Frédéric Chavanne was central to the work of IofC in France for many years.
Frédéric's parents lived in Morocco prior to independence and were active in MRA initiatives to bring about de-colonization without bloodshed. So Frédéric's childhood was largely spent in that country. He maintained his love of the Arab peoples throughout his life and made many friends. This heightened his sensitivity to the difficulties that many immigrants from the Muslim nations were facing as a minority in France. In response, he and his wife Nathalie devoted themselves to initiatives to build understanding between immigrants and the host community in Paris.
Frédéric was also deeply involved in significant peace-building initiatives in the Great Lakes region of Africa, scene of wide-spread inter-communal violence in recent decades.
In his later years, Frédéric developed strong convictions about the need to 'decarbonise' and he brought his considerable intellectual powers not only to studying the subject in great detail but to organising public meetings to convince others.
