AEUB 2016: New reasons for hope in challenging times

New reasons for hope in challenging times AEUB 2016 in Caux

26/07/2016
AEUB

 

Philippe Herzog,  a former Member of the European Parliament, and a former leader of the French Communist Party, called for reform of the EU. But he said ‘It is not just the European Union, but European civilisation that is in crisis’, he said. ‘There is a flaw, a failure on otherness. We do not know each other!  The peoples of Europe must be brought nearer to each  other. But what’s most important is what gives breath, it is a soul for Europe.”

He was speaking at the third annual ‘Addressing Europe’s Unfinished Business’ (AEUB) where this year’s theme was ‘New Reasons for Hope in Challenging Times’. The aim of the conference was to ‘give an opportunity for people from across the continent to gather and listen to each other, to reflect on the changes we each need to make and common actions we can undertake, to help create a more secure, just and sustainable Europe.’

Europeans came from countries as far apart as Spain and Russia, Cyprus and the Nordic North and from many walks of life, ethnicities and belief traditions. They included young people from 42 European countries who had been selected for the ‘AEUB Young Ambassadors’ programme.

Speaking before Mr Herzog in a session on one of the conference’s three themes, ‘Bridging the gap between our principles and our practice’, Victoria Martin de la Torre, Press officer at the European Parliament  and author of “ Europe, a leap into the unknown” , identified the sources of inspiration of the founding fathers of the European Union, and those who had followed them. She made a balance sheet of what of the original impulse had been retained, and what had been lost. She concluded that to remain faithful  to the original inspiration it would be important to retain both the word and concept of ‘Community’, to keep federation as the long-term goal of political union, to keep the balance the economic and social dimensions, and between the ‘person’ and the ‘individual’. Culture and education were vital in creating active citizens.

Active citizenship was also present in the topic of Migration, and the way ordinary people in many places had acted more rapidly than governments in responding to the emergency.

A young French woman Célia Demoor, President of DEEP France, who lives near the “jungle of Calais”, spoke about her work organising dialogues between some of the 7000 refugees in the camps on the outskirts of the town, and the town’s residents. Terttu Laaksonen from Finland told how she and others created an association to help refugees who had come to her city after crossing from Sweden via the northern border. She said, ‘It has given me a lot of hope to see how people are reaching out. Some ‘new Finns’ who had arrived earlier, were our interpreters, working alongside us at the railway station, in the camps.’

Imam Ajmal Masroor from the UK, who is frequently asked by prominent media channels to comment on current affairs, made a passionate plea to remember our common humanity. ‘We are all immigrants! Let’s welcome them, let’s share our wealth with them. We need gratitude and hope, respect and acceptance!’

‘A new narrative for Europe’ was a theme that ran through the whole conference. American/British academic Dr Margaret Smith gave a definition of ‘narrative’ as ‘a special kind of story that gives meaning to a larger group experience’. She suggested that the ‘narrative offered by Caux is the story of what it means to bring life to our best aspirations by figuring out how to live the values we talk about.’

An outcome of the ‘Enquiry Stream’ that worked on a ‘new narrative’ throughout the conference was: ‘The great European house - a home for all its citizens, a cultural, economic and political community taking its responsibility towards the rest of the world.

Young ambassadors and participants of the conference left Caux as close-knit group of friends ready to support each other in their diverse projects to address Europe’s challenges.

Stay tuned for next year’s conference!

 

Featured Story
On

related stories

Viki square EN no logo.png

Europe: A Mindset of Diversity

Spanish journalist Victoria Martín de la Torre is passionate about Europe, diversity and interfaith relations. Here she reflects on different aspects of Europe, based on her PhD research which led her...

Polina and Katya square faces EN

What is the meaning of home?

Amid escalating conflicts worldwide, the arts emerge as a potent force to challenge misconceptions and foster positive perspectives. The pivotal role of artists in creatively raising awareness has nev...

Ignacio India blog

Walking the Talk in Business

On 25 - 28 January, some 60 CEOs and other senior staff came together under Chatham House Rules to share personal experiences on how to balance a sustainable business with integrity and trust. Executi...

Save the date Caux Forum 2024 EN

Caux Forum 2024: Save the Date!

Save the date for the Caux Forum 2024! This summer Caux Initiatives of Change, in partnership with Initiatives of Change International and supported by other civil society networks, UN agencies, phila...

Caux Forum opening square website EN

Filling the gap in global efforts for peace and democracy

The Caux Forum 2023 Opening Ceremony set the tone for the conference with the theme, ‘Strengthening Democracy: The Journey from Trauma to Trust.’. Discover the report and relive the highlights of this...

Tsvetana 13 Sept 2023

Finding purpose and harmony through music and the Caux Palace

In a world filled with diverse cultures and languages, the journey of musician Tsvetana Petrushina is an inspiring tale of how she discovered her purpose. Her remarkable story led her to the Caux Pala...

Save the date 2023 square no date

Caux Forum 2023: Save the Date

We are excited to announce the Caux Forum will be back in Caux next summer! Find out more and save the date! ...

Arpan Yagnik

Arpan Yagnik: Mountains to climb

Arpan Yagnik, a participant of last year's Creative Leadership conference and team member of the IofC Hub 2021, talks to Mary Lean about creativity, fear and vocation. ...

YAP 2021 article square

Young Ambassadors Programme 2021: Learning to listen

When Indonesian law student Agustina Zahrotul Jannah discovered the Young Ambassadors Programme (YAP) on Google she felt both excited and hopeless: excited because she hoped it might give her the skil...

Zero waste square for social media

Sofia Syodorenko: A zero waste lifestyle is a mindful lifestyle

How did Sofia Syodorenko become involved in the zero waste movement, and what does it mean to her? Now Chair of Foundations for Freedom, she is also a representative of the Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine...

Patrick Magee 600x600

‘Where Grieving Begins – Building Bridges after the Brighton Bomb’: a live interview with Patrick Magee

The second in Tools for Changemakers’ series of Stories for Changemakers took place on 25 August 2021, with an interview with Patrick Magee, who planted a bomb at the Grand Hotel, Brighton, in 1984, w...

Summer Academy 2021 screenshot square

Forging a network of problem-solvers to build a secure and sustainable future

The Summer Academy on Climate, Land and Security 2021 brought together 29 participants from 20 countries. From Egypt and Senegal to the United States and Thailand, zoom windows opened for six hours ev...

Salima Mahamoudou 21 July 2021 FDFA workshop CDES 2021

Remaking a world in peril

The Caux Dialogue on Environment and Security (CDES) 2021 ran online from 20 July until 30 July, for the second consecutive year, comprising three open plenaries and seven workshops. This year’s discu...

CL 2021 Hope square

A Journey from Uncertainty to Possibility

2021’s Creative Leadership conference took participants on a six-day journey ‘From Uncertainty to Possibility’. Between 25 to 31 July around 150 online participants living in over 50 countries engaged...

FDFA Baobabcowherd-1 Noah Elhardt through WikiCommons square with logos

A pathway to peace and prosperity in West and Central Africa

In the context of their partnership, Initiatives of Change Switzerland (IofC) and the Peace and Human Rights division of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs organised a webinar on the them...