ANNUAL REPORT 2013
INITIATIVES OF CHANGE........................................................................................................................................................................................
Asia Pacific Youth Conference, South Korea
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ETHICAL LEADERSHIP PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
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nitiatives of Change’s (IofC) approach is simple: the starting point of personal transformation is an honest look at one’s own motives and behaviour, applying moral standards we wish to see in society in our own personal life. Listening to others, in an open spirit, enables honest conversations to take place that build trust and increase our ability to work together across boundaries on areas of common interest. These partnerships increase our impact and effectiveness as agents of change in our communities and in the wider world. At its core, IofC is about an idea and an experience lived out each day by many people around the world. The following pages celebrate the local and regional stories and collaborative international actions of this extraordinary world-wide network during the last 12 months. The geographical spread is striking, as is the range and diversity of initiatives involving younger people. The convergence of action, initiatives and partner-
ships around our focus areas of ‘Trustbuilding’, ‘Ethical Leadership’ and ‘Sustainable Living’ are more tangible and visible. There are some glimpses of transformative impact on individual people, as well as potential for longterm impact through the good governance foundations and peace building initiatives that have been laid and the partnerships that continue to be forged. The report demonstrates that IofC continues to promote a constructive collaborative approach across divides to bring lasting change in society. Change in the world ripples out from changes in each one of us – that is good reason for hope and optimism as we work with others to create the future we wish to see. Dr. Omnia Marzouk
BUILDING ETHICAL LEADERSHIP FOR THE FUTURE Programmes across the world, aimed at developing ethical leadership, engaged with thousands of children, youth and those working with them.
EDUCATION À LA PAIX (EDUCATION FOR PEACE), FRANCE Education for Peace programme therefore chooses an active pedagogy based on mutual learning whichmakes everyone an actor in building their social skills. Based on this methodology, Education for Peace conducted workshops and extra-curricular activities in 22 establishments for 1,770 young people in France. Four training sessions for 40 professionals who work with children and in education were also conducted.
SOUTHEAST ASIA LIFE MATTERS COURSE, VIETNAM The second Southeast Asia Life Matters Course, hosted in Dalat, Vietnam in June brought together 29 participants from eight countries and an equally diverse group of cross-cultural helpers from around the Asia-Pacific region. The course took participants on a journey from issues of identity and personal transformation to looking at how to find meaning and inner direction for their lives and community development on a long-term basis. It also offered an opportunity to strengthen the network of young change-makers that IofC has been developing in the region. I undertook to really listen to others and express my point of view. ~ one of the participants
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EASTERN AFRICA YOUTH FORUM, RWANDA The third Eastern Africa Youth Forum (EAYF) was hosted in Kigali, Rwanda in February on the theme ‘Moral Values: The Key to a Brighter Future’. The forum brought together 87 participants from 12 countries. The delegates heard inspiring stories of Rwanda’s rise from the ashes of genocide. To appreciate the Rwandan experience, delegates took part in Umuganda, a monthly national clean-up exercise.
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INITIATIVES OF CHANGE........................................................................................................................................................................................ The forum has continued to experience immense growth even as it seeks to inspire youth to respond to the most pressing challenges of their time.
ASIA PACIFIC YOUTH CONFERENCE, SOUTH KOREA The 19th Asia Pacific Youth Conference took place in South Korea in August, in Peace-Life Valley, next to the Demilitarized Zone. The setting was apt when considering the importance of working on relationships between people and countries based on honesty, purity, unselfishness and love. Sixty-one participants from 14 nations took part in the conference.
CAUX SCHOLARS PROGRAM The 2013 batchwas a great success.There was an invigorating mix of 24 youth leaders from 19 countries representing a vast array of experiences and perspectives. Besides learning from each other through individual presentations of ‘Conflict Where I Come From,’ and from renowned international speakers, the scholars also participated in hosting and organising the ‘Healing History’ session of the main Caux conference.
PROMOTING ETHICS IN BUSINESS
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The Caux Scholars launched an initiative for post-programme internships. Scholars are already taking the Caux vision to their own countries by contributing to peace, providing support to IofC initiatives and developing new projects.
TRUST AND INTEGRITY IN GLOBAL ECONOMY (CAUX AND UK)
As a first conference of its kind, the Children as Actors in Transforming Society (CATS) 2013 conference at Caux, Switzerland, was wellreceived. The location was a perfect setting for deep reflection and community integration. With over 30 nationalities represented, CATS brought together diverse perspectives.
Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations, was a keynote speaker at the sixth annual conference on Trust and integrity in the Global Economy, held in Caux, Switzerland in July. ‘One is never too young to become a leader,’ he said during his wide-ranging talk. Joe Garner, former head of HSBC Bank UK, gave the opening address. Other keynote speakers came from the corporate and grassroots levels. The TIGE conferencesfocus on ways to promote ethical decision-making, economic and environmental sustainability, and justice.
The participants reflected on adults’ and children’s contribution to enhancing democratic participation and new opportunities for children in civil society and communal environments. It provided modules for participants to acquire practical tools and skills to build capacities as empowered civil society actors both for children and adults working with/for children.
‘Trust and Integrity in the Global Economy’ Roadshows (TIGERoadshows) were held at Liverpool Hope University’s Department of Business in March and at Sheffield Business School in September. The Roadshows aim to equip participants with an ethical framework, and practical tools, for use in their places of work.
CHILDREN AS ACTORS IN TRANSFORMING SOCIETY
Keynote speakers included the renowned business author Margaret Heffernan; Tony Bradley, Director of the SEED Centre (Social and Ethical Enterprise Development), Liverpool; Peter Lewis, CEO of Principled Consulting; and Rikki Griffiths, HSBC Liverpool regional development manager.
ETHICAL GOVERNANCE IN INDIA
Around 2,500 individuals participated in various programmes at Asia Plateau, and many more at outreaches in the country. There were several different types of programmes depending on the participant profile: employees of public and private corporations at different levels of management, youth from schools and colleges, government servants and administrators, teachers and more.
TRAINING FOR GOVERNMENT SERVANTS In March, a group visited five states in the North East of India. They conducted seven one-day IofC sessions for over 200 government servants in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Meghalaya; a half-day interaction with 12 Secretaries of different ministries and a half-day with 28 Directors in Mizoram. For the Administrative Training Institute of Mizoram they ran two days on ‘Ethics in Public Governance’ with 30 officers and in Meghalaya, a three-day session for 28 civil servants.
TRAINING FOR GRASSROOT LEVEL GOVERNANCE Asia Plateau, in partnership with IC Centre for Governance, conducted a series of programmes (English or American spelling – you include both) on ‘Ethical Urban Governance’ for Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM). In the first phase that lasted from October 2012 to March 2013, 318 senior officers of MCGM attended a week-long programme in eight batches at Asia Plateau.
The response seems to show that the workshops had fairly substantial impact. For example, at least 20 wrote of decisions to make apologies. At a follow-up meeting many shared examples of restorative actionand resolved to pay greater heed to their own inner governance to enable better outer governance.
The programmes had three modules – Urban governance, inner governance and larger issues. The officers gave a very high rating to the workshops.The second phase of training for selected officers at the next level began in October 2013, when 99 officers, mostly Assistant Engineers, attended.
In Bhopal, a team of nine IofC facilitators conducted three one-day workshops on ethics. This outreach was a direct result of the impact that a programme at Asia Plateau, the IofC centre in India, had on an officer of the Indian Administrative Service.Two one-day workshops were conducted for government servants including police officers, educationists, media representatives, environmentalists and others.
In Meghalaya, another IAS officer who in 2012 sent a batch of Meghalaya Civil Service officers for a week’s exposure to IofC, finalised IofC training in ethical governance for around 550 gram sevaks and sevikas (village servers) of the state. He hopes to move on to training 2000 for the next level of government workers.
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CAUX INITIATIVES FOR BUSINESS (INDIA) Over 200 participants from 19 countries took part in the biennial Caux Initiatives for Business (CIB) Asia conference, at Asia Plateau, the IofC centre in Panchgani, India, in November. The five-day event, titled ‘Economic Growth: possibilities amidst challenges in making it sustainable and humane’, was jointly hosted by IofC India and IofC Japan. Plenary sessions and panel discussions explored obstacles to growth and sustainability, the true purpose of corporate social responsibility, and business role in inclusive development.
their operations in South Korea and Malaysia.
HEART OF EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP, INDIA IofC India’s training programme for business leaders, Heart of Effective Leadership, was delivered nine times in India and during the Caux TIGE conference.
Apart from the conference, CIB activities included a class for the Business Administration students of Flensburg University of Applied Sciences, North Germany, on ‘Personal ethics, CIB programme and culture’ by Luis Gomes of CIB India. Luis also strengthened bonds with industry through meetings with German delegates for the CIB conference, and liaising with Siemens headquarters for collaboration between CIB and A businessman from Moldova, who came to Caux for the first time, was very inspired and has decided to invest 100% of his profits into social projects. Next year the Moldovan team plans to run a seven-day course for social activists to introduce them to the ideas of IofC.
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DIALOGUES ACROSS EUROPE FOUNDATIONS FOR FREEDOM, EAST EUROPE Dialogue was used to improve understanding and develop trustbuilding at the Foundations for Freedom (F4F) Regional Meeting, which took place in Kyiv, Ukraine, in December. Around 60 participants from different parts of Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Romania, Germany, Poland and Latvia participated. All of them have been active in the projects or initiatives of F4F.
TRUSTBUILDING WOMEN ACROSS THE WORLD AS CREATORS OF PEACE National Co-ordinators for Creators of Peace have now stepped forward in more than 40 countries. They are all volunteers and are mostly trained as facilitators of Creators of Peace Circles, the trustbuilding tool that continues to heal relationships and bring personal transformation to women wanting to be peace agents in their communities. During 2013 the Circles and facilitation training were newly conducted in Nigeria, New Zealand, South Sudan and in French in Cameroon and Burundi.
The Syrian Co-ordinator continues to bring women and students together across the divides in Damascus, building for the future in Syria. She took a group of women into Lebanon to interact with people of other faiths and denominations and to hear others’ experiences of reconciliation. In South Sudan five Circles and facilitation training were conducted before the outbreak of violence in December. Invitations are coming to the coordinators to continue in more rural areas. In the Netherlands and Australia work is going on with the women and families of the South Sudanese diaspora communities whose ongoing contribution to their countries of origin is considerable. Peace Circles were also organized in Brazil and Argentina in partnership with the Colombian team.
Since December 2013 a set of dialogues under the general name ‘Today’s situation in Ukraine: searching for mutual understanding’ have been taking place in Kyiv, Simferopol (Crimea), Kharkiv and Lviv.The meetings were organised in response to the growing turmoil in Ukrainian society and are aimed at the search for understanding amongst Ukrainians. One initiative is the ‘Ukrainian Action: healing the past’ project which aims to foster the development of a free and just society through encouraging healing of the past and reconciliation at the levels of individuals, communities and nations in Eastern Europe. ‘Live History of Generations’ is a new project of this initiative in Crimea,run in partnership with the Centre for Regional Development Top-Kaya, Club for Young Leaders and the Ethnographic Museum of Crimea. Other activities in 2013 included a series of seminars for youth and training for trainers on ethical leadership.
INITIATIVE DIALOGUE, FRANCE Initiative Dialogue has contributed more than 10 years of service so far, by opening the debate on common values and the expectations people have for the future.relating to culture and dialogue exchange which will unite the national community.
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These meeting and dialogue opportunities also allow trust to be built so that together they can buildan entirely inclusive society based on a common citizenship.
SOMALIS ADDRESS THE GENERATION GAP IN BRITISH SOCIETY, UK In August a new phenomenon took place in North London: Somalis helping British society improve communication between the older and young generations.
Somali refugees in Britain have suffered from communication breakdown between the generations. Parents who escaped from the civil war in the early ‘90s were reluctant to accept a future life in Britain. Their children, on the other hand, were out at school, adopting British ways - not always what their parents would have wished. So Somali Initiative for Dialogue and Democracy (SIDD) organised Intergenerational Dialogue workshops for the community, entitled ‘Peace Begins at Home’. Then in the summer of 2011, riots broke out in London not far from the home of one of the younger SIDD members, for whom it brought back painful memories of violence in her native Somalia. It occurred to her that a lack of communication between the generations could be one of the causes of the riots, and that Somalis could offer their experience to the wider community. So began a pilot project in areas where the rioting began. Meg Hillier MP observed in one of the workshops that an intriguing by-product of the focus on family relationships was that it brought together people of different cultural backgrounds.
EUROPEAN YOUTH IN DIALOGUE, GERMANY
Portia Mosia, a coordinator of the Creators of Peace programme, made a number of visits to the Tiger Kloof Educational Institution in South Africa to meet with and counsel senior girls. Many of these girls come from dysfunctional family backgrounds, which affect their performance at school. Deep discussions on many issues took place. These visits will continue once a term. Creators of Peace introduced a new governance model during 2013 with nine newly elected International Coordinators. Each one has a portfolio team working with them.
debate (five public meetings in 2013) are citizens from different origins, cultural practices and generations.
The main objective is to support participants to become agents of change in their own social circles. At the heart of a dialogue space (24 dialogue spaces in 2013) or a conference
A seminar on the theme ‘Building Trust Across Cultural Boundaries’ was organized in Gantikow, Germany by Initiative Mittel und Osteuropa (InMOE), Foundations for Freedom and IofC Germany. Thirty young people from nine nationalities came together for a spiritual journey on the theme of trustbuilding as a means for people to initiate change within society, starting with themselves. For an entire week, the 30 participants had the possibility of discovering trust in all its diversity. They not only discovered and explored theories on dialogue forms and discussion, conflict resolution, group dynamics and commitment in civil society, they also practised esteem, compassion, tolerance, attentive listening, honest conversations and an active confrontation with values.
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ACTIONS IN AFRICA MOBILIZING PEACEMAKERS IN SOUTH SUDAN Though South Sudan has since regressed into tragic political and ethnic conflict, a bold attempt was made in early 2013 to put national reconciliation as a priority on the new nation’s agenda. Co-ordinated through the Peace and Reconciliation Commission under the Office of President, the intention was to hold a national reconciliation conference which, in the words of then Vice-President Riek Machar Teny, would ‘try to heal the mental wounds’ left by decades of civil war. The government earmarked $2.6 million for the project. Initiatives of Change International with its local IofC counterpart were invited as partners, with funding granted by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. An international project team of 30, including volunteers from IofC’s Workshop for Africa programme, went to Juba to support the Organizing Committee. A further 33 international speakers and facilitators, with valid experience of reconciliation initiatives, agreed to contribute to the planned conference and campaign. IofC International designed and delivered a one-month intensive training for 200 ‘Peace and Reconciliation Mobilisers’ drawn from each state, from civil society and faith groups.
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up to the 2015 elections. An action has been launched, in particular aiming at reducing the acts of violence committed by young partisans. In the DR of Congo, two seminars were organised in North and South Kivu in May and June in order to establish an intercommunity reconciliation dialogue and to educate those who are concerned about the peaceful resolution of conflicts. At stake is the need to reduce the instability in the eastern DRC, a source of insecurity for the entire region. This programme is financed by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, apart from the seminars in Kivu which were financed by two Swiss Foundations, Pro Victimis and Fonds Mécénat SIG.
WORKSHOP FOR AFRICA (WFA) WfAwas set up to address issues of good governance and accountability in political, business and civic institutions on the continent.WfA interacted with about 3000 people through workshops, meetings and presentations in South Africa, Kenya and South Sudan.
I have had four enemies in my life and one of them is a major-general in the Army. I have already asked him to forgive me. For 11 hours he was asking me questions about why I did this. ~ one of the participant mobilisers
In April, however, because of severe austerity measures and rising political tensions, President SalvaKiirMayardit suspended the conference and named a new Committee for National Healing, Peace and Reconciliation, led by prominent churchmen. IofC International has continued to work with this committee, supporting Youth in Solidarity workshop in September followed by a demonstration for the International Day of Peace held for the first time in Juba. Even after conflict exploded once again in December, provisional plans are being made for training further Peace Mobilisers after fighting stops and the reconciliation agenda, for which all parties are calling, is reconstructed.
PEACE AND GOOD GOVERNANCE IN AFRICAN GREAT LAKES In Burundi, the Peace and Good Governance programme seeks to promote an inclusive dialogue between all political groups and to promote a peaceful electoral process leading
Eleven people from seven African countries started with six weeks training and preparation in South Africa in JanuaryFebruary 2013. Eight of this group were part of the IofC team that provided training to nearly 200 Peace Mobilisers in South Sudan in April 2013.Two outreaches in Kenya later in the year and a second trip to South Sudan in September to take part in the Youth in Solidarity Forum resulted in the WfA team identifying a group of at least 58 young people who are keen to continue building a culture of ethical leadership and accountability in their communities. About US$ 95000 was raised from IofC sources in Africa and Europe to establish WfA as a Pan-African thrust to promote good governance in Africa.
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CAUX FORUM FOR HUMAN SECURITY
In 2013 the five themes of the previously-annual Caux Forum for Human Security developed into conferences on just governance, healing history, sustainable living, intercultural dialogue and inclusive economics.
JUST GOVERNANCE
HEALING HISTORY
The conference on Just Governance,described as a ‘gathering of changemakers’ by one of its organisers, was attended by politicians, government officials, academics and others from over 30 nations. Dr Inderjit Bhogal, leader of Northern Ireland’s Corrymeela Community, pointed out that ‘reconciliation is harder work than peace,’ telling of the Community’s commitment to ‘creating space where people can meet and hold difficult conversations.’ A school principal from the Democratic Republic of Congo told of her fight for a corruption-free school in a country where education is riddled with bribery. A civic activist from Ukraine told how she and her colleagues decided that, rather than criticising their leaders, they should offer leadership. Their work resulted in the city council developing a new strategy for their city. These experiences, and many others, opened up vigorous discussion on ways which are effective in bringing change.
In partnership with the W K Kellogg Foundation, IofC USA convened a conference in Caux, Switzerland, that brought together 225 people from 34 countries to address issues of ‘overcoming racism, seeking equity, building community.’ The purpose of this conference was to explore the history and legacies of racism and how communities can work together to build trust, heal wounded memory, and create cultures of inclusion and economies that work for all. While mostly focusing on inequalities related to race and class in Englishspeaking countries, this conference also addressed issues such as discrimination against the Roma in Kosovo, relations between India and Pakistan in the Punjab, and the aftermath of the civil war in Chad. As participants shared a common concern for wounds left by historical events, they discussed ways to move forward without forgetting their roots.
A workshop on overcoming the ‘resource curse’ was led by Dr Ekuru Aukot, Director of the Committee of Experts which developed the 2010 Kenyan constitution. He told of his battle to ensure that the oil discovered in Northern Kenya is extracted in a way that benefits the people of the region. The head of Nigeria’s Human Rights Commission responded by telling how they had persuaded their Government to agree that, where minerals are discovered, the local people will be included in the negotiations on their extraction.
The work of this century is the work of dealing with unconscious bias. ~ Dr Gail Christopher, vice president of the W K Kellogg Foundation
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This important theme was carried forward in November at a forum in Richmond, Virginia, hosted by Hope in the Cities and attended by 300 community leaders. It marked the 20th anniversary of the first walk through Richmond’s racial history and the launching of a national movement for honest conversation on race, reconciliation, and responsibility.
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BUILDING TRUST THROUGH STORYTELLING
IofC’s tradition of influencing people through storytelling continues with the documentaries produced by For the Love of Tomorrow Films (FLTFilms).The films have served as a key ingredient of programmes and consultations, and as a way for IofC to connect with external organisations. Most of all, they have made a tangible impact in conflict prone regions, most notably in East Africa.
FLTFILMS In 2013, FLTfilms collaborated further with Imam Muhammad Ashafa and Pastor James Wuye, the protagonists of Imam and the Pastor (2006) and An African Answer (2010). FLTfilms also consolidated a new line of work in 2013 – developing and managing educational projects to maximise the impact of its films.
TRUST-BUILDING IN KENYA AND CHAD WITH FLTFILMS In Kenya, the United States Institute for Peace (USIP) sup-
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I have worked with many organisations in conflict issues and peace building, within my faith and my society, but never as inter-faith. I would love if this initiative can go on, for it can do a lot to our youth and our community. ~ ZuhuraJuma, co-leader from the Muslim side
ported-project ‘to transfer the methodologies depicted in An African Answer’ moved into a fieldwork phase. Three teams of peace practitioners were formed to work in diverse conflict contexts. In Eldoret, the epicentre of communal clashes in 2008, an inter-ethnic team mobilised a ‘peace caravan’ that moved into the high-density suburbs of the city, including former ‘no-go’ areas, advocating the celebration and consolidation of peace. In Mombasa, a team of Muslim and Christian women collaborated to organise training for women leaders and youth based on the methodologies in the film An African Answer. The youth identified ‘substance abuse, people with HIV/AIDS, youths in business and youths in leadership’ as areas where they could influence as ‘ambassadors of change’. In Baringo, infamous for deadly cattle raids between pastoralists, a team of community leaders organized a series of meetings to foster reconciliation. They brought tribal elders,
women and youth leaders together, screened the film An African Answer and explored how to end the scourge of cattle rustling. The team also piloted a project to foster peaceful coexistence amongst pastoralists. The team, in partnership with a charity which trains communities to build sand dams, enabled two prominent community leaders from opposing tribes to be trained in the use and construction of sand dams. The Baringo project team, as a direct consequence of the IofC-fostered training, was selected by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission of Kenya to serve as independent observer of Kenya’s national elections in March.
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Your clear ways of describing your work helped all of us see the power for dialogue and reconciliation in divided communities.... Several people came by to give praise and thanks for presenting something so unique and so needed. ~ An official’s note to Pastor Wuye and Imam Ashafa
To address the strained relations between ethnic Somalis and other Kenyans, Imam Ashafa and Pastor Wuye met with a group of senior imams in a Nairobi suburb dominated by ethnic Somalis. FLTfilms presented the host organization with ‘The Imam and the Pastor’ which met an enthusiastic response and a request for closer collaboration to foster trust-building within the Somali communities in Kenya and in Somalia itself.
IOFC FILMS In 2013 Initiatives of Change produced and released Beyond Forgiving, a documentary depicting the journey of two South Africans to bring healing and reconciliation to their country and beyond. The film was launched in Zurich, Switzerland in June in the presence of GinnFourie and Director ImadKaram. It has been shown since at many gatherings around the world; and has won accolades at several international film festivals. With its powerful yet non-prescriptive exploration of ‘forgiveness’, it is anticipated that Beyond Forgiving will be a major focus of IofC’s work in future.
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SUSTAINABLE LIVING INITIATIVES FOR LAND, LIVES AND PEACE The ‘Caux Dialogue on Land and Security’, held in July, brought together people sharing a common concern for desertification (explain what this is or leave out), the effects of poor land management, and security. Adopting a unique approach, the conference focused on the link between land degradation and peace. In addition, various workshops looked at the successes and failures of initiatives aiming to preserve land and build trust. The conference was convened by Luc Gnacadja, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, and Mohamed Sahnoun, Chair of the Caux Forum for Human Security. Through ingenuity and cooperation we can still restore degraded lands and ecosystems… The Caux Dialogue has become an important global platform to make this happen. ~ Adam Koniuszewski, COO of Mikhail Gorbachev’s organisation Green Cross International, in his blog.
‘It is the disappearance of arable land that makes enemies of us.’ Nineteen workshops were delivered by leaders from 26 NGOs, academic institutes and international agencies. A strategic co-operation agreement was signed at Caux between UNCCD and IUCN (The International Union for Conservation of Nature), the world’s largest membership organisation to protect the environment. Tony Rinaudo (Australia) of World Vision, gave a first-hand account of how in Niger an ‘underground forest’ was discovered as ‘an answer to prayer. It has resulted in reforestation of 5 million hectares of severely degraded land, which now feed an extra 2.5 million people.
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Participants included some of the world’s leading scientists in the land restoration field, activists, diplomats, business people and government officials, including a strong delegation from the Sahel region of Africa who hosted a special ‘Sahel Round Table’. One of them put the link between land degradation and the region’s security problems perfectly when he said, ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 11 }
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GOVERNANCE, LIVELIHOOD AND SUSTAINABILITY IN RURAL INDIA
While discussing the topic it was striking to see how strongly each of the participants prioritized close relationships within the family and how much they are a resource and inspiration for everyday life.
It was awe-inspiring to see 300 villagers arriving for the gramparivaritni award at Grampari, the rural and ecology centre of IofC India. This was to commemorate the best female Sarpanch (village Leader) and the best self-help group. In 2013, under the direction of Dr Jared Buono, a Memorandum of Understandingwas signed with Bangalore-based Arghyam to work on the protection and development of springs in the Western Ghats for three years. The well-oiled WASH team continued to out-perform and saw results of a 60% increase in hand washing in schools. They are currently working in 15 schools. The residential programme has now become a regular feature on the Grampari calendar and is yielding some extraordinary results. Sewing, mobile repair, solar lantern maintenance and repair, computers, and English are some of the training the youth receive alongside a solid, deep and far reaching understanding of IofC through quiet time and
workshops. A new member was welcomed to the governance team and involvement has increased to five villages.
People coming together for fellowship, initiatives and inspiration.
During November 2013, a project development exercise was conducted for the team of ‘My Story’. This project provides a safe place for young people, from all walks of life in inner city areas of St Ann’s and Radford in Nottingham, to make life choices. The project reaches about 50 young people. Outcomes: Through an application, an external donor has pledged £5,700 for its work during 2014, with the possibility of extending the same support in 2015 and 2016. A project proposal submitted to the Nottingham City Council has brought in £1,500.
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Only in a few hours I met some amazing people who broke so many stereotypes, prejudices and misconceptions I had. Hearing about their experiences was truly a humbling yet thought-provoking experience on how we can implement our very own change on the world. ~ Vinay Raniga,19, from Watford
SCHOOL FOR CHANGEMAKERS, UK An enlightening four-day residential programme was held at Liverpool Hope University in June, bringing people together to inspire positive change in their lives. Now in its fourth
In Brazil several meetings with youth, taxi drivers and community leaders took place, and the team re-connnected with some businessmen in São Paulo on the topic of Ethical Leadership. This year IofC Argentina joined IofC International as an associate member and an intergenerational team began working on different projects. In Mexico, a team of young professionals is looking at how the IofC model can work in their country. In addition, the team in Colombia participated in two meetings with Victims of Armed Conflict, organized by ‘Agape for Colombia.’
The Seeds of inspiration event in Augustat Cauxoffered participants an opportunity to share their experiences and the sources of their inspiration. The aim of the event was to expand people’s horizons, to refresh their commitment and to renew themselves. The format was very participative and concentrated on interactions between people.
CHANGE IN PROGRESS, SOUTH AFRICA
COMING TOGETHER AND WORKING IN COMMUNITIES SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES: OUR COMMON FUTURE, UK
LATIN AMERICA
SEEDS OF INSPIRATION
year, School for Changemakers has a growing multicultural, multigenerational alumni, all of whom are eager to investigate the power of change from a variety of perspectives.
In November a consultation on the way forward for young people was held outside Johannesburg. Its mission was to explore servant leadership, relationships, nature and inner development. The consultation theme was ‘relationships and calling’. Outcomes of the weekend: » to have a second multi-racial camp in December 2014 » to engage the parents to help the teenagers in facilitating nation building discussions in their communities and help alleviate the culture of violence.
CAUX ARTISTS PROGRAMME Since 2011 the Caux Artists Program (CAP) has welcomed to Caux over 40 performing artists from all over the world. In keeping with the international and multi-cultural ‘spirit of Caux’, CAP has had artists, faculty and mentors from Cameroon, Canada, Colombia, Egypt, Germany, India, Nigeria, Switzerland, Ukraine, the UK and the USA.
CAMBODIA IofC Cambodia carried out two food programmes in which IofC friends collect donations and then come together to cook food for the poorer people in Phnom Penh. After cooking the food the friends went around the city on motorbikes to give food to people living and working on the streets. There were also two book distribution programmes where money was raised and educational material bought for children in poor rural schools: 650 students with teachers and community members received books, packages of clothing and a snack. Courses were also offered on ‘Conflict Resolution’ for students and children in orphanages, ‘Practicing Tolerance in Diversity’ for people from different faith groups and ‘How to understand yourself for young adults.
‘CASTLE MEETING’ IN GERMANY The fourth annual ‘Castle-meeting’ was held in October near Berlin. The theme ‘Experiencing community - Discovering friends’ was looked at from different angles: what does it mean in theory? And how can we actually act and live it?
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LEARNING TO LIVE IN A MULTI-CULTURAL WORLD The conference, held in August, put a special emphasis on intergenerational trust. Keynote speeches were abandoned and the conference built mainly on the knowledge and exchange of the participants. This left room for many group discussions, dialogues and interactive exercises aimed at building trust across cultures, communities and generations, and at empowering participants for action. ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13 }
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ABOUT IOFC INTERNATIONAL
IofC International is an association with 34 national and programme Member bodies. It is at work in over 60 countries. Each Member operates autonomously on projects addressing specific local needs. IofC International has Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the UN(ECOSOC) and Participatory Status at the Council of Europe.
FINANCES
Provisional Income and Expenditure Account for the year ended 31 December 2013
EXTERNAL RELATIONS IofC successfully collaborates with a number of organisations and individuals to build a network of changemakers and expand our reach.
WITH THE UNITED NATIONS AND OTHERS IN GENEVA The IofC International office in Geneva continued to build its relationships with the NGOs, International Organisations, UN missions, and the larger UN system in Geneva. In January it organiseda private meeting between IofC President Dr Omnia Marzouk and the then Director General of the United Nations Office in Geneva, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Various UN bodies, such as the United Nations Environmental Programme, the United Nations Development Programme, and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) also actively took part in the Caux conferences. Furthermore, UNCCD, who have been partnering with IofC on the Caux Dialogue on Land and Security conference, also deepened their relationship by granting IofC an observer status. IofC International UN representative, Rainer Gude presented IofC and some of its case studies to a gathering organised by the UNDP in New York.
WITH THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE: INGO DIALOGUE TOOLKIT In 2013 the Dialogue Toolkit (DT) website has had 5693 visitors from 113 countries, averaging 16 per day. In March, the Initiative Dialogue team in France hosted training for facilitators and professionals in Paris. The International NGO (INGO) Dialogue Toolkit formed the content. One participant wrote afterwards: ‘The Dialogue Toolkit has methodological and practical keys to bring young and old, regard-
less of where in the world, to a fruitful dialogue.’ In October a Cypriot wrote, asking the INGO Dialogue Hub to partner in a submission for an island-wide project. The submission is now pending with the Norwegian funders. In November a CoE mission to Moldova and Transnistria included the Dialogue Toolkit in its materials.
WITH GENTEQUE AVANZA IN LATIN AMERICA Since 1999, when a large delegation of GqA attended the Caux conferences, many efforts have been made by both organisations to support each other in carrying out their mission, emphasising not only in its outreach but also caring for the teams.
Initiatives of Change International is financed by a combination of individual contributions, member contributions and foundation and government grants. The financial report reflects the budget of IofC International, a central hub that serves IofC’s global network and local projects. It should be distinguished from the rest of the report, which aims to represent IofC’s work worldwide, typically done by local teams with separate budgets. IofC seeks to ensure the optimal use of all funds in the context of an organisation that is both global and evolving. We are continually reviewing our income generation strategy to adapt to new conditions and deliver on our mission.
%
2012 CHF
%
38,059 461,968 10,420 118,380 14,853 279,632 12,272
4.1% 49.4% 1.1% 12.7% 1.6% 29.9% 1.3%
36,898 558,996 11,696 151,489 0 166,430 2,287
4.0% 49.8% 1.3% 16.3% 0.0% 17.9% 0.2%
935,584
100%
927,796
100%
120,499 179,966 44,794 290,036 249,622 4,783
13.5% 20.2% 5.0% 32.6% 28.1% 0.5%
113,337 129,818 150,972 168,879 237,001 2,966
14.1% 16.2% 18.8% 21.0% 29.5% 0.4%
889,700
100%
802,973
100%
INCOME 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Membership Fees Donations from IofC/MRA Bodies Fees for Web services Other Donations Received Donation of Office Space Income from Transnational Projects Other income
EXPENDITURE 1 Work with International Organisations
In recent years, a group of young people from the GqAprogramme has worked alongside IofC Brazil with young students, reaching over1000 people. The same happened in Argentina, where both organisations worked in Santiago del Estero and also with students and teachers from Buenos Aires. They work in partnership in Colombia and from August 2103 started to prepare a meeting in 2014 of the IofC in Americas.
2013 CHF
2 International Website and Communications 3 President's Budget and International Council 4 Transnational Projects 5 Operations, administration and coordination 6 Interest and exchange differences
WITH CHANGE-MAKERS IN KOREA Since 2008, IofC Korea has been interviewing lesser knownchangemakers, especially to serve as role models to young job seekers. So far 40 change-makers have been interviewed and their stories of change put in the newsletters and website.
...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... { 14
Income less expenditure Attribution to reserves * SURPLUS/(DEFICIT) FROM OPERATIONS
45,884 0 45,884
124,822 -100,000 24,822
Note: (1) All the figures are rounded up to the nearest Swiss Franc. * Contribution specified for this use. ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 15 }
INITIATIVES OF CHANGE is a world-wide movement of people of
diverse cultures and backgrounds, who are committed to the transformation of society through changes in human motives and behaviour, starting with their own.
OUR VISION
A just, peaceful and sustainable world to which everyone, responding to the call of conscience, makes their unique contribution.
OUR MISSION
To inspire, equip and connect people to address world needs, starting with themselves.
OUR FOCUS AREAS
Trustbuilding: Peace and social cohesion by building trust and reconciliation across divides. Ethical Leadership: Good governance at every level by developing a leadership culture based on moral integrity, compassion and selfless service. Sustainable living: Economic justice and environmental sustainability by inspiring transformation of motives and behaviour.
APPROACH
IofC focuses on the vital link between personal change and global change, and aims to inspire, support and equip people to play their part in building a better society, starting with themselves. IofC places the search for inner wisdom at the heart of its approach. When people listen to what is deepest in their hearts, insights often come which lead in unexpected directions. Many understand this experience as guidance from god, others as the leading of conscience or the inner voice. The regular practice of silence can give access to a source of truth, renewal, inspiration and empowerment.
WEBSITE www.iofc.org EMAIL US AT info@iofc.org FIND US ON FACEBOOK facebook.com/initiativesofchange OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL youtube.com/initiativesofchange GOOGLE PLUS Google.com/+IofCorg OUR TWITTER HANDLE @IofcIntl OR PIN US UP AT Pinterest.com/IofCIntl INITIATIVES OF CHANGE ANNUAL REPORT 2013