Purity - A Force for Good
8th March 2023
Women and girls are having a tough time. Whether things have got worse in this generation or not is hard to say but more and more evidence of their mistreatment is coming to light. Every day we hear reports of women being humiliated, discriminated against, harassed, touched inappropriately, physically assaulted…
How can Peace be Achieved in the Korean Peninsula?
6th March 2023
On Thursday 23 February, Initiatives of Change UK, along with Relational Peacebuilding Initiatives, hosted the launch of Michael Schluter’s new book ‘No Other Way to Peace in Korea? A Practical Path to Reunification’ at Greencoat Place. An audience of diplomats, scientists, peacebuilders, clergy, academics, musicians, authors, and activists gathered at…
Amanda Clements: Key Thoughts from HERE Conference
16th February 2023
At the end of last year, Amanda Clements, Curriculum Developer for our Refugees as Rebuilders Programme attended the Hub for European Refugee Education (HERE), a two-day Conference in Nottingham, which brought together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and third-sector organisations to engage in critical conversations on refugee education. The event focused on Refugee…
Kahramanmaras Earthquake: Farid Rashid Recalls Effects in Syria
12th February 2023
Farid Mohammad Rashid, one of our RRB™ trainers, shares an account he has gathered from news reports and close sources of the effects in Northern Syria as a result of the earthquake that occurred in the early hours of 6th February. At 4:17am, a new chapter of suffering started in…
Re-Builders of Education
27th January 2023
On Tuesday 24th January 2023, Refugees as Re-Builders™ (RRB) held a special ‘ Lunch and Learn’ event at Greencoat Place, IofC UK’s Centre in London, to mark UNESCO’s fifth International Day of Education. The event inspired guests with two astute RRB alumni projects that are now enabling positive change in…
Guru to the World - Dr Ruth Harris Speaks on Vivekananda
24th January 2023
Author, Dr Ruth Harris, discusses her new book which follows the spiritual journey of celebrated Indian Monk “Vivekananda is a renowned name in India, yet virtually unknown to the rest of the world.” Swami Vivekananda was an Indian Hindu monk, spiritual leader and reformer who was born in 1863…
Beyond the Numbers: A Deeper Dive into Knife Crime in London
18th January 2023
Sustainable Communities aim to tackle knife crime with the help of Brunel University students. Undergraduates from Brunel University have started their final year work on one of the most serious and continually rising issues in the Capital – knife crime. The University’s final year Global Challenges students have partnered with…
What Price Democracy?
14th December 2022
This article is an opinion piece that follows on from an article written in April 2022. To live a fulfilling life, two elements amongst others are essential. One is to have a purpose that motivates you; and you need a values-framework so that you make decisions that are in line…
Building New Friendships
26th October 2022
For the past year, a group of Hong Kong friends have been meeting at the IofC house in Norham Road, Oxford, at the invitation of Bekie Chan, a trained Creators of Peace Facilitator, and Su Riddell, Manager of the Norham Road house. All attendees are new arrivals to the UK.…
Refugees as Rebuilders™ at Thatcham Festival
20th October 2022
Thatcham is a small, lively town about sixty miles due West of London. Each year they hold a Festival at which I have been invited to make a contribution. Past years have included inspired events with friends such Imad Karam (focussing the film on Frank Buchman of which he is…