Board

EHF is run by a board which meets three or four times a year, and whose members are elected for terms of 3 years by the General Assembly. People working for the EHF come from various countries and are deeply committed to secularism and the principles of justice and equality.

• President: Pierre Galand (Belgium)

Pierre was born in 1940. Since 2007 he has been President of the Centre d’Action Laïque (CAL), a federation of Belgian francophone non-confessional and freethinking associations. He is by training an economist and is honorary professor in DES (Developpement/ Sciences/ Eco) at the Université Libre de Bruxelles and member of their board. A former Belgian senator, Pierre has worked for 40 years in the field of development cooperation, helping local groups and governments devise and implement ways to overcome their dependent condition.

He has held significant positions in many different organizations : Secretary General of Oxfam, Belgium (1967-1996); President of the Centre National de Coopération au Développement (CNCD) (1994- 2002) ; President of the Comité National d’Action pour la Paix et le Développement (CNAPD) (1986 – 1989), organiser of anti-missile marches from 1979 to 1985 ; President of Laïcité et Humanisme en Afrique Centrale (LHAC) (2004-2006) ; Fight against the Apartheid in South Africa (1985-1988) ; Comité de Liaison des ONG européennes avec la Commission européenne (CLONG); Comité pour l’annulation de la Dette du Tiers Monde (CADTM) in Brussels; Eurostep (European Solidarity towards Equal Participation of People) -European Union Brussels

Pierre remains president of the Organisation Mondiale contre la Torture (OMCT-Europe) – l’Association belge et la coordination européenne pour la Palestine (ABP et ECCP) – l’Association belge et la coordination européenne de soutien au peuple sahraoui (EUCOCO – le Forum pour un Contrat de Génération Nord-Sud – les Amis du Monde Diplomatique (Belgium) and other associations. He was elected to the EHF Board in 2009 and became President in May 2012.

 Email: presidence@laicite.net. Website: http://www.pierregaland.be

•  Vice-President: Staffan Gunnarson (Sweden)

Staffan Gunnarson, born in 1964, is at the moment a freelance writer and lecturer, living in Stockholm. He studied mainly the History of ideas and science and Political science at Gothenburg University. Staffan has been involved in Swedish, Norwegian and International Humanism for twenty-five years, e. g. as the editor of the magazine “Humanisten” and for a long time he served as a board member in the association in his home country. Other work to mention includes a few years in market research and a period in the Internet business.

•  Vice-President: Pavan Dhaliwal (United Kingdom)

Pavan is the Head of Public Affairs in the British Humanist Association, responsible for the BHA’s campaigns covering a wide range of issues including public services, equality law, ethical issues, religion and schools, and social cohesion.  Pavan has worked in high level advisory and Head of Policy and Public Affairs roles for the past seven years. She is an equalities and human rights expert with a special interest in youth, criminal justice and education policy. She joined the BHA in January 2012 and was elected to the EHF Board in May 2012.

•  Treasurer: Jean de Brueker (Belgium)

Jean was born in 1955 and has been active since 1985 in different functions in the Centre d’Action Laïque: as youth coordinator, financial representative, deputy secretary-general and since 2008, deputy secretary-general in charge of the European and International affairs. A graduate in social anthropology, he has a good knowledge of the concerns of underdeveloped countries and has worked as an expert in several parts of Africa including Congo, Cameroun and Senegal. Email: jeandebrueker@laicite.net

•  John Bishop (Scotland)

John Bishop was born in 1948, and enjoyed a professional life in community work and social work: he was an inspector of social work services with the Scottish Government until early retirement in 2004. He then developed a portfolio of work including becoming a humanist celebrant in Scotland, shortly after humanist weddings became legal in 2005. The Humanist Society Scotland (HSS) has grown significantly since 2005 while the popularity of personal non-religious ceremonies has grown. Religious affiliation in Scotland has consistently fallen in the last 30 years. HSS celebrants now provide over 5,500 ceremonies a year celebrants which in turn has provided a significant income to HSS. John worked as General Secretary of HSS from April 2010 to June 2012. During this time HSS expanded its Policy and Education work and changed from being a largely volunteer-based organisation to a semi-professional body, with an ambition to make significant contribution to legislation in both the Scottish and UK parliaments. John was elected to the EHF Board in May 2012.

•  Rob Buitenweg (Netherlands)

Born in 1938, Rob Buitenweg studied moral counselling; constitutional law and philosophy of law before taking a PhD in Humanistics at the University for Humanist Studies in Utrecht. In a wide-ranging career he worked as coordinator of a centre for elderly care in Rotterdam, as director of the Foundation for Migrant Workers in Amersfoort, and as a humanist moral counsellor in the Dutch army before returning to Utrecht as a lecturer in Humanistics. After a spell as director of the Institute for Nature Education in Amsterdam he was appointed as senior lecturer in human rights and then associate professor of human rights at the University of Humanistics. Since 2004 he has been associate professor of human rights at the Kosmopolis Institute. He has been a board member of the International Jurists Organisation in New Delhi and chairman of the Dutch Humanist Committee on Human Rights. He is currently a member of the advisory board of the Humanist Institute for Development Co-operation and a member of the board of the Dutch Humanist Association. He has been widely published, including Human Rights, Human Plights in a Global Village (Atlanta: Clarity Press, 2007).

•  Hans Christian Cars (Sweden)

Hans Christian Cars was born in 1939. He is Swedish but lives in Vienna, Austria. He was elected to the EHF board in May 2010 and represents the EHF at the OSCE and at the EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency. He holds a PhD in Economics from Stockholm university (1970-1975).

Work experience : Director and owner of a charter company in the Mediterranean (2004-2009); Director for administration and support services in the OSCE Mission to Kosovo(2002-2004); Director of general services in the IAEA (1997-2002 ); Director Administration in the OSCE Secretariat (1993-1997);Director of finance and logistics in UNRWA for Palestine refugees (1987-1993) ; Deputy Director in the Swedish Ministry of defence (1978-1987);Public researcher and investigator (1975-1978) ; Platoon commander at the Royal Guards regiment (1961-1962).

•  Jean Michel Ducomte (France)

•  Giulio Ercolessi (Italy) 

Giulio Ercolessi was born in Trieste, NE Italy, in 1953. He was designated to the EHF board by the Coordinamento Nazionale delle Consulte per la Laicità delle Istituzioni. A local leader of the youth movements of the Italian Liberal Party and of the European Federalist Movement in the late Sixties, he joined the Radical Party in 1971, after cooperating with them through the left-wing faction of the Liberals, the Divorce Law League and the League for the Abrogation of the Concordat. A national leader of the Radical Party from 1971 to 1980, he held various party positions, including that of secretary general in the year 1973-74. A leader of the internal opposition in the following years, he abandoned active politics in 1982. He kept on dealing with political issues as an independent essayist, mostly in the areas of individual rights, secularism, state/religion related issues, gay rights, liberal theory, European federalist integration, the political use of history in the frontier areas of NE Italy. He has been a regular editorialist and contributor to the monthly journal of the independent liberal think tank the Critica liberale foundation, co-edited its European affairs supplement “Gli Stati Uniti d’Europa”, co-founded the site italialaica.it and contributed to the monthly reviews “MicroMega” and “Confronti”, to the Italian edition of “Lettre International” and, as international affairs commentator, to the Genoa daily paper “Il Secolo XIX”. He is a member of the board of the European Liberal Forum, the umbrella organisation of the think tanks and foundations connected to the ALDE party. More at www.giulioercolessi.eu

•  Marina van Haeren (Belgium)

Marina van Haeren is the Secretary General of Unie Vrijzinnige Verenigingen. She was elected to the EHF board in May 2010.

• Cezar Maroti (Romania)

Cezar Maroti is President of the Romanian Humanist Association.

• Massimo Redaelli (Italy)

Massimo Redaelli was born on June 17, 1979. He studied computer engineering in Milan, Italy and in Chicago, USA. He works as a forensic questioned document examiner. He is coordinator of the Milan branch of Unione degli Atei e degli Agnostici Razionalisti (UAAR) since 2008 and member of UAAR Board since 2010, in charge of international relations. He was elected to the EHF Board in 2011.

•  Werner Schultz (Germany)

Werner is in his mid-50s and works as a humanist professional for Humanistischer Verband Deutschlands (HVD), heading its education department; he is also secretary for international contacts. For several years he was vice-president of HVD. He is a member of the board of European Humanist Professionals.

•  Frank Staeppaerts (Belgium)

Born in 1954, Frank Staeppaerts is a non-denominational inspector-consultant. He has been engaged in the humanistic movement since the late seventies and is for now member of the Board of Directors of the Humanist Association, member of the Guidance Group of the Centre Moral Services Antwerp, member of the Board and the day-to-day management of the UVV (Unie Vrijzinnige Verenigingen), member of the Board of Directors of the Centrale Vrijzinnige Raad (Central Liberal Council), member of the Board of Directors of, and professor ‘Humanistic Philosophy’ on the FVG (Faculty for Comparative Study of Religions, Antwerp). He is also responsible for the composition and presentation of the weekly radio program “Het Vrije Woord” (The Free Speech) (Radio 1 – VRT).

•  Baard Thalberg (Norway)

Baard was born in 1963 and educated at the Engineering College of the University of Oslo. He is a trained commercial pilot and a senior executive Officer on the Norwegian Defence Staff. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Norwegian Humanist Association, and a Ceremony celebrant for all four Humanist ceremonies (Baby naming, Confirmation, Marriage and Funerals). Other hobbies include SCUBA diving and what he calls a “nerd-like” interest in aviation.

This content last updated 14 June 2013 @ 9:47 am