6 comments on “Initiatives of Change”

1. Michael Smith

   4 November 2010

   

   Catriona,

   I am hosting a Greencoat Forum on the evening of Tuesday 23 November on the theme of ‘Capitalism towards the common good: regulation or culture and character’. The panel of speakers will include Paul Moore, the so-called HBOS whistleblower, Roger Steare from Cass Business School and Nick Robins who wrote the book ‘The corporation that changed the world’, about the East India Company.

   IofC is also holding a public event at Friends Meeting House, Euston, on the evening of Friday 12 November for the launch of a new film called An African Answer, about post-violence mediation in the Kenya Rift Valley near Eldoret which was most affected by the violence. That event is at 6.30pm for 7pm .

   You are most welcome to attend either or both of these,

   Mike
2. Michael Smith

   18 January 2010

   

   On your pondering how Moral Re-Armament got to change its name, I can only say that it was a long and arduous process. The name Moral Re-Armament was hugely topical in 1938 when nations were rearming militarily in preparation for the war against Hitler. Frank Buchman, MRA’s founder, called for a corresponding ‘moral and spiritual rearmament’ in people and their motives, to meet the challenges of war and to create the peace. But in more recent decades the name had an increasingly right wing political connotation, far removed from the commitment to peace, justice and survival of the planet. After a long international consultation, the global fellowship/network settled on the name ‘Initiatives of Change’ (signalling, we hope, the notion of initiatives that are born out of a change of heart in people) with the strap line of ‘Building trust across the world’s divides’. So Initiatives of Change has been our name since 2001. We have national bodies in some 38 countries, affiliated to our Swiss-based global body Initiatives of Change International.

   Best greetings,

   Mike
   • Catriona Robertson

     20 January 2010

     

     Many thanks Mike – I had vague memories of my parents talking about MRA a long, long time ago!

     I was impressed with the vigour of the two IoC Switzerland women I met at the CEJI course in Brussels and I’m hoping that a few people from the UK will travel to Caux for the conference. Let’s keep in touch. Catriona
     • Catriona Robertson

       4 November 2010

       

       I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Nina & Angela at Caux and again when they were over in London at IofC in September.

       Hoping that London Boroughs Faiths Network http://www.lbfn.wordpress.com will be holding a small event during Inter Faith Week either at IofC (& International Communications Forum) or including people from there.
3. Michael Smith

   18 January 2010

   

   Catriona,

   It was good to meet you too at the Faith Climate Connect launch last Thursday evening. You and your bloggers might like to see the report of the event on The Times’ website:

   http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article6989856.ece

   If you click on the Recommended link near the top of the article it will register your recommendation; the more who do so the more this will encourage others to read the piece!

   Sincerely,

   Mike
   • Catriona Robertson

     20 January 2010

     

     Will do – and have added the link to the blog here.

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