Initiatives of Change

Recognising that it will take more than human reason and ability to solve the problems of the world, 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. Also integral to IofC is a commitment to:

• Start with oneself: An honest look at one’s own motives and behaviour is often the start of personal transformation. Cultural and religious traditions across the world offer moral standards as guides for individual and community living. Of these, IofC singles out absolute honesty, unselfishness, love and purity of heart and action as practical tests for motives and daily actions.
• Listen to others: Honest conversation, undertaken in an open spirit, builds bridges of trust and community between people of similar, different, and even antagonistic, backgrounds. These enable healing, partnership and common action.
• Take focused action: IofC’s people and programmes seek to strengthen the moral and spiritual foundations of society and to bring healing and reconciliation where there is conflict; build bridges of trust between different communities and countries; embed ethics, justice and transparency in the global economy; empower leadership to act with integrity, serve unselfishly and be effective agents of change.

These principles are taken from those of the organization's predecessor, Moral Re-Armament (MRA), founded in 1938 by Frank Buchman. Initiatives of Change has spiritual roots but no religious affiliation, and invites "those with a faith...both to explore the roots of their own tradition, and to discover and respect the beliefs of others."[2]

The name "Initiatives of Change" was adopted in 2001, expressing the emphasis of the organization in effecting social change beginning with personal change.

Initiatives of Change has programs in over 60 countries. In the United States, Hope in the Cities promotes "honest conversations" on race, reconciliation and responsibility. Their approach was integrated in the One America Dialogue Guide published by the White House in 1998.[3] The programme Trust and Integrity in the Global Economy hold events in a number of Western countries, focusing on overcoming corruption and building cooperation.[4] In Switzerland, the Caux Forum for Human Security, brings together people working for peace and human security.[5][6] In India, the IC Centre for Governance works with development experts, policy makers, social activists and others to strengthen the role of citizens in governance. Foundations for Freedom aims to support the development of democratic societies in Central and Eastern Europe. In Sierra Leone, Hope Sierra Leone is active in reconciling and rebuilding the country ravaged by civil war. In France Education à la paix (Education for Peace) is teaching students about civic responsibility, including the skills of conflict resolution. In 2014 Initiatives of Change was awarded the Ousseimi Prize for Tolerance.

Since 1991, when it was launched at the Initiatives of Change conference centre in Caux, Switzerland, the Creators of Peace (CoP) global peacemakers network has been active in many countries, particularly in Africa.[7]

Initiatives of Change International, a non-governmental organization based in Caux, Switzerland, is the legal and administrative entity that coordinates the national bodies of Initiatives of Change; It holds Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and Participatory Status at the Council of Europe. Its first president, elected in 2004, 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, historian and biographer of his grandfather Mahatma Gandhi, was elected President, followed by paediatrician Dr Omnia Marzouk from Egypt and UK, then Indian businessman Suresh Vazirani and, in 2021 Gerald Pillay, Vice Chancellor and Rector of Liverpool Hope University, England.[8]

Mountain House, the Initiatives of Change conference centre

Initiatives of Change has centres in numerous countries. The largest conference centres are Mountain House, formerly the Caux Palace Hotel in Caux, near Montreux, and Asia Plateau, in Panchgani in India.

Mountain House was a derelict hotel in 1946, when it was bought by 100 Swiss families, and restored as a place where the warring nations of Europe could meet. In the following years thousands came there, including German Chancellor Adenauer and French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman.[9] At Caux many found reconciliation with former enemies, notably the French socialist leader Irène Laure who had been active in the French Resistance and who, thereafter, devoted herself to building Franco-German understanding. Edward Luttwak described the work of Caux 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."[10]

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."[11] 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.[12] 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. The Caux Round Table was launched there in 1986, and continues to meet there. It developed a program of Principles for Business[13] which are now used widely in business and industry.

Each summer the centre holds a series of conferences dealing with specific subjects, attended by both teenagers 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.[14] and this has developed into an annual conference on 'Just Governance for Human Security'. 'Land, Lives, Peace' brings together people from many countries working to restore degraded land to productive use. 'Children as Actors for Transforming Society' deals with children's rights and children's participation[15] in partnership with a coalition of civil society organisation such as the Child-to-Child Trust and Learning for Well-being or the International Janusz Korczak Association.

Asia Plateau in India holds conferences throughout most of the year, dealing with ethical governance, cooperation for development and conflict resolution. These bring together workers and managers from many industries, NGO leaders, public servants, and others. It also holds international conferences such as 'Making democracy real' and 'Dialogue on Just Governance', which bring together participants from over 40 countries.

• Initiatives of Change global website
• Caux official website
• http://www.hopeinthecities.org
• http://www.justgovernance.net
• http://www.in.iofc.org