Caux conference season closes

The ‘Trust and Integrity in the Global Economy’ conference, the last of six conferences at the Initiatives of Change centre in Caux, above Montreux, closed on Tuesday, the 17th of August. Some 1,400 participants from 81 countries took part over the six conferences since 2 July. This is a 4% increase on 2009 – and there has been a 14% increase in Swiss participation. >> Read more...

Click here for the latest news, speeches, blog and photos from the Initiatives of Change conferences in Caux, Switzerland. >>

'The Imam and the Pastor' >> At a time when many in the world are wondering whether friendly relations are possible between those of Muslim and Christian background, the Nigerian protagonists of this new documentary on Muslim-Christian relations emphatically assert that they are.

 

 

 

Trustbuilding: An Honest Conversation on Race, Reconciliation, and Responsibility>> This book is part historical narrative and part handbook for a model of dialogue and community change that has been adopted both nationally and internationally. At its center is the story of how Richmond, Virginia, a former slave market and capital of the Confederacy, has become a seedbed for interracial dialogue and trustbuilding with national and international implications.

Reaching for a New World>> This is a book for anyone who is new to the ideas of Initiatives of Change (IofC) and wants to know its history and background. It is also a book for people who have been associated with IofC for many years. In particular it is important reading for those who feel a sense of calling to take responsibility for the future.

Not all will find this book comfortable reading. The author does not shy away from constructive criticism and gives examples from her own experience of where mistakes have been made. Some comments may be considered controversial. Throughout the book however, her sincerity and commitment to reach out for a new world shine through.

An American in the Middle East>> This is a story that spans a half-century of tumultuous relationships between America and the Middle East as seen through the eyes of an American who had extraordinary opportunities to meet a wide range of personalities in the Arab and Muslim world.Harry Almond's memoir depicts the growth of heart and mind of a patriotic American towards the Islamic world beginning in 1944. Starting out as a young missionary and teacher in Iraq and Bahrain, he and his wife Beverly later worked with the program of Moral Re-Armament (IofC) for many years, living for a time in Egypt and then Lebanon, and traveling widely in other Muslim countries. Read more. Place your order here.

No Enemy To Conquer>> Forgiveness often seems impossible in today’s conflicted world. This welcome book presents stories of real men and women of different faiths and cultures reaching out to reconcile with others, previously deemed their "enemies." A wide range of commentators includes Archbishop Tutu, Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Rajmohan Gandhi, Benazir Bhutto, and the Dalai Lama. In addition, scholars amplify the stories from the perspectives of their disciplines. The result is a multi-layered, multi-voiced call to understand forgiveness and know that peace is always possible. Michael Henderson’s books No Enemy to Conquer and See You after the Duration were featured on Britain’s ‘The Book Depository’ website, along with his selection of the 10 books he values. As the site comments: ‘Not surprising, perhaps, that his choice of books is dominated by relations between Britain and the United States and questions of forgiveness.’  Obtainable from  Alban Books. Order here.

The Worldwide Legacy of Frank Buchman>> In 1908 Buchman, an American Lutheran minister of Swiss descent who was the originator of Initiatives of Change, had a spiritual experience of release from bitterness in crucial relationships that altered the course of his life.