In 1946, 100 Swiss families and individuals bought the run-down Caux Palace Hotel as a ‘place where Europeans, torn apart by hatred, suffering and resentment, can come together.’ Hundreds of volunteers from across Europe helped them to transform the building into an international conference centre. Over 100,000 people have taken part in conferences in Caux since then, seeking their part in bringing healing and justice to a divided world.

This book tells 75 stories – one for each year between 1946 and 2021 – 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 corridoes, offices and kitchens of the many volunteers who have made the conferences possible.

These stories offer a glimpse of the magic at work in the international conference centre in Caux, owned by Initiatives of Change Switzerland for the worldwide network of Initiatives of Change.