Dr. Ellen Ringier, you have a Juris Doctorate, are a committed philanthropist and a tireless fighter: three characteristics that describe you as a person?
“Lover of humanity, advocate of justice, seeker of truth.”
Where did you grow up and what personalities influenced you as a child and young woman?
"I grew up in Lucerne and my mother and my two grandmothers, who came from different cultural backgrounds, undoubtedly had a greater influence on me than their husbands. It was also my high school studies in the humanities, my experiences in numerous sports groups and with scouts, and my law studies that helped me become who I am today."
How did your personal background and education influence your perception of social problems and your willingness to take action?
«My English grandfather's mantra was: “The only thing that matters in life is giving others a chance”. It has become a motto for me too, and in fact the meaning of my life. What did I want and want to achieve in my life? Not to hurt anyone (intentionally) and, where possible, to support people in physical or psychological difficulty (for example in personal or economic crisis) and help them find a way out».
When did you decide to dedicate yourself to philanthropy and how did this passion begin?
"I left the legal profession at the age of forty and, thanks to the financial resources for which I have to thank my grandfather, I opened my own office with the aim of doing what I had always had in mind, that is, helping other people in difficulty. To avoid any misunderstanding, this has nothing to do with being a "benefactor", but with an idea, if I may say "selfish", of the meaning I want to give to my life".
What values and beliefs guide you as a philanthropist?
"You could say that I suffer in the face of injustice that affects some people. How could I, who undoubtedly am on the side of the fortunate who lack nothing, limit myself to looking or even turning my head the other way?"
Is there any meeting that particularly inspired you?
"I remember an episode, a Christmas carol sung by my scout group, just before Christmas Eve, in the men's ward of the Lucerne Cantonal Hospital. There was an old man who wouldn't let go of my hand as he handed me a mandarin with a candle on a fir branch and I, who was about twelve years old at the time, stared with growing fear at the old, bony hand of that man on mine. But what did he say to me? I was his angel who took away all his fears... Since then I have felt a deep empathy for people who are left alone by their families, even at Christmas. And since then I have also understood that often it doesn't take much to help others."
You deal with culture, the fight against racism, women and children in difficulty. Why are these issues particularly close to your heart and what do you do specifically?
«My cultural commitment has more to do with my family roots than with in-depth knowledge. I have internalized the phrase of the Russian avant-garde of the early 20th century, according to which culture belongs to everyone and must therefore be made accessible to everyone.
Anti-racism, on the other hand, is part of what I learned from my experience: my mother was neither Catholic nor Protestant, a completely anomalous position in the 1950s and 1960s. We also spoke English at home and my parents were very cosmopolitan, another characteristic that was not common in Lucerne at that time. At the time, Italians were shouted the derogatory term “Tschingge” in the street; at the same time, Switzerland was spared from the Second World War thanks in part to its exceptional army, the dissuasion strategy of the “Réduit” and the uprightness of the Swiss. Foreigners should feel happy to be able to live in such a privileged country (which also banned family reunification, in violation of international law)! There was a term for this attitude: feeling “better” than others».
Children are a particularly important topic for you: how did the Elternsein Foundation come into being? What is its purpose and what projects are you carrying out today?
«To this day, my goal with the Elternsein Foundation and the parenting magazine “Fritz+Fränzi”, as well as with our various digital offerings, is to contribute to successful parenting, to support educators and to strengthen the parent-student-teacher triangle.
We believe that this work can also support the democratic fabric of our society through the chain of mutual relationships between generations. As long as our readership continues to grow as it has consistently done, in complete contrast to the current trend, we will continue to focus on print media, especially our parents' magazine. At the same time, we have recently succeeded in significantly expanding our audiovisual offering and our social media channels. Every print publisher in the world will tell you that digitalization is a major and financially significant challenge."
What new impulses can contribute to rethinking philanthropy, especially in relation to the theme of childhood?
"People who engage in philanthropy usually choose a cause that is close to their personal interests, and a surprising number of foundations list education in their statutory purposes. If they were all networked and worked together more closely, a real "force de frappe" could emerge. Pro Familia and other institutions are making a contribution in this direction, albeit with minimal federal funding. I often wonder whether the person in charge of the Ministry of the Interior knows that he or she is also the Minister of Family Policies. Given the importance of the task, I think it would be desirable to have a separate Ministry of Family Policies."
What can philanthropy contribute to addressing long-term social and environmental challenges?
"I assume that in the future, political reasons and economics will continue to take precedence over social and ecological needs. You don't get votes with demands that seem to go against the needs of the people! In economics, only those who can conquer the market will survive. The line between being socially and ecologically intelligent and fair and the pursuit of profit is terribly thin! Today, philanthropy is at least able to give important impulses to politicians and the market, as can be seen for example with the eco-label."
What role does philanthropy play in promoting social justice and environmental protection in society?
«I have the impression that philanthropy is becoming an increasingly important factor in the social fabric as a whole. I would like to cite as an example the WWF, because I believe it played a fundamental role in entrenching the issue of environmental protection in the minds of almost everyone, which has led to the fact that today no party can afford to avoid “green” issues.
When you look back on your philanthropic endeavors, what are you most proud of?
«During my 40 years of philanthropic work, I have been involved in countless initiatives. With the Openair Lengnau association and “Rock gegen Hass,” I tried to bring young Jews and Muslims together through music in the late 1990s. At the Swiss Scout Foundation (PBS), it was important to me to provide more camps for scouts. At the Foundation against Racism and Anti-Semitism (GRA) and the Swiss Society for Minorities (GMS), I dreamed that one day people in this country would understand each other across religions and cultures. The Domicilio association provides housing for people in precarious conditions.
The Women's Center Zurich raised my awareness of the struggles women have been carrying out, then for equal rights and still today for a fair balance between work and private life, and for recognition of the importance of the family for society as a whole.
Not to mention the many long-term cultural interventions undertaken for the Schauspielhaus Zurich, the Kunst- und Kongresshaus Lucerne and the Museum Haus Konstruktiv. And last but not least, the establishment of the Elternsein Foundation, whose impact on parents and teachers continues and even grows after twenty-two years.
But I am “proud” of my very personal commitment to people and families that I have been able to help get out of an emergency situation. Why? It is not just about giving financial support, but a commitment that tests me physically and mentally, as a person as a whole, so to speak. Nothing in life has cost me more energy, and they have been small victories compared to my comfortable and well-off life; of that I am proud».
