of individuals to forgive is a very important part of what I hope to take from Caux.’ Soon after returning to Tulsa, participants hosted a forum on race relations and healing history at the Tulsa Historical Society and Museum. One hundred and twenty-five people took part.
International Caux Conferences 2016 | 15
SEEDS OF INSPIRATION
Tulsa, Oklahoma, has endured decades of racial tensions since 1921, when more than 300 people, mostly black, were killed in a racially motivated riot perpetrated by white people. Susan Savage, mayor of Tulsa from 1992-2002, described it as ‘the most significant tragedy in Tulsa’s history’. She was the first mayor of Tulsa to apologize publicly for the atrocities.
LIVING PEACE
An interview with Susan Savage
CHILDREN AS ACTORS FOR TRANSFORMING SOCIETY (CATS)
Susan Savage Former Mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma
THE TULSA RACE RIOTS: LOOKING BACK, MOVING FORWARD
ADDRESSING EUROPE’S UNF INISHED BUSINESS
‘ I’m here to explore how community becomes resilient, forgives, faces truth about itself, and works to change. Whether one is in a position of authority or one is simply a citizen, the most important thing is to engage at a very basic level as human beings, and the capacity of individuals to forgive is a very important part of what I hope to take from Caux.’
INTERNATIONAL PEACEBUILDERS’ FORUM
JUST GOVERNANCE FOR HUMAN SECURITY
Dr Edward Mabaya, Assistant Director of the Cornell International Institute for Food and Agricultural Development.
INTERNATIONAL PEACEBUILDERS’ FORUM
PEACEBUILDING AMONG PEOPLE DISPLACED BY VIOLENCE AND WAR 19 - 23 July 2016 In light of the ongoing mass migration of refugees, the International Peacebuilders’ Forum (IPF) brought together practitioners in the peacebuilding and migration sectors with asylum seekers and refugees. The forum was launched by Janet Lim, former United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Assistant High Commissioner for Operations. She drew on 34 years of work with migrants and refugees to highlight key challenges and welcome the emerging recognition that ‘displaced people have capacities and need also to be given a chance to help themselves’. Over the next three days, participants heard from peacebuilders from a variety of backgrounds and working contexts. Workshops included wellness for peacemakers from Cheryl Anisman and
27
PARTICIPANTS
NATIONALITIES
16 | International Caux Conferences 2016
Comedy for Change drew a lively crowd to Caux’s theatre on the evening of Wednesday 20 July. Comedians Stuart Taylor, Celeste Ntuli, Conrad Koch from South Africa and Dana Alexander from Canada left conference participants breathless from laughter with their observational comedy. In the panel discussion afterwards, they described how they use their talents to provoke debate, challenge stereotypes and incite societal change.
Participants left the conference with a metaphorical tool bag of ways to overcome challenges that they encounter in their work. More importantly, they were inspired to continue building peace, knowing that they had a community to support them.
South African comedian Conrad Koch with puppet Mr. Chester Missing
<
84
Scherto Gill; awareness of social positioning, ‘othering’ and Islamophobia from Özlem and Nursima Nas; and youth activism, nonviolence and solidarity from Shir Sternberg. Kjersti Webb led a workshop on ‘sacred failure’ and how fears and insecurities can be used to access peace and compassion.
Melani Kalev AIESEC Scholar
In 2004, Bamenga was elected to Eindhoven municipal council. ‘Being active in local politics gave me the possibility to work on regulations that can really improve the lives of people,’ he said. ‘Instead of helping one individual, I can now improve the life of a community.’ He was inspired by the diversity he found at Caux. ‘It makes me feel like we are moving forward, closer to my dream of a more just world where everybody has equal opportunities.’ <
Mpanzu Bamenga, human rights defender, activist and writer
International Caux Conferences 2016 | 17
SEEDS OF INSPIRATION
‘ I left with a heart full of gratitude, joy, and sadness. I left feeling more empowered, inspired, and with a pressing voice inside me saying that it’s time to take responsibility, it is time to take action.’
LIVING PEACE
Since finishing his studies in 2011, he has been working to help undocumented migrants with their legal papers and medical situation. ‘Thanks to the hard effort of many people, we managed to help numerous refugees gain their status.’
Nibagwire fled the Rwandan genocide in 1994, and after a short period working for the International Committee of the Red Cross, was given asylum in the UK with her daughter. ‘There, I worked as a procurement manager which gave me the opportunity to travel Europe and get to know many other Rwandan refugees.’ These encounters led her to found her organization. She has ties to both conflicted groups in Rwanda, Tutsi and Hutu, and seeks their reconciliation. ‘As soon as I heard about this international peacebuilders’ forum focused on people displaced by violence and war, I knew that I had to be part of it so that I could find a way to help both tribes to find peace.’
CHILDREN AS ACTORS FOR TRANSFORMING SOCIETY (CATS)
‘My mother came as a refugee to the Netherlands in 1994 and this was the year that I arrived in refugee camps,’ he said. ‘We lived in Europe for 16 years without having a status and because of that, we had a lot of difficulties and lived as poor people.’ He decided to study law to initiate the long process of legalizing his family’s status. When they succeeded, he said, ‘I felt like nothing could stop me now from fulfilling my dreams. I started to develop and to invest in myself.’
Melani Kalev came to the conference on a scholarship offered by CAUX-IofC to Swiss members of AIESEC. ‘I realized that the refugee crisis is not one country’s problem, it’s not Europe’s problem, but it’s our problem, whoever you are, wherever you live,’ she said. ‘I left with a heart full of gratitude, joy, and sadness. I left feeling more empowered, inspired, and with a pressing voice inside me saying that it’s time to take responsibility, it is time to take action.’
ADDRESSING EUROPE’S UNF INISHED BUSINESS
Human rights defender, activist and writer Mpanzu Bamenga closed the forum by sharing his story of migration from Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) to the Netherlands.
‘EMPOWERED AND INSPIRED’
Marie-Christine Nibagwire, founder of Saferefugerwanda, was one of 11 people who received scholarships from the Forum to attend the conference. ‘To be able to meet people dealing with the same struggles but different strategies to cope with them has been an inestimable experience,’ she said.
INTERNATIONAL PEACEBUILDERS’ FORUM
‘MOVING CLOSER TO MY DREAM’
SCHOLARSHIPS FOR PEACEBUILDERS
ADDRESSING EUROPE’S UNF INISHED BUSINESS
NEW REASONS FOR HOPE IN CHALLENGING TIMES 19 - 23 July 2016
At a time when relationships within and between European countries were under major stress, the opportunity to seek ‘new reasons for hope’ drew 148 participants from all over the continent to this year’s Addressing Europe’s Unfinished Business (AEUB) conference. They came from countries as far apart as Spain and Russia, Cyprus and Norway, and from many walks of life, ethnicities and belief traditions. More than half were of the younger generation, including Young Ambassadors, selected from 39 European countries. The conference started on an intergenerational note with two young people, Nouçayba Soltani, a post-graduate
148 PARTICIPANTS
43 NATIONALITIES
18 | International Caux Conferences 2016
student from France, and Jonathan Nelson, a teacher from Norway, hosting a conversation with four pioneers of IofC’s reconciliation work in Europe after World War II. ‘Each of us has a responsibility to rethink Europe,’ Soltani said in her introduction. ‘Everyone can make their contribution. If we look around the world, there is war, refugees, and no one knows what to do. But Europe has faced great difficulties [in the past] and overcome them.’ ‘New narratives for Europe’ was one of the main themes. Dr Margaret Smith, a faculty member at the American University in Washington DC, defined narrative as ‘a story that gives meaning to a larger group experience’. She said, ‘The narrative offered by Caux means bringing to life our best
aspirations by figuring out how to live the values we talk about.’ Values were at the heart of another theme of the conference, ‘Bridging the gap between our principles and our practice’. Philippe Herzog, a French former Member of the European Parliament, said, ‘What was done after the war was done by the elites and the people acquiesced. Now it is about the masses. Everyone has their contribution. We must multiply individual initiatives, networks of people who get together because of their differences.’ Migration was of course on the agenda. The focus was on active citizenship, individuals taking inspired initiatives. Célia Demoor, from Calais in the north of France, attended a Caux Conference in 2015 and was inspired
As part of the conference, this year’s Young Ambassadors’ Programme, where young people gather for a week to exchange opinions and ideas about Europe and its future, brought participants from 39 European countries. The programme’s goals were to break down barriers and create productive, innovative initiatives for the betterment of Europe as a whole. ‘The programme reiterates that what unites us outweighs what could ever divide us,’ says Eleni, a Young Ambassador who travelled to Caux from Greece because she ‘wanted to see how each of us, individually, can address challenges that we face regardless of our nationality’. During the week the Young Ambassadors were given the opportunity to examine their prejudices and preconceived ideas about other European countries. ‘It’s a great opportunity for young people to meet and to exchange ideas, but also to make connections that will, I believe and hope, last for a long time,’ said Lazar from Serbia. ‘I’m fired up and ready to go.’
CULTURAL CHANGE IS NEEDED Philippe Herzog, former European Parliamentarian and Founding Chairman of the Confrontations Europe thinktank, believes that transformation in Europe needs to start from a cultural perspective at this time of multifaceted crisis. ‘The challenge of a common culture was not raised after the war, because there was too much hatred among Europeans,’ he said. He pointed out that education was not included as part of the European Union’s competence within the Treaty of Rome. Citizens are now more educated than after the World War II, but they are educated with national ‘blinkers’. ‘We should not deny the differences but turn them into riches instead of divides,’ he stated.
‘ The programme reiterates that what unites us outweighs what could ever divide us.’ Eleni Young Ambassador from Greece
International Caux Conferences 2016 | 19
SEEDS OF INSPIRATION
COMING TOGETHER FOR EUROPE’S FUTURE
LIVING PEACE
Apart from plenary gatherings, there were enquiry streams on such themes as ‘Learning to live in a multicultural Europe’, ‘The role of faith communities’, ‘Creating a just and sustainable economy’ and ‘Arts voicing the narratives of hope’. Participants also met in smaller groups to discuss the conference themes and share something of their life journeys.
CHILDREN AS ACTORS FOR TRANSFORMING SOCIETY (CATS)
ADDRESSING EUROPE’S UNF INISHED BUSINESS
to raise awareness about the situation of migrant people in Calais. She now organizes dialogues between the town’s residents and some of the 7,000 refugees in local camps. Terttu Laaksonen helps refugees who came to her city in Finland. ‘It has given me hope to see how people are reaching out,’ she said. ‘Some “new Finns”, who had arrived earlier, were our interpreters, working alongside us at the railway station, in the camps.’
CHILDREN AS ACTORS FOR TRANSFORMING SOCIETY (CATS)
FROM LOCAL TO GLOBAL: HOW CAN WE INF LUENCE POLICY? 26 July - 1 August 2016
Children make up a third of the world’s population, in some countries more than half – and yet we have not nurtured a culture that listens to children and takes them seriously. They are often the first victims in a crisis and have unique insights into the problems they face. Yet, in most cases, adults address major issues without them. Children and adults must be partners in finding solutions to worldwide challenges.
289 PARTICIPANTS
41 NATIONALITIES
20 | International Caux Conferences 2016
Children as Actors for Transforming Society (CATS) 2016 explored how children, young people and adults can contribute to achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), under the theme ‘From local to global: how can we influence policy?’. The six-day conference examined this theme through the lens of People, Planet, and Possibilities. Three hundred participants – half of them children and young people from over 40 countries – engaged in a variety of activities including together times, workshops and community groups. The week progressed from understanding the SDGs, through learning what individuals are already doing about them, to imagining what new initiatives and proposals CATS could come up with.
The day dedicated to ‘People’ featured the CATS Human Library, a session which provided amazing stories from around the world: from the MiddleEast to South America, from Asia to Europe. Esteban Quispe, a 17-year-old from Bolivia who turns waste into robots, told how he had gone from being a boy from a disadvantaged background to being widely recognized as a child ‘genius’. The ‘Planet’ day raised awareness of our individual and collective impact on the environment. A Web of Connections activity recreated different ‘ecosystems’, to help participants understand the power of human choices. Who is affected by the construction, trading and use of Smartphones? What are the consequences of animal testing for cosmetics? How did that steak get onto your plate and what difference does it make to the planet?
MAKING EARTH OUR WORLD Arshad Mozumder, 19, from the UK has been involved in CATS since its first conference four years ago. ‘It’s given me the communications skills and the confidence boost I needed to just go out into my life and do things,’ he said. One of the things that he felt compelled to do was co-found Making Earth Our World, which is appropriately abbreviated to MEOW. ‘We’re 12 young people who have been involved in the facilitation of CATS this year,’ said another co-founder, Rebekah Scerri, 18, from Malta. According to Arshad and Rebekah, MEOW originated from the desire of past CATS participants to continue contributing to the conference and its message. ‘There’s a large collection of young people who keep sending photos, sending stories and feeding back into the conference,’ said Arshad. The ‘our’ in its name, he said, is ‘not just us’, but represents ‘all the young people who want the same goal as us’. MEOW is now officially a partner of the CATS conference and its upcoming programme.
International Caux Conferences 2016 | 21
SEEDS OF INSPIRATION
The CATS Parliament provided a space for participants to address ‘Possibilities’ by presenting proposals on how to address one of three SDGs nominated earlier in the week (education, peace and justice, and ending poverty). The top three proposals were then taken to the Night of Change. Suggestions included encouraging the upcycling of electronic devices, systematic inclusion of children in the decision-making process in schools, and creating a global children’s and youth parliament. The Polish Ombudsman for Children, Marek Michalak, advised participants on how children could be more involved in such issues. He also awarded the Medal of Honour of Infanti Dignitatis Defensori to CATS founder Jonathan Levy, for his efforts in defending children’s rights.
Julie Ward is no stranger to the goals of CATS, having spent 30 years using the arts as a tool for empowerment and social change before being elected as Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the North West of England in 2014. However, that didn’t stop her from taking away new inspiration from the conference. ‘What you discover when you participate is that [the] dialogue is very genuine and that young people are really properly, deeply listened to,’ she said. ‘Being here as part of the process, observing the process, contributing to the process, makes me understand in a way that I wouldn’t understand if I was just sitting in parliament.’ As an MEP, Ward spends a lot of time talking with adult professionals, and so was moved to witness firsthand the abilities and the potential at CATS. ‘I’m seeing children become policy-makers this week,’ she said. She was excited to be able to go back ‘to my peers, who also care about children’s rights, and say “Here, this is what children did” ’.
LIVING PEACE
Arshad Mozumder MEOW Co-founder
CHILDREN AS POLICY-MAKERS
CHILDREN AS ACTORS FOR TRANSFORMING SOCIETY (CATS)
‘ It’s given me the communications skills and the confidence boost I needed to just go out into my life and do things.’
LIVING PEACE
CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF CREATORS OF PEACE 4 - 10 August 2016
The Living Peace conference celebrated the 25th anniversary of Creators of Peace (CoP), a women’s movement which was launched at a conference in Caux in 1991. 177 women and men from different cultures, faiths and backgrounds gathered to explore how living peace can transform personal and community narratives from violence and despair to compassion and hope. The underlying challenge to conference participants was to supplement talking peace by living peace. Case studies from Burundi, Kenya and Lebanon described initiatives to address communal divides by dealing with prejudice, taking personal responsibility and
177 PARTICIPANTS
43 NATIONALITIES
22 | International Caux Conferences 2016
harnessing the power of apology. Every day there were inspiring stories of personal transformation. Gill Hicks, who survived the London bombing in 2005, shared how the power of love had saved and changed her life. Amy Peake, the founder of Loving Humanity, described her wake-up call to meet the health needs of women. Jo Berry, whose father was killed in an IRA attack, Marina Cantacuzino, founder of The Forgiveness Project, and Ann Njeri Kimanthi from Kenya, whose family was dispossessed during tribal clashes, described the complexities and necessity of forgiveness. Dr Rosina Wiltshire, one of the authors of The Earth Charter, invited participants to integrate peace, care of one another and care of the earth.
Delegates were invited to spend a day workshopping the idea of ‘Telling a new story’ and what that might mean for their lives. One of the insights that informs Creators of Peace is the awareness of the power of the story that every woman lives out of and that she passes on to her children and grandchildren. This story shapes who she is and how she thinks. Each person has the power to change their stories; from hurt to healing, from frozenness to forgiving, from callousness to compassion. Examples of women’s entrepreneurship, along with workshops on family relationships, drawing and singing, provided insights and skills. All were commissioned to go out as advocates for a new story for the world, using head, heart and hands.
The Creators of Peace Baringo Project is an outstanding example of how Creators of Peace Circles have changed lives in Kenya. These peace circles bring women together to explore their potential as creators of peace in the home, workplace, community and nation.
Seven of the ‘founding mothers’ of CoP recounted the extraordinary journey that has turned CoP into a global movement across 43 countries.
After taking part in a peace circle training session themselves, Pokot women acknowledged the pain caused by their husbands and sons to neighbouring communities. On 27 May 2015, they made an emotional apology for the wrongdoings of their community. As tears of reconciliation and hope flowed, a basis for deeper healing was created and the women committed to working together to make peace a reality. ‘This is just the beginning of the journey,’ declared workshop facilitator Mediatrix Masava. ‘After the apology the women asked the CoP team to help them reach more women with peace circles.’ The CoP Baringo Project aims to reach up to 5,000 people in 2017.
1991 saw the first CoP conference in Caux, gathering more than 700 people. ‘We had the dream that this could be something unique and big, something the world had never seen before,’ remembered Ahunna Eziakonwa-Onochi, UN Resident Coordinator in Ethiopia. She and others decided to transform Msekwa’s vision into action. Authentic friendships, trust and a deep passion for making a difference in the world has kept them working together for a quarter of a century.
ill Hicks, survivor of the London bombing in 2005 and Omnia G Marzouk, outgoing President of Initiatives of Change International
<
High poverty, unemployment and competition for scarce resources have led to ethnical conflicts, violence and killings in Baringo County in recent years. A Living Peace workshop heard how women who had taken part in peace circles in the region decided to meet the Pokot community, who they accused of aggression and murdering their children.
The idea of creating a platform to bring peace through personal transformation was first launched in Caux in 1989 by Anna Abdallah Msekwa, a respected Tanzanian politician and human rights activist. In a message recorded for the Living Peace conference, Msekwa said, ‘I had to make sure that women, wherever they are, are creators of peace. Not only to make peace between ourselves, but to live peace as a way of life in the whole world. Peace is not just the absence of war. It’s about inner peace as an individual choice.’
THE F WORD The Living Peace conference featured a selection of stories and photographs from The F Word – an exhibition created by The Forgiveness Project, which uses personal stories to explore how reconciliation, conflict resolution and dialogue can be used to break cycles of violence and restore hope. Its founder, Marina Cantacuzino, spoke powerfully at the conference about the highly personal, diverse and complex nature of forgiveness. More information can be found here: http://theforgivenessproject.com/
CoP KENYA (Since 2007):
2,000
MEN AND WOMEN REACHED
16
100
COUNTIES IN KENYA
PEACE CIRCLES
International Caux Conferences 2016 | 23
SEEDS OF INSPIRATION
25 YEARS OF CREATORS OF PEACE
LIVING PEACE
HOPE FOR BARINGO COUNTY
SEEDS OF INSPIRATION
WITHOUT BORDERS 12 - 17 August 2016
In a world where few have time to reflect, Seeds of Inspiration – the last event of the 2016 Caux summer – offered 66 participants from five continents space to connect with themselves, each other, creativity and Creation. The theme, Without Borders, encouraged participants to reflect on the challenges of migration, and to acknowledge and break through the walls in their own lives. This was more of an experience than a conference, although there were daily ‘together times’, smaller groups for practical work and discussion, musical and dramatic performances, and workshops ranging from clowning to intergenerational dialogue, and from music and spirituality to dance.
66
22
PARTICIPANTS
NATIONALITIES
Two refugee singer-songwriters, Jean Paul Samputu from Rwanda and Mer Ayang from South Sudan (see below), moved participants with their music and stories. Crossing Borders, a performance devised specially for the event, used song, dance and drama to reflect on the lives of a Sudanese refugee and a British academic. It was created and performed by Samah Bushra and June Boyce-Tilman and led on to a spirited discussion. Lynne Barker, a textile artist from the UK, invited everyone to join her in creating a quilt made up of individually sewn hexagons. She told how, after the sudden death of her husband, she had embroidered his shirts for an art installation exploring grief. Her story of loss, forgiveness and acceptance stimulated deep conversations, and men and women of all ages joined in the sewing project. Some of the most enthusiastic stitchers were members of a group from Nottingham, UK, who had only met each other on the flight to Switzerland.
24 | International Caux Conferences 2016
Aged from 17 to over 80, they included Hindus, Muslims, Christians and a Rastafarian; students, employed, unemployed and retired. They wove their stories into a presentation on unity in diversity. One of the youngest members of this group, Kameni Chaddha, decided after leaving Caux to take up a place at university in France. ‘My experience at Caux allowed me to bloom,’ she said. ‘I now have the confidence to immerse myself into any community.’ Robert Mrozek, originally from Poland, wrote, ‘Caux was beyond any ordinary experience. I instantly engaged with so many people. Something about that made me feel that “within my heart I have always been here”.’
‘ My experience at Caux allowed me to bloom. I now have the confidence to immerse myself into any community.’ Kameni Chaddha Seeds of Inspiration participant
SEEDS OF INSPIRATION
Other highlights included June Boyce-Tilman’s presentation on the power of music to heal and connect; an evening with Commedia Gillet, Swedish clowns who help primary school children to talk about bullying; Yaseko Taguchi’s story of how she got her name; and a meditation with singing bowls and bells, led by Pranay Shakya from Nepal. This was one of a series of early morning quiet spaces led by people from different cultures and traditions. On the last night, participants performed for each other in the Caux Palace theatre, ending up in spontaneous dance as Jean-Paul Samputo sang in Japanese, English and Swahili.
FREEDOM SONGS
<
Mer Ayang, South Sudanese singer-songwriter
Mer Ayang, a South Sudanese singer-songwriter, first came to Caux in 2015, as part of the Caux Artists Programme. She returned this year because of the spirit she found at Caux: ‘the energy of working together to make the world a better place’.
to be ‘an inspiration to others in bringing hope to humanity – hope for kindness, hope for compassion for the earth, hope for being able to see each other as humans’.
Ayang’s haunting songs express the pain felt by refugees all over the world. Using music as a means of communicating has helped her to find ‘inner freedom’. ‘It has been my liberation to be myself, express myself, discern other peoples’ lives and try to put that in a song.’
‘ Caux was beyond any ordinary experience. I instantly engaged with so many people. Something about that made me feel that “within my heart I have always been here”.’
She sees music as a way of bringing people together, connecting communities and cultures. She aspires
Robert Mrozek Seeds of Inspiration participant from Poland
International Caux Conferences 2016 | 25
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The CAUX-IofC Foundation gratefully acknowledges the support of all individuals, institutions and organizations to the Caux Conferences and would like to thank them for their dedicated work at the side of the Foundation and the conference teams.
Child to Child
Initiatives for Land, Lives and Peace (ILLP)
The Mustard Seed Foundation
Eurochild
Institute for Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding (ICP)
The Robert Hahnloser Foundation
Fondation Jean Monnet pour lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Europe
Irene Prestwich Trust (IPT)
United Nations Convention to Combat
FONDATION SMARTPEACE
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Desertification (UNCCD)
Fetzer Institute
Friends of Africa Fund Initiatives of Change Australia
Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Ukraine office
Initiatives of Change France
Making Earth our World (MEOW)
Initiatives of Change Norway
OASIS Group International
Initiatives of Change Sweden
Universal Education Foundation (UEF) Ms Ruth Mackenzie, UK Ms Kathy Taylor, former Mayor of the city of Tulsa, USA
Initiatives of Change United Kingdom
Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA)
Ms Yannick Arlabosse-Titz,
Initiatives of Change India
The Lions Club of Blackwood, South Australia
Mr Jean-Maurice Muret and friends
26 | International Caux Conferences 2016
VISION
CONTACT
The CAUX-Initiatives of Change Foundation’s vision is a just, peaceful and sustainable world in which people act from a sense of global interdependence and responsibility.
CAUX-Initiatives of Change Foundation
MISSION
Geneva Office Rue de Varembé 1 1202 Geneva Switzerland
Established in 1946, the CAUX-Initiatives of Change Foundation (CAUX-IofC) organizes and coordinates international and local conferences, seminars and training in Switzerland, primarily in its Conference Centre, the former Caux-Palace, bringing together a true diversity of people. CAUX-IofC provides a safe and privileged space to inspire, equip and connect individuals, groups and organizations from around the globe to engage effectively and innovatively in trust building, ethical leadership, sustainable living and human security. CAUX-IofC operates in line with its key approach of bringing global change through personal change.
Conference Centre Rue du Panorama 2 1824 Caux Switzerland
Tel. +41 (0)22 749 16 20 Fax +41 (0)22 733 02 67 Lucerne Office Luzernerstrasse 94 6010 Kriens Switzerland Tel. +41 (0)41 310 12 61 Email info@caux.ch Web www.caux.ch
Editors: Stephanie Buri, Diego de León Sagot, Sabrina Thalmann, Mary Lean Text and photos: Stephanie Buri, Diego de León Sagot, Sabrina Thalmann, Jeremy Beresford, Salome Eggler, Joane Holliger, Conference teams, Savannah Dodd, photo p.2 Leela Channer. Design and print: ACW London ©CAUX-IofC Foundation 2016
International Caux Conferences 2016 | 27
CAUX FORUM 2017 DEVELOPING HUMAN POTENTIAL FOR GLOBAL CHANGE Get ready! Registration Opens on 1 February 2017!
Follow us More information on www.caux.ch