The last of six conferences at the Initiatives of Change centre in Caux, above Montreux, the ‘Trust and Integrity in the Global Economy’ conference, closed today.

It was a musical odyssey around the world. The veteran country and western group the Colwell Brothers from California, now in their seventies, had last performed in Caux, Switzerland, in 1961. Their first visit to the 'home for the world', as the Initiatives of Change centre in Caux was described, had been in 1953. Now they were back, with composer, pianist and xylophone player Herbie Allen, to give a barnstorming performance before a packed international audience in Caux's main hall on 14 August.

The Italian President of the Focolare Movement, Maria Voce, spoke today at the Initiatives of Change conference centre in Caux, above Montreux. She spoke on ‘Economy of Communion: an instrument at the service of humanity on the way towards a united world’ at the conference ‘Trust and Integrity in the Global Economy: Exploring ways to help create a just and equitable global economy’.

R Gopalakrishnan, the Executive Director, Tata Sons and a Member of the Group Executive Board, Tata Group, spoke today on ‘Beyond consumer capitalism – towards sustainability and free trade’ at the Initiatives of Change conference centre in Caux.

The conference ‘Trust and Integrity in the Global Economy: Exploring ways to help create a just and equitable global economy’ opened last night in the Initiatives of Change conference centre in Caux. This last of six summer conferences in the centre has attracted 160 participants. For six days, business professionals, social entrepreneurs, representatives of NGOs and people from the food industry, from many countries will meet to develop actions directed at creating a fairer economy.

The two training sessions: an array of seven courses by Initiatives of Change (IofC) trainers, and ‘Leading Change for a Sustainable World’ for young leaders, closed this morning at the IofC conference centre in Caux.

Ryland Fisher, Executive Chairperson of the Cape Town Festival, is a former Editor of the Cape Times and has close to 30 years of experience in the media industry. Speaking in the Initiatives of Change conference centre in Caux, Switzerland last night, he said, ‘We need to realize that transformation and reconciliation are not an event but a process.’

The Caux Conference centre is buzzing with trainers and trainees. The two sessions in parallel started last night and continue until Tuesday 10 August: an array of seven courses by Initiatives of Change (IofC) trainers, and ‘Leading Change for a Sustainable World’ for young leaders.

Sixty years ago this month a delegation of 60 Japanese arrived in Caux, the IofC centre in Switzerland, just five years after the devastation of World War II. This year, 44 Japanese came to Caux where they spoke about the impact on their country of that first delegation.

The conference, ‘Everybody Counts', came to a close on Monday, 2 August. For one week, participants from all over the world and ranging in age from only 7 months to 91 years gathered in Caux to listen, share, discuss and reflect.