Initiatives of Change
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| Type | Non-profit, Interest group |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2001, being a reorganization of Moral Re-Armament founded 1938 by Frank Buchman, an outgrowth of Buchman's Oxford Group founded ca. 1931 |
| Location | Global |
| Key people | Rajmohan Gandhi, former President, International Association; Cornelio Sommaruga, Inaugural President; Mohamed Sahnoun, Chair, Caux Forum for Human Security; Edward Peters, Executive Vice-President; Richard Ruffin, former Executive Vice-President |
| Services | Conferences, Campaigns |
| Method | Building trust |
| Motto | Building trust across the world's divides |
| Website | http://www.iofc.org/ |
Initiatives of Change ("IofC") is a global organization dedicated to "building trust across the world's divides"[1] of culture, nationality, belief, and background. The organization is committed to transforming society, beginning with change in individual lives and relationships.
These tenets are a continuation of those of the organization's explicitly Christian predecessor, Moral Re-Armament (MRA), launched in 1938. The name "Initiatives of Change", adopted in 2001, reflects the emphasis of the organization in effecting social change beginning with personal change. Initiatives of Change has spiritual roots but no religious affiliation. It invites "those with a faith...both to explore the roots of their own tradition, and to discover and respect the beliefs of others." [2]
Initiatives of Change programs are active in many countries. In the United States, Hope in the Cities promotes honest conversations on race, reconciliation and responsibility.[3] In Switzerland, the Caux Forum for Human Security brings together people working for peace and human security.[4] In India, Centre for Governance works with development experts, policy makers, social activists and others to strengthen role of citizens in governance.[5] Asia Plateau in Panchgani, India is another international conference centre, created in 1967. Foundations for Freedom aims to support the development of truly free and just societies in the region of Central and Eastern Europe. [6] In Sierra Leone, Hope Sierra Leone is active in reconciling and rebuilding the country ravaged by civil war.[7]
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[edit] Initiatives of Change International
Initiatives of Change International is a non-governmental organization based in Caux, Switzerland. It is the legal and administrative entity that federates the national bodies of Initiatives of Change in its cooperation with the United Nations. As an NGO, IofC-International holds Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and Participatory Status at the Council of Europe. Its first President was Cornelio Sommaruga, formerly President of the International Committee of the Red Cross. He was succeeded by Mohamed Sahnoun, formerly Senior Advisor to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. In 2009 Prof. Rajmohan Gandhi, was elected President.
[edit] Mountain House, Caux, Switzerland
Formerly the Caux-Palace Hotel near Montreux, the IofC's conference center in Caux, Switzerland became an international meeting place in 1946. At that time the hotel was derelict, and about to be pulled down. It was bought by 50 Swiss families, who set to work to restore it and make it a place where the warring nations of Europe could meet. In the following years thousands came, including German Chancellor Adenauer and French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman.[8] Its work was described by historians Douglas Johnston and Cynthia Sampson as an 'important contribution to one of the greatest achievements in the entire record of modern statecraft: the astonishingly rapid Franco-German reconciliation after 1945.'[9]
In the following decades Caux welcomed people from African and Asian countries moving towards independence from colonial rule. In 1956, soon after Morocco became independent, King Mohammed V of Morocco sent a message to Frank Buchman: 'I thank you for all you have done for Morocco in the course of these last testing years.'[10] In 1960 Archbishop Makarios and Dr Kucuk, President and Vice-President of Cyprus, jointly sent the first flag of independent Cyprus to Caux in recognition of the center's help.[11] More recently, groups of opposing factions in the Great Lakes area of Africa, Sierra Leone and other areas of conflict, have met there.
Also prominent in the center's programs have been meetings between management and unions from many industries. The Caux Round Table was launched there in the 1986, and its Principles for Business are being applied by businesses in many countries.[12]
Today the center's summer program consists of a continuous series of sessions dealing with specific subjects, attended by a wide range of individuals from throughout the world, both minors and adults. In 2008 the first Caux Forum for Human Security, initiated by Mohamed Sahnoun, brought together 300 people working for peace and human security at all levels and from varied sectors around the world.[13]
[edit] References
- ^ Initiatives of Change - An overview
- ^ Initiatives of Change - Frequently Asked Questions
- ^ www.hopeinthecities.org
- ^ www.cauxforum.net
- ^ www.centreforgovernance.org
- ^ www.f-4-f.org/
- ^ www.hopesierraleone.org
- ^ Lean, Garth; Frank Buchman - a life, Constable 1985, p382
- ^ Johnston and Sampson; Religion, the Missing Dimension of Statecraft, Oxford University Press, 1994
- ^ Lean, Garth; Frank Buchman - a life, p 454
- ^ Lean, Garth; Frank Buchman - a life, p 524
- ^ www.cauxroundtable.org
- ^ www.cauxforum.net
