Erfahrungsberichte

What gives the courage to whistleblow? One woman’s story [1]

Genevieve Boast shares what she has learned about the true meaning of ‘real love’. Early on in her career she was faced with a decision whether she was able to love herself enough to keep her integrity as a leader.

Peacemaking in South Sudan [2]

Augustino Lucano, a South Sudanese living in Calgary, shares how his passion for peace became 'unstoppable', helping to resolve years of conflict in his home state of Eastern Equatoria.

Choosing to speak the truth of history [3]

'It was not until November 2009 that I learned of my family’s involvement with a brutal system of torture and death. From that moment on, I knew I would never be the same.' Cristina Comer writes about her work with the film Slavery by Another Name.

Norwegian newspaper editor interviews Ilene Godfrey Andersen [4]

Ilene Andersen tells journalist Peer Rødal Haugen, 'God called me, He led me, and He used me, an ordinary girl from California.' Read her fascinating story of 'Taking part in changing the world', – what turned her life upside down and launched her into global adventures, serving and above all singing.

Saving water, serving villagers, preserving village life [5]

Suresh Mathew meets a hydro-geologist working with Grampari, the rural ecology development initiative attached to Initiative of Change’s Asian conference centre in Panchgani, India, who aims to avert a disaster on our doorstep.

Building houses out plastic bottles - inspiration from Harambee Programme [6]

Samuel Muiruri, a participant of Harambee Africa Leadership Programme from Kenya, has been putting into practice one of the things that he learnt during the sixth Harambee programme that took place end of last year in Nigeria - building houses out of plastic bottles.

A gentle, revolutionary matriarch from Egypt [7]

Suresh Mathew meets with Dr Nagia Abdelmoghney Said, a 62-year-old Egyptian, born to a family who for generations were liberal intellectuals and freedom fighters. She discusses with him the current situation in Egypt, saying ’many challenges are being faced, perhaps the greatest of which is to fight corruption and achieve justice without residual bitterness.'

How the 2009 Cambodian youth camp changed my life [8]

Teng Koytry, one of the participants of the third annual youth camp which took place in Pailin Province in 2009 and was hosted by Cambodia Initiatives of Change Association (ICA), shares how it changed his life for ever.

International Civil Servant [9]

What is an HR person to do? The doctor and I stood outside and realized that we would have to go back in to find people. Other colleagues were at hand to assist and went in selflessly, not afraid to die in pursuit of the living. So we did. It's something you have to do in spite of the fact that you do not really know how safe the building is - would the structure hold? Would there be another bomb? Ranya Kargbo shares what her job means to her, working as a United Nations International Civil Servant.

A hug in a million [10]

Why would an 80-year-old English grandmother keep coming to Switzerland, every year for 50 years, travelling to arrange flowers at the Initiatives of Change international centre in Caux [11]? And why does she remember that hug from a one-armed Afghan? Barbara Down talked with Elizabeth Loy when they were both in Caux this July.