Brief History
Initiatives of Change for Business (ICB) formerly known as Caux Initiatives for Business (CIB) was established as an Initiatives of Change (IofC) Program focusing on people from business and industry by the Caux Foundation. From 1972-1973, yearly conferences have been conducted at the IofC Centre in Caux, Switzerland and other places. These programs were called “Caux Conference for Business and Industry” (CCBI) and it changed to CIB after the main program was branded, “Initiatives of Change” (from Moral Re-Armament or “MRA”) in 2001.
The first CIB – Asia, Pacific, Africa Regional Group (CIB-APARG) Annual Conference was organized at Asia Plateau, Panchgani, India from Jan. 9 to 12, 2003 on the theme “Globalization”. 172 delegates from 18 countries attended. Thereafter, two Round Tables (RTs) were organized that year; the first at Panchgani, India in May on the title “Globalization – Emerging Opportunity, Creating Synergy” where 32 delegates participated and the second at New Delhi in September on the subject “Governance”, where retired and serving bureaucrats, diplomats, media people, consultants and social activists attended. The second CIB-APARG Annual Conference was organized thereafter at Asia Plateau, Panchgani, India from March 10 to 14, 2004 on the theme “Better Governance – From Fear to Opportunity”.
In 2005, the first Biennial International Conference of CIB was held in Panchgani from Nov. 18 to 22, 2005 on the theme “Value Centered Leadership in an Era of Globalization”. More than 130 delegates from all five continents gathered. From 2007 onwards, these Biennial International Conferences were jointly hosted at Asia Plateau by India and Japan. The second Biennial Conference, “Asia’s Relevance in a Globalizing World – Trust and Integrity in the New Leadership Model”, was held from Nov. 23 to 27, 2007, where 144 delegates from 17 countries attended. The third Biennial Conference titled “From Financial Crisis to a New Economic Order – The need to Re-Introduce Trust and Integrity as Common Business Practices” was held from Nov. 20 to 24, 2009 where 138 delegates from 14 countries attended. 139 delegates from 12 countries attended the fourth International Conference, “Making Growth Sustainable – Balancing Economic Growth and Human Responsibility” which was held from Nov. 18 to 23, 2011. The most recent Conference, “Economic Growth – Possibilities amidst Challenges in making it Sustainable and Humane” was held from Nov. 7 to 11, 2013 where 218 delegates from 20 countries attended.
Several Round Tables (RTs) have been conducted in India; and a few in Malaysia, Kenya, South Africa and South Korea. These RTs are half-day events. Conclaves for CEOs have recently been held at Asia Plateau, Panchgani. These have been held over weekends. Both the Round Tables and the Conclaves are conducted with the objective of creating a space for leaders of business and industry to deliberate on challenges faced and learning from each other’s best practices.
Members of the ICB Working Group make regional visits to South Korea, Malaysia, Germany, Kenya, Uganda and South Africa to assist with ICB enlistment as well as to help establish or strengthen ICB teams in these countries.
In recent years, in Caux and the UK, similar programs have been conducted under the title, Trust and Integrity in the Global Economy (TIGE). TIGE sees itself as an annual conference, a community and a global movement driven by the best in individuals’ motives.