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"Moi Aussi" is an association founded by Laura Mulcahy speading the message of inclusion amongst children. Their lovely song with the same title: "Moi Aussi" is being used as a resource for public schools.  This inspiring article is written for Living in Nyon by Eoghan O'Sullivan. When this Vich-based Irishman isn't busy being an independent communications consultant , he dabbles in songwriting. He writes here about his most recent musical project, which aims to encourage more inclusion and integration.All of the heart-warming photos have been taken by Hayley Hay. Just over three years ago, I was asked whether I could write a song to celebrate the opening ceremony of a photo exhibition raising awareness of people with Down syndrome. I had been commissioned to write songs before, but this one came with a specific challenge: it would ideally be in French. As someone whose French is largely self-taught, I wasn't confident that I could do it. However, taking the captions accompanying some of the photos as a starting point, the song somehow came together. Ruth Foley, who commissioned it, and Laura Mulcahy, who founded the association Moi Aussi that organised the exhibition, were both very pleased. Laura was convinced that we could and should do more with this song, but we couldn't decide what that "more" would be. Until now... RESOURCE FOR SCHOOLS As of this month, a professional recording of the song Moi Aussi has been made freely available to schools as a resource for teaching children about inclusion. The recording, which we somehow managed to complete during this year of restrictions and confinement, features kids from a 4P class in Lausanne's Floréal school. It is accompanied by a heart-warming video, and sheet music, lyrics and guitar chords have also been made available for download. The recording and video were funded by the Moi Aussi Association . Laura hopes that the song can contribute to the association's aim of encouraging society to be more inclusive, not just of people with Down syndrome, but for any kind of 'difference' or disability. Her own daughter Emer, who has Down syndrome, features in the video alongside her classmates – she is included fully in the life of her school, epitomising the spirit of the song's lyrics. I'm personally proud to have written the song at the heart of this project. I learned a lot of my French by listening to songs – if you're trying to learn the language and you like music, you should seek out some of the great francophone songwriters. But this project is also an example of the rich contribution that expats/immigrants are making to life in this region. Alongside myself, Ruth and Laura, also involved in this project were the photographer Hayley Hay and the videographer Elma Okic. I think for all of us, this has offered a chance to give something back to this wonderful country that has welcomed us. HELP US SPREAD THE WORD We would really appreciate it if you could help spread the word, particularly among school communities and with music teachers. You can find the song Moi Aussi on all of the main digital music platforms; the video, plus the various free downloads, can be found at www.moiaussi.org/chanson And if you'd like to read a bit more about the story of this song, you can find a longer post on my website .

The local art scene has so much to offer! Thanks to Uli Van Neyghem for providing us with this vivid article and images on Jean Dubuffet at the The Musée d'ethnographie in Geneva on until the 28th of February! Uli Van Neyghem is a professional artist and free-lance art journalist living in Céligny. Uli’s art can be recognized by its serene atmospheres and often takes inspiration from living in Switzerland. Have a look at her website or follow her on Instagram: @ulivanneyghem Why use the term ‘barbarian’ in connection with one of Europe’s leading artists in the second half of the twentieth history? In fact, Jean Dubuffet himself would likely have been very pleased with the radical sounding title given to the temporary exhibition at the Museum of Ethnography in Geneva. Dubuffet shook off aesthetic norms and conventions surrounding art like very few artists did, and thereby reinvented it. By doing so, he has become an inspiration for many other iconic creatives like Keith Haring or Jean Michel Basquiat. But who and what inspired Dubuffet? The present exhibition at the MEG provides wonderful insights into this question. In fact, crucial impulses for Dubuffet’s revolutionary approach came from visiting the museum himself in the summer of 1945, together with the just as visionary architect and designer Le Corbusier . Rather than disqualifying the artifacts from around the world exhibited there as ‘primitive’, he was fascinated by these pieces so radically removed from the Western academic field and its conventional art culture that he found suffocating. During the same trip to postwar Switzerland, Dubuffet visited a number of psychiatric clinics in Geneva and Bern and was deeply impressed by the profoundly expressive works produced by some of their patients. More inspiration came from extensive travels and the folk art he studied and collected during those. The MEG’s exhibition strings all of these together into a fascinating mix of Dubuffet’s artworks, juxtaposed with objects from the collections of the ethnographic museum and ‘Art Brut’ ( a term that Dubuffet coined himself ), artworks created by patients in mental asylums or prisons. They all have in common that they are pure expressions of individuality: spontaneous and undiluted, full of sincerity and directness. Jean Dubuffet was an artist who refused to be put in a box. He cultivated playfulness, perpetually experimenting with using materials and techniques in unconventional ways. Very much in line with his unorthodox thinking, the exhibition at the MEG starts the tour with one of his last paintings, rather than his early works and any chronological order. Fittingly, ’ Jean Dubuffet - a Barbarian in Europe ’ pays tribute to this extremely unusual artist, by ‘reshuffling’ notions of conventional art or ethnography museum exhibitions.

Château de Prangins presents a major first: a new role-playing exhibition for families. Visitors of all ages are invited to imagine themselves as an English tourist or a young chimney-sweep from Ticino traveling around Switzerland on foot, by train or by boat.  There is a new permanent exhibition at the beautiful Château de Prangins and it comes in the form of role-play in the Castle's basement! Gone are the days museums were boring and dusty for children. The aim is to attract the youngest of publics to the museum and offer them an adventure in the form or time travel with 4 languages to select from - English, French, German or Italian. Two levels are available the first for children between the ages of 4 to 10 and the second for children as of 11 years old. Choices of roles are available and depending on the selection made, the trip takes anywhere between 5 to 20 minutes. Here is a sneak preview of the characters available on the website of the Château : - A young, 18th-century baroness called Lucie who decides to take her coach out for a picnic with her three children. - A girl called Gina from Intragna, one of many young chimney sweeps from Ticino in the 19th century, setting off to find her brother who has been taken to Milan to do the same job. - A young boy from Graubünden named Kaspar , who, at the age of 10, leaves his village of Vals in 1901 to go and work on the land in Swabia, along with thousands of other children known as Schwabenkinder. Participants discover authentic objects and travel by boat, coach, train or even a paddle steamer all whilst surrounded by authentic objects from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. The curators of the exposition are Marie-Hélène Pellet et Ana Vulić. After the fun and games there is the café at the chateau for a well-deserved break. Sounds like a good idea for those of us with children and in need of a family outing on a rainy day!

This afternoon, 28th of October at 16:15 there was a new press conference from the Swiss government to inform us of new measures and restrictions implemented in an effort to curb the COVID-19 spread further. The press conference was broadcasted on the RTS where you can find more information on the new measures implemented. For the time being it has not yet been translated to English. Switzerland is currently a "hot spot" with over 8'000 new cases in 24 hours this morning. The main message was that by now we all know theoretically how to curb the spread of the virus, and there was a call to the Swiss citizens to play their part and be socially responsible when it comes to our behaviour during this pandemic. There is also a clear hope and effort to avoid a confinement as drastic as the one we experienced in March. Specifically, the new measures are the following: Public manifestations are limited to 50 people. This includes events such as weddings, sporting events, or religious gatherings. Private gatherings are limited to 10 people. These have often a source of multiple infections as precautions are less strict with familiar people Nightclubs will close Close contact sports and events of over 15 people are banned Bars and restaurants will close at 23:00 and A limit of 4 people per table at a restaurant is implemented (with the exception of single households that have a larger number) Masks will be worn in more public places (markets, parcs) Working from home is recommended whenever at all possible Higher education learning will be done remotely as of Monday The big news on testing is that the so-called rapid-tests or "test rapides" have proven to be reliable enough to roll them out. This means that they will be available in certain pharmacies, clinics, or other places as the canton decides. They give a result within 15 minutes, thereby giving much more clarity and insight and to reduce the waiting times and potential spreading of the virus in case of a positive result. There is an FAQ section regarding COVID (albeit it in French) on the swiss administration site . To all our readers, keep safe and healthy!

The city of Nyon has decided to pedestrianize its downtown area. A first test phase started on the 2nd of November by eliminating part of the transit traffic. Bus traffic and parking remain available. The commitment to "soft-mobility" in Nyon is taking shape and has been planned in several phases. The first phase that started this week consists of the following changes you may have already noticed: A meeting area for pedestrians at the end of rue de la Môrache, and on the northern section of rue de la Gare and on rue Just-Olivier. In this sector, pedestrians now have priority. Nevertheless, vehicles are authorised at 20km p/h and they should not be hindered. The sidewalk in the northern part of rue de la Gare is widened in order to maintain a secure path. The central Rue de la Gare has been or the most part pedestrianised and vehicles can no longer cross Place Saint-Martin with the exception of certain residents. A few parking spaces have been suppressed and a new signage campaign has been put in place by the police to create awareness and guarantee safety. These first measures will actively participate in revitalizing the city center by reinforcing its commercial attractiveness and will enable the population to reclaim these public spaces. New facilities and steps are foreseen for spring 2021. In the meantime, despite the shopping centres still being open and the pedestrian city centre, do remain vigilant and take the necessary COVID precautions a little longer. Wishing you all a safe and healthy day!

Toastmasters is an organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. Nyon has a fantastic anglophone club of its own where its members challenge and inspire each other to become better all-round communicators. It provides an opportunity to improve public speaking skills, communication styles as well as overcome stage fright or simply improving your English skills for some. It fosters learning, self-discovery, and personal growth in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Have a look at the facebook group to get an impression. Every meeting is held in high spirits and allows for its members and guests to test out new ideas, receive valuable feedback and have a whole lot of fun. This really is thanks to the challenging and supportive environment that facilitates learning and developing skills. The club is made up of a vibrant set of international and local members from all walks of life. The large mix of professional backgrounds from the corporate business world to entrepreneurs to people simply looking for an inspiring way to meet others. This mix always provides for interesting presentations and diverse points of view. Come and visit us! Meetings are held virtually (due to the pandemic) every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month and you are welcome to attend as a guest! The next meetings are on Wednesday the 11th and the 25th of November and start at 19:30. Please contact Mandy (yes me again) as I am currently the VP of membership at the club. I will happily send you the link to join our next meeting.

Dalia Imadalou's exposition will go ahead with the sanitary requirements respected between the 30th of October and the 5th of December at the Galerie Marchande in Nyon, under the theme of "spirit of the mountain". Growing up in a family of artists in Algeria, art has always served as Dalia Imadalou’s window into her emotions and the world around her. Depictions of the natural environment feature heavily in her work as they provide her a space to contemplate; an important aspect of her creative process. Her paintings embody intuition, emotions, and a poetic interpretation of nature as she puts it. An exposition of her paintings can be seen at the Galerie Marchande in Nyon. It has been maintained and respects all the sanitary requirements. After completing her masters in Canada and France, she is now based in Nyon, sharing her artistic talents through a number of exhibitions around Switzerland, Italy and France, as well a teaching art classes at Ecole-Migros and L’Adac. Over the course of this month, Dalia Imadalou will be showcasing her work in two exhibitions, one at the Art Fair Lausanne and the second at MAG Montreux. For more information you can visit her website or follow her on Instagram @dchaouane and on facebook as Dalia Chaouane .

4 national languages, 26 cantons, rotating presidents... Inside Switzerland demystifies the confederation for us! This informative series of short articles: "Inside Switzerland" is brought to Living in Nyon thanks to Jon Wyler. It gives us some insight into our wonderfully complex and highly efficient country . Now that the history and the foundation of the country are clearer. What's with all the languages and what law applies to where? Regional differences Switzerland is commonly divided into 4 linguistic regions - German, French, Italian and Romansh . While the progressive cantonal additions and languages explain regional differences, these have been maintained because the Helvetic Confederation* was founded as an alliance originally, never a country. Someone from Geneva is likely to have more in common with a person from across the French border than from Lugano, who in turn will feel closer to someone from northern Italy. The strongest divide can be felt across the röstigraben * with Germanics often being looser in family relations and more rigid at work. The welschs*, commonly the term Swiss Germans will use to refer to the French speaking population, are considered the opposite! The Cantons Some things are national such as the military & currency (both of these only since 1848), while cantons retain a large degree of independence. This is why for example the “ Jeûne Genevois ” and the “ Jeûne Fédéral ” (the link is in French) are not on the same day, or why the following Monday is a Public Holiday in Vaud but not in Fribourg. Although strongly influenced by neighbouring cantons, border cantons are also influenced by neighbouring countries - people in Geneva say “quatre-vingt”* like France whereas those in Vaud and Fribourg say “huitante”. There are cantonal stereotypes, which in Switzerland are good-heartedly used to chide each other. Up next in the series: The Swiss values and their underlying meaning!   *The official name of Switzerland *The “rösti ditch” - an imaginary line separating the french and german speaking regions *Originally meaning “non-German speaker”, it’s the term used to describe the french speaking population by Swiss-Germans *80 ----------------------------------- There are some great movies that provide insight into the country's heritage Bienvenue en Suisse (FR) - Welcome to Switzerland Die Schweizermacher (DE) - The Swissmakers Jon Wyler is a Swiss/Luxembourg bi-national, who grew up between Geneva, Hawaii and Beijing. Hospitality-trained, he has for most of his life followed his passion working in live music production, which took him around the world. Jon recently settled on the shores of lake Neuchâtel with his German wife who’s trying to figure out the in’s & out’s of her adopted country.

"Caffè sospeso" is a "pending coffee" or a "Café suspendu". This concept allows people to pay for an extra coffee or meal that will be given to a person who cannot afford it. Nyon's La Roulotte implemented this in 2016 and allows for this wonderful initiative to grow in our area. For La Roulotte just behind the station, implementation of the concept met with some hurdles. Initially it was difficult to get the word out. Their efforts eventually paid off with a board outside the café informing the passers-by, sharing the information on social media pages such as Facebook and Instagram and simply mentioning it to those they were in contact with generated awareness. Another challenge lay in the fact that those in need, and who the "hanging" coffees and meals were meant FOR, felt uncomfortable to make use of the charitable concept. As Marine from la Roulotte states: "There are so many reasons a person may be in that situation, ranging from prolonged hardship, being temporarily down on their luck or maybe just a forgotten wallet at home. Making people feel comfortable to accept the support was not an easy feat. Nevertheless through persistence, and a friendly and open attitude we managed to get there." The fact that the café is located in open-air, and there is no door to have to walk through, helps. They are able to see when it's quiet and discreetly pass by which now happens frequently. The hanging coffee bank fills up and empties out frequently, meaning it can be considered a success. There are now more locations in Nyon offering the same service, you don't even need to leave your home to contribute! Have a look at the Suspend'us website that has brought the options together on their site. Hopefully, there will be more added to this list over time. This year has been difficult for so many people, with the winter months coming up, loneliness and isolation are heightened. We all have a part to play in our community whether it's supporting another person down on their luck, or maybe even daring to speak up when we ourselves need help.

Do you have some time to spare? would you like to meet new people and learn a few new skills? Have you considered volunteering? Many of us will easily donate to charities or support them financially, but becoming an active member of an organisation's committee or freely volunteering our time and energy is a different thing, and one less common. One of the main struggles associations face, is to find volunteers. From my experience the issue is not so much that people are not ready to volunteer, it's that it can be complicated to find where to do so. There is of course an added complication linked to the fact that if you don't speak French at all, it can make it harder still. So for those of you interested in lending a helping hand, or even also in creating a network in a specific field as well as learning some new skills, it's a fantastic option. Here are some ideas to get you started: benevoljobs.ch is website is the go-to website to see what opportunities are out there, simply select your region. Associations put the help they need on the site for free and you can apply to the ones you feel interested in. You can select English as the language but some posts will still appear in French as they have not been translated. Cartons du coeur is a wonderful Swiss-wide initiative that requires no specific language, simply your help. They deliver meals to those in need and always need more hands on deck, there is more than enough work to do. Find out all about them here , their website is clear, user-friendly and fully in English as well as many other languages. The commune of Nyon has an impressive list of associations that exist in the area and that you can access here . Most will probably be happy with extra hands people, it's always worth asking if you find one or two in your field of interest. The downside is that you see the name of the association but not much more. You will need to do some extra research to increase your knowledge of your selected options. Benevolat Vaud is an organisation that supports associations and facilitates the finding of volunteers for them amongst many other services. Have a look at their French website here . If you are unsure where your skills are best put to use, simply give them a call on 021 313 24 00 and ask for a meeting to discuss volunteering opportunities for yourself. Several of their staff speak English and they will meet you in order to discuss your specific context, and connect you with the most relevant associations directly. Wishing you all a wonderful start to the winter season heading our way!

This article reviews the changes that were made for the coworkers in the space and what is new at Atelier 9. Thank you to Roland and Jean-Marc for providing us with this article and insight on how the pandemic is affecting working trends. While the COVID-19 pandemic situation forced most companies to promote home-office, this situation is not ideal for those who need to separate personal and work environments. As a result, the concept of a coworking space has been increasingly used this year. Despite the current unstable situation, ATELIER 9 managed to successfully celebrate its second birthday on October 9th with some of their coworkers, partners, and friends! 2020 has been a special year for all of us. Here are some of the major changes ATELIER 9 went through to ensure a proper working environment to its coworkers. We are a member of Coworking Switzerland Association and regularly discuss essential topics such as the COVID-19 safety measures. 1. Social Distance : Coworking desks have been reduced from 15 to 8 with a Plexiglass separating the desks. Furthermore, one desk is left free between coworkers. 2. Tracking : Social Pass app is available at ATELIER 9 and you can check-in and out to ensure proper tracking and information flow. 3. Disinfectant : At every door of the coworking space, you will find all the supplies you need to ensure clean hands. 4. Fresh Air/door cleaning : Jean-Marc makes sure there is enough fresh air in the office by regularly opening the doors. He also and takes time to clean the doors. 5. Masks : Every individual now needs to wear a mask when moving around the working space and at each desk. New at ATELIER 9 The coworking has opened its offices to students! Offers packages for those interested in studying in Nyon instead of staying at home are now available. For them, special packages exist for weekdays as well as week-ends. What is ATELIER 9 For those who don’t know ATELIER 9 yet, it is a coworking space housed in an old building and within a stone’s throw of the Roman museum. It is completely modern and has a stylish working environment. Right in the heart of town, it is located close to the railway station, central car park and the CGN port. It provides fast Wi-Fi and comfortable desks that can be elevated to stand up while working. Projectors, screens, keyboards, computer mouses, flip charts, a laser printer, scanner, private lockers and more are available to those who need it. A lovely kitchenette area is there for those who want to take a break or catch up. For non-coworkers such as individuals, groups or organisations, the meeting room (up to 6 people in a pandemic situation) can also be rented with different pricing (half-day, full day and after 18.00). Interested in having a look around our working space? Feel free to walk in for a tour with the manager and one of the co-founders Roland Schaller. Who knows what this space will inspire you to create… The reception desk is open every day except from 12.00-13.30 and on Saturdays. Working spaces are open for business from Monday to Friday from 07:00 to midnight and on Saturdays from 08:00 – 18:00. For more information, feel free to visit the website , reach out by mail (info@atelier9.work) or phone (+41 (0)22 565 3355).

The initiative "Run for Nyon" is a sponsored run that all runners - and non-runners - can join. Sponsors pay CHF2.- per km that goes to the hospital staff as a thank you in the form of nice breakfasts or meals by local producers.What is it about? Two Nyon locals decided to support the hospital staff by launching an initiative that allows for a combination of sports and solidarity to come together. Guillaume Golay, 29 years old, is a teacher at the Nyon-Marens college . He and his friend Benoît Bryand, 28 and co-founder of Paleta Loca , are football buddies. With the pandemic putting an end to training sessions, they turned to running instead. This activity gave way to the idea of running for a cause, and so their idea for the sponsored run was born, allowing anybody that wishes to participate to join in. How does it work? If you are motivated to join in the efforts there are 2 simple ways you can participate: Sign up as a runner here . Choose how far you will run and find a few sponsors ready to pay you CHF2.- for every km you run. Sponsor a runner. Either sponsor a friend who will run or have a look on the website to sponsor one of the listed runners. Registrations for the run are possible until the 15th of December. Guillaume and Benoît themselves will run 42km on December 12th around the lake..... dressed as doctors! Anybody can sign up and you can also follow their activity on Instagram or Facebook . Good luck Guillaume and Benoît and thanks for this initiative!