References CFOR

When an innovative education centre such as the KAOS-PILOT UNIVERSITY - themselves experts in creating change - need an external person to guide the staff and the leadership team through our own internal renewal process, we could only ask for help from only the best. And Jean-Claude Audergon was the person we asked to guide us in change.

A weekend is not a long time. But, Jean-Claude did what no one thought was possible. With a mix of humor, smartness, cleverness, wisdom, a a lot of practical tools and 'on the floor experiments' Jean-Claude confronted the staff with itself, the reality we create daily.

The result was outstanding, on an individual, team, and organizational level. That's half a year ago. Yet the learning process is still alive and kicking! That's something! The only problem is: we want more of Jean-Claude Audergon's work - his worldview, his working methods, his feeling for life and his ability to help us with team fights, but also with playfulness and sensuality which comes with it.
Uffe Elbaek, Director Kaos Pilots University, Aarbus DK


When I met Lane Arye and Arlene Audergon, in 1994, my country was torn apart by bloody war. At that time, Arlene and Lane became our link to the world, and the world's link to us, and somehow our link to the future. Over the years, their commitment to understand, support, and facilitate conflicts and post-war tensions made a tremendous difference. It takes great skill to transform such deep conflicts, and it was hard to navigate through the thick fog of history, myths, prejudice, hatred, violence, mistrust, and hopelessness. Daring to sit in this fire with us and facilitate with respect and true love, Arlene and Lane enabled us to witness in awe moments of change. Hundreds of people left those conflict facilitation seminars with renewed sense of hope, which helped to transform their lives and their communities. Personally, I am grateful for the growth that happened inside me, inside many people I care about, and inside my country through this process."
Tanja Radocaj - UNICEF's liaison with the Croatian Government, Zagreb, Croatia


I saw Arlene Audergon and Lane Arye conducting reconciliation workshops with the groups of Croats and Serbs in Croatia, just after the war was over, and ever since then I have had no hesitation to recommend either of them for any conflict facilitation work. I saw them demonstrating an outstanding ability to accurately notice and understand the various dynamics in the group, not necessarily the foreground ones only. However, I was far more impressed with their courage and capacity not to understand and, then, venture together with the group in the process of unveiling. Still, all this would be in vain without the end result, which, now from the hindsight, looks even more remarkable than immediately after the workshops, when Serbs and Croats were emotionally expressing mutual understandings and commitments for dialog and support. Most of the participants did actually live up to these commitments."
Misko Mimica - United Nations High Commission for Refugees, Community Services Officer, Pristina, Kosovo


Lane and Arlene joined us in Croatia during a very hot and difficult period immediately after the war. They participated in the design of the project "Building Sustainable Community in the Aftermath of War," and facilitated many forums for professionals and leaders from all over Croatia. They also trained, supervised, and supported members and associates of our organization. Arlene and Lane showed persistence, tolerance and enormous sensitivity to all our experiences, opinions, emotions and expressions. They helped us to understand processes and encouraged us to work with horrible conflicts and traumatic experiences. Their commitment made a change in us, local professionals - a change away from discouragement, avoidance, and giving up in this difficult job. We plan to work together more in order to prevent violent conflicts, promote higher values, and guide more people in building their sustainable communities.
Nives Ivelja, president of the Association "Mi", Split, Croatia.
President of the Council for Development of Civil Society in Croatia


Letter from Tanja Radocaj, Director of Unicef, Croatia