CAUX CONFERENCES 2014

YOUR LOGO
CAUX CONFERENCES 2014
ADDRESSING EUROPE’S
UNFINISHED BUSINESS (AEUB)
SEMINAR REPORT
CAUX, SWITZERLAND
16-19 JULY 2015
1

INDEX
Editorial ............................................................ 3
AEUB Programme ......................................... 4
AEUB 2015 .....................................................5
Plenaries ..........................................................6
Morning Reflection ........................................7
Practical Tasks .................................................7
Young Ambassadors Programme ................8
Cultural Evening .............................................9
INFOGRAPHICS
Gender participation
Age distribution
Female
Male
Age 19 - 30
Age 31 - 50
Age 51 - 70
Age 71 - 90
Workstreams:
I. Assimilation vs Multicultural Society....10
II. Multiple Identities vs. Separatist
Solutions ................................................... 11
III. Denial vs Constructive
Acknowledgment of the Past ............. 12
IV. Recurring Wars within Europe ........... 13
Evening Programme .................................... 14
Side-Events ................................................... 15
Testimonials .................................................. 16
Future Action ............................................... 17
26 European nationalities
and 88 participants
Texts: Antoine Jaulmes, Gracia Laurent, Melinda Merminod and Nadine Graas
Revision: Thandi House
Pictures: CAUX-IofC Foundation, Nesma Attiatalla and Hillary Briffa
Design: Nesma Attiatalla and Gracia Laurent
EDITORIAL
Looking beyond the grim day-to-day issues
currently affecting Europe, this seminar
started with some worthwhile questions:
Do we believe in Europe’s values? Peace, democracy
and human rights. Yes. Do we believe
in the importance of the rule of law, security,
solidarity and respect? Yes. What other values
do Europeans share? Where today can we find
the innovative, long-term vision that characterised
the thoughts and work of Europe’s
founding fathers? Could we be among those
who write the new pages of European history?
Are values more important than geographical
borders? Where are our “borders”? What
are our walls, whether external or internal?
We heard the Mayor of Palermo’s strong
warning about the ongoing “refugee crisis”
and thought about the many walls – physical
or otherwise – that continue to divide
Europe. Which challenges bring Europeans
together today? How do we tackle the key issues
at their roots? How in particular do we
combat ignorance, open wounds and fatalism?
We were reminded of the strong words
of Winston Churchill in Zurich in 1946: “We
must build a kind of United States of Europe.
(…) But I must give you warning. Time may
be short. (…) The fighting has stopped; but
the dangers have not stopped. If we are to
form a United States of Europe, or whatever
name it may take, we must begin now.” So
much has changed, yet so much is the same!
Considering today’s realities and inspired
by past experiences of trustbuilding in Europe,
young ambassadors from 28 European
countries and older Europeans shared their
knowledge and thought with one another.
They agreed that initiatives to build bridges
and create partnerships and brotherhood
across Europe should happen right now.
One such initiative will be the 2018 Peace
Voyage across Europe. Everyone had ideas
about places the Peace voyage could go and
the good it could do. A lot still needs to be
thought about, financed and organised. The
+/- 36 months prior to this adventure will no
doubt be as rich as the voyage itself. Papers
will be written and published, new meetings
will be organised. A committed network of
activists was born in Caux in July 2015, and
it will be active in the coming months and
years!
Antoine Jaulmes
President
CAUX-IofC Foundation
Special thanks go to the whole
AEUB Team:
Charles Danguy, Martin Gilbraith, Nadine
Graas, Gracia Laurent (Coordinator),
Nesma Attiatalla, Rainer Gude, Thandi
House, Arnaud Lebrun, Melinda Merminod
2 3

AEUB PROGRAMME
Addressing Europe’s Unfinished Business is a project that engages European
citizens from all backgrounds in order to share their expertise and experience,
to commit to peacebuilding on a personal and public level, and to participate
in shared initiatives in order to develop a spirit of partnership and solidarity
across Europe.
Why AEUB?
Events in Eastern Europe since 2014
show that there is still a real risk of open
conflict. The “Mediterranean genocide”
calls European values into question and
challenges our consciences. Europeans
are grappling with ignorance, unhealed
wounds and fatalistic thinking. How can
citizens not only discuss these issues, sharing
expertise and experiences, but also be
personally active in peacebuilding in Europe,
participating in concerted initiatives
in order to achieve the necessary changes?
Which Europe?
AEUB’s understanding of Europe is that
of the 50 countries which are officially
recorded as European, of which 47 are
members of the Council of Europe and 28
are members of the European Union.
What can we do?
AEUB views peace as a stable and sustainable
situation based on democratic
governance, where minorities’ rights are
guaranteed, where conflicts are addressed
through honest dialogue and peaceful mediation,
where relations between states,
as well as between communities within
states, are governed by trust: mutual trust
and trust in national and international
institutions.
AEUB wishes to contribute to European
peacebuilding by addressing some of the
root and potential causes for violence,
and by creating a wide social demand for
peaceful conflict resolution. To that end, it
intends to unite people from all over Europe
who possess the necessary experience
and solutions for challenges such as:
1. Multiculturalism
2. Immigration
3. Regional and minority rights
4. Connecting European citizens with
their common history and values
AEUB 2015
“Creating a Common Understanding of
Issues and Values”
From 16 to 19 July 2015, AEUB brought
together close to 90 participants from all
over Europe who want to build the future
together. AEUB was an opportunity to
reflect on European values and discuss
current issues in Europe. The seminar
considered the many challenges faced in
Europe today: recurring conflicts,
successive and massive waves of migrations,
shaky minority rights and how we
deal with the past.
Over three days, participants met to
address the lack of confidence about
Europe which disengages citizens from
positives initiatives; to encourage a change
in mind-sets and relationships between
the people of Europe through a reflection
on each one’s own role; and to gain and
offer respect for each other’s personal and
national beliefs, values, identity, history and
culture. They discussed their hopes for the
continent, their concerns about the current
situation and, explored proposals in
order to lay the foundations for the future.
Through plenary sessions, various lectures
and working groups there was plenty of
opportunity for participants to talk and
explore the general topics of the seminar
by mixing academic and personal experiences.
Mealtimes, working shifts, and other
informal sessions helped to promote a
shared understanding of issues and values.
AEUB’s objective of informing, inspiring
and engaging Europeans from all backgrounds
to conceive and participate in
actions developing a spirit of parternship
and solidarity accross Europe was a true
success as acknowledged by participants.
4 5

PLENARIES
The opening session was the first step towards
developing a shared understanding
of issues and values. The objective was to
share convictions and analysis about Europe,
its strengths and weaknesses, opportunities
and critical threats and to outline
Europe’s present situation on different
levels: social, cultural, economic, moral…
It featured keynote speakers Ahmet Shala,
Kosovo’s Ambassador to Japan and former
Minister of Finance from Kosovo;
Stephanie Hofmann, Associate Professor
at the Graduate Institute in Geneva; Cathy
Nobles, a UK-based peacebuilding activist
and worker; as well as Leoluca Orlando,
Mayor of Palermo via video-conference
from Italy.
In the subsequent plenary sessions,
participants from the different working
groups reported on the hopes, concerns
and proposals that had emerged from
their discussions the previous day.
The working group presenters then
formed the panel for discussions on the
topic “Understanding East-West/North-
East Relations”.
The final plenary session was composed
of young ambassadors from the different
working groups. This session focussed
on wrapping up ideas and looking to the
future.
MORNING REFLECTION
AND PRACTICAL TASKS
For many people, daily reflection is an
essential source of wisdom and direction.
The view from Caux over lake Geneva
and the mountains makes it a perfect place
to spend some time quietly reflecting.
Regardless of religion or cultural background,
all AEUB participants were invited
to come together each morning for morning
reflection. This also served as a short
introduction to the issues that would be
discussed that day.
Reflection has been central to the Caux
approach for 70 years, recognizing that
acting wisely relies not only on our capacity
for analysis, but also on our ability
to leave space for inspiration in order to
discover what is right, not who is right.
This peaceful time, first thing in the
morning, is a moment for quiet internal
reflection, allowing those present to
reflect on their own values and moral
standards and try to establish a sense of
direction with regard to the seminar.
A special characteristic of Caux is the
communal life of the house and AEUB
participants were invited to support
the house’s practical tasks, including the
preparation of meals and washing
dishes. This is part of the volunteering
and service emphasis at Caux, which also
creates an opportunity for different types
of connections and conversations. Participants
found themselves peeling and slicing
vegetable, setting the whole breakfast early
in the morning or serving tea and coffee
to others while enjoying the pleasure that
this personal interaction brings.
6 7

YOUNG AMBASSADORS
PROGRAMME
CULTURAL EVENING
The AEUB Young Ambassadors
Programme (YAP) was run for the first
time this year. It reflects the CAUX-IofC
Foundation’s focus on youth as an
important factor for social change. This
programme created a unique learning
atmosphere for sharing ideas and experiences
within an intergenerational environment.
It sponsored 36 young committed
Europeans aged 18-25 from a total of 23
different countries to actively participate
in the seminar. This geographical and cultural
diversity enriched the seminar experience
for all participants and contributed
to fruitful discussions on the future of the
European continent and on the lessons we
could learn from its complex past.
The highlight of this year’s Ambassadors
Programme was the Cultural Night when
each young ambassador represented
his or her country of origin and shared
elements of that country’s food and/or
culture with the other participants. This
evening was key to AEUB’s aim to reduce
stereotypes and bridge cultural borders by
sharing personal stories and experiences.
In times of growing Euroscepticism, the
Programme managed to create a sense of
hope, enthusiasm and solidarity among
European youth, regardless of
differences in cultural, educational and
social backgrounds. The deep connections
that emerged at Caux and the shared goal
of working for a more united, just and
peaceful Europe are crucial elements for
addressing Europe’s unfinished business
today and in the years to come.
In the future, the AEUB project will surely
benefit from this network of young people
who are engaged in European affairs and
eager to promote within their respective
communities the positive change they
want to see in Europe.
8 9

WORKSTREAM 1
ASSIMILATION VS MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY
WORKSTREAM II
MULTIPLE IDENTITIES VS SEPARATIST SOLUTIONS
Identity is a complex and deep-seated feeling. This workstream discussed how identity
is preserved in a multicultural and multinational state. The discussions focused on the
policies, attitudes and values that have led to successes. The goal was to use first-hand
personal experience as well as case studies to deliver a toolkit for successfully establishing
strong and open peaceful identities. The key question for this working group was
how to establish effective cooperation. This was discussed each day with a different
approach: interethnic tensions and devolution, armed conflicts, autonomy and minority
rights, and issues in the Balkans involving Bosnia, Serbia, Kosovo and Albania.
In addition to considering the many expert opinions on how to manage societies
with multiple waves of immigration, the aim of this workstream was to share real-life
success stories of living together and to identify key factors in terms of values, attitudes
or policies. The workstream had a different focus each day, looking at aspects of immigration
and cultural minorities, including the Roma people, who face the most discrimination.
Main concerns
• The absence of a European plan of
action on integration
• Increasing acceptance of discriminatory
ideologies
• Manipulation of the public by the
media and politicians
Main hopes
• Greater recognition that immigration
is not only a borders’ countries issue,
but an issue for Europe as a whole
• Focus on the opportunity side of
immigration and raise awareness that
we are not always on the safe side.
Main proposals
• To grant more visibility to cultural
minorities in order to address stereotypes
• To support NGOs working in the
field
• To raise awareness through education
and to encourage a culture of
care, not of fear
Facilitators
Aurora Martin, Senior Adviser at the
National Council for Combating
Discrimination in Romania and Ivan
Ivanov, Executive Director of the
European Roma Integration Office in
Brussels.
Main concerns
• Economic and financial instability
• Lessons learned from the past, which
are not applied
• Widespread selfishness and insufficient
solidarity
Main hopes
• More cooperation at state and citizen
level
• More understanding of each other to
avoid focusing on individual concerns
• A new approach in conflict resolution
Main proposals
• To construct a European identity with
the people
• To have education based on promoting
peace and reconciliation
• To organize more learning encounters
with different nationalities
Facilitators
Undine Groeger East German-born independent
photographer and Venera Hajrullahu,
Executive Director of the Kosovar
Civil Society Foundation and Chair of the
Board of the Balkan Civil Society Development
Network.
10 11

WORKSTREAM III
DENIAL VS CONSTRUCTIVE ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE PAST
WORKSTREAM IV
RECURRING WARS WITHIN EUROPE
Some of the recurring areas of instability in Europe have succeeded in bringing about
lasting peace. What were the key factors of their peace building process, including the
wide range of efforts made by diverse actors in government, civil society and at international
levels to address the root causes of violence? The leading question of this working
group was how we could help to prevent wars within Europe. This question was
discussed day-by-day under two different aspects: open conflict areas and peacebuilding.
In recent months, several cases of denial have been reported in the media. Drawing on
less publicised examples of constructive acknowledgement of the past, this working
group tried to understand what it takes to build a new relationship between former
enemies, but also to find out how appropriate transitional justice can be applied where
there is large-scale human rights abuse. The leading question of this working group was
how to understand each other better, and has as daily sub-themes: victimisation and
taboos, revenge, and condemnation.
Main concerns
• The colonial past, which leads to
problems of “superiority”
• History repeating itself
• The rise of self-centered realism: my
security is my number one concern
Main hopes
• Learn how to prevent recurring
conflict in the future
• Find an answer for Ukraine by learning
from others
• Listen to people’s memories
Main proposals
• Facilitate the healing of prejudices
• Listening with empathy
• Encouraging open discussion
Facilitators
Margaret Smith, affiliated with the
faculty of International Peace and Conflict
Resolution at American University
in Washington, DC and Ahmet Shala,
Kosovo’s Ambassador to Japan, former
Minister of Finance and visiting Professor
at James Madison University and
Eastern Mennonite University.
Main concerns
• Lack of understanding of complexity
of conflicts
• Non-democratic state structures
• Difficulty in transcending sovereignty
• Deviation towards stronger power
politics
Main hopes
• To promote dialogue on an equal
basis
• To build common goals and to
overcome stereotypes
• Efficient OSCE control
• Respecting the human rights of every
citizen
Main proposals
• To have a dialogue on European
security
• To empower civil society in
conflict areas and to promote
post-conflict reconciliation
• To promote dialogue and abolish hatred
rhetoric
Facilitators
Arshaluys Mushkambaryan, affiliated with
the Institute of Economics and Business
at Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University
in Yerevan and Alexandra Tokareva, Senior
Programme Officer at the Regional
Development Programme, Geneva Centre
for Security Policy.
12 13

EVENING PROGRAMME
After a very rich day, participants took
part in the Interactive Workshop: “Discovering
the Life and Work of Monnet
and Schuman“ which was introduced
by a fun game to test everyone’s ability
to recognize key individuals linked to the
European project. There were then talks
by Gilles Grin and Jeff Fountain, Directors
of the Jean Monnet Foundation and The
Schuman Center for European Studies,
respectively, looking at the mentality
and working methods of Jean Monnet
and Robert Schuman as two of Europe’s
founding fathers.
The lecture: 60th anniversary of the
Bonn-Copenhagen Treaties presented
by Christoph Spreng, IofC Delegate
to the Council of Europe, showed how
those treaties ended a long-lasting border
conflict between Denmark and Germany.
Participants found it very inspirational to
learn that this conflict was settled in 1955,
that the main actors of its resolution were
public figures who were inspired by Caux
and that after 60 years, the people concerned
are still satisfied with the way this
conflict was resolved. Though, nowadays,
there are still many people and places that
have misgivings about managing diversity,
this lecture gave one concrete example
of a conflict resolution brought about
through respectful management of
diversity.
There is never enough time to get to
know one another. For this to happen, an
Open Space activity called Sharing Our
Interests, whether they were linked or
not to the European subject, was organised.
Participants introduced their favourite passion
and then invited others to join them
and share it with anyone who was interested.
We had a bit of everything: a tango class,
a guided visit to the Photo Exhibition at the
Caux Expo, a book presentation to better
experience silence, a card game, and many
others.
SIDE-EVENTS
On the evening before the seminar began,
the CAUX-IofC foundation inaugurated
the Photo Exhibition: “Within My Walls
and Beyond” by independent photographer
Undine Groeger. The artist addressed
the public, shared her personal experience
on the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall, as
well as her closeness to Transnistria, and
mentioned the great importance of
developing dialogues in order to break
down walls both within ourselves and
within our communities.
We warmly thank the Jean Monnet Foundation
in Lausanne for having supported
the seminar. Special recognition goes to
Gilles Grin and Régis Clavé, Director and
Head of Archives, respectively, for having
welcomed 30 of the participants who
took part in the visit to La Ferme de
Dorigny to discover the life of the French
economist and diplomat, as well as less
well-known aspects of his work to launch
the constitution of the “United States of
Europe”. The presentation of selected
documents and testimonies of
Jean Monnet’s work for Europe was
suitably inspirational for the start of our
AEUB work in Caux.
The Public Event Lecture: Integrating
the Past, Engaging the Present: Leveraging
History and Memory in the Task
of Building a Just and Inclusive Europe
given by Margaret Smith, an American professor
on International Peace and Conflict
Resolution, was one of the main highlights
of the AEUB conference. Her very
personal and moving presentation struck a
subtle balance between more theoretical
questions of building a common European
narrative and practical ways of transforming
tensions through social change. Memory
is one key element it this process as the
memory of past wars pushes us in the task
of creating an enduring peace for subsequent
generations.
Participants were also able to take part in
a Historical Treasure Hunt through the
former Caux Palace, organised by Brigitt
Altwegg, Project Manager for Swiss activities
of CAUX-IofC Foundation. In a fun,
interactive setting, this activity allowed
conference participants to get to know the
rich history of the building and Caux’s role
throughout history. Each of the rooms and
various locations unveiled small pieces of
history and unbelievable facts about what
this magnificent place has contributed to
Europe and the rest of the world.
14 15

TESTIMONIALS
FUTURE ACTION
“AEUB conference inspired me to work for
European peace and understanding. I can say
that the Caux atmosphere stays in my mind as
one which MUST be spread throughout Europe.”
Corina Vele - Romania (YAP 2015)
“I really appreciated the importance given to
interiority during the program.”
Denis Knubel - Switzerland
“Being an International Relations student, I
have been faced with many theories and a lot of
literature about Europe and the different foreign
policies of a lot of states, but only after participating
at Caux’s seminar about Europe’s Unfinished
Business, I was able to place myself among all
those theories and project my future as an upcoming
leader to foster the cooperation between
the European states”
Alba Brojka - Albania (YAP 2015)
“We need more of these lectures (ref. Public Lect
ure by Margaret Smith) to understand the philosophy
of an inclusive Europe far beyond the actual
infights for votes and countries’ favours.”
Monica and Folker Mittag - Germany
“I’ve learnt that there are so many different opinions
and that it is really important to understand
those, to find a good solution. The spirit of Caux,
the location, the people, made it something very
special, even maybe magical…”
Laurenz Schröer – Belgium (YAP 2015)
“Many young people (young ambassadors) from
many different and sometimes unstable countries
came together to understand each other. That’s
good and needed for the future.”
Erik Van der Kooij - The Netherlands
“Physical presence and interactions between the
representatives of the different European countries
at a common place are the most advantageous
ways to create a common understanding
and build sustainable peace.”
Gunel Isparzade – Azerbaijan (YAP 2015)
“It was refreshing to be reminded about the pioneering
work of Schumann, Monnet and
Adenauer, and of all that happened through Caux
in the years after World War 2.”
David Locke - United Kingdom
“I must admit that even though I believe in the
European project the last few months my hope
had faded, but after the conference and the
fruitful conversations with people from all the age
groups and backgrounds I regained that hope”
Sylvia Kotrotsou - Greece (YAP 2015)
“I walk away with hope that there are determined
young leaders learning and training
together for the betterment of Europe”
Cathy Nobles - United Kingdom
“I came to appreciate that the elderly contribution
provided the wisdom of lived experience, but that
they also need us for our energy, flexibility and
ability to bond with one another so quickly and
openly.”
Hillary Briffa – Malta (YAP 2015)
“AEUB is a unique format and opportunity for
people from all over Europe to meet, share
their views and ideas, and brainstorm possible
solutions to overcome such differences.”
Alexandra Tokareva - Russian Federation
2016-2018
Just before the seminar closed, participants
were asked to think about what Caux had inspired
in them and how they could push those
ideas and actions forward. They were all given
a nice postcard with a beautiful old
picture of Caux Palace, and were asked to
write themselves a message which would be
posted to them within a month to serve as a
reminder of the commitments they had made
to Europe. We will follow-up with participants
to try to collaborate together where possible.
Our commitment: to offer training across Europe
to those interested in working according
to Caux values. Interested? Contact us!
AEUB 2016
We are not even halfway through the AEUB
Project. The 2015 seminar is over but the
preparations for AEUB 2016 in Caux have
already started. A European Steering Group
(ESG) composed of IofC members from
across Europe has been established and the
programme for next year’s event will soon be
approved.
Would you like to be part of it?
Save the date and keep in touch!
July 19-23, 2016
2018 Peace Voyage
The AEUB programme will culminate with a
Peace Voyage through Europe in 2018.
Preparations will start in 2016. Several people
have enthusiastically committed to
contributing to this project and have
expressed their support by sharing ideas,
places and contacts. The main intention is to
connect people and locations in Europe where
non-violent resistance kept oppression at bay,
where spiritual forces prevailed over brute
force, and where solved and unsolved
diplomatic/interpersonal issues in Europe
meet. Got ideas? Share them with us!
16 17

INITIATIVES OF CHANGE (IofC)
IofC 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.
www.caux.ch
www.aeubproject.weebly.com
EMAIL US AT
info@caux.ch
aeub@caux.ch
JOIN THE CONVERSATION ON
FACEBOOK
CAUX.IofC
AEUB Project
YOUTUBE
CAUXIofC
TWITTER
@CAUXIofC
#AEUBProject #AEUB2016
FOCUS AREAS
Trustbuilding: 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 through transformation of motives and
behaviour.
CAUX - INITIATIVES OF CHANGE FOUNDATION
Established in 1946, the CAUX - Initiatives of Change
Foundation (CAUX-IofC) organizes and coordinates
international and local conferences, seminars and
training in Switzerland, primarily in its Conference
Centre, the Caux-Palace, bringing together a true
diversity of people.
CAUX CONFERENCE CENTER
Owned by the CAUX - IofC Foundation, the Caux
Conference Centre provides a safe and privileged
space to inspire, equip and connect individuals, groups
and organisations from around the globe to engage
effectively and innovatively in the promotion of trust,
ethical leadership, sustainable living and human security.
CAUX-Initiatives of Change Foundation
Conference Centre
Rue du Panorama, 2
1824 Caux, Switzerland
Tel: +41 (0)21 962 91 11
Geneva Office
Rue de Varembé, 1
1202 Genève
+41 (0)22 749 16 20
Addressing Europe’s
Unfinished Business
“New Reasons for Hope in
Challenging Times”
19-23 July, 2016
Join us!
#AEUB2016