Geneva is a city at a human scale, with a population of about 470,000 in the State (Canton) of Geneva, of whom 40% are foreigners from 190 countries, making for a very international city. It has a local Agenda 21 plan for sustainability that is renewed every four years at the beginning of each legislature. Most of its electricity (93%) comes from renewable sources. Public transport, integrating trains, trams, trolley-buses, buses and boats across the lake is very efficient and reliable.

Out of a total surface area of 28,244 hectares in the Canton of Geneva, 9,500 are urbanized, 3,500 are forested, and over 11,000 hectares are devoted to agriculture, including significant vineyards, and fruits and vegetables for the local market. Another 3,600 hectares are in the lake. We are not cut off from nature.

Pictures of the city of Geneve and surrounding area are included on my Swiss page. For my life in Vernier, see the separate page. This page covers some my my activities in Geneva. I also escape to my chalet in the forest across the border in France when I get a chance. After the Peoples' Climate March in 2014 described below, another even larger march was held in 2015 before the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris (see separate page)

WALKS DURING THE PANDEMIC

During the Corona virus pandemic in 2020, when we were confined to our residences except for essential shopping and exercise close to home, I walked every day to the nearby Parc des Franchises to see a little nature (see separate page).

CLIMATE STRIKES IN 2019

The week of climate strikes 20-27 September 2019 saw me participating in three events, a demonstration at the Place des Nations in Geneva on Friday 20 September, a march through the center of Geneva on Friday 27 September, and a national climate march in the Swiss capital Bern on 28 September which drew 100,000 people.

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Geneva

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Bern, Swiss capital

A NEW GRANDDAUGHTER

20 December 2014

PEOPLE'S CLIMATE MARCH - GENEVA

21 September 2014

With the UN Climate Summit in New York on 23 September, a wide range of civil society organizations decided to organize a People's Climate March in New York City on Sunday 21 September, and the Baha'is participated along with many faith-based organizations. The aim was to show widespread public support for action on climate change. For those who could not go to New York, over 2,000 other marches were organized around the world, so I joined the march in Geneva. It was the third time that I participated in such a public demonstration, after helping to organize a march on the state capital in California to protest the imposition of tuition in the public universities in the middle 1960s, and participating in a procession of religious leaders from Westminister Cathedral to Westminister Abbey in London in 1995. We were several hundred of all ages and colours, babies in strollers and people with electric bikes, and marched for over an hour from Plainpalais in the center of the city to the Palais des Nations.

WORLD FORUM FOR ETHICS IN BUSINESS

1 July 2013

I participated in the World Forum for Ethics in Business International Leadership Symposium, held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva on 1 July 2013 on the topic "Good Governance and Transparency Through Shared Values". The symposium was organized by the International Association for Human Values in partnership with the World Bank and the Global Partnerships Forum. It was address by, among others, HH Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, HE Dr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, former Secretary-General of the UN, and leading political and business figures.

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The principal speakers; HH Sri Sri Ravi Shankar receiving a gift from HE Dr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali

BAHA'I PICNIC

Parc Bertrand, 30 June 2013

On a beautiful early summer day, the Baha'is of Geneva and surrounging communities gathered in the Parc Bertrand for a picnic.

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