The Children's Village

If one considers the history of Switzerland and Swiss humanitarian tradition, it is probably not surprising that the idea of an international children's village was born in this country. Faced with the horrors of the Second World War, philosopher Walter Robert Corti appealed 1944 in the cultural magazine «DU» to build a world in which children can live in. The article evoked an enormous response and resulted in the creation of the Children’s Village in Trogen and the Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation. Corti did not only encourage his contemporaries to provide emergency aid that was urgent, possible, sensible and right, but he underlined right from the beginning that the cohabitation of children from various nations – which at the time were bitter enemies – can help heal the wounds of war. He raised principles which are still of utmost importance today, particularly in the framework of intercultural education. The readiness to build bridges is the first step in a learning process that leads to the ability to handle diversity and appreciate it.

The world came to the Children’s Village in form of numerous children’s groups from European countries, and later from all over the globe. In 1982, the Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation started to go out into the world to work where the children came from in order to «promote peaceful cohabitation by comprehensively strengthening the competencies and rights of disadvantaged children and adolescents», as the Foundation’s positioning paper states.

The children in the Children's Village

Today, children and adolescents with a migration background live in the Children’s Village in social-pedagogical living groups for a number of years Integration Programmes. They come from Switzerland, many of them were born here, and some have parents who came to Switzerland to escape the horrors of war in Eastern Europe. Today in the Children’s Village, they practice to live the delicate balance between their different origins and values. This method together with longstanding practical experience in building bridges strengthens PCF’s Education Programme as well. Increasing numbers of children with a migration background attend Swiss schools and require a new methodical approach to class room education to be applied. Anyone who is interested in witnessing the powers and abilities which cultural diversity can set free should accompany a Swiss school class during its week-long stay in the Children’s Village.

The Children’s Village with its large open spaces, sporting facilities and youth club offers many possibilities to meet outside formally organised events. This informal way of being together is at least as important as the organised structured way when the building of long-lasting friendships is at stake. Acceptance and tolerance can be formally practiced but the next two steps on the scale of intercultural competence – friendship and empathy – require unsupervised freedom and the magic of chance.

The children worldwide

The Children’s Village is almost little Switzerland within Switzerland. Intercultural competence is taught and lived, and ideas radiate out into the world, up to now into twelve countries in four continents where our local partner organisations support primary school education and intercultural cohabitation for disadvantaged children and adolescents International. PCF’s work in Switzerland and abroad is guided by the knowledge and experiences that intercultural exchange and intercultural cohabitation are important factors in solving adolescent development tasks, that they strengthen the development of competencies and support children and young people to find their place in society.

International impact

After the foundation of the Pestalozzi Children’s Village in Switzerland in 1946, several Children’s Villages were founded in other countries as well, among others in Wahlwies/Germany, in Sedlescombe/Great Britain and in Bangalore/India. These villages embraced a common charter, worked together and exchanged experiences and ideas.

Over time, so-called children’s villages were set up in numerous other countries, but their activities vary significantly. Among them are the SOS Children’s Villages initiated by the Austrian Hermann Gmeiner. They too, embrace certain elements of Corti’s philosophy, but Gmeiner was of the opinion that children are best raised within their own cultural context whilst the Pestalozzi Children’ Village focuses on living in an international community.

The Children’s Village’s international recognition is further strengthened by the fact that in 1948 the International Organisation engaged in child and youth care FICE was founded in Trogen. One of its founding members was Elisabeth Rotten who, together with Walter Robert Corti, elaborated the educational concept for the Children's Village. FICE still exists today. Its main aim is to promote child and youth care throughout the world.