Initiatives of Change International is comprised of a network of members who span the globe. Their local, community-based challenges are often a reflection of global divisions in society. As a part of the desire to inspire change at all levels, it will seek out relationships with like-minded organizations with an international focus.
As an international non-governmental organization and a part of our desire to inspire change at all levels, Initiatives of Change International is accredited by and engaged with the following International bodies:
Since 2005, Initiatives of Change has held participatory status at the Council of Europe (CoE), which has 47 member states. The CoE was founded in 1949 in response to the horrors of the first part of the 20th century and focuses on human rights, democratic governance and the rule of law. IofC is a member of one of its three advisory bodies, the Conference of International NGOs.
Soon after IofC joined the Conference of INGOs, our delegates were entrusted with a variety of special assignments. One ongoing task concerns human rights and business. Another involved participating in an international colloquium on ‘Digital society and cyber trust’. Thirdly, IofC is represented on the Executive Committee of the North-South Centre, a platform which organizes programmes and exchanges with Europe’s southern neighbors.
Christoph Spreng, Switzerland
Christoph represents IofC International at the Council of Europe since 2005. He is Vice-President of Conference of INGO’s and the coordinator of the INGO Dialogue Toolkit Hub. In June 2017 he was appointed INGO Special Advisor for Human Rights and Business.
The Geneva Office of Initiatives of Change International aims to bring the perspectives, knowledge and experiences of the IofC movement to the attention of officials in the UN and related institutions, governments and leaders of civil society and to facilitate interactions and partnerships between them and IofC teams and programs.
Its mission is to increase the contribution of Initiatives of Change to building trust across the world’s divides by:
