Historical Overview : Pestalozzi Children's Foundation

Historical Overview

2011

As of 2011, all new projects and project phases are systematically structured in accordance with the human rights-based approach. Our projects are aimed at implementing the rights of the child with respect to good basic education and intercultural education. In line with this orientation, we do not pursue charitable purposes but seek to ensure that children gain access to their rights. This approach is the common theme of our programme. It structures everything: from the organisational management of our partners and the training of teachers to the sensitisation of government authorities, community members and parents. We consider this approach to be an important precondition for sustainable change.

New projects in Moldova and Macedonia.

First community dance project in Eastern Switzerland: Under the guidance of choreographer Josef Eder, 70 young people from the Pestalozzi Children's Village, the secondary school in Trogen and the Buebeflade St. Gallen got together in May to develop a dance piece called BoX. The pinnacle of their experience was a sold-out public performance in St. Gallen’s Tonhalle. The community dance movement was set off by the film Rhythm is it - you can change your life in a dance class by British pioneer choreographer Royston Maldoom.

The 2010 evaluation of PCF’s training course emPower resulted in course improvements which were incorporated into the fourth training course starting February 2011. Our emPower students come from the four regions in which PCF is present: South East Europe, South East Asia, Central America and East Africa.

2010

The Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation has a new logo: two children instead of one child will represent the Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation. Both children animate and support each other just like the two core competencies in the centre of Strategy 2012: education and intercultural competence prepare for life and are passed on to others by those who enjoy them. An important feature of the Foundation’s activities is their multiplier effect, an effect which the new logo symbolises.

In 1944 when war was still raging and Walter Robert Corti expressed his ideal to establish an international children’s village, his visions went far beyond immediate needs. The Children’s Village became his life work, and his writings and actions inspired numerous people. In the Children’s Village in Trogen, Walter Robert Corti’s vision continues to live and his concerns are more relevant than ever. On the occasion of his 100th anniversary in 2010 there will be numerous activities and events in his honour throughout the year.

To motivate young people to advance peaceful coexistence of cultures is the aim of “go4peace”, a project launched by the Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation to commemorate the 100th anniversary of its founder Walter Robert Corti. The project platform, “for nicky”, against juvenile violence and the musical, “Die Armen des Littauer Weihnachtsmarktes” (“The Poor of the Littau Christmas Market”) are the winners. Both advocate peaceful cohabitation of cultures.

By the end of 2010, the country programme Romania are phased out and handed over to the local partner organisations. Phase-out and phase-over of projects also take place in El Salvador, Guatemala, Eritrea, Honduras, Macedonia and Ethiopia.

2009

: Federal Council with adolescents

The work of the Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation (PCF) is transparent and professional. Its resources and donations are being used in an efficient manner. The Foundation was awarded the NPO-Label for Management Excellence and the ISO 9001:2008 certification for its quality and management systems.

The Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation has founded the Circle of Friends. Our Circle of Friends intends to address people who share the values and goals of the Pestalozzi Children's Foundation. We want to convince them to support our work and to provide regular financial assistance. By way of their personal commitment, members of our Circle of Friends help raise the popularity of the Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation.

On the invitation of the Swiss Federal President Hans-Rudolf Merz, the Federal Council went to Appenzell Outer-Rhodes for its annual excursion. In the morning of the 3rd of July 2009, the entire Federal Council visited the Pestalozzi Children’s Village in Trogen.

As part of the implementation of Strategy 2012, the organisation of PCF’s programme departments was optimised. The former short-term projects (now exChange) and the leadership programme emPower are grouped together to form International Training Programmes which is now part of International Programmes. Programmes Switzerland now consists of the unit Integration Programmes (formerly Intercultural Living) – with its two subunits Living & Leisure and School & Therapy – and the unit Education Programmes with its subunits Projects for schools, power_up radio and Intercultural Education.

New projects are set up in Macedonia and Tanzania.

In the course of 200 first projects will start in Moldova (Child Rights projects, Child rights Monitoring Working Group).

At present, the house Mutende – which as of autumn will accommodate the living group Nakupenda – is being renovated.

2008

: Urs Karl Egger

Economist Dr. Urs Karl Egger replaces Markus Mader, hitherto Executive Director of the Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation, who takes up office as the Director of the Swiss Red Cross at the beginning of June.

Cyclone Nargis strikes Myanmar/Burma on 2 and 3 May, causing catastrophic destruction and over 100 000 losses of life. More than half of the victims are children. 1.5 million people are acutely threatened by epidemics. Some of the Foundation's projects are located in the affected Irrawaddy delta. Fortunately all staff members of our educational projects survive the disaster.

The Visitors Centre of the Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation was nominated for the European Museum Prize 2008. It was awarded a certificate for its user friendliness.

The former house Sabia is renovated and will subsequently be used for the course «emPower - Intercultural Leadership Programme for Young Adults». A building permit request is filed in July and works are scheduled to start in autumn.

In the course of 2008 first projects will start in Tanzania. New projects are set up in Macedonia and Thailand.

The EUROSCHOOLS YOUTH CAMP took place from 14th to 21st September 2008. Students from Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland met youth delegations from all 53 UEFA nations. Coming together and exchange were at the centre of attention of the camp: For seven days they lived, worked and played together.

Human rights not only taught in abstract terms but experienced in practice In spring 2008, the Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation received the first ever conferred IHRF-Award by the International Human Rights Forum Lucerne. The prize money was used to offer training courses in schools, youth organisations and adult education institutions.

2007

: The new school, seen from the Village Trogen (montage)

A project competition for the replacement of the school has identified the project "trugin" as the winner. The renovation of the houses Alba and Heimetli is completed.

The Pestalozzi Children's Foundation supports children and young people in its projects abroad since 25 years. 220 000 children and young people are provided access to education. All projects ensure the promotion of peaceful intercultural co-existence, thus adhering strictly to the main objective of the Foundation. In autumn, this anniversary was celebrated on a small scale and the Foundation's development corporation methodology was documented.

In the course of 2007 first projects will start in Thailand. A new project is set up in Guatemala.

In November 2007, the Foundation Council adopts the Strategy 2012. This document provides a clear definition of the Foundation’s constructive response to the repercussions of worldwide migration and growing cultural diversity: "We promote peaceful cohabitation by comprehensively strengthening the competencies and rights of disadvantaged children and adolescents."

2006

The training course “emPower – Intercultural Leadership Programme for Young Adults” completes the range of educational projects of the Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation in Switzerland. During the nine month course in the Children’s Village in Trogen, young people from different countries receive training in intercultural education. Emerging as experts in intercultural communication, they will transfer their experience and knowledge whilst working with children and young people in their countries of origin.

New projects are set up in Ethiopia, Eritrea and El Salvador. Laos is added to the list of project countries in South East Asia. The Pestalozzi Children's Foundation supports the integration of local knowledge and skills into curricula, the training of local teaching staff, and child-friendly teaching.

On April 28, 2006, 60 years after the foundation stone for the first house in the Children's Village was laid, the new Visitors' centre is opened.

2005

: Light of peace at the Opening Ceremony Play for Peace

Eritrea and Macedonia are new countries in East Africa and South Eastern Europe where Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation supports projects. In Eritrea, the focus is on access to education, with special emphasis on girl education. In South Eastern Europe the cooperation is in particular with local partners who implement projects with the focus on integration of Roma children and adolescents.

As emotional highlight of the International Year of Sport and Physical Education 2005, the «Play for Peace» youth camp takes place in Trogen, Switzerland at the Pestalozzi Children’s Village. Organisers of this two-week event are the Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation as well as the Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General on Sport for Development and Peace, Adolf Ogi.

In the autumn, the tropical storm Stan leaves widespread devastation: Flooding and mudslides in El Salvador, and particularly in Guatemala.The Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation supports its local partner organisations by helping them to ensure the continuity of the ongoing education projects.

New projects start in Guatemala, Myanmar, Serbia and Romania with the focus on bilingual and intercultural education.

2004

The Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation is expanding its activities abroad - two new projects in El Salvador, three in Ethiopia and one in Honduras. In Myanmar/Burma three pilotprojects start in a new country in South East Asia.

60 years ago, Walter Robert Corti began to work on developing the Children’s Village. A big party in August, organised by the Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation, will launch the long-overdue renovation of the Village.

The Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation will open new intercultural house shares in the Village, providing children and adolescents from Switzerland and abroad the learning space for a personal development that is open to other cultures. The school in the Children’s Village complements the education provided at the state school by focusing on intercultural vocational training and skills specific to intercultural living.

By the end of 2004, the country programmes India and Cambodia are phased out and handed over to the local partner organisations. Phase-out and phase-over of projects also take place in El Salvador, Guatemala, Romania and Ethiopia.

2003

The Foundation is launching four new projects: one in Romania, one in Serbia, two in Honduras.

The Foundation Council adopts the Mission statement. This statement forms the basis of our shared vision and how we aim to make it a reality.

25 organisations establish the Children’s Rights Network Switzerland to promote more effectively the recognition and implementation of the UN-Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Foundation is in charge of coordination.

2002

As stated in its 2004 Guidelines and the strategy, the Foundation has decided to reposition its activities by concentrating even more strongly on certain key issues: in Europe (Switzerland and South East Europe), the focus is on intercultural living, in the countries of the South, the top priority is access to education. Linking these issues up by stepping up exchanges between regions and countries will be a further aim. Activities in the Village itself will concentrate on three core programmes:

Intercultural living
Intercultural education
Intercultural exchange

A new project is set up in Ethiopia.

2001

The Foundation sponsors “Violetta”, a flat-sharing community in Zurich for women migrants and their children living under the threat of violence. As of 2005, the Frauenhaus Zürich Foundation will take over the running of this service.

The two Foundation sites in Zurich and Fribourg are closed and all activities centralised in Trogen.

The Children’s Village offers further education programmes and project weeks in relation to living in an intercultural environment. They are open to teachers and socio-education experts, as well as to Swiss schoolchildren and their teachers.

The “mira” service, which specialises in the prevention of sexual exploitation in leisure organisations moves its headquarter into the Children’s Village. The "mira" is an agency that is independent of the Foundation. End of 2005, "mira" moves to Zurich.

2000

Adolescents from the Croatian town of Zupanja arrive in the Children's Village. The Foundation and its partner organisation Gemeinden Gemeinsam AR provide six months of vocational training and apprenticeships to help these adolescents on their way towards gainful employment.

The Foundation Council adopts the new 2001-2003 strategy, which focuses on education and living in an intercultural environment. The new strategy envisages increased cooperation with established partner organisations. The Foundation also intends to bring all its activities together on site in Trogen, and to restrict its projects abroad to a few selected regions. The strategy further develops the 2004 guidelines, and will be implemented over the 2001-2004 period.

The “rose” flat-sharing group for at-risk girls moves into the Pestalozzi Children’s Village. The socio-educational "rose" is an agency that is independent of the Foundation.

1999

Inauguration of the “Alba” house for children and young people of Albanian cultural descent already resident in Switzerland: (End of project: 2001).

The “2004 Guidelines” come into force. The Foundation sets two main aims: more sustainable and positive effect of our work on children and adolescents, and improved integration of our programmes at home and abroad. To this end we established four new programme lines:

“Reintegration” covers all projects which involve children who are cared for outside their families. The aim is to enable them to return to their family or to find another way of integrating into society.
“Education” covers all projects which provide children and adolescents with access to formal and informal education, and helps them to integrate successfully in a public school or take up vocational training.
“Vocational Training and Gainful Employment” covers projects which provide adolescents with access to the world of work. The projects prepare them for working life in the existing structures, or create opportunities for paid employment where such structures are non-existent.
“Community Development” covers projects which focus on community autonomy. The aim of these projects is to allow communities to take responsibility for their future and work towards self-development.

1998

: Adolescents in the carpenter's workshop

Beginning of the Multicultural Pre-Vocational Year project involving socio-education for adolescents from Switzerland and abroad.

15 children and adolescents from disadvantaged backgrounds in Palermo move into the "Zagara" house to finish their basic education. In 2000 they go back home. The partner organisation in Palermo will support the young people after their return, thus ensuring sustainable success.

The first children from children's homes and disadvantaged families, who live in the Chernobyl area, regularly spend four weeks in the Children's Village. Annually four to five groups come to "recharge their batteries" in the Village.

Hurricane Mitch causes widespread damage in Central America. Projects in El Salvador are also affected.

1997

: Windsor communal house, on the right the gymnasium with a multipurpose room

Inauguration of the "Ararat" house for children and adolescents of Kurdish and Turkish descent, already resident in Switzerland (End of project: 2001).

1996

The Pestalozzi Children's Foundation celebrates its 50th anniversary. Inauguration of the Windsor communal house and the gymnasium with a multipurpose room.

1995

Zambia to receive aid as part of the foreign aid programme.

1994

New formulation of the four main tasks of the Children’s Village:

Multicultural flatshare or houseshare communities with socio-educational care for disadvantaged and needy children and adolescents in Switzerland (long-term stay).
Multicultural flatshare or houseshare communities with socio-educational care for disadvantaged and needy children and adolescents in Switzerland (long-term stay).
Peace and Culture Workshop: cultural activities for children, adolescents and adults from Switzerland and abroad; peace weeks for children and adolescents.
Schooling: flexible courses for children and adolescents living in the Village. German-integration courses for foreign children and adolescents living near the Village. Classes on peace education and intercultural contacts for Swiss schoolchildren.

1993

Resident children and adolescents no longer go to school in Trogen village, attending schools in the surrounding villages where possible.

1992

Opening of the "Sabia" house, an intercultural houseshare community for children and mothers in need. (After ten years, "Sabia" is closed in june 2003, due to a low rate of occupancy.)34 children from Bosnian children’s homes and eight carers are taken in from war-torn Bosnia-Herzegovina. They stay for two years.

1991

This is the last time that children arrive directly from abroad for a long-term stay in the Village.

1990

The foreign aid programme expands, and now for the first time includes El Salvador, Haiti and Peru.

1989

Fall of the Ceauçescus' Regime in Romania – the Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation provides direct aid in the country.

1987-1988

: Children and young people from different cultures live together in the Children’s Village in Trogen

Two “international houses” are inaugurated for children of Asian and African descent already living in Switzerland. The project for second and third generation Tibetan children and adolescents in Switzerland is launched.

1986

What has been – What is – What should be. Ceremonial act – 40 years Pestalozzi Children’s Village.

1985

Palestinian and Lebanese child refugees arrive from the Lebanon. Projects set up to help Tibetan children in India, and children in Cambodia.

1984

The Village hosts child refugees from Cambodia.

1983

First ever aid projects for children in the Lebanon, India, Bangladesh and Ethiopia.

1981-1982

Children from Poland and Portugal arrive in the Village, and child refugees from the Lebanon.

The Pestalozzi Children’s Village Foundation sets up a foreign aid department.

1960-1980

The Village hosts child refugees from Tibet, South Korea, Tunisia and Ethiopia, and refugee families from Vietnam - the latter on a temporary basis.

1960

The first group of children from a non-European culture - 20 Tibetan child refugees - arrive in the Village.

1959

The school house, kindergarten and workshops are built.

1950

Establishment of the Pestalozzi Children’s Village Foundation.

1945

Founding of the “Pestalozzi Children’s Village Association”.

1946-1947

: Construction of the houses

On April 28 1946, the foundation stone of the Pestalozzi Children’s Village is laid. Volunteers from various countries help to construct the houses. Schoolchildren throughout Switzerland collect money for the Village. The first children to arrive in the Village are from the war zones of Europe: France, Poland, Austria, Hungary, Germany, Italy, Finland, Greece, England.

August 1944

: Walter Robert Corti

Philosopher Walter Robert Corti publishes an article in the magazine "DU", in which he calls for the construction of a village for war children. The article meets with great public support.