Home/The Convention
What CONAKO is, what it stands for, and what you can expect in Fribourg from October 8 to 10, 2027.
What CONAKO Is
CONAKO is the National Congress of JCI Switzerland. It takes place every October over an entire weekend and is hosted by different local organizations each year. In 2027, it will be JCI Fribourg and JCI Sense-See’s turn to host.
This weekend brings together what is otherwise spread across 64 local organizations. The General Assembly will make decisions about the coming year, training sessions will be held, the trade show will showcase what’s being created in the workshops, and the gala evening will be a time for celebration. In between, what most people will remember the longest is the conversations with people they would otherwise never have met.
Our Topic
Each CONAKO has its own theme. Ours comes from Freiburg itself and can be explained in a single sentence, but cannot be translated into a single word.
First and foremost, Moitié-Moitié is a cheese blend—half Gruyère, half Vacherin Fribourgeois. But it also represents a canton that straddles the language divide and a city that couldn’t function without its bridges.
That is exactly what CONAKO27 is all about. Two languages, two host organizations, members from all parts of the country. Differences give rise to something that neither side could achieve on its own. And because JCI brings together the people who will shoulder responsibility tomorrow, the word “future” is included in the title.
Moitié-Moitié, where bridges build the future.
Topic of CONAKO27, approved at the 2025 Delegates' AssemblyThe Process
The detailed program will follow. The general outline has already been finalized.
Arrival, registration, and opening ceremony. The evening is dedicated to catching up with old friends and making new connections.
If it's your first time attending, you should arrive on Friday. It's easier to get settled in if you don't start Saturday as a stranger.
In the morning, we'll wrap up the weekend together before everyone heads back to their respective regions.
If you still have some time left, you'll find plenty of reasons in Freiburg and the surrounding area not to spend your Sunday on the highway.
Two Languages
CONAKO27 is taking place on the language border, and the organizing committee itself operates bilingually.
Documents, invitations, and this website are available in German and French. The most important information is also available in Italian and English, as required by the National Congress regulations.
At the event itself, the rule is: Speak however you feel comfortable. No one has to speak perfect French, and no one has to switch to Standard German. That’s exactly what everyday life is like in Freiburg.
About JCI
Junior Chamber International is a global nonprofit organization for young people between the ages of 18 and 40. Its mission: to develop leaders for a changing world.
In Switzerland, JCI has 64 local chapters stretching from Geneva to St. Gallen. They carry out projects, train their members, and take on leadership roles in their regions. CONAKO is the time of year when all of this comes together.
The Hosts
Two local organizations—one French-speaking and one German-speaking—are jointly organizing CONAKO27.
The organizing committee has been working on this since 2025, divided into departments and operating exclusively on a volunteer basis, alongside their jobs and family lives. For the region, the convention is more than just an event: it demonstrates what two chambers can accomplish together.
If you have any questions, want to become a partner, or would like to help out on the weekend, please get in touch with us. There's a role for almost every skill set.
