Initiatives of Change UK-Emergent Future; Reimaging Our World Together

EMERGENT FUTURE: REIMAGINING OUR WORLD TOGETHER – is an invitation to hear from you, social and thought leaders, as we try to make sense of our ever-increasing complex world. We hope to learn about our current urgent needs and together explore the collective unknown. It is a space for questions, introspection, grieving, dialogue, connection, and inspiration – in order to seek what is emerging within, between, and around us.

In our 5 days together we will engage with each other through panel discussions, keynote speakers, ample spaces for discourse, collective and personal reflection and envision directions for the future.

Why ‘Emergent’ in Emergent Future?

Emergent as a new idea that emerges in the community and through dialogue that is far bigger than the sum of the people talking could ever hope to generate.

Emergent as an idea that is already inside us and finding space, through reflection/ introspection/inspiration in the five days to allow it to blossom.

Emergent as a place where we’re stuck at the edge and through collective seeking mourning and sharing hope for the new to emerge.

Emergent as connecting with what is already there and what is absent, to allow for new and more collective solutions to take shape.

THEMES

What will you do?

Emergence: Be open and hold space for self-discovery and participation leading to an inspired outcome
Reality: See me clearly. During our early morning inner listening time, we introspect deeply and understand our deepest truths.
Hope: Listen openly to the stories of hope being shared, whether it is in the plenaries or in the smaller family groups, or weaving through conversation across the table at meal times.
Faith: Seek inspiration to take a personal leap of faith, what’s my next step? We have faith in the conversation we’ll have with each other

What will we (the collective) do?

Emergence: We’ll hold space for each other and interact to allow for the rise of reimagined emergent futures.
Reality: Listen, share and bear witness to the world’s realities. Acknowledge these truths and mourn together in community
Hope: Share and listen to stories of hope.
Faith: Build networks and connections, alignments and synergies with each other to bolster us to take leaps of faith. Hear stories of those who have already had the courage to do so!

Who is coming?

We will be a diverse group of people, representing both rural and urban communities from across the world. With the belief that transformation can be cross-disciplinary, we will bring together storytellers and changemakers of every kind— musicians, artists, educators, entrepreneurs, social justice workers…..

Programme Details:

Date: 18th January to 22nd January 2024

Cost (Inclusive of GST): ₹15,000 + ₹2,700 (GST@28%) = ₹17,700

This covers your accommodation and all meals.

_{Note: UPI/GPay and NEFT/Bank Transfer do not attract any convenience fee. All other payment methods will attract a Rs. 270/- convenience fee.}

Venue: Asia Plateau, Panchgani

Asia Plateau is the education centre for Initiatives of Change India. Asia Plateau, for decades, has been a refuge for spirituality, inner listening and transformation, an incubator for envisioning inspired, collective and inclusive actions for self, community and the world.

About Asia Plateau & Panchgani:

Panchgani is located at an altitude of 1293 meters above sea level. This popular hill station is at a distance of 100 KMS from Pune and 280 KMS from Mumbai. You can reach Panchgani from either of these locations via public buses, private cars or cabs.

The Asia Plateau campus, just at the start of Panchgani town is a 68-acre campus. It is well-equipped with residential buildings, conference rooms, trees, gardens, forests and hills. The entire campus is strictly alcohol free and smoking free zone.

The weather is pleasant all year round, and light woollen clothes are recommended. We suggest you bring your walking shoes as well as rain gear along.

Click here for information on how to reach Asia Plateau.

Contact Details:

Email:- emergentfuture@iofc.org

Qualities and Strategies of Peacemakers (QSP-online) is a course of five short modules, each based on a film about outstanding peacemakers and acts as an introduction to an approach to peacemaking that was developed by Frank Buchman, the founder of what is today known as Initiatives of Change. To unpack these various approaches, the five films below have been selected. Those which have trailers available have been linked.

A film about Frank Buchman himself. The facilitated analysis focuses on the principal phases in his life, from founding a hostel for street kids in the early 1900s; to creating an international network for moral and spiritual renewal; to contributing to reconciliation between France and Germany, as well as between Japan and the Philippines after the Second World War, for which he was decorated by their respective governments.

Set in the international context, it takes a particular example of Buchman’s approach, which took place in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War. The analysis after the film focuses on the roles of four people including Buchman, who worked together to help an embittered French politician become a significant agent for post-war reconciliation with the Germans.

Set in a community in northern Nigeria divided by religious conflict, this film shows how a change of heart in individuals led to initiatives which had a far wider impact. It relates how two former rival militia leaders came together to train imams and pastors to mediate in flash points across the country and beyond. The analysis focuses on how the two men reconciled, and what the strategies they used in helping to bring about reconciliation in two key towns.

Sequel to the previous film, it focuses on healing ethnic conflict. ‘Here we see the imam and the pastor in Kenya after serious post-election violence in 2007-8, applying the mediation approach that they developed in Nigeria. After the film, participants will analyse the mediation process step by step.

In the period after the end of Apartheid and the multi-party elections, the South African Defence Force killed a group of black youths. A black guerrilla commander ordered a revenge shooting in which a white girl died. Some years later, the girl’s mother finds an opportunity to confront the guerrilla commander, and they speak of the painful realisations for both of them as they begin to journey together. The analysis will focus on the steps each took on that journey, and what they did together as a result.

The films show examples of reconciliation after conflict in a variety of contexts: inter-national, inter-religious, inter-ethnic and post-colonial. After an introduction and viewing of the film, participants take part in an interactive analysis facilitated by Dr Omnia Marzouk and/or Peter Riddell (see bios below). The main aim of the course is to absorb as much wisdom as possible about the healing of broken relationships from these remarkable stories, and to reflect on our own peacemaking.

On the morning of each module, you will receive direct links to the Zoom meeting, the film itself, and note sheets designed for your personal use while watching the film.

To enhance the course’s effectiveness, your feedback is invaluable. Following the final module, we kindly request you to complete an online evaluation form for our internal improvement efforts. With your permission, we may use some of your insightful quotes for publicity purposes, highlighting the impact of our program.

Upon attending all modules and submitting the evaluation form, you’ll be awarded a well-deserved Certificate of Completion. If life’s demands make you miss a module or two – you’re welcome to participate in a future course to catch up and still be eligible for the certificate.

We highly value individual preferences and circumstances. While we understand that some participants might prefer not to appear on video or might have bandwidth constraints, we encourage you to consider keeping your video on as it enhances the interactive experience and fosters meaningful connections among participants.

QSP is for anyone over the age of 18, in particular those who want to respond to past or present instability in their countries. Click here for a time-zone converter to see what time the course will be running from where you are. It aims to enrich their understanding of peace-making and stimulate new ideas for ways forward.

QSP is free of charge, but voluntary donations to extend the programme are appreciated.

Qualities and Strategies of Peacemakers (QSP-online) is a course of five short modules, each based on a film about outstanding peacemakers.

Please click HERE to get a more in depth understanding of the content and layout of the course.

QSP is for anyone over the age of 18, in particular those who want to respond to past or present instability in their countries. Click here for time-zone converter to see what time the course will be running from where you are. It aims to enrich their understanding of peace-making and stimulate new ideas for ways forward.

QSP is free of charge, but voluntary donations to extend the programme are appreciated.

On the morning of each module, you will receive direct links to the Zoom meeting, the film itself, and note sheets designed for your personal use while watching the film.

QSP is free of charge, but voluntary donations to extend the programme are appreciated.

On the morning of each module, you will receive direct links to the Zoom meeting, the film itself, and note sheets designed for your personal use while watching the film.

QSP is free of charge, but voluntary donations to extend the programme are appreciated.

Initiatives for Change Business (ICB), a program of Initiatives of Change (IofC) is delighted to invite you to their 9th Biennial International Conference on Sustaining Business through Integrity and Trust.

Building trust is an essential part of developing any relationship. Without trust, one cannot create a meaningful and sustainable relationship with anyone. There are many who think that by laying down very precise policies and procedures they can get the job done but, let’s face it, without trust the policy itself becomes suspect and the procedures superfluous.

How do we build trust and create value? To help find some of these answers, ICB is focusing on these issues during its International Conference at Panchgani, Maharashtra, India.

Details on the conference can be obtained by clicking on the invitation link: ICB 2024 Invitation.

The programme will take place at the Asia Plateau campus, just at the start of Panchgani town. This 68-acre campus is well-equipped with residential buildings, conference rooms, trees, gardens, forests and hills. The entire campus is strictly a no-smoking and no-alcohol zone. Violation of this guideline is taken very seriously.

The weather is pleasant all year round, and light woollen clothes are recommended. We suggest you bring your walking shoes as well as rain gear along.

We are celebrating the publication of IofC Switzerland’s new book 75 Years of Stories; Caux 1946 – 2021!

This book tells 75 stories – one for each year between 1946 and 2021 – of some of the lives which have been touched by Caux. They include far-reaching encounters, such as those between French and Germans after World War Two or between Somalis of warring communities in 2005; heart-stopping moments, such as in 1981 when Agnes Hofmeyr spoke from the stage with a man who had sanctioned her father’s murder; and stories from the corridors, offices and kitchens of the many volunteers who have made the conferences possible.

Join us at Greencoat Place in London for light refreshments and the opportunity to meet some of the authors and some of those whose stories are told. There will then be an opportunity for your questions.

This gathering calls upon educators worldwide to seek inspiration, exchange ideas, and create strategies that instil hope and purpose in our lives, as well as in the lives of our students and communities. Through introspection, we will address the challenges of our evolving role in a world undergoing rapid technological advancements and shifts in values-based living. Through storytelling and active listening, we will explore ways to safeguard human dignity, fostering trust and compassion as the cornerstones of peace in a divided world. By committing to the preservation of our planet, we will generate ideas and take action for sustainable living. Let’s join forces as change-makers, embarking on a collective journey to create a just, peaceful, and compassionate world, starting within our classrooms.

Initiatives of Change (IofC) is a worldwide movement of people of diverse cultures and backgrounds committed to transforming society through changes in human motives and behaviour, starting with their own. Our mission is to inspire, equip and connect people to address world needs, starting with themselves. We work worldwide on many initiatives through a network of individuals, groups and organisations.

The weather is pleasant all year round, and light woollen clothes are recommended. We suggest you bring your walking shoes as well as rain gear along.

Date: 8th January to 12th January 2024 (Arrival by 2 pm on January 8th and ends at 12.30 pm on January 12th)

Participation Fee: ₹ 17,700 inclusive of 18% GST. This fee includes your stay on twin sharing basis, all meals, programme material and facilities like Wi-Fi.

Did you know that 220,000 people lost their lives in the civil war in Colombia over 50 years?

Or that 5 million civilians were forced from their homes – the second largest number of internally displaced people?

Dr Catalina Montoya Londoño, who grew up in Colombia and has written extensively on the subject, will give a presentation and answer questions on:

Negotiating Peace in Colombia: What were the pivotal changes that needed to take place for progress to occur?

During her time as a student in Colombia, she interned on the Programme of Development and Peace of Middle Magdalena led by Francisco de Roux, the Jesuit priest who was to become the director of the Colombian Truth Commission after the peace process was signed between the Colombian Government and FARC guerrillas in 2016.

Catalina has been a full-time lecturer since 2001, first in Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogata and since 2013, at Liverpool Hope University.

Her research interests focus on the area of political communication including relationships between states, civil society and media in the context of conflict and peacebuilding, and communication and international relations with an emphasis on Latin American politics.

She has written books, chapters and articles in English and Spanish on: the impact of event-driven news in the projection of US foreign policy in Colombia; the use of media by civil society organizations to foster democracy and human rights in Colombia and Latin America; the relationships between political and media systems, political and media debates regarding transitional justice in Colombia; and international cooperation, mediated diplomacy and peacebuilding in Colombia.

This event is free of charge, but contributions greatly appreciated, click here to donate (specifying Agenda for Reconciliation).

Qualities and Strategies of Peacemakers is a training programme of IofC UK’s Agenda for Reconciliation.

On the morning of each module, you will receive direct links to the Zoom meeting, the film itself, and note sheets designed for your personal use while watching the film.

QSP is free of charge, but voluntary donations to extend the programme are appreciated.