Very early on, I became interested in the disappearance of species and their protection. Peasant societies and their autonomy fascinate me and I consider agriculture a key sector for the protection of living things. I studied journalism with the ambition of being able to influence these subjects, but the reality of journalism quickly pushed me to return to nature. I first worked as an environmental adviser to farmers and then developed my own beef breeding operation.
Papa Faye holds a Doctorate in Sociology from Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar and a PhD in Social Anthropology from the Institute of Social Anthropology at the University of Bern. He has been doing research on renewable natural resources governance since 2004. He is affiliated with many institutions including the Council for the Development of Social Sciences Research in Africa (CODESRIA), Initiative Prospective Agricole et Rurale (IPAR) and the Social Dimensions of Environmental Policy Initiative at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (USA).
Burak Tantay is a mechanical and electronics engineer in Istanbul and is heavily invested in sustainable development. He has been the spearhead of many service projects that address local and international community issues. He took part in the Addressing Europe’s Unfinished Business conference at Caux in 2014 and in the Caux Peace and Leadership Programme in 2016 and 2018. He believes that the programme helped him to grow and to realize his potential even more effectively.
Anuradha Abeykoon is a young professional in the development sector who dreams of and works for a world with social justice. He engages with conflict transformation and climate change adaptation initiatives locally and internationally, building on his academic background in Development Studies, Social Work and Diplomacy and World Affairs. Anuradha is also an alumnus of the Caux Scholars Programme and Caux Peace and Leadership Programme.
Humberto Delgado Rosa is the Director for Natural Capital, DG Environment, European Commission. Previously he was Director for Mainstreaming Adaptation and Low Carbon Technology in DG Climate Action. He is experienced in European and international environmental policy, particularly in biodiversity and climate change issues. He served as Secretary of State for the Environment in the Portuguese Government from March 2005 to June 2011. Between 1995 and 2002 he was an advisor for environmental matters to the Prime Minister of Portugal. He holds a PhD in Evolutionary Biology.
Josef Garvi grew up in Niger, where at a young age he became passionate about regreening the drylands through food-bearing, naturally drought-resistant plants. After serving for 17 years as a volunteer in a reforestation NGO, he founded Sahara Sahel Foods in 2014. This social enterprise supports the regreening efforts of a network of 1,500 rural smallholders, by processing and marketing the produce they gather from 18 indigenous, genetically wild, tree species.
My name is Aseel Soboh and I am a 16-year-old Palestinian refugee living in Lebanon. I study in one of the schools operated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). My dream has been to become an advocate for the rights of Palestinian refugees. In 2018, this dream came true when I was elected as a member of UNRWA’s Agency-wide Student Parliament. The Creative Leadership conference is a big opportunity for me to tell my story and inspire others to advocate for what they believe in!
Asmaa Sleem is Egyptian and believes that the main hope of any nation lies in the education of its youth. She is also convinced that hope for this world means spreading peace, mindfulness, justice and moral integrity through people’s education, raising awareness, living consciously and the power of togetherness. She sees herself as a lifelong learner and has worked in peace facilitation and conflict transformation.
Shadi Malak is a highly motivated global citizen who believes in the power of volunteering, self-development, compassion, and leading by example to promote human dignity and create a more peaceful world for all living beings. For many years he worked with refugees in Egypt as a legal assistant and educator, and currently works for a programme that offers capacity-building training to refugees. He holds a Master's degree in International Law and has a background in youth empowerment, curriculum designing, and development.