Swiss Identity

Cultural connections open diplomatic doors

This content was published on Mar 4, 2013 An experienced diplomat fascinated by the Middle East, Martin Aeschbacher first studied at the Institute for Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Bern before travelling to Damascus and Aleppo to perfect his Arabic language skills. Since joining the foreign ministry in 1985, he has served as Swiss ambassador to several Arab countries,…

Demographics

No fun and games for Graubünden after ballots cast

This content was published on Mar 3, 2013 A majority of 54 per cent of voters said “no” to a proposal to set aside a financial reserve of CHF300 million ($320 million) for the organisation of the games. The event would have been centred on the renowned resorts of St Moritz and Davos, which already hosts the annual meeting of the World Economic…

Culture

The frame within the picture

This content was published on Mar 2, 2013 More than 150 works on show at Lausanne’s Fondation de l’Hermitage were loaned by a variety of Swiss and European institutions, as well as numerous prestigious private collections. The thematic journey through 500 years of art history brings together names like Dürer, Monet, Hammershøi, Munch, Mondrian, Jawlensky, Matisse, Duchamp, Vallotton, Ernst, Bonnard, Klee, Picasso, Balthus,…

The globe, mapped by you

This content was published on Mar 1, 2013 Poole tells swissinfo.ch that they mapped some areas long before Google but cannot compete with the company’s satellite imagery. Despite this, the project aims to make map data freely available for all. Poole, who studied physics at the University of Zurich and has founded and sold several Swiss Internet start-up companies, took over the chairmanship…

Four dead in factory shooting

This content was published on Feb 28, 2013 The gunman, a 42-year-old Swiss who had been with the Kronospan company for more than 15 years, is among the dead. He used a pistol and reportedly shot himself. The suspect fired a Sphinx AT 380, which is not an army-issue gun, Lucerne police said on Thursday. It is still unclear how he came into the…

Demographics

Lending a hand and gaining insight

This content was published on Feb 28, 2013 It was pure coincidence that he ended up in the West African country with a population of just under ten million. After recruit school he didn’t want to carry on with military service, so opted for civilian service. After a long search, he eventually found the Liweitari vocational training centre in the city of Natitingou,…

Demographics

Aid work: an alternative to army service

This content was published on Feb 28, 2013 Such alternative service abroad could mean working as a laboratory assistant for the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute or as a truck driver for Médecins Sans Frontières in Africa. It could be teaching maths in Brazil, giving instruction in using solar technology to disinfect drinking water, or working as an expert on well projects…

Demographics

From teenage tantrums to sublime success

This content was published on Feb 27, 2013 The development of one of the most awe-inspiring players the world has ever seen has involved little blood, a lot of toil and sweat and many tears. Federer has never been extrovert or arrogant but he was always ambitious. As a 15-year-old at the Swiss National Tennis Centre at Ecublens, he had to write down…

Demographics

Telephone interpretation to the rescue

This content was published on Feb 27, 2013 A pilot project, the National Telephone Interpreting Service has already garnered praise for its practical and helpful intervention in emergency situations – and not only in hospitals. Speakers of languages from Arabic to Serbian to Italian are on call, ready to interpret into and from Switzerland’s three official languages – German, French and Italian –…

Demographics

‘Society has to take certain risks’

This content was published on Feb 26, 2013 He spent months working on a film about the inmates at Thorberg, a high-security prison outside the capital, Bern. During that time he became familiar with everyday life behind bars. In an interview with swissinfo.ch, Fahrer says he gained vast insight that has made him “a sort of spokesman” for those who can’t speak for…

Swiss Identity

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