A year after the devastating earthquakes in Nepal, Swiss, Lausanne-based NGO Norlha is placing women at the heart of the recovery. “I thank God the earthquake took my plastic tunnel – used for sheltering crops – and not my family,” says Ambika Gurung, sending the room packed full of women into peels of laughter. The […]
The Good Country Index – why Switzerland missed the top 10
Because many of the world’s biggest problems, such as climate change, disease pandemics and terrorism, are global, countries operating inwardly as if they were alone on the planet, can’t deal with them, says policy advisor Simon Anholt. He thinks getting countries to look outwards, be generous, and help humanity and the planet beyond national borders is essential. He […]
When cartooning can land you in prison or worse
The granting last week of the shared 2016 Cartooning for Peace award in Geneva to Tanzanian caricaturist Gado and Malaysian artist Zunar is not just in recognition of their talent, but also their willingness to risk loss of employment, prison and other forms of persecution. Journalist and author Edward Girardet explores the role these artists […]
Geneva gives away 1000 free hotel nights
Rather than taking the strong franc lying down, Geneva Tourism has decided to offer 1,000 free hotel nights to draw travelers to the city. Geneva has done well scooping up travel awards. In 2014 and 2015 the city was crowned Europe’s best weekend city break destination ahead of cities such as Paris, London, Rome, Istanbul, Madrid, Lisbon, […]
Why people power and peace movements still matter
Renu Chahil-Graf takes a Walk in the Park with Colin Archer, Secretary-General of the International Peace Bureau to discuss the importance of people power and peace movements. The sounds of war drown out calls for peace Listening to Colin Archer, one understands why he chose Geneva’s Botanical Gardens for his walk. Not only does he consider this […]
Italian student brutally murdered in Geneva
Tribune de Genève. A doctoral student at the University of Geneva died after being attacked on the streets of Geneva. The attacker, on the run, is actively sought by the police. The 29 year old Italian researcher died on Monday evening after receiving blows to her head from a metal bar. According to information sourced by […]
Geneva airport has its eyes on Lyon’s airports
20 Minutes. Geneva airport is aiming to invest in Bron and Saint-Exupéry, Lyon’s two airports, as part of a privatisation launched by the French government, according to 20 Minutes. Bron airport, opened in 1920, lies around ten kilometres east of Lyon’s centre. Without traffic the 155 km drive from Bron to Geneva airport takes around 1 hour 30 minutes. Saint-Exupéry airport, eponymous with […]
Muslim pupil in Geneva refuses to be touched by teacher
Le Matin. The controversy continues. Last week, two muslim pupils at a secondary school in Basel refused to shake their teacher’s hand. On Sunday, the Swiss broadcaster RTS, revealed a similar case at a school in Geneva. The incident occurred at the beginning of 2015 during a gym class. The teenager, who had recently converted […]
Geneva encourages foreigners to become Swiss before rules change
Back in June 2014, the Swiss parliament passed a law which changed the number of years of residence required to qualify for Swiss citizenship, the type of residence permit you must have before applying, and the age band within which one year of residence counts as two. The new law only allows those on permanent […]
If you saw the future would you try to change it?
Pedro Calderón de la Barca’s 17th century play Life is a dream is about a King who tries to alter fate by locking his son away. This harrowing, thought provoking tale about the conflict between free will and fate and a father and son will be performed by a group puppeteers at the Théâtre des […]
