Charles Piguet 1930-2012

Charles Piguet June 2, 1930 - July 29, 2012

 At the end of July, Charles Piguet left us in faith in the Resurrection. He was 82 years old. His life as a "permanent" member of Moral Re-Armament had begun after his graduation in 1948. He had received an imperative inner call to trust God to make his contribution to the renewal of society. Farewell to medical studies.

In Caux he decided to join the cohort of young Swiss people who were vibrating to build a better world after the terrible ordeal of war. A man of contact, Charles expected his interlocutors to take a decisive step in their lives towards precise moral criteria. Whether in Africa, Congo or Eritrea, in Italy or Belgium, without forgetting Switzerland, whose three languages he spoke with precision, his message did not vary: Go ahead, the world expects you to be a builder.

In Eritrea, a country torn by inter-tribal tensions and colonized by Italy, forgotten by the so-called "international community", Charles participated in a reconciliation campaign that led him to meet young independence activists. Among them were Ahmed Surur and Osman Shum, who were faithful companions of Charles over the years. In the 1970s he invited them to Italy to bring the message of Moral Re-Armament. Together they met with industrialists, trade unionists, and magistrates involved in the fight against terrorism. The two Eritrean friends found in Charles and his family a solid friendship that still lasts today.

In Belgium, Charles participated in the "round table" of chiefs from the Congo, a country whose independence Belgium was hastily preparing for and which would prove to be a failure. However, several of these Congolese patriots committed themselves to a reconciled country. For example, François Lwakabanga, who would become governor of the Kasai province a year later. Charles had taught him to begin his days with a salutary meditation. This was mentioned in the broadcasts of the National Radio, which continued for almost two years and which Charles had launched at the request of the Minister of Information.

In Switzerland, Charles was responsible for the Caux publishing house. A committed writer, his works bear witness to a profound and diverse thought. The list of books he wrote is eloquent in this regard: Learning Weakness 2010, Wars Without Violence 2006, A Solitary Trek 2002, Freedom for Zaire 1991, This World That God Entrusts to Us (with Michel Sentis) 1979. His books were always aimed at specific readers in search of a better world. Let us not forget the important part played by his wife Jacqueline in the writing of such varied works. Their message remains.

The characteristic of Charles' life, says a pastor, is that he knew how to be interested in people. A nurse at the institution where he spent his last days said that "we will never forget Mr. Piguet. Last conversation between friends Jacqueline Piguet, Vevey To the question "what is left when one leaves?" Charles answered: "the bits of road we have travelled with someone."

I first met Charles in 1969 when he came to participate in the international conference on Moral Rearmament in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea. The fact that Charles speaks fluent Italian made it very easy to get in touch with the population who still spoke this language after the colonization of their country by Italy. We got along well right away. One of Charles' tasks was to translate these lectures from English into Italian and vice versa. During the conference there were private meetings, one of which was organized by my father in our house. It brought together a great politician, Mr. Omar Gadi, who was fighting for the right to self-determination of Eritrea, annexed to Ethiopia against his will, and Rajmohan Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. Omar Gadi, spoke for over two hours in Italian and Charles translated into English. The politician spoke about the injustice that Eritrea suffered under Ethiopian rule. Rajmohan Gandhi listened without ever intervening. At the end of the meeting he stood up and shook Mr. Gadi's hand with only the words "thank you". Charles repeated to everyone that this meeting was a lesson in listening to the suffering of the other who simply needed to be listened to.

Rajmohan was to meet Emperor Haile Selassie in Addis Ababa a few days later, and during their meeting, the question of reconciliation was raised.

In 1972, Charles wrote to me inviting me to come to Switzerland for training in RAM, working with him between Italy and Switzerland. For two years, I made several trips to Italy with him, accompanied from time to time by Jacqueline and Etienne, who was starting his elementary school. We met industrialists, students and families. In the Vatican of the cardinals.

During this period I lived between Caux and the Piguet home in Clarens where I was treated like a member of the family. I learned a lot during these few years.

In 1975, I decided to continue my university studies in Rome. After a few months stay I had to leave my apartment and look for another place to live. When I told Charles about it he made contacts and found me a nice room where I stayed for three years, until I finished my studies. Afterwards, I came back to Switzerland to further my studies in Geneva. I had to find a scholarship but it was without success. When Charles heard about it, he asked me where I had submitted my applications and wrote back to them to support my file. I was then called for an interview. When I showed up the gentleman showed me a letter and said, "This is the most important one. It was Charles' letter. I got a scholarship for two years thanks to him. Charles was a friend, a big brother, a father who was always there for me. It meant a lot to have him by my side, especially at the beginning of my stay in Europe. This friendship lasted until the last days with Charles and Jacqueline.

Extract from the message of Osman Shum, Charles' Eritrean friend: Osman remembers in particular an event that took place in Asmara in June 1974. Charles had been invited to have dinner with Osman and his father in their home, but Osman's father had died tragically that afternoon, the victim of an assassination. Eritrea was then in a period of unrest, civil war was raging and the Ethiopian army was preparing to overthrow the Emperor. The funeral ceremony for Osman's father took place in his hometown of Keren, about 90 kilometers from Asmara. Charles had undertaken this dangerous journey to be with Osman and comfort him.