Initiatives of Change
Addressing Europe’s Unfinished Business | 1
Addressing Europe’s Unfinished Business through actions for a more peaceful, more united Europe
Caux, Switzerland, 27-28 June 2014
Overview: Framing the Conversation
The 100th memorial of the start of WWI and the 25th anniversary of the fall of
the Berlin wall is a unique occasion for European-minded political leaders,
historians and thinkers to address Europe's unfinished business. Recent
developments have underlined the need for and urgency of such a reflection.
Europe's unfinished business means the lack of articulation of the European project in accessible language and the lack of fostering a European spirit by way of
European history school textbooks, frequent joint war commemorations and
appropriate celebrations on the Day of Europe each 9 May. Is this situation not an
open door for a revival of narrow nationalism?
Europe's unfinished business means unresolved cross-border or dormant internal regional conflicts, unhealed wounds which have caused a string of armed conflicts in
Europe over the last 25 years. Peace is unfortunately as relative a notion in Europe
today as it is in other continents. The 2014 Crimean crisis comes as a particularly
brutal reminder of this fact.
Europe's unfinished business means new countries applying to join the European
Union without having fully appropriated the deep peace process that forms the basis
of the European project. This plays a role in the current lack of cohesion of Europe
and puts a question mark on its future.
The Caux approach
The approach of the seminar will be participatory and emergent. Participatory because each person brings valuable knowledge and insights to the table, and
emergent because the interaction of these contributions will, we hope, lead in new
directions. Through a combination of short contributions from speakers, interactive
plenaries and participatory workshops, we seek to co-create new approaches to
Europe’s unfinished business.
The daily schedule for the seminar illustrates our philosophy in practice. With an
emphasis on conversation and discussion rather than long speeches, we hope to
facilitate genuine dialogue among a diverse group of individuals, all active in
addressing the questions that matter for Europe.
An invitation
We invite you to join the conversation: seeking inner wisdom, reflecting on the role
of personal responsibility and integrity; creating relationships of trust; discerning
together where this is guiding us towards action, individually and collectively.
We invite you to experience this new approach!
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Seminar Overview
Plenary sessions
Both days will begin with plenary sessions. The first day’s plenary will focus on
setting the context for the seminar and building connections between participants.
The plenary on the second day will start to draw out threads from the first afternoon of working group discussions and create cross-fertilisation between them to enrich
the ongoing discussions later in the morning.
The final plenary will draw together the next steps from each working group to capture the overarching direction of discussions and identify any key connection
points between them.
Working Groups
The working groups will be a facilitated space for exploring different perspectives,
exchanging expertise and moving towards actionable next steps. The working groups
will be oriented around four main themes.
Working Group 1 – Changing Paradigms in the Eastern Regions of Europe
Main Hall
Eliminating age-old rivalries, acknowledging Russia and Turkey as key contributors to Europe’s past and future, which ‘creative efforts’ are needed
to lastingly pacify those regions?
Working Group 2 – The Challenge of Immigration
Room 300d
In spite of the Schuman declaration’s intentions, economic imbalances
have continued and are leading to massive migrations which challenge
identities. Envisioning initiatives to raise the standard of living in poorer
countries, and initiatives for smoother integration of ‘newcomers’ to
Europe.
Working Group 3 – Ethnic Identity and Minority Rights in a Democracy
Room 300e
Drawing from positive experiences like Alto Adige/South Tyrol to prepare solutions for current unresolved issues: how to repair past mistakes and
create a respectful and positive environment for ethnic minorities?
Working Group 4 – War-based or Peace-based Identities
Room 400
In order for Europe’s youth to grow up as good national and European
citizens, speeches and writings about the past need to be carefully
revisited. How to make European values and vision a central reference in a
common foundation for teaching of history and European civic instruction?
Space for Reflection and Sharing
All conference participants are invited to join in the pre-breakfast reflection and shared silence in the Bay Window of the Main Hall starting at 7.15 am.
For many people a daily reflective practice is an essential source of wisdom and direction. In this pre-breakfast session, in the bay window overlooking the lake, there
will be a short input followed by a time of collective silence.
The space for reflection has been central to the Caux approach over 70 years, recognizing that wisdom of action relies not only on our capacity for analysis, but
also attentiveness to inspiration and the space to find what is right, not who is right.
'Give us the inner listening that is a way in itself, and the oldest thirst there
is.' – Rumi
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'In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in a clearer light, and that which is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness. Our life
is a long and arduous quest after Truth'. - Mahatma Gandhi
'The life around us, in this age, is preeminently one of rush and effort. It is the age of the express train and electric telegraph. Years are crowded into
months, and weeks into days. The stream has already entered our
churches, and stirred their quiet pools. Meetings crowd on meetings. The
same energetic souls are found at them all, and engaged in many good
works beside. But we must beware that we do not substitute the active for
the contemplative, the valley for the mountain top'. – Frederick Brotherton Meyer
If you intend to participate, please enter the hall in silence and be in your seats by
7.15 am.
The presenter will speak in English. Translation will not be available through the
headphones. If you need help, please sit with someone who can give a whispered
interpretation.
Evening Programme
The evening is designed to offer a less intensively discussion-based programme, at
the same time contributing to the reflection on the themes of the seminar. Different
options will be proposed simultaneously, based on films or presentations followed by
a debate on a theme linked to the European issues. Films and presentations will all
be facilitated.
Short film - Visions d’Europe/De Charlemagne à Schuman, a presentation by
Initiatives of Change Lorraine of a European historical perspective, reflecting the
vision of a region which suffered in many European wars. Room 300c
Facilitator: Charles Danguy
Short film – For the Love of Tomorrow, the stunning story of one woman’s change
of heart and her relentless initiatives to reconcile France and Germany. Room 300d
Facilitator: Antoine Jaulmes
Presentation – From Polarization to Participation, can people make a difference in/through European Institutions?, a case study of the INGO Dialogue Toolkit at
the Council of Europe. Can people make a difference in/through European
Institutions? How the IofC representative helps to make a difference through one of
the European Institutions by using the INGO Dialogue Toolkit. Room 300e
Facilitator: Christoph Spreng
Presentation – My Journey to the Great War and Back, encouraging children to
explore different perspectives on history through language by asking them to write
from the perspective of a foreign soldier in the First World War - in that soldier's
language. Main Hall
Facilitators: Thandi House/Birgit Piegeler-Hughes
Meals
The opportunity to share meals together is not an incidental by-product of living in
the same conference centre. They are as much the life and blood of the real
conversations of Caux as the programmed sessions. We encourage you to use these
as much as possible to take conversations further, connect with others in the Centre
in a more informal way.
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Detailed Programme
THURSDAY 26 JUNE
14h00 onwards Early arrivals Main Hall
18h30-19h15 Dinner Dining Room
20h15-21h30 Introduction to Caux-Initiatives of Change Main Hall
FRIDAY 27 JUNE
08h00-08h45 Breakfast Dining Room
09h15-10h20 Arrivals/registration and welcome coffee Reception/Main Hall
10h30-12h15 Opening Plenary
Today’s Challenges in Europe
Antoine Jaulmes, France, President of the
CAUX-Initiatives of Change Foundation
Cornelio Sommaruga, Switzerland, Former
President of the International Committee of
the Red Cross and Honorary President of IofC
International
Catherine Guisan, USA, Visiting Professor,
Department of Political Science, University of
Minnesota
Aurora Martin, Romania, Russian Presidential
Academy of National Economy and Public
Administration
Open discussion
Facilitator: Robert Lancaster
Main Hall
12h30-13h15 Lunch Dining Room
14h00-15h45 Working Groups (see page 2 for more details)
Session 1: A Collective Vision
WG1 – Changing Paradigms in the Eastern
Regions of Europe
Moderators: Angela Starovoytova/Catherine
Guisan
Main Hall
WG2 – The Challenge of Immigration
Moderators: Cristina Bignardi/Kojo Jantuah
Room 300d
WG3 – Ethnic Identity and Minority Rights
in a Democracy
Moderator: Aurora Martin/Jens J. Wilhelmsen
Room 300e
WG4 – War-based or Peace-based
Identities
Moderators: Antoine Jaulmes/Thandi
House/Birgit Piegeler-Hughes
Room 400
15h45-16h30 Coffee Break and networking time Terrace
16h45-18h15 Working Groups
Session 2: Creatively Confronting the
Issues
(same
rooms)
18h30-19h15 Dinner Dining Room
20h15-21h30 Evening Programme (see page 3 for more
details)
Short film - Visions d’Europe/De Charlemagne à Schuman
Facilitator: Charles Danguy
Room 300c
Short film – For the Love of Tomorrow
Facilitator: Antoine Jaulmes
Room 300d
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Presentation – From Polarization to Participation, can people make a difference in/through European Institutions?
Facilitator: Christoph Spreng
Room 300e
Presentation – My Journey to the Great War and Back
Facilitators: Thandi House/Birgit Piegeler-
Hughes
Main Hall
SATURDAY 28 JUNE )
07h15-08h00 Space for Reflection and Sharing
The Personal Dimension of Change – A
European Perspective
Facilitator: Charles Danguy
Main Hall Bay Window
08h00-08h45 Breakfast Dining Room
09h15-10h30 Plenary
Emerging Patterns Towards Next Steps
Facilitator: Robert Lancaster
Main Hall
10h30-11h00 Coffee break and networking time
11h00-12h15 Working Groups
Session 3: Engaging in a Collaborative Way
Forward
(same rooms)
12h30-13h15 Lunch Dining Room
14h00-16h00 Closing Plenary
Plans and Commitments
Facilitator: Antoine Jaulmes
Main Hall
16h00-16h45 Networking coffee and departures Terrace
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ABOUT THE PANELISTS
Catherine Guisan teaches political science and political philosophy in the USA and
Europe. She is the author of Un sens à l'Europe: Gagner la paix 1950-2003 (Paris:
Odile Jacob) and A Political Theory of Identity in European Integration: Memory and Policies (Routledge: 2012).
Cornelio Sommaruga is a Swiss jurist and diplomat, who was for 12 years President
of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). As a Swiss and
humanitarian diplomat as well as honorary President of Initiatives of Change
International, he has stood for human dignity and security, tolerance and dialogue,
conflict prevention and inter-personal reconciliation.
Aurora Martin is a professor, researcher and senior advisor in International
Relations. She closely works with the National Council for Combating Discrimination
in Romania and the European Center for Security Studies, George C Marshall. She
also teaches in the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public
Administration.
Antoine Jaulmes is the President of the CAUX-Initiatives of Change Foundation. An
engineer by profession, a historian by passion and European by conviction, he
suggests that 2014-2018 could be the time when Europe would overcome its mental
blocks and become the anchor for world peace which the founding fathers of Europe
had in mind.
FACILITATORS
Angela Starovoytova, Ukraine, Executive Director, Foundations for Freedom (F4F)
Birgit Piegeler-Hughes, Germany, translator, interpreter and tutor, co-founder of
Evident Language.
Charles Danguy, France, President of IofC Lorraine
Christoph Spreng, Switzerland, IofC Delegate to the Council of Europe
Cristina Bignardi, Italy, Consultant Project Management, Pace Adesso Peace Now
Jens J. Wilhelmsen, Norway, former member of the Caux Foundation Board and
author of The Art of Reconciliation – Witness of an Epoch on 3 Continents.
Kojo Jantuah, Ghana/Denmark/UK, Founder of Identity Pathfinder for Reconciliation
and Development
Thandi House, United Kingdom, translator, interpreter and tutor, co-founder of
Evident Language
Robert Lancaster, Australia/UK, process design and facilitation
COORDINATION TEAM
Adrian Dan Pop, Romania, AEUB contact developper
Antoine Jaulmes, France, AEUB head of project
Gracia Laurent, France/Mexico, AEUB conference coordinator