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.

Juan Carlos Kaiten

Jean-Pierre Méan, the President of Caux-Initiatives of Change, who is also President of Transparency International Switzerland, opened this fifth annual TIGE conference. The four ‘work streams’ were presented. Lavinia Sommaruga Bodeo, Policy Development, Alliance Sud, a Swiss network of development organisations, and Cristina Bignardi, an organic farmer, also secretary of Initiatives of Change-Italy and Pace Adesso, will lead one on ‘Food, Consumer Responsibility and a Sustainable Economy’. Inese Voika, the founder of Transparency International from Latvia will lead another on ‘Social Entrepreneurship for Social Change’; Myrna Roselind Jelman, a coach and consultant on leadership is taking one on ‘Seeking Meaning in a Business World’ and Juan Carlos Kaiten, Collective Intelligence Practitioner/Researcher, from Mexico on ‘Solving Complex Problems in a Global Society’.

Amira Elmissiry

Amira Elmissiry, Assistant to the Secretary General of the African Development Bank Group, Tunisia/Zimbabwe, gave a keynote address last night on ‘Solving Complex Problems – An African Perspective’. ‘Africans never ceased to hope that something new was about to happen or was happening in their lives,’ she said. She went on, ‘Africa will show the world, with deep-rooted wisdom and dignity, the innate respect for human lives, the intense humanity that is our heritage.’ As an African, she stressed the importance of listening: ‘Most of us have the tendency of listening only to make up our minds whether we agree or disagree. We are thinking about what we are going to say, a counterargument, rather than actually hearing what is being said. Traditional structures have highlighted the importance of silence in solving complex problems. Silence has power because the most important thing is to stop talking, or to stop habitually repeating. If you’re digging yourself into a hole, the first step is to stop digging. If what you’re doing isn’t working, the first step is to stop; and silence is about stopping.’

Two important guest speakers will be R Gopalakrishnan, the Executive Director, Tata Sons and a Member of the Group Executive Board, Tata Group, will give a Caux Lecture on ‘Beyond consumer capitalism – towards sustainability and fair trade’ and the new Italian President of the Focolare Movement, Maria Voce, who will speak on ‘Economy of Communion: an instrument at the service of humanity on the way towards a united world’.

>> Further information about the International Caux Conferences 2010