about us

The Blue Community initiative was launched in Switzerland in the fall of 2013. The Green politician Rosmarie Bär, the Brazilian water activist Franklin Frederick and representatives of the University of Bern, the City of Bern and the OeME Migration Department of the Reformed Churches Bern-Jura-Solothurn were instrumental in the creation of Blue Community Switzerland.

Since then, the OeME  division has taken on a coordinating role, i.e. with working time and a financial contribution, the Swiss Blue Community is supported. The coordination accompanies interested congregations, parishes, universities and institutions on their way to the Blue Community, promotes networking among the Swiss Blue Communities and is a link to the Council of Canadians and the Blue Planet Project.

Website OeME-Migration

In spring 2020, an advisory support group was installed on the initiative of the coordination. The members of the support group provide strategic advice to the coordination.

The Blue Community Switzerland Advisory Group

The task of the Advisory Group is to support the coordination in an advisory capacity on strategic issues. For example, it is a matter of checking whether the activities of Blue Community Switzerland are in line with the core concerns of the global initiative, of contributing political or scientific know-how, or of deciding where lobbying and advocacy work should be carried out.

The Advisory Group includes the different "types" (clusters) of Blue Communities, i.e. a representative of a Blue University, a city, a church community and another civil society organization. Currently (as of June 2023), the Blue Community Monitoring Group consists of the following members:

  • Representative of a parish: Theo Hofer, parish of Biel/Bienne.
  • Representative of a university: unoccupied
  • Representative of a political municipality: Anita Haas, Presidential Department of the City of Bern
  • Representative of an NGO: Karl Heuberger, Theme Officer Water, HEKS
  • Scientific or political advisor: Andreas Kläy, former CDE, University of Bern
  • Head of OeME-Migration, Refbejuso: Heinz Bichsel
  • Synodal Councilor OeME-Migration, Refbejuso: Ueli Burkhalter
  • Coordinator Blue Community Switzerland, Refbejuso: Lisa Krebs

The support group meets about every three months.