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Hostages: To pay or not to pay, that is the question

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4 September 2014 Newsletter Jim Foley - Reflections

Murdered American journalist, James Foley

Murdered journalist, Steven Sotloff

The grotesque assassination of the American journalist James Foley has publicly raised the complex question of whether or not governments, companies or individuals should pay a ransom to free hostages. There are supportable arguments on both sides of the issue and, not surprisingly, there are differences on to how to deal with the problem. There has been no coherent response in the West to demands for ransom.
All governments deny that they pay. A declaration by a group of countries at a 2013 G8 meeting clearly stated that they would not reward hostage taking: “We are committed to protecting the lives of our nationals and reducing terrorist groups’ access to the funding that allows them to survive and thrive in accordance with relevant international conventions. We unequivocally reject the payment of ransoms to terrorists in line with the UN Security Council Resolution 1904 (2009) which requires that Member States prevent the payment of ransoms, directly or indirectly, to terrorists designated under the UN Al Qaeda sanctions regime through the freezing of funds and other assets.”
Nonetheless, reaping rewards from kidnapping has become a big business if not a growth industry. A recent survey by the New York Times showed that since 2008, $125 million has been paid in ransom, $66 million last year alone. For organizations such as Al Qaida, exchanging hostages for money has become an important source of income. Human beings, in other words, are a commodity to be negotiated. In the case of James Foley, for instance, reports are that the Islamic States of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) demanded a multimillion dollar ransom for his release of up to $100 million. Estimates are that in 2010, £600,000 was paid to Somali pirates to free Paul and Rachel Chandler.
According to reliable sources, the United States has maintained a position that adamantly refuses to pay. Moreover, it will fine companies or individuals under its jurisdiction who do pay. The reasons given for this position are that paying kidnappers will only encourage similar actions and that the money received will increase the capabilities of terrorist organizations. In reality, this means that in spite of a failed rescue attempt, the US government allowed Foley and the other captive then in the hands of ISIS, Steven Sotloff, to be outside financial negotiation. The US feels that payments will have long term negative consequences; the short-term tragedies just have to be accepted.
The United States is unique in this position. Great Britain refuses to pay as a country but ignores when companies or individuals exchange hostages for money. European countries such as Spain, Italy and France deny paying but have been known to do so. 50 foreigners were held in the past five years; almost all have been released after payment. While Israel does not pay for hostages, it did release over 1000 Palestinian prisoners in 2011 in exchange for the freeing of one Israeli captured soldier, Gilad Shalit.
Watching the video of James Foley’s last moments is heart-wrenching. The message from the ISIS representative to the American people and president was clear: “Now that you’ve intervened, you are the enemy and we will go after you.” Because the US will continue to intervene in Iraq by aerial bombing at a minimum, one can expect that every American in Iraq will be at risk, with no guarantee of a negotiated release. Steven Sotloff tragically proved to be the next victim. If we follow the U.S.’ reasoning, we must be prepared to watch other videos like the ones with Foley and Sotloff. And we can only dread that there may be similar incidents in the United States or around the world. ISIS has declared the US its enemy – “we will go after you” – with absolutely no respect for international humanitarian law.
Would paying a ransom have changed the situation for James Foley and Steven Sotloff? Will paying ransoms change situations for people like them? The United States, as is often the case, has a different position from the rest of the world. What its position entails is that we will have to learn to watch horrific footage of barbaric actions screaming “Do something to stop this,” accepting that paying money to free a hostage may cause more damage in the long term. Not an easy lesson at all. We would all like to join in the euphoria when the Swiss hostage Max Göldi was finally released in Libya and returned to Switzerland. Heart-warming is much better than heart-wrenching, but it appears we will have to learn to live with the latter.

Daniel Warner is an American-Swiss political scientist. This article appeared on his blog for la Tribune de Genève at tdg.ch/blogs

Top ranked Switzerland’s Achilles heel

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4 september 2014 World_Economic_Forum_logo- front page .svg

GENEVA  Broadly confirming the findings of IMD’s World Competitiveness Report last May, the World Economic Forum’s latest global competitiveness report once again ranks Switzerland, for the fifth time in a row, at the head of the 148-country listing. But there is a serious caveat. One of the country’s biggest problems is to maintain this lead with a lack of qualified labour.
According to government figures, Switzerland has some 52,000 jobs in the hotel, watch, high tech and other industries vacant since the beginning of July. As some economic analysts maintain, part of this shortage is already the result of the 9 February 2014, vote to restrict migrant labour. International corporations have been cutting back on their activities for fear of not being able to perform because of new Swiss mass immigration regulations that could come into effect over the next three years.
Skilled foreign workers from both the European Union and elsewhere are thinking twice about coming to Switzerland. There is also growing nervousness about the perceptible rise in xenophobia and racism toward foreigners not only among ordinary Swiss, but politicians. Ignoring the fact that much of the country’s economic well-being is critically dependent on skilled foreign labour, particularly in the cantons of Geneva, Vaud, Zurich and Basel, many Swiss are reluctant to accept the need for greater diversity and immigration.
Much in line with the Greens and the Socialists, both Christophe Darbellay and Doris Leuthard of the Christian Democratic party warned last week that Switzerland needs to be extremely ‘supple’ in its interpretation of the right-wing inspired February vote restricting mass immigration. There has to be an “alliance of reasoning”, they proposed, on how Bern, which is legally obliged to abide by the referendum’s requirements, actually puts them into place.

The anti-foreign atmosphere is further aggravated by France’s own increasingly complicated tax and administrative regime. Not only are French entrepreneurs seeking to move their operations to Switzerland, but many Swiss, particularly young people who had initially relocated across the border for cheaper housing, are now heading back causing even greater accommodation shortages on the Swiss side. Many Swiss, including residents in the more tolerant cantons such as Geneva and Vaud, often complain that they no longer feel they belong in their own country.
However, as the Romand Business Federation (FED) warned last week, increasingly complicated labour regulations pose a “serious threat” to the Swiss economy. Geneva’s highly sophisticated watch industry, for example, is dependent on over 80% of foreign workers, mainly French frontaliers, while Switzerland’s hotel and restaurant industry would quite simply collapse, as one FED representative pointed out.
The 2013-2014 WEF report, whose global criteria are based on over 100 indicators, this year’s top 10 remain dominated by European countries, with Switzerland, Finland, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom in the lead. Three Asian countries also figure among this group, notably Singapore, which remains the second-most competitive economy in the world. Hong Kong and Japan are placed 7th and 9th. The report notes that a principal reason behind this competitiveness is the ability of most of these countries to focus on innovation supported by strong institutional frameworks.
The report further points out that Switzerland’s competitiveness is the result of strong across-the-board performance. The sophistication of the country’s business sector together with its top-notch scientific research institutions also help assure this competitiveness, it says. WEF maintains that Switzerland offers excellent employee training, plus its public institutions are considered to be among the most transparent in the world. At the same time, despite good bilateral working relations with the European Union, the report warns that Switzerland needs to avoid complacency, (an indirect reference to the migration issue), and to ensure greater involvement of women in its talent pool.

Air 14 Payerne

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28 August 2014 PayerneThe Payerne air show between Yverdon and Bern is a definite must-see. Both noisy and awesome, it literally makes the ground tremble as fast-manoeuvring jets show off the world’s latest technology. Operated by exceptionally courageous and spatially aware pilots, these planes are doing the real thing. Nothing like those imitation video games where you can re-start if things go wrong. Here, mistakes are not an option.

For kids, this incredible spectacle may help them grasp that maths and science are essential to a mind-blowing career where “real” beats “virtual” hands down.
The Swiss Air Force runs the event, this year celebrating its 100th anniversary with the biggest air show in the country’s history. But it’s not all about plummeting and spiralling jets. It’s also about vintage aeroplanes, aerobatic teams, legendary aircraft and aviation personalities.

Patrouille Suisse flying in formation

Patrouille Suisse flying in formation

Swiss F/A-18 Hornet

Swiss F/A-18 Hornet

Given that no air show can operate without noise or fuel consumption, the Air Force is planning it with typical Swiss consideration: the fuel used is equivalent to a normal flight service. The biggest environmental impact, its organizers point out, is that caused by spectators using cars. Visitors, they urge, should travel by public transport, or at least car-share.

The show operates on two weekends, 30–31 August and 6–7 September. Tickets can be purchased online (though there have been problems), but you can also pay in cash, including Euros, at the show itself.

Americans abroad – Pushed to vote

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http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-voter-registration-university-oregon-sign-reading-last-day-register-to-vote-trying-to-get-voters-to-signup-political-image40276220

Register over cocktails to vote.

Democrats and Republications Abroad, two non-profit organizations representing US citizens, are pushing hard over the next few weeks for expat Americans to register for the next presidential election.

While some states retain permanent overseas registration, most require their citizens to re-register every time.

Democrats Abroad Switzerland is holding informal events in Geneva and Zurich to entice citizens to register over cocktails. The same goes for the Republicans. Regardless of whether resident in Switzerland or France, any citizen can register online or in person with any group and at any event.

With three to five million overseas Americans – there are no accurate figures – US expats represent an increasingly crucial constituency that could easily sway the election, particularly in states where previous margins have been decided by as few as several hundred votes.

Despite growing numbers of citizens – over 3,000 in 2013, many in Switzerland – renouncing their US nationality, overseas Americans represent a vote that neither party can afford to neglect. Even if reluctantly, politicians are realizing that overseas votes can win or lose an election.

Suicide tourism rises

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Suicide tourism is increasing by 10% per year.

ZURICH More than 600 non-Swiss residents died of assisted suicide in Switzerland between 2008 and 2012, helped by organizations such as Dignitas. In 2012 alone, the majority came from Germany (77), followed by the UK (29), Italy (22), France (19) and the US (7).

A study by the Journal of Medical Ethics, which looked at data from Zurich University’s Institute of Legal Medicine, found a 40% increase among those seeking to end their lives over the four-year period. According to researcher Saskia Gauthier, an imbalance in national regulations has led to an influx of “suicide tourists” coming to Switzerland. Swiss law does not require a physician to be involved. Nor does it require the recipient to be a Swiss national. These aspects of the law are unique in the world.

Focusing only on foreign suicides, in which the average age was 69, the study noted that out of the 611 cases cited, 268 originated from Germany and 126 from the UK. The next-largest number came from France, followed by Italy, from where cases increased by 11 times during the period. “The main reasons were neurological disease, followed by cancer, rheumatic and cardiovascular diseases,” the report said. According to the Federal Office of Statistics, Swiss residents constituted 508 suicides in 2012; 60% of them were women.

The Swiss study was prompted by debate in places such as the UK, Germany and Denmark. Gautier believes that “the unique phenomenon of suicide tourism in Switzerland may indeed result in the amendment or supplementary guidelines to existing regulations in foreign countries”.Passive assisted suicide has been legal in Switzerland since 1942. However, the individual has to be of sound mind, while those helping must not be motivated by self-interest or financial gain. Active euthanasia remains illegal, but lethal drugs may be prescribed as long as the recipient takes an active role. According to the study, most patients died by ingesting sodium pentobarbital, while four inhaled helium.

A 2011 referendum called by pro-life opponents of assisted suicide in the Canton of Zurich was overwhelmingly rejected by 85% of voters and the initiative to outlaw it for foreigners was turned down by 78%. But Swiss law remains unclear. Some groups such as Exit, which only helps Swiss residents, have also agreed to assist people over the age of 75 who are not terminally ill. Last year, the European Court of Human Rights called on Bern to clarify its guidelines after an ailing octogenarian failed to convince doctors that she should be allowed to die.

Britain’s 1961 Suicide Act makes it an offence – up to 14 years in prison in England and Wales – to assist or encourage suicide. In 2010 the UK Commission on Assisted Dying, also known as the Falconer Commission, pushed for a new regulatory law, while Scotland put forward its own bill last November. In Germany, where euthanasia is illegal, Chancellor Angela Merkel is seeking a nationwide discussion. The German Medical Association, however, wants to prohibit both euthanasia and assisted suicide.

Payot’s best sellers of the week

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I am pilgrim by Terry Hayes-1

I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes

This week’s review: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green was again the week’s Payot top seller. Having already reviewed it, Le News instead looks at the third highest entry, I Am Pilgrim, the debut novel by former journalist and screen-writer, Terry Hayes. It was published in July 2013 in the United Kingdom. Pilgrim is the codename for a man who doesn’t exist. He once headed up a secret espionage unit for US intelligence. Before he disappeared into anonymous retirement, he wrote the definitive book on forensic criminal investigation. But that book will come back to haunt him. It will help NYPD detective Ben Bradley track him down. And it will take him to a rundown New York hotel room where the body of a woman has been found. What begins as an unusual and challenging investigation will become a terrifying race-against-time to save America from oblivion. He has to find a faceless man who would commit an appalling act of mass murder in the name of his God.

Rank Title Author Published By Genre
1 The Fault in Our Stars. Film tie-in Green, John Penguin Books Fiction Teenager
2 The Goldfinch Tartt, Donna Abacus Fiction Paperback
3 I Am Pilgrim Hayes, Terry Corgi Thriller
4 Inferno Brown, Dan Corgi Bantam Paperback Thriller
5 Sycamore Row Grisham, John Hodder and Stoughton Thriller
6 Fifty Shades of Grey James, E. L. Vintage Fiction Light
7 The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair Dicker, Joel Quercus Publishing Fiction Hard Cover
8 A Game of Thrones, Book 1. Song of Ice and Fire Martin, George R.R. Bantam Books SF
9 Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage Murakami, Haruki Harvill Secker Fiction Hard Cover
10 Hard Choices Clinton, Hillary Rodham Simon & Schuster History

For more information see the English home page on Payot.ch

Hiking hazards in Switzerland: Not just bad weather

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As Swiss meteorological records point out, July proved to be the wettest month in 50 years. Precipitation was four times higher than normal putting a severe dampener on Swiss tourism. The Lake Geneva region, Bernese Alps, Valais and Jura have all endured exceptionally high rainfall. Many resorts have reported cancellations, particularly among weekend vacationers seeking to escape to the mountains.Girardet Portrait 2 cropped

With rising rivers, including the Rhone, inundating houses, streets and railway lines, the flooding is also a reminder that no one, not even the Swiss, can control the impact of climate change and other aspects of excessive weather. The protection office at the Federal Department for Environment in Bern has warned that the rains have resulted in a “precarious” situation in the northern Alps. Soil is saturated to the point that any new storm may produce destructive surges. What is required, the office points out, is “at least 10 days of no rain to allow the land to empty out.”

One of the reasons behind the inability of soil to absorb such high amounts of water is the growing tendency to lay asphalt for roads and around housing to the point that there is nowhere for water to escape. Another curse is a rising trend to tar or cement country trails. Marked by the renowned yellow signs indicating both direction and walking times, Switzerland’s 66,000 km of hiking paths are increasingly being covered – primarily to facilitate access for farmers.

Geneva’s 346 km of trails are now 59.5% laid over – the highest in the country. Vaud’s 3,433 km of pathways are 42.2% covered, while Valais’s 8,481 km stand at 12.9%. In 2000 alone, over 1,000 km of dirt or gravel trails were surfaced, despite the known health hazards for hikers to walk on hard trails and a 1987 law prohibiting such forms of cover.

Concreting paths is creating increased flood damage.

Concreting paths is creating increased flood damage.

The Swiss Rando Association would now like to halt further surfacing. It is also demanding that the federal government, the principal funder behind recent surfacing, undo what it has implemented. Swiss Rando wants to see all hard trails reduced to 10% throughout Switzerland both for environmental and health reasons. But, as the Fribourg Hikers’ Association also points out, the summer heat can make asphalted trails “unbearable”.

And finally, on the subject of the outdoors, there are two further points of concern. One is wolves. The Canton of Valais, much to the relief of conservationists, has decided not to allow the hunting of one canine which allegedly has attacked 28 sheep and two goats.

If water cannot escape due to man made barriers, then flooding is a certainty

If water cannot escape due to man made barriers, then flooding is a certainty

The farmers are none too happy, but they also need to be encouraged not to leave their flocks untended in the mountains. If they really wish to protect their animals, one agriculturalist pointed out, they need to bring in Pyrenean Mountain or other specialised dogs, which are regarded as the most effective for scaring off predators.

As if flooding and wolves are not enough, the Tribune de Genève ran a story this week with the claim of a female hiker in the Salève near Geneva that she had been attacked by a cow while trying to cross a field. It was only by playing dead that the animal stopping trying to gore her, she said. Local farmers seemed dubious, maintaining that they had never heard of such a thing. Pointing out that a full-grown cow weighs between 600-800 kg, said one “If she had been gored, she would not have stood up.”

Pay more for a 4 x 4

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Anti 4×4 and SUV sentiment is being supported by a system of penalties being charged for importing polluting vehicles by the government. In a report by 24 Heures, importers of cars into Switzerland last year paid penalties of over CHF 5 million to the government for importing large polluting vehicles such as 4x4s. The penalties are calculated according to CO2 emissions levels and apply to new vehicles that emit more than the current European standard of 130g/km. http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photography-two-suv-cars-road-image3360552Importers are claiming that the fines are unjust and merely encourage the growth of the parallel or grey market. There is some truth in this assertion. To escape the penalties, currently all a Swiss resident with a penchant for a polluting vehicle need do is buy one abroad and wait six months before importing and registering it.

Nevertheless despite the penalty system, the number of 4 x 4s on the country’s roads continues to grow and has now reached 25% of all passenger cars. Some of these 4 x 4s are not SUVs but rather sedans with 4 x 4 capability. Criticism of some larger SUVs and other high polluting vehicles has been growing in recent years despite the failure of an initiative in 2010 to have them banned. Critics highlight the fuel waste caused by the extra weight of the 4 x 4 kit which is rarely if ever used by most drivers. Promoters of the campaign to ban urban SUVs and high polluting cars refer to them as “anti-social” vehicles also citing them as more dangerous to pedestrians and drivers of small cars than normal sized vehicles. Even the automobile advertising industry is looking askance at the rise of the large urban SUV with Smart car’s award-winning adverts parodying their unsuitability for in-town parking.

So what does this mean for the environment? At first take it means that people who want to buy a car that does not meet the 130g/km standard will pay more as importers pass on the penalties to their customers. The basic laws of economics would dictate that this would lead to a decrease in sales of these cars. But if it were only that simple. BMW announced its results this week and warned that “the pace at which earnings increase will be influenced by high levels of expenditure for new technologies (and) the development of new technologies to reduce CO2 emissions in line with increasing regulatory requirements”. It is stating that it will make less money as it invests in reducing the emissions levels of its cars. If it succeeds and if other manufacturers of high emission vehicles are as rational as BMW then they will do the same. This means that their future imports into Switzerland will avoid incurring government penalties. But the market will still want vehicles that are unnecessarily big, have rarely used 4 x 4 kits and so burn more fuel than they actually need to. Overall it is a net gain to society and the environment, but it will be a gain that could be so much more. That is unless the government rightly lifts the emissions bar again.

M4 Culture Festival, Crans-Montana

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I have just spent a stimulating couple of days at the new M4 culture festival in Crans-Montana (the four M’s stand for Mountain, Music, Museum and More).

Amira Willighagen

Amira Willighagen
Photo : M4 Festival / Chab Lathion

Providing a wealth of entertainment ranging from photographic exhibitions to classical concerts to contemporary dance, the M4 culture festival attracted a varied crowd and proved to be a crowd pleaser. On the classical side, re:orchestra from the Netherlands showcased the Gypsy and klezmer influences on Shostakovich’s works. Two young artists, Amira Willighagen and Nicole Loretan, provided a very different take on the classics. Willighagen is a ten-year-old opera singer discovered last winter on Holland’s Got Talent. I totally underestimated her potential when she came on stage carrying her favourite doll. Once she started singing, I had to set my preconceptions aside – this young girl was really impressive. Her operatic voice is marvellous, despite her never having had a singing lesson. Her polished and powerful performance with re:orchestra was extraordinary. When I interviewed her afterwards backstage, I was stunned to learn it was the first time she had ever been accompanied by an orchestra.

Nicole Loretan Photo : M4 Festival / Chab Lathion

Nicole Loretan
Photo : M4 Festival / Chab Lathion

Nicole Loretan was the other solo artist. At only 20, this concert pianist plays with technical mastery and her interpretations of various works by Chopin and Tchaikovsky were clear, elegant and decisive but lacked a little of the emotion that one would expect from these composers.

M4’s programme was about so much more than just music. The contemporary dance performance by CocoonDance, a dance company from Bonn, was radically different. Their dramatic use of stage setting and the inclusion of spectators in the performance added to the vibe. The audience was encouraged to move freely around the stage and was therefore continually challenged to interpret the movements of the dancers.

Philippe Caubère Photo : M4 Festival / Chab Lathion

Philippe Caubère
Photo : M4 Festival / Chab Lathion

Literature also featured in the programme, with famous French comedian Philippe Caubère reading André Suarès’ Vues sur l’Europe, an intense text written in 1936 that predicted the horrors of the Second World War.

My favourite performance of the weekend was L’opéra dans tous ses états, a comic opera superbly sung by Leana Durney and Davide Autieri, with Lucas Buclin on the piano. Satirical and clever with wonderfully observed humour, this opera entirely rekindled my interest in the art form.

L'opéra dans tous ses états Photo : M4 Festival / Chab Lathion

L’opéra dans tous ses états
Photo : M4 Festival / Chab Lathion

Launched by Crans-Montana residents Pierre Perrenoud, Robert Kopp and Christian Nivoix, M4 aims to promote and develop the cultural potential of the town, which is perhaps better known for its golf competitions and skiing. “Selecting the acts to develop the reputation of the festival is key,” said Robert Kopp. “There are no restrictions on the type of act, however quality is mandatory.”

The organizers also want to promote meaningful exchanges between generations and cultures. I was struck by just how interactive the festival is. Artists and their audiences were frequently encouraged to interact with one another – not only during the performances but also through a series of Master Classes held over two weeks. These allowed dancers to learn about the creative process of CocoonDance and young pianists to be tutored by the international pianist Novin Afrouz. Even the artists benefited from this dynamic – Amira Willighagen had her first singing lessons in Crans-Montana!

Building on this year’s success, the future plans for M4 are rightly ambitious. An executive committee is being formed to develop the festival and Crans-Montana’s reputation internationally.

Dawn concerts – Aubes Musicales (until 31 August 2014)

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Have you heard of these concerts? Aube means dawn in French, and they are held daily during summer – come rain or come shine – at the Bains des Pâquis, in the middle of the lake in Geneva, from 6.00 to 7.00 every morning. Free, with even coffee thrown in – gratuit till 6.15!

The dawn concertYou may think it’s an ungodly hour, but it is also a magical moment. If you make the effort to roll out of bed, pull something on, brush the old teeth and scurry over to partake of the amazing variety of international musicians that have been assembled for us – truly privileged citizens of Geneva – you’ll be in a mellow mood for the rest of the day.

My very first time there, I was blown away by the music – a wonderfully young and enthusiastic Flamenco ensemble from Madrid – and the ambience. The beauty of nature mixed with the generosity of the Bains Association makes for both a peaceful and exhilarating cocktail of early morning bliss. The gentleness of the water lapping at the pebbled beach, the swans and ducks sharing their space with us, the energy of the music, all create a special atmosphere.

And then there are the people – the organizers, the “regulars” and the wide-eyed newcomers. According to long-time Bains aficionado, Julien Brulhart, who is responsible for collecting funds and taking care of the financial logistics, it all started in 2007 with just a germ of an idea, to wake up to music. He says the event is supported by one third with donations from the likes of Ville de Genève and the Loterie Romande, the rest being covered by the Bains Association and its Buvette/Restaurant. With this it can pay its performers decently. And with the help of five other fellows – Leon, Marc, Pascal, Patrick and Philippe – who take care of the sound equipment (Marc), or the finding and programming of the musicians (Pascal), it has been growing steadily, to almost mythical proportions. Check out this year’s programme on its website, or pick up a leaflet at the tourist office, the Grütli or on the Bains, itself.

And there are the regulars – the ones who come almost every day. Like birds gathering together. There’s the striking Myriam “Cake”, so named because she sells her tasty cakes (made from bio vegetables, she proudly insists) around the events. She knows everybody, all the organizers, and introduced me to a delicate little woman, Denise, who turned out to be quite the alternative artist. After the concert, they took me to her apartment around the corner where Denise showed me her whimsical works of art – massive pieces made of discarded objects such as strips of tyres, hangers, wires, mens’ ties, and wonderful clouds of cotton wool above her bed. If only she had the right agent to make her famous. The great Brazilian artist Vik Muniz would love Denise, and the self-aggrandizing Damien Hirst would be ashamed. On the way there, they showed me the Arbre habillé on Place de la Navigation (another super project emanating from the Bains), and a strange and imposing homeless man with a coordinated military-green bike who wanted two francs if I took his photo, which I did.  One could say these are the down-to-earth, real characters of alternative Geneva. What a morning!

This first concert was a revelation for me. Try it, you’ll like it. Check their programme well, for it offers music for every taste, from jazz, world fusion and medieval music to rock, klezmer and Indian rhythms. We are blessed here, in so many ways.

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