Addressing Europe's Unfinished Business seminar - Caux, Switzerland

CAUX- Initiatives and Change Foundation 15/2/2014

Addressing Europe’s Unfinished BusinessA project for 2014-2018

CAUX- Initiatives and Change Foundation 2

The European Project is a strategy to advance world peaceThere are 7 main ideas in the Schumann declaration (9 May 1950): World peace needs a « creative effort » to match the challenge; failure of such efforts in the 1930s has

meant the worst war ever. This « creative effort » obviously needs to start with France and Germany. Step-by-step progress will be needed (no grand plan). The Coal and Steel Community will be the first step, removing trade barriers as well as motives foe war,

and constituting the first step towards a « European Federation ». This community will be open to all European countries. The community will serve the whole world in order to bolster the living standards and develop the works

of peace., especially but not only in Africa. A new high authority, whose decisions will be binding for the members states, will set up the foundations

of a European Federation which is indispensable in order to maintain peace.

Addressing Europe’s Unfinished Business

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Why should Europe be considered unfinished?

More than one armed conflict a year in Europe since the Berlin wall’s fall 11% of the world’s conflicts take place in Europe Europe is the continent with the highest number of conflicts relating to identity and self-government The main European powers seem to be foremost concerned by economics The enlargement process doesn’t emphasize the deep peace process and mindset transformation that

forms the basis of the European project No European common vision for history school programmes and textbooks Still overwhelmingly separate war commemorations Lack of emphasis on the Day of Europe (9 May) European hearts and minds remain separate, sometimes nationalistic A feeling of national selfishness on the rise, a lack of cohesion of Europe

« Has Europe failed? »5/2/2014



Could 2014-2018 be a time for European governments to do

something historic?

How could Europe become what it set out to become?

2014 is WWI centenary, obviously a good time to remember past events and formulate a common vision of the future.

A time to refresh our European commitment by taking the appropriate actions at ordinary citizens’ level and by suggesting the corresponding moves at government level, a European New Deal.

A decision to fund common European history school textbooks would be an appropriate way to allow a European identity to develop

Common war commemorations and more visible common celebrations on the Day of Europe would signal that the European Union is taken seriously

Other decisions on the institutions of Europe, making them more democratic and related to the ordinary citizen would be most welcome.

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How can Caux help?

The CAUX-Initiatives of Change Foundation will organise two events:

Look at the future together: on 27-28 June, a seminar including academics and moral authorities as well as official European states and institutions representatives would look at common strategies to tackle Europe’s unfinished business.

Remember together: on 3 August, the precise anniversary of the first battle of WWI, a commemorative event will take place in Caux to remember the intra-European wars together and reflect on how Europe has succeeded in overcoming this tragic heritage.

N.B.: The Caux conference center played a significant part in French-German and other reconciliations after WWII. It benefits from the Swiss neutrality and the Swiss wish to bring a contribution to peace and human security.

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Addressing Europe’s Unfinished BusinessOther initiatives are waiting for their leaders

A European peace voyage travelled by high-level goodwill ambassadors could link different hot spots of war and peace in Europe, moving towards hotter conflicts as it would progress from west towards east, bringing along stories of reconciliation.

Break-out groups could visit places where the weapons of the spirit were used and often prevailed over brutal force.

Reach out actions towards governments to invite reflection on Europe’s unfinished business and a new European commitment.

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Addressing Europe’s Unfinished BusinessHow can Initiatives of Change help?

Organising the peace voyage with the help of national Initiative of Change bodies under supervision of the European Coordination Group

Organising training for young people in European history and ask them to reflect about the meaning of European identity, based on EU “youth in action” funding, to be connected with children’s parliaments which are active in most European countries

Connecting with like-minded organisations and facilitating partnerships Organising subsequent gatherings in Caux and other places during the school holidays in December

2014, in the summer of 2015 and beyond

The CAUX-Initiatives of Change Foundation will concentrate on organising the high-profile events of 28-29 June and 3 August 2014 as a launching platform for other

initiatives.

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Addressing Europe’s Unfinished BusinessIt won’t happen all by itself!

How can we, Europeans, tolerate division, discrimination and injustice, the root causes of WWI and WWII, well into the 21st century?

How have we tolerated over the last 25 years so many repetition of the worst episodes of our history, military campaigns, bombardments, deportation of civilians or worse?

How can we look at ourselves in the mirror and think that the next generation may be going to war again because of what we will not have done in our lifetime?

Get involved! Talk to your local politicians, your member of parliament, your government ministers, ask for a

new European initiative before 2018! Advocate concrete ways to reinforce the peace process and mindset transformation which

undergirds the European project. Join one of the goodwill initiatives!

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How can you concretely help? Can you spare a few hours, a few days, a few weeks? Can you offer a few cents, or much more? Have you got friends whom you think would want to be part of this endeavour to better fulfill Europe’s

peace calling? We need all of this and all energies to advance this project!

Register your support with the President of the CAUX-Initiatives

of Change foundation:

[email protected]/2/2014

Addressing Europe's Unfinished Business seminar - Caux, Switzerland

Government & Nonprofit

Transcript of Addressing Europe's Unfinished Business seminar - Caux, Switzerland