In the beginning, participants found the concept of reflection difficult to grasp but as time and activities were shared they understood what reflection is. One of the participants responded, “People assume what kind of a person one is by looking at how one behaves and reacts. However, the facilitator defined mirror reflection as ‘a mixture of one's story and inner encouragement to share one's story. With this I am confident to live my life as the internal mirror shows and not as the eternal mirror wants.’

On 6th April, teenage boys and girls between the ages 10 – 15years from Protea Glen, Kagiso and Noordgesig (areas around Johannesburg) gathered at the Initiatives of Change (IofC) office in Klamson Towers, Johannesburg to have fun and learn at the same time. The motivation that drove them to come that day was to explore a topic called 'Behaviour' whereby the IofC team guided them through the positiveness and the negativeness of behaviour and what the consequences are thereof.

Dr Imad Karam, Executive Director of Initiatives of Change International, received a Peace Through Media Award at the Tenth International Media Awards dinner in London last month. Describing him as an award-winning Gazan documentary film maker, the nomination cited his films on forgiveness and peacebuilding, including Beyond Forgiving and The Imam and the Pastor.

Following the Cambodian International Farmers’ Dialogue in 2016, Cambodian farmers learn a lot through an exchange visit with South Korea.

‘We are the citizens of today and tomorrow,’ stated Kehkashan Basu, 17, winner of the 2016 International Children’s Peace Prize, as she opened the fifth edition of Children as Actors for Transforming Society (CATS). Empowering children to become the leaders of tomorrow is what CATS is all about. CATS 2017 gathered 264 children, young people and adults of 34 nationalities to promote inclusion and to give children experiencing exclusion a voice.

To my dear friends, colleagues the world over, and all who wonder what’s going on in the US as of late, I feel the need to express some sort of response in light of the recent events in Charlottesville, but honestly, I don’t know what to write. So, forgive me if this is a bit disorganized. It’s not that I am at loss for words. That’s not the case. I can list in my head a multitude of words to describe how sad I am, how disappointed I am, and how confused I feel about our future. It’s just that I have realized that anything I write runs the risk of falling flat. What I want to say can easily be diluted by my previous silence on the subject. I have been silent for most of my life because, really, I’ve had no reason to complain. I’ve mistakenly operated as though none of these events affect me. So, perhaps, that is part of the problem. Maybe I’ve gotten too comfortable with silence.

In a bid to create a safe space for youth to express their opinions and expertise, 15 young entrepreneurs, grassroots activists, educators, environmental professionals and students gathered to take part in the Emerging Leaders Programme during the Caux Dialogue on Land and Security (CDLS) in July.

The Imam and the Pastor film, produced by IofC's 'For the Love of Tomorrow Films', is being used to foster peace and reconciliation in the Central African Republic.

Discover the highlights of the Caux Forum 2017!

We are looking for someone who would dedicate an hour or two each week in order to add, and if possible translate into French, articles to our international website. You would also be working with volunteers who help with the translation. You'll receive compensation and we would be able to reimburse you for any agreed costs incurred.