Portes du Soleil the massive Swiss-French ski domain has announced that it is to recruit ski monitors in an effort to reduce ski speeds. A spokesman claimed that many skiers, especially those with children, felt uneasy on the slopes. Skiers caught speeding or skiing dangerously would forfeit their ski passes. The news will be welcomed […]
Swiss apprenticeships: Major employment advantage
Switzerland, Germany and Austria, three countries where apprenticeship programmes are most prevalent, also have the lowest youth unemployment rates in Europe. Some policy makers are wondering if there is a connection and whether the focus on ever higher education is the best way to address youth unemployment Stefan Wolter, director of the Swiss Coordination Center […]
The curious have adventures: Cultural youth exchange programmes
Youth exchange programmes offer a rare opportunity for a person, generally in their late teens, to travel, study and live in a foreign country for an extended period of time. They live as a member of a family and learn through immersion about their host country’s culture. As importantly, they act as ambassadors for their […]
Ecuadorian President and Foreign Minister seek agreement in Geneva against corporate abuses
Corporate abuse of workers’ rights, the environment, corporate corruption and massive tax evasion are all issues in dire need of direct and strong redress. These are issues that recently civil society organisations in Geneva have been calling on the international community and even the Swiss Government to regulate and enforce. Le News has reported on […]
Apple’s game-changer: iPad Air2 for a cheaper connection
It’s either good news for consumers as the mobile networks’ throttlehold is broken, or bad news if consumers’ choice of network operators is restricted. Apple announced this week that its new iPad Air will contain a “soft sim” which allows the user to choose their preferred mobile operator based on service and price, and indeed […]
Montreux Art: Uncovering artistic talent
Montreux Art Gallery, now in its tenth year, is a contemporary art fair with a juried selection of more than 150 exhibitors. The fair takes place in the Montreux Convention Centre, situated in the heart of Montreux. “We chose the right place,” says Jean-François Gailloud, director of MAG. “The Centre des Congrès is a very […]
UDC seeks to block Islamic Centre
The right-wing Swiss People’s Party (UDC) of Fribourg is gathering signatures for a referendum to oppose an Islamic studies center at the University of Fribourg. The move comes at a time when reaching out to Muslim communities seems more important than ever. That is certainly the opinion of Antonio Loprieno of the University of Basel, […]
D. I. Y. Why can’t I?
I come from a long line of handymen and handywomen, and so does my husband. There is absolutely nothing these people can’t do: they bake, garden and make jam; they build bookshelves, dig French drains and put in their own swimming pools; they sew, embroider, knit, make jewellery, do their own tiling and house painting […]
A global fund for reporting: Who should pay?
At last week’s Women’s Forum in Deauville, many participants said they wanted the private sector, governments and society-at-large to respond more effectively – fewer words, more action – to global humanitarian and development concerns. Whether clamping down on female genital mutilation or the need for companies to assume more socially responsible roles, there were at […]
The ICRC – Doing the impossible
Earlier this month, Laurent DuPasquier, a 38-year-old Swiss national, was killed when a cluster bomb landed near the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the Ukranian town of Donetsk. DuPasquier had been working for the Geneva-based humanitarian organization for more than five years in Pakistan, Yemen, Haiti, Egypt and Papua New Guinea. For […]
