Initiatives of Change - International Association

Mohamed Sahnoun, President of Initiatives of Change International

ABOUT US

Initiatives of Change International (IofC International) is a non-government organization (NGO) working for peace, reconciliation and human security worldwide. It has Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, and Participatory Status at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. It stresses the importance of personal responsibility, ethical leadership and building trust across the world’s divides.

Based in Caux Switzerland, Initiatives of Change International was founded in 2002 as an association bringing together the autonomous national bodies of the Initiatives of Change movement most of whom had already been active for several decades. Initiatives of Change International represents the universality and multi-faith character of the movement and facilitates its relationships with the United Nations and other international institutions and organizations through its Geneva office. Also, certain trans-national programmes of the Initiatives of Change movement operate under the auspices of Initiatives of Change International.

For more information about Initiatives of Change’s recent programmes, see www.iofc.org/highlights

Since 2000, Initiatives of Change has been engaged in reconciliation work in the African Great Lakes region. Beginning in 2003, work was initiated to help consolidate peace in Burundi, mainly by facilitating the integration of the Palipehutu-FNL, the last rebel group, into society and by helping to defuse tensions among various political and social leaders that have a potential to escalate into armed conflict. This programme is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Government. Click here to read more

Initiatives of Change International is an active participant in Conference of International NGOs of the Council of Europe, and helped draft the Conference’s contribution to the Council of Europe’s White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue.

The programme 'Journalism for Peace and Reconciliation' is a partnership combining the press agency InfoSud’s expertise in training journalists in social responsibility and intercultural journalism, with Initiatives of Change International’s long expertise in ethics, reconciliation and personal change. Since November 2004 the partnership has led to the training of some 100 journalists from the African Great Lakes region. In 2008, this partnership is working with Initiatives of Change Côte d’Ivoire (ICCI) to conduct training in ‘Journalism for Peace and Reconciliation’ and supporting journalists as Côte d’Ivoire goes to elections.

In 2008 Initiatives of Change International will launch the new Caux Forum for Human Security at the movement’s sixty-year-old international centre for reconciliation in Caux. The Forum is expected to become a global resource for those working for peace and human security at all levels.

Initiatives of Change International has operational responsibility for its United Nations Office in Geneva, for Initiatives of Change's global communications and facilitates collaboration between IofC national bodies in some forty countries. Its Office of International Training Services in Geneva connects the training capacities of the worldwide movement with needs identified by the UN and other international agencies.