Panel-1-2-Mr-Jeffery-Huffines Mr. Jeffery Huffines – Moderator  
UN Representative CIVICUS (South Africa)
Jeffery Huffines joined CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation in April 2009 as Main Representative at United Nations Headquarters in New York. He has been one of the UN DESA NGO Major Group Organizing Partners since 2011 responsible for guiding multi-stakeholder engagement of NGOs in sustainable development activities at the UN. Mr. Huffines was Chair of the 65th Annual UN DPI/NGO Conference on the theme “2015 and Beyond: Our Action Agenda”, that took place at UN HQ, 27-29 August 2014, and was elected Chair of the NGO/DPI Executive Committee (2007-2011). He had previously served as Main UN Representative for the U.S. Baha’i Community where he led a number of NGO initiatives as Co-Chair of the Faith and Ethics Network for the International Criminal Court (FENICC); Chair of the UN Association/USA’s New York Council of Organizations; President of the Committee of Religious NGOs; and co-founder of the Tripartite Forum on International Cooperation for Peace.
 

 
  Panel-1-3-Mr-Sello-Hatang-2 Mr. Sello Hatang  
CEO Nelson Mandela Foundation (South Africa)

Sello Hatang is the Chief Executive of the Nelson Mandela Foundation. Previously he was the Head of Information Communications and spokesperson for the South African Human Rights Commission. He participated in the post-1994 transformation of the National Archives, including providing archival support for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and is a former Director of the South African History Archive (SAHA) at Wits University.   He serves on the boards of SAHA and the Open Democracy Advice Centre.   He is a founding member and member of the Advisory Council of the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (CASAC).  He is a member of the editorial team for Nelson Mandela’s book Conversations with Myself and co-editor of Nelson Mandela: By Himself: the Authorised Book of Quotations.  He is a 2014 Archbishop Tutu Fellow.  He recently successfully summited Mount Kilimanjaro to help keep girl children in school.

 

 
  Panel-1-4-Dr-Helmut-Dinse Dr. Helmut Dinse  
President Eringerfeld Educational Institution (Germany)
Mr. Dinse was born in 1945. He finished his studies at university in the fields of German literature and language, Philosophy, Pedagogics and Geography. He has a doctoral degree of Philosophy. He held as a teacher from 1973 to 2012. He is a headmaster of Realschule Eringerfeld since 2012. Themes of Publications and Internet-Presentations: German middle ages literature and language; social and theological geography; school management, environmental education and school management, teaching methods.

 

 

 
  Panel-1-5-Besnik-Mustafaj H.E. Mr. Besnik Mustafaj  
President The Albanian Forum for the Alliance of Civilization Fr. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Albania
Besnik Mustafaj, writer, finished his studies for French language at Tirana University. He is one of the co-founder of the Albanian Democratic Party. In the first free elections, he elected Deputy of the Albanian Parliament. He was re-elected three other times Deputy of Albanian Parliament. 1992-1997 – Ambassador of Albania in France and Ambassador of UNESCO. 2005-2007, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Albania. He is the co-founder of the Albanian’s PEN club also co-founder of the Albanian Helsinki Committee. After resigned politics, he founded the Albanian Forum for the Alliance of Civilizations where currently he holds the chair of President. He is member of the Advisory Board of Anna Lindh Foundation and President of the Euro-Mediterranean network of ONG “EuromedinCulture (s)”. His writing work involve: poetries, short stories, movie scenarios, essais and novels that have been translated in more than 10 foreigner languages.  
 

 
Savas-Metin Savaş Metin  
Secretary-General, Kimse Yok Mu (Turkey)

Savas Metin is the Secretary-General of Kimse Yok Mu. He leads the organization’s international relations department and works to create unity among corporations, NGOs, and international organizations. Kimse Yok Mu is a humanitarian aid organization based in Turkey with 40 branches throughout the country. In addition, Kimse Yok Mu expands its humanitarian relief to over 110 countries through tens of thousands of volunteers around the globe. Mr. Metin, as an educator, advances peace education through language integrated into curriculums designed by Kimse Yok Mu volunteers. With an integrated learning environment that teaches children to accept one another regardless of race, religion, or social standing, they will advance the post-2015 agenda and stymie civil war one person at a time. 
Mr. Metin graduated from Middle East Technical University with his Bachelor’s in Statistics in 1997. He heads a dedicated fleet of Kimse Yok Mu volunteer doctors, teachers, disaster teams, and hundreds of staff in our branches worldwide.

   

 
  Panel-4-4-Erik-Kabera Erik Kabera  
Director, Kwetu Film Institute (Rwanda)
Eric Kabera made his studies in psychology, pedagogy and law. After a training offered by Reuters Foundation in London, he became a radio journalist for 3 years with the national broadcaster and a freelancer for the Africa Section of the BBC. Eric Kabera founded the Rwanda Cinema Centre (RCC) in 2001 with the intention of training and facilitating filmmaking in Rwanda. He is the founder and the Chairperson of the annual Rwanda Film Festival organized and hosted by Rwanda Cinema Centre. He is now the founder and of Kwetu Film Institute. A regional film, Tv, Arts and media School based in Kigali -Rwanda. Eric Kabera was also selected as an African filmmaker to give a presentation at the World Congress of History Producers in London. This gathering brings together scholars, Historians and Tv names who cover world history. Eric’s presentation and work has also been featured on CNN, Sky Tv, BBC, Radio and TV and many other broadcasters around the world.
   

 
  Panel-2-1--Atefeh-Riazi H.E. Ms. Atefeh Riazi – Keynote  
Assistant-Secretary-General Chief Information Technology Officer of the United Nations (United Nations-NY)
Ms. Riazi started her professional career with the Metropolitan Transit Authority of New York City.  During the period of 16 years, she held various progressively responsible positions and was appointed as the Chief Information Officer with responsibilities for implementing the MetroCard in New York City. Since 2009, Ms. Riazi has served as the Chief Information Officer of New York City Housing Authority with oversight responsibilities for design and deployment of smart building technologies and cost containment practices.  She also served as the Acting General Manager with responsibility for all operations.  Prior to joining the Housing Authority, she was the global Chief Information Officer and Senior Partner of Ogilvy and Mather overseeing technology, applications, networks and data centres.
 

 
  Panel-2-2-Leanne-Bayer Ms. Leanne Bayer  
  Senior Social Development Specialist – World Bank Group – (U.S.)
 
Leanne Bayer is a Senior Social Development Specialist with the World Bank. Working in the Global Programs Unit for the Global Practice on Social, Urban, Rural and Resilience (GP SURR), Leanne is a Focal Point on citizen engagement (CE) and Coordinator of the CE Community of Practice – the largest CoP in the Bank with 1000 internal and extern members. Leanne recently took up this position in Washington from the Bank’s Country Office in Burundi where she was a Task Team Leader on World Bank operations in the social development sector. Prior to joining the World Bank, Leanne worked for CARE International and USAID contractors in the Great Lakes Region of Africa, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Macedonia. Leanne holds a Master’s in Social Policy from the London School of Economics.

 

 
  Mohamed-Ali-Ansar Mohamed Ali Ansar  
Co-Director, Timbuktu Renaissance Association (Mali) 

Mohamed Ali (Manny) Ansar is the Co-Director of the Timbuktu Renaissance Association, a Founder of the EFES Charity and Essakane Productions, for which he serves as Executive Director of the world renowned Festival Au Désert of Timbuktu. Ansar now works extensively in cultural development and humanitarian efforts in the Sahara. He has also managed a Tuareg music group, Tinariwen, and oversaw public relations for the AMADER Electricity Company of Mali. His tireless efforts to preserve the rich musical heritage of Mali and West Africa, and to promote international peace and plurality through the power of cultural engagement, have won him awards and speaking invitations at universities and institutions around the world. Most recently, his collaborative works have been granted the prestigious Womex and Freemuse awards for artistic freedom. Ansar holds a master’s degree in International Public Law from the University of Mali.

 

 
  Panel-2-4-David-Hong David Hong  
One Acre Fund (East Africa)
David Hong leads global policy engagement at One Acre Fund, a nonprofit social enterprise that supplies smallholder farmers with the tools and financing they need to grow their way out of hunger and poverty.  
 

 
  Panel-2-5-Manoj-Gursahani Manoj Gursahani    
President US India Investment Forum (India)
Mr. Gursahani is a Co-Chairman of India Business Group and past president Travel Agents Federation of India / Rotary Club of Mumbai Queens Necklace. He is the founder of Travelmartindia-India’s first e-commerce portal. Mr. Gursahani is also recognized and honored for his role in the contribution of Indo-USA relationship by US Embassy-India, Governor of Nevada, Governor of Maryland and Mumbai Police for work in Cyber Crime.
 

 
  Panel-2-6-Lambert-Koty Mr. Lambert Koty  
  President and CEO, AGETUR, Benin
 
Lambert Koty is a graduate of the Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales (HEC) Montreal and holds a Master in Economics from Laval University in Quebec, Specialty: International Finance and Development. In May 2002, when AGETUR Association became a limited company under Law 2001-007, two Prelates successively assumed the presidency of the Board of Directors, as Mr. Koty remained Managing Director. After the passing of the last one, The Board of Directors has unanimously appointed the new president of the Board of the Company as Mr. Koty. Thus, since a quarter century and supported by engineers and technicians of high level, Mr. Koty contributes to the improvement of the urban landscape of Benin. Given his skills and experiences, Mr. Koty was repeatedly invited as resource person and expert for the restructuring of several Urban works Agencies in Africa. That led him to gain the presidency of the African Association of Public Works Agencies (AFRICATIP) from 2013 till today. From May 2011 to August 2013, he also assured as Minister of Public Works and Transport in the Government of Benin. During his mission to the Ministry, he managed, in record time, to revitalize the capacity of the Ministry to enable it to face the many challenges of the Public Works and Transport sector in Benin. Mr. Koty is illustrated as a builder, very involved in Benin development issues and in the West African sub region.

 
  Panel-3-1-Mr-Lener-Renauld H.E. Mr. Lener Renauld – Keynote    
  Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defense
The Republic of Haiti
 
 

Mr. Renauld Lener completed classical studies with the Brothers of the Sacred Heart. After two years at the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, where he was admitted as a student, he joined the ranks of the Army through the Haitian military academy. From stethoscopes to sabres, Lener Renauld became one of the stars of the constellation of the graduate promotion of Toussaint Louverture in 1981 after three years of training. Separated from the Army in 1994 with the rank of Major, Lener Renauld joined civilian life by engaging in real estate and in food, areas that have allowed him to build friendships on all levels of civil society. On April 3, 2014, after working at the National Palace as an advisor, Lener Renauld became a part of Haitian history as he became its 110th Defense Minister.

 

 
  Panel-3-2-Ashok-Sajjanhar H.E. Mr.Ashok Sajjanhar- Moderator  
Former Ambassador of India to Kazakhstan, Sweden and Lativa (India)
Ambassador Ashok Sajjanhar, has a Post Graduate in Physics from Delhi University and a career diplomat, has served as Ambassador of India to Kazakhstan, Sweden and Latvia. In addition he has held several senior and significant positions in Indian Embassies in Moscow, Teheran, Geneva, Dhaka, Bangkok, Washington and Brussels. Ambassador Sajjanhar joined the Indian Foreign Service in July 1978 and retired as Ambassador of India to Sweden and Latvia in the rank of Permanent Secretary to the Government of India on 31st July, 2012. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, he worked as Staff Officer and Manager in Bank of India, one of the premier Indian Banks for 3 years.
 
 

 
  Panel-3-3-Arben-Malaj H.E. Dr. Arben Malaj  
  President – Institute for Public Policy and Good Governance
Fr. Minister of Economy & Finance – (Albania)
 
Arben Malaj, Ph.D., is a Full Professor of Economic Sciences at the College of Economics, University of Tirana. He is the Founding President of the Institute for Public Policy and Good Governance. In 1986, Mr. Malaj graduated from the University of Tirana with a Bachelor of Sciences degree with a major in Finance. In 1997, Mr. Malaj received a Doctorate Degree in Finance from the University of Tirana. He was a Senior Fellow and carried out an extensive research at Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government Center for Business and Government (September, 2005- June, 2006).  In April 2007 he attended the Senior Executive Program, a postgraduate study program focused on the expansion of NATO and the European Union in the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies in Germany.  In 2002, Mr. Malaj was elected as a member of the Senate in the College of Economic Sciences at the University of Tirana, a responsibility that lasted until 2007.
 

 
  Panel-3-4-Ndeye-Awa-Mbodj Hon. Ndeye Awa Mbodj  
Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs
President of the Network of Parliament for Promoting the Defense and the Integration of Senegalese Diaspora – (Senegal)

 

 

 
  Panel-3-5-George-Francis-Nangale   Dr. George Francis Nangale  
  President – Tanzania Red Cross Society – (Tanzania)
 
He graduated in agricultural engineering in 1988 and pursued post-graduate studies in renewable energy and environment science, business administration and philosophy which best position him to deal with complex development processes. He has written several books on political philosophy and served as a Member of the East African Parliament from 2001 to 2012; and was elected the President of the Tanzania Red Cross Society and subsequently Member of the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) Governing Board from 2013 to 2015. He is currently an entrepreneur and a Doctor of Business Administration Scholar on Contract Farming Research with Maastricht School of Management and the East and Southern African Management Institute (ESAMI).
 

 
  Dr-Tran-Viet-Thai   Dr. Tran Viet Thai – Deputy Director – General & Director
Institute for Foreign and Strategic Studies, Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (Vietnam)
 
   
Dr. Tran Viet Thai is currently Deputy Director General and Director of the Center for Regional and Foreign Policy Studies, Institute for Foreign Policy and Strategic Studies, Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV). He did his Ph.D. thesis in International Relations at DAV and got his MPP at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), Tokyo, Japan. He used to serve as secretary to the Foreign Minister of Vietnam, a China specialist at the Foreign Policy Planning Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam. His majors are the foreign policy of Vietnam and contemporary issues in international relations in the Asia-Pacific region. He had two postings in China before working as researcher at DAV since 2011. At present, he is working as a regular commentator on international issues on the national television system of Vietnam.
   

 
  Panel-4-1-Thomas-Gass H.E. Dr. Thomas Gass – Keynote  
Assistant-Secretary-General – Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs
UN DESA – (United Nations-NY)

Thomas Gass was appointed by the Secretary-General as Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs in UN DESA and he took office on 3 September 2013. From 2009 to 2013, he served as Head of the Mission of Switzerland to Nepal. He also chaired the Donors of the Nepal Peace Trust Fund, the main instrument for international support to Nepal’s peace process. Before his posting to Nepal from 2004 to 2009, Mr. Gass was Head of the Economic and Development Section at the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the UN in New York, where he represented Switzerland’s interests, in particular in the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), its subsidiary Commissions, the General Assembly and the Executive Boards of the major UN Funds and Programmes. During this time, Mr Gass was the Chair of the Donor Group of the UN Global Compact. In 2006, he was the Vice-President for Western European and Other Group (WEOG) of the Commission on Population and Development, and in 2008 he was the Vice-President (WEOG) of the Executive Board of UNDP/UNFPA. In 2007, he successfully facilitated the landmark TCPR/QCPR Resolution, the periodic review of the General Assembly operational system for development.
Mr. Gass also served as Policy and Programme Officer for the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, as Deputy Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Guyana, and as Regional Director for Europe with the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute in Rome.

 

 
  Dr-Lisa-Goddard-Moderator Dr. Lisa Goddard – Moderator  
  International Research Institute for Climate and Society
Earth Institute
Dr. Goddard has been involved in El Niño and climate forecasting research and operations since the mid 1990s. She has extensive experience in forecasting methodology and has published papers on El Niño, seasonal climate forecasting and verification, and probabilistic climate change projections. Currently leading the IRI’s effort on Near-Term Climate Change, Dr. Goddard oversees research and product development aimed at providing climate information at the 10-20 year horizon and how that low frequency variability and change interacts with the probabilistic risks and benefits of seasonal-to-interannual variability. Most of Dr. Goddard’s research focuses on diagnosing and extracting meaningful information from climate models and available observations. Dr. Goddard holds a Ph.D. in atmospheric and oceanic sciences from Princeton University and a B.A. in physics from the University of California at Berkeley.
 

 
  Panel-4-2-Steve-Killelea Mr. Steve Killelea  
President & Founder – Institute for Economics and Peace – (Australia)
Steve Killelea is an accomplished entrepreneur in high technology business development and at the forefront of philanthropic activities focused on sustainable development and peace. Steve founded Integrated Research Ltd (IR). In 2007 Steve founded the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), an international think tank dedicated to building a greater understanding of the interconnection between business, peace and economics with particular emphasis on the economic benefits of peace. Steve currently serves on a number of influential Company Boards, Advisory Boards and President Councils. In 2010 he was honored as Member of the Order of Australia for his service to the global peace movement and the provision of humanitarian aid to the developing world. In 2013 Steve was nominated one of the “Top 100 Most Influential People in Armed Violence Reduction” by the UK group Action on Armed Violence.
 

 
  Panel-4-3-Laurence-Kemball Laurence Kemball-Cook  
CEO & Founder – Pavegen – (United Kingdom)
Laurence is the founder and CEO of Pavegen – an innovative clean-tech company that has pioneered a flooring technology, generating electricity from the kinetic energy of footfall. Having graduated with a 1st class honours in Industrial Design and Technology from Loughborough University, Laurence then went on to found the award-winning company, Pavegen Systems, in 2009. Consequently, Laurence is a thought leader and speaker at various technology and entrepreneurship events worldwide; his TEDxBerlin talk was featured among TED’s top talks on envisioning the cities of the future and changing attitudes to fossil fuels.
 

 
  Panel-4-5-Sia-Nyama-Koroma H.E. Mrs. Sia Nyama Koroma  
First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone
The Honorable Sia Nyama Koroma is the First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone. Mrs. Sia Nyama Koroma is the wife of Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, 4th democratically elected President of the Republic of Sierra Leone. She completed her undergraduate and postgraduate studies which culminated in a Master’s degree in Synthetic Organic Chemistry. She is therefore adequately prepared to advocate on maternal health, child mortality and protection, and women’s rights empowerment. In an effort to effectively respond to the despair of her compatriots, she developed two programme frameworks under the Danké Koroma Foundation. One of which is called Women Initiative for Safer Health-WISH. The other programme framework Sia Nyama Koroma conceptualized is the First Lady’s Attitudinal and Behavioral Change in Schools-FLAXIS.
 
 

 
  HE-Aisha-Buhari H.E. Aisha Buhari  
Wife of the President of Nigeria 
Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari is the Wife of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, General Muhammadu Buhari, who was elected at the last general election, held on March 28, 2015. Mrs. Buhari has a Master’s Degree in International Affairs and Strategic Studies (MIASS) from the Nigerian Defense Academy (NDA), Kaduna and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree in Public Administration from Ambrose Ali University (AAU), Ekpoma. Prior to acquiring her higher degrees, Mrs. Buhari had earlier pursued a career in Beauty and fashion and obtained a Diploma in Beauty Therapy from the Carlton Institute of Beauty Therapy, Windsor, United Kingdom. In her almost fifteen years in the beauty industry, Aisha Muhammadu Buhari has trained, mentored and empowered hundreds of Nigerians in her chosen profession, beauty. She is the Founder/Managing Director of Hanzy Spa and Principal of Hanzy Beauty Institute, Kaduna and Abuja. She is an advocate of Women and Girl-child education having from an area that is educationally disadvantaged for the female gender. 
 
 

 
  HE-Fatou-Lamin-Faye H.E. Fatou Lamin Faye  
  Minister of Basic and Secondary Education of The Gambia 
 

Prior to her current post, H.E. Fatou Lamin Faye served as the Minister of Education from 2004 to 2007. Under her leadership, education in The Gambia has been transformed, resulting in significant improvements in children’s learning achievements in literacy and numeracy. In 2000 she joined the Association of Non-Governmental Organizations of The Gambia as Senior Program Officer and subsequently as Director.  In 2001 she became Director of the Gambia Technical Training Institute, until 2004 when she was appointed as Minister of Education and, from 2007, Minister for Basic and Secondary Education. She has been a member of the Senate of The University of The Gambia, the Steering Committee of the Community Skills Improvements Project under the Department of Community Development, the National and International Committees of the West African Examinations Council, the ECOWAS Gender Technical Commission as well as being chairperson of the National Women’s Council.

 
   

 
  HE-Lakshmi-Puri H.E. Lakshmi Puri – Keynote Speaker – Assistant Secretary  
General Deputy Executive Director of UN Women
Ms. Lakshmi Puri is directly responsible for the leadership and management of the Bureau for Intergovernmental Support, United Nations Coordination, and Strategic Partnerships. As a member of the senior leadership team, she actively contributed to the institutional development and consolidation of the entity, shaping its first Strategic Plan and positioning it as the leading organization for the promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment globally. She steered UN Women’s engagement in major intergovernmental processes, such as the Rio+20 conference. She coordinated preparations for the 57th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, which saw the adoption of a historic agreement on ending and preventing violence against women. She also led efforts to build strategic partnerships, particularly with civil society and women’s organizations, and oversaw the adoption and implementation of UN system-wide accountability and coherence systems for gender equality and women’s empowerment. She acted as the interim head of UN Women from March to August 2013.