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Dear Members,

Here is the second issue of our newsletter. We wanted to make it more personal, closer to you, and more in tune with the community life of Casa Alianza here in Switzerland… We hope you enjoy reading “QUE PASA” No. 2.
If you’d prefer to receive a printed copy by mail, please let us know by calling or writing to our office:

12 rue du Diorama
1204 Geneva
Tel. 022 321 82 86
info@casa-alianza.ch

On behalf of the entire Casa Alianza team, enjoy the read!

Welcome to Marjorie, our Executive Director!

After several months of anticipation, we are finally pleased to confirm that Marjorie Granjon has taken up her position as Executive Director of Casa Alianza Switzerland.

Marjorie is French, born in 1975, and has been working in development for six years. With a university background in political science, she studied in France, Canada, and right here in Geneva, where she earned a master’s degree in international relations.

In 2000, Marjorie established a vocational training program for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Confronted with the challenges of children’s rights in a developing country (extremely precarious living conditions, domestic violence, school failure, child labor at the Phnom Penh municipal landfill, and child trafficking), she is already deeply committed to the cause of street children in Central America.

Marjorie worked for four years at the World Health Organization in the field of tobacco control. In addition to contributing to the operations of a UN agency, Marjorie had the privilege of being part of the legal team that spearheaded the negotiations for the first-ever international public health treaty drafted under the auspices of the WHO, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. As part of the Communications team, Marjorie was responsible for relations between the WHO and NGOs.

We already greatly appreciate Marjorie’s cheerful and friendly nature and are very happy to have her working with us. We extend a warm welcome to her!

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CALENDAR

Fête de la Musique – 2006 Edition, June 16–18

Good news—Casa Alianza will once again be participating in the Fête de la Musique! We’ll let you know as soon as we find out where our booth will be located. In any case,
we’re counting on you to join in this big celebration and come support us!

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NEWS

The must-attend annual event: the General Assembly on March 8.

The General Assembly, held this year on International Women’s Day, was an opportunity for many members to get together in a warm and friendly atmosphere (over drinks, needless to say), at our new location on Rue du Diorama, to review the annual report presented by the Committee.

2005 Review, 2006 Goals: Among other things, the Committee was proud to introduce new teams of volunteers brimming with energy and motivation, such as the “Live” team, which organizes concerts, and “Advocacy,” the think tank working to combat armed violence in Central America.
This gathering was an opportunity for those who had not yet met her to welcome Marjorie Granjon, our new Executive Director.

Maurice: 11 years dedicated to helping street children…

To introduce Maurice would be an insult… Maurice is the heart and soul of Casa Alianza Switzerland, the one who made it all happen… in short, our guru!
The time has come to say “goodbye” to him, as Maurice has decided to step down from the Board—but by no means “farewell”… Maurice, we still need you!

11 years… In 1994, after completing his law studies, Maurice left the comforts of Switzerland to work with children in Honduras as a street educator. This was his first experience with Casa Alianza. Having quickly caught the “Casa Alianza bug,” he moved to Costa Rica in 1995 to serve as assistant director at the regional office. Driven by incredible enthusiasm, Maurice didn’t stop there and went on to Nicaragua to found and lead Casa Alianza Nicaragua. He spared neither his time nor his energy in support of street children, working to develop and expand Casa Alianza’s programs.

Finally, in 1999, Maurice returned to us and joined the Casa Alianza Switzerland Committee, serving until 2000. He then participated in our activities as an active member before joining the Board, which was established at that time, in 2002.

Thank you for all of this…

Changes to the Committee:

Eliane: Back on the Board!

Casa Alianza Switzerland is delighted to welcome Eliane Hauri back to the Committee for the second time.

For those of you who may not yet know her, here’s a brief recap of her background: Eliane was there at the very beginning of the Casa Alianza Switzerland project in 1997 with “a bag of glue for a school bag.” In 1999, she was a member of the Board and wrote articles for the association’s newsletter. Then, very quickly, the call of the field became too strong to resist, and this “Suizo-Chapina*” went to work from 2000 to 2002 at Casa Alianza Guatemala, where she initially managed the communications and fundraising department before becoming the first head of the volunteer office.
Upon her return to Switzerland, Eliane became actively involved, with great dedication and enthusiasm, in various projects such as the “De moi à toit” partnership, the “Live” and CD groups, and liaising with prospective volunteers wishing to go into the field.

We are therefore very happy to welcome Eliane back to the board, along with her energy and good humor. And thanks to her extensive field experience, she will undoubtedly contribute valuable and practical ideas.

*Guatemalan

Goodbye, Nicole, and thank you!

Yes, we welcome some and say goodbye to others… It is with regret that we see Nicole Riedle leave the committee. Indeed, for professional reasons, Nicole has decided to step down from the committee due to a lack of time and availability.

After graduating from high school, Nicole went to volunteer at Casa Alianza Guatemala in 2001. She worked for a little over six months at the former detox center for boys (Nujuyu).
Upon her return to Geneva, she began studying law at the University of Geneva and joined Casa Alianza Switzerland, initially as an active member of the Expo team. She then joined the Board in 2003 as head of the Expo team. Nicole contributed greatly to organizing and carrying out outreach activities to promote our association in Geneva and French-speaking Switzerland.

Nicole has always been very enthusiastic and approachable. Though sometimes reserved during the Committee’s lively meetings, she always offered insightful and valuable input.
We will miss her, but we are confident we will see Nicole again as an active member in various initiatives.

From the bottom of our hearts, Nicole, thank you for your dedication, your support, your presence, and your patience…

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PROJECTS

“Advocacy,” a think tank and spokesperson for the cause of street children

“Advocacy” was created earlier this year by three active members of Casa Alianza Switzerland. This team will seek to leverage the proximity of numerous United Nations agencies in Geneva to serve as a voice for the cause of street children before human rights bodies, as well as within forums dedicated to preventing armed violence, a scourge that particularly affects the streets of Central American cities. Drawing on their professional experience in this field, the three members of the Advocacy team —Eliane Hauri, Emmanuelle Werner, and Mireille Widmer—will work closely with Casa Alianza’s field offices to develop arguments in favor of policies that respect children’s rights and to identify opportunities to present these views and recommendations at the highest international levels.
For more information, please contact eliane@casa-alianza.ch

Casa Alianza Intercontinental Meeting in the United Kingdom

A major first took place on November 4 and 5 in Kettering, near London. Casa Alianza UK hosted a gathering of all representatives from Central American and European countries active within Casa Alianza. Laurence Roth and Philippe Blaser represented Casa Alianza Switzerland. A delegation from Covenant House kindly traveled across the ocean to join the European Casa Alianza chapters and was particularly moved and impressed by the work of Casa Alianza Switzerland and its results. Beyond fostering a deeper understanding of one another, the primary goal of this meeting was to strengthen the ties between field operations and European countries in the area of fundraising. The Swiss and British organizations plan to strengthen their ties with a view to undertaking joint projects.
Specifically, it was decided to create a collaborative extranet site to enable the faster publication of information regarding programs and projects in need of funding. In addition, a revision and clarification of Casa Alianza’s “child protection policy” were discussed. To build on the momentum generated during this wonderful meeting, a follow-up session will be organized in the fall—this time, we hope, in an area more closely aligned with our day-to-day concerns. The only downside: the absence of our colleagues from Casa Alianza Kinderhilfe Guatemala in Germany, who were unable to attend.

“From ME to TOIT”: Partnership with Cafés

The partnership project established in late July 2005 with Café L’Eléphant went well.
By the end of December 2005, CHF 700 had been raised thanks to a small surcharge on a “Casa Alianza drink.”
Simply by ordering a drink, customers helped raise funds for the organization.
Unfortunately, Café L’Eléphant has closed its doors, and we are still looking for other cafés to form new partnerships with. Please feel free to contact Eliane (eliane@casa-alianza.ch ) if you know of a café that might be interested!

“La Vérité sort de la Bouche…” screened at the International Human Rights Film Festival

On March 15, 2006, during an evening event in partnership with the human rights organization Human Rights Watch, the International Human Rights Film Festival (www.fifdh.ch ) screened a 9-minute documentary about the new life of a former street child in Honduras.
This documentary was directed in 1999 by Etienne Eichenberger and Jérôme von Burg, co-founders of the Casa Alianza Switzerland association. It tells the story of young Abel, who managed to get off the streets with the help of Casa Alianza Honduras. The audience enjoyed seeing this film on the big screen.

The Casa Alianza CD, Volume 2

Following the highly successful Volume 1, the Casa Alianza CD team has expanded to include two prominent figures: Eliane Hauri and Maud Lambert, who are joining Romain Krief in this exciting venture.
Volume 2, scheduled for release in the second half of May, will once again be a collection of works by Swiss artists who have chosen to actively contribute to Casa Alianza’s mission: supporting children in need. You’ll discover new talents who will transport you far, far away from your daily routine for a moment.
This CD is much more than just an object—it’s an exchange of hope.Buying the CD gives you the chance to discover young talent while supporting Casa Alianza’s cause!
So, dear members, please support us by telling your friends, family, and colleagues about this project!

The Web

On our website, www.casa-alianza.ch, you’ll find information about Casa Alianza’s various activities in Switzerland and in the field. The calendar lists the dates of events organized by Casa Alianza Switzerland or in which the association participates, such as the General Assembly, radio and television broadcasts, as well as evening events, exhibitions, and other fundraising events.
News from the field is shared, including testimonials from children and young people. The amount of funds raised for the victims of Hurricane Stan was updated regularly, and you’ll find a testimonial from a young girl describing her despair upon seeing the hurricane’s destruction. Casa Alianza’s core field program, as well as our specialized programs—such as family reintegration—are described.
You can also purchase the Casa Alianza CD, Vol. 1 (while you wait for the release of Vol. 2…), listen to excerpts from it, or watch a short film about the aftermath of Hurricane Stan.
Finally…you’ll of course find “Qué pasa,” as well as the newsletter “Enfants d’ailleurs…,” the annual report, and the association’s bylaws. Feel free to log on and browse!

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ACTIVE MEMBERS

Would you like to join one of our teams?

• The magazine team is looking for an editor-in-chief. If you’re interested in this role, please contact Lisa: lisa@casa-alianza.ch
• Need a hand with mailing? We’re looking for a few people to add to our list of volunteers willing to spare a few hours from time to time. Please sign up at info@casa-alianza.ch

Contributors to Qué Pasa No. 2:
Laurence Roth, Eliane Hauri, Nicole Riedle, Mireille Widmer, Naya Joffré, Lisa Myers, Marjorie Granjon, Marie-Laure Vollenweider