Aaron Mejia


Aaron is a designer who worked as a freelancer in the advertising industry for many years with a growing number of small clients and agency contacts, before stepping away and refocusing his efforts on the education industry. He is an active researcher on social media influence and over the last year has been working on becoming a content creator in the platform Snapchat to prove that this platform can also be used as a marketing tool for businesses and organizations. He believes that traditional marketing is no longer as effective as it used to be and it needs to evolve with the new generations coming up quickly and in a faster-paced world.
Session: Social Media as an Engagement Tool in the Millennial Age

Agustín Cuadra


Agustín Cuadra is an advertising designer who currently for an advertising studio. In the past, he has worked as a brand manager for a Study Abroad agency in Costa Rica. He has also led design and advertising work for Costa Rican based non-profits and other educational entities such as the University for Peace and OTHER ED. As a CISVer, he is currently a member of CISV International's Communications Team and took over the role of Communications Specialist for Junior Branch in 2016. Previously, he managed CISV Costa Rica's and Americas' Junior Branch design and communications.
Session: CISV Brand from A-Z

Alvin Parreno


Alvin is a pediatrician by profession. He is the Chair of Medical Education at the Dr. Pablo O. Torre Memorial Hospital in Bacolod City, The Philippines. Despite his busy schedule in the hospital, he is very active in CISV. He was a member of the CISV Education Programmes Committee and is currently the Vice President of his National Association. He is a trainer and has been conducting Train the Trainer in the Regional Training Forums. He has also conducted several profile-raising trainings, locally and nationally. He has organized successful mosaic projects in his local Chapter.
Session: “Mosaic in PESTLE: Grinding for Success”

Anders Wulff


Anders Wulff has a Master's degree in Educational Studies and Psychology. He teaches social, educational, and organizational psychology at Roskilde University in Denmark and works as the project leader for an educational research center. Wulff has been engaged as a volunteer for many years in several organizations, and has worked on the local, national, and international level. Wulff has been in CISV for a number of years, where he has staffed several programmes and is currently the National Treasurer of CISV Denmark and one of the international Risk Management Trainers. Wulff has also been the National Representative of CISV Denmark and has been in several working groups both at the international and regional levels.
Session: Cultural Competence and Leadership || Co-hosting - Why and How?

Andrea M. Gundersen


Andrea M. Gundersen is an engineer working in an entrepreneur company. As a coordinator of the engineering department she facilitates projects from tendering phase to delivery. She started her CISV career as participant on a Village in 2003 and later participated as a Junior Counsellor. She became a Board Member in the Chapter at the age of 15 and is now the President. Andrea is active as a trainer and a speaker for different sessions on both local and national level in CISV Norway. Together with IB, she developed Verda på Stord into a greater project. For the last years, she has been the Project Coordinator and the main contact between CISV and the local community. She's had a leading role in developing the Chapter into an active contributor in local projects with social impact, working together with a diverse range of organizations. This has strengthened the Chapter both on an organizational level and made CISV more known to the public.
Session: Verda på Stord: A Project to Promote Diversity and Raise Profile

Annelies Overvliet


Annelies comes from a true CISV family, inheriting the ‘virus’ from her dad and sister. She has participated in various programmes, first as a participant and later a delegation leader and staff member. These experiences inspired her ambition to make participation possible for people in all layers of Dutch society. Her focus is on expanding the target group of CISV in The Netherlands, increasing diversity within the organization, and improving learning opportunities within delegations and at national camps. Annelies’ multi-dimensional strategy aims to bridge economic, social, and cultural gaps in our recruitment process. First steps have been taken, by cooperating with an organization that educates socioeconomically disadvantaged youth, setting up a ‘social fund’, and organizing an IPP that supports contact with new local target groups.
Session: Broadening Our Horizon: Bridging to New Target Groups

Arnd Wächter


Arnd Wächter is an award-winning filmmaker, intercultural educator and social entrepreneur. He founded the non-profit organizations Crossing Borders Education and Morocco Exchange as a creative and proactive response to 9/11. His passion for intentional, cross-cultural interactions drives him to produce professional, feature documentary films. He strongly believes that through well-crafted storytelling, films have the power to put a human face on abstract, complex social issues and make them accessible to large groups of people. This in turn builds empathy and inspires individuals to engage, dialogue and act. Arnd founded Crossing Borders Films and produced the three feature documentaries Crossing Borders, The Dialogue and American Textures. His feature films were selected at over 20 intercultural conferences and 15 international film festivals, winning several awards. He co-produced the cross-cultural landing page for National Geographic Education around his intercultural film trilogy. Arnd and his work appeared in the New York Times, Euronews, the PIE Magazine and on National Public Radio (NPR), among others.


Arnd was born in East Germany and grew up next to the Berlin Wall. His awareness of national responsibilities to confront historic violence, racism and experiences of outer and inner walls between people and cultures lead him to travel to over 60 countries across the globe. He is constantly looking for ways to deepen his own understanding of the world, its diversity and the nature of separation and conflict facilitation.


Arnd completed his MA and Post-Graduate Certificate in Education at Brunel and London University. He has twenty years of experience of living abroad in Spain, the United Kingdom, Japan, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, and Morocco. Arnd presents regularly at conferences and campuses in the U.S. and Europe.


Following his passion for the outdoors he hiked in the Himalayas, Andes and the New Zealand Alps. In his most recent adventure he walked from the West to the East coast of Scotland in the Great Outdoors Challenge and cycled the length and breadth of the Scottish coastline.

Session: Self-Empowerment for a New World through Dialogue: Strengthening Life Skills during Times of Division

Barbara Sérvulo Herthel


Barbara Sérvulo Herthel is a Brazilian psychologist focused on Social Development and Peacebuilding. She is a Rotary Peace Fellow Alumni with a Masters in Social Project Planning and Management. For 8 years she has worked with Social Innovation. In 2009, she was an international trainee at Colombia’s national strategy to reduce extreme poverty. She is the National Director of Volunteer Management at TETO Brasil (TECHO), a youth-led non-profit in Latin America & the Caribbean working with impoverished families and youth volunteers to overcome poverty in slums. Barbara leads Volunteer Engagement and Training strategies. Since 2003, she has been involved with CISV through Junior Branch and Leadership Training at the Local, National, and International level. She is part of the Chapter Development Regional Delivery Team of Americas.
Session: Volunteer Engagement: From Strategy to Practice

Blair Lockhart


Blair Lockhart is a lawyer and has been a CISV parent since 2005 when her daughter attended a Village in India. Blair has been a Chapter Risk Manager, as well as President of CISV Canada and is now the National Association Representative. Blair is active in her local community and volunteers in projects to assist marginalized persons. She is passionate about inclusion, whether the need arises from socio-economic or mental health challenges or barriers such as literacy or expectations of one’s culture.
Session: Understanding Gender Diversity

Brett Vottero


Brett Vottero’s first CISV experience was as a delegate from the Ada-Findlay Chapter of CISV USA to the 1972 “De Vonk” Village hosted by CISV Netherlands. As a youth, he was active in Junior Branch, a Junior Counselor, and attended Seminar Camps and Christmas (Youth) Meetings. Brett served for many years on the Board of Trustees of CISV USA and was the founding President of the Foundation for Cross Cultural Understanding. Brett served as President of CISV USA from 1996 to 2000. He was elected as an Honorary Counsellor of CISV USA in 2015. Brett represented CISV USA on the Board of CISV International where he was Chair of the Constitution & Organizational Development Taskforce (1995-1998) and as Chair of the International Risk Management Committee (2005-2010). Brett served as President of CISV International from 2010 to 2013. Currently Brett serves as President of the CISV International Insurance Company.
Session: From Vision to Village: The Founding of CISV

Bruno Gonçalves


Engaged CISVer, Bruno has participated in almost every programme, both as participant and leader/staff. Active volunteer, he has been part of JB and worked mainly with Leadership Training as JC Committee Member and as Brazilian Leadership Training Coordinator. Brazilian NA Rep from 2013-2016, Bruno is now focused on organizational development within CISV, acting as Chapter Development Regional Coordinator and Trainer, and Promoter to Chile and El Salvador. In his professional life, has worked with international cooperation in UNESCO, Human Resources and Comercial area in Johnson & Johnson. Currently works with customer success and teacher´s training in Letrus, an innovative EdTech start-up in Brazil.
Session: How to take the most out of camps: enhancing the benefits of hosting
 

Bryce Owens


Bryce Owens is a long-time CISV member and student at the University of Michigan, majoring in Computer Science. He began his CISV journeys at age 11, in a delegation from Detroit, USA to a Village in Graz, Austria. He has travelled with CISV to Germany, Mexico, Peru, and Michigan City in the USA. Bryce has given back to CISV in many ways, as Co-President of the Detroit Chapter's Junior Branch and as a member of the committee that organized the Junior Branch USA's national minicamp in 2016. As a college student, Bryce has taken many coding a design courses and has interned as a web assistant for a small business. He has spent the past two summers working 45 feet above the ground as the leader of a ropes course at a camp in northern Michigan.
Session: A Journalist's Perspective: Tips on How to Reach New People with CISV Stories
TBA

Chrissy Horwedel


Chrissy Horwedel is the National Leadership Training Chair for CISV USA. She is a graduate of Tulane University and the University of Tennessee College of Law. Chrissy lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA with her children, Quinn and Oliver. She loves to read and bake sourdough bread.
Session: What is CISV’s Role in Responding to Global Events?

Denise Farrar


Denise has around 30 years’ experience in communications and fundraising and is former CEO of a UK not-for-profit. She is currently the Communications and Fundraising Manager for CISV International, one of a small senior management team based at the International Office, where she has worked for the past 7 years. Denise has recently been focusing on researching how CISV International might best establish its own Alumni Association and the benefits this will bring to the organization and its National Associations and Chapters. She also has 3 grown-up children and 5 grandchildren to keep her occupied outside of CISV.
Session: Alumni Association: An Introduction || Successful Partnerships: Why and How to Build Relationships with Partners – and Where to Get Started

Emilia Askari


Emilia Askari is a journalist, educator, and co-National Interchange Coordinator for CISV USA. She discovered CISV a decade ago, when her son joined a Village delegation. Since then, Emilia’s two children have grown-up traveling with CISV. Emilia has taught environmental journalism at the University of Michigan for 20 years and was also an award-winning reporter at the Detroit Free Press, where she served on the national boards of several non-profits. Next fall, Emilia will co-chair a national journalism conference in Flint, Michigan - where lead poisoned the drinking water. Emilia has degrees from Brown University (Bachelors, Economics and Creative Writing), Columbia University (Masters, Journalism) and the University of Michigan (Masters, Information Studies). She currently is studying towards a PhD in Education Technology.
Session: A Journalist's Perspective: Tips on How to Reach New People with CISV Stories

Emma Powell-El Gammal


Emma has always held a strong interest in the performing arts and currently is the Education Coordinator for major Australian arts organization, Sydney Dance Company. Emma designs and delivers creative curriculum, relevant programmes and activities, which are delivered around Australia reaching over 10,000 youth participants annually. Her CISV career began in 1995 as a Delegate of Great Britain to Greece. Moving back to Australia at age 17, Emma continued her involvement with CISV and has participated as Leader, Staff, and Director on a range of programmes. Emma has also held the positions (amongst others) of National Junior Representative, Risk Management Regional Cordinator Asia-Pacific, and is now the President of CISV Australia.
Session: Building a Child Safe Organization

Erwin Cudis


Erwin C. Cudis is the Education and Training Committee Chair of CISV Philippines. He joined CISV as an Adult Leader for a 2013 Norway village and a 2014 Barcelona village. Erwin has facilitated the annual National Leaders’ Training for Philippines and for CISV Hong Kong in 2015 and 2017. He has also facilitated CISV 101 in a Regional Training Forum in China in 2017. Erwin is currently a human resource consultant and is also an instructor in the University of San Carlos. He earned his Master’s Degree in Human Resource Management with Distinction from University of Newcastle in Australia and a Master’s Degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from University of San Carlos in the Philippines.
Session: Volunteer Pipeline: Keeping the Organization Staffed through Recruiting and Succession Planning
TBA

Flora Gurgel


Finishing her term as International Junior Representatives by the end of Global Conference 2018, Flora had her first contact with CISV in 2008. Throughout these 10 years, Junior Branch gave her the opportunity to get more involved with the organization and understand better its potential. She really enjoys the creative environment of Junior Branch and the opportunity to develop CISV Educational Content in multiple ways. Seeing motivated youth inspires her and she truly believes in the potential for Junior Branch to contribute to the CISV Mission and Vision. Flora lives in Vitória, a beautiful city in the southeast of Brazil, where she studies Architecture and Urbanism. She will graduate soon and hopes to explore an intersection of architecture, arts, and education in her career.
Session: IJBC Sessions

Frank Steffen


Frank is product manager in the IT industry, where he defines product strategy and roadmap, and involves customers in the requirements and design process. He also is a long-time CISVer from Hamburg, Germany. He spent years volunteering locally, nationally, regionally, and internationally with a focus on Chapter Development, Interchange, and Training. He is interested in exciting factors of software development: agile methods in software engineering and project management. As a Scrum Alliance Certified Scrum Master and Certified Product Owner, Frank is passionate about helping self-organizing teams to achieve their goals and improve their performance. Frank holds a master’s degree in computer science and an MBA.
Session: Retrospectives for Actionable Learning

Grace Vottero


Grace has been involved in CISV since participating in a Village in 2003. She has volunteered for CISV in multiple roles, including Junior Branch President, National Junior Representative for CISV USA, and as a member of the Americas’ Junior Branch Team, International Junior Branch Team, and the Chapter Development Committee. Grace works in international development for a large technical services firm. Since 2016, Grace has lived in Kabul, Afghanistan, where she is the Communications Manager for a US Agency on International Development (USAID)-funded project, providing support and oversight for infrastructure development projects across Afghanistan. She is the proud mother of an adopted Afghan street cat named Peaches.
Session: Session 1: "How Does CISV Stay Relevant?" || Session 2: "CISV and Today's World"

Inger Berit (IB) Hagen


Inger Berit (IB) Hagen is a teacher and part-time employee at CISV Norway, working as project coordinator for the Kompaz exchange between CISV Norway and Colombia. A teacher in drama and special needs, she is a popular speaker and organizer. IB participated in Summer Camp at the age of 15 and has been an active member since. She has been President and later board member of CISV Hordaland since 2008. IB has held positions as member and chair of the National Mosaic Committee (2007-2014), member of the International Step Up Committee (2012-2013), and member of the Educational Programmes Regional Delivery Team (2013-present day). IB has been working on Mosaic projects in the Chapter since 2007 and started Verda på Stord in 2013.
Session: Verda på Stord: A Project to Promote Diversity and Raise Profile

Jen Devolder


Jen is a seasoned Human Resources Professional with over 10 years of experience in Human Resources with private, government, and non-profit organizations. She is the Human Resources Specialist on the Resources and Infrastructure Committee. Though sad to leave her two cats at home, Jen is excited to attend her second CISV Global Conference!
Session: The Impact of Volunteer Engagement

Jess Wanless


Jess is a long time British CISVer, who has been actively involved in Junior Branch, developing IPP and as Great Britain's National Representative. In her 'real life' she works for the International Rescue Committee, a global humanitarian organization in Iraq, where she manages their communications. Her dream is to one day write a book and have a cat.
Session: Session 1: "How Does CISV Stay Relevant?" || Session 2: "CISV and Today's World"

Jonny Sågänger


Jonny is a Swedish citizen and currently the global president of the peace and hospitality organisation Servas International. He was elected president for a first term in 2012 and for a second term in 2015.

Jonny is a journalist by profession. In his professional work he covers the politics and economics of the areas life science (medicines, medtech) and e-health (the digitilization of health care) both as a writing editor, and as an interviewing reporter and a leader of panel discussion on stage during events.
Session: Servas International – Exploring Common Challenges

Jose Bassila


Jose Bassila joined CISV in 2003 when he attended a Summer Camp (now known as Step Up), and has been actively involved ever since as a board member, National Junior Representative, Trustee, and National Representative. He's active locally and internationally and has participated in 13 camps. He loves Seminar Camp! Jose is active in Guatemalan politics and recently in LGBT+ activities in Guatemala. He's a lawyer and works with start-ups and new NGOs that focus on social and economic development in Guatemala. He also loves to practice yoga and eat hummus!
Session: Understanding Gender Diversity

Katharina Schwarzer


Katharina was catapulted into CISV when the first of her four kids was invited to join a Village at the age of 11. For 10 years now she has been voluntarily engaged as the treasurer of CISV Austria, Vienna Chapter. She has also been working as the Chapter's "Back Office", organizing the national trainings, adding her high technical and design skills to a lot of projects. In "real life", Katharina is a "certified Microsoft Office Master Specialist", therefore successfully and highly valued for developing solutions, providing templates, programming automations for customers, and giving professional trainings to empower people to do this themselves.
Session: Let the Web work for your Chapter
 

Leah Donelan


Leah Donelan has over 15 years of experience working with non-profit organizations. She specializes in helping organizations meet their mission through training, leadership development, strategic thinking and planning, research, and processes and procedures implementation. Leah conducts and facilitates trainings on various topics including: board roles and responsibilities, board governance and engagement, starting a non-profit organization, volunteer engagement, logic model creation, and trends in the non-profit sector, among others. Leah has served on the boards of CISV International, CISV USA, CISV Jacksonville, JCCI (including chairing its young professionals arm JCCI Forward), and Changing Homelessness. She co-founded Young Non-profit Professionals Network (YNPN) Jacksonville and was honored as the Jacksonville Business Journal’s Top 40 under 40. Leah began her CISV career as a villager over 25 years ago.
Session: Logic Models: A Planning Tool for your Chapter

Lianne Picot


Lianne Picot is a self-described ‘shameless story dropper’. She has utilized stories throughout her non-profit career to engage consumers, volunteers, employees, and funders. Lianne has worked as a practitioner and leader in the non-profit sectors in the UK, Ireland, and Canada for the past 25 years and is passionate about great leadership and effective storytelling. As a story obsessive, Lianne helps non-profits to find and tell their best stories. She also helps leaders and organizations to create their big story, turnaround their tales of woes, and live happily ever after...
Session: Story Lab

Linda Nummelin


Linda joined CISV as a teenager in 2003. Since her first international experience, she has grown with the organization, participating in various programmes and activities, and holding diverse roles within CISV. In Finland, she volunteers at her Chapter as well as on CISV Finland’s board since 2012 as a Treasurer, NA President, and Chapter Development taskforce leader. She joined CISV International’s Chapter Development Committee in late 2016. Holding a Master’s in Business Strategy, Linda works as a Human Resources Development professional. In her work, she deals with topics such as organizational learning, change leadership, service design, employee experience, internal communications, and digitalization. In CISV, Linda’s passion is helping Chapters grow in a sustainable way, promoting volunteer well-being, and developing volunteer skills in diverse ways.
Session: Strategic Planning - What's in it for Everyone

Luciana Clauss


Luciana joined CISV in the late 1980s when she led a Village for the first time. She fell in love with CISV and the transformation she saw in her delegation and her own vision of the world. Some camps and many years later, she brought her children to undergo that same transformation. The magic of CISV took hold of her again and she soon found herself involved in the São Paulo chapter. CISV was not the same as 20 years before. It was even more special because there were many more people engaged in making a better world. She soon became President of Brazil’s largest CISV chapter. Lu is married, has three children and a pug, and is in love with people and their stories.
Session: Strengthening the Bonds of Friendship - Local Camp in Sao Paulo

Luisa Lima


Luisa started her journey in CISV in 2010, when she attended a local Junior Branch training. She worked on the local and national levels as she grew up and her love for the organization only got bigger. Today, she is one of the Brazilian National Junior Representatives and is very excited to have the opportunity to work at the international level at Global Conference. What inspires her most to continue working in CISV is seeing youth developing and personally being able to have influence in the process. In “real life”, Luisa is a psychology student in University and dreams of continuing to work with kids and youth professionally.
Session: IJBC Sessions
 

Madeleine LeBourdon


Madeleine has been involved in CISV since she was 11 as a participant, trainer, and Educational Campaign Co-coordinator. She is currently studying for a PhD at Northumbria University in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in partnership with CISV. Madeleine’s doctoral research focuses on how global citizenship is practiced, using the Village programme as her case study.
Session: What Makes an Active Global Citizen?
 

Marietta Möhlen


Marietta is a sociologist, a specialist in business development and the expansion of new business areas, and a long-time CISVer of heart from Germany. She spent years volunteering locally, nationally, and internationally with a focus on Chapter Development, Fundraising, and Mosaic. Currently she is part of the German National Board and acts as National Representative. Marietta lives in Vienna, Austria and works in Demographic Change Management at an international consulting company called Mercer.
Session: Organizational Change & Next Level Thinking: The Key To Innovation In The Future Lies In Perception
 

Mark Flores

Mark has more than 20 years of practical experience in human resources and organizational development, and was in key leadership positions with CISV International for more than 10 years. He is the Deputy Facility Director of the Philippines Australia Human Resource and Organizational Development Facility (PAHRODF), where his portfolio includes providing advice and managing human resources and organizational development interventions to selected partner government agencies. He is a member of the CISV Philippines Board of Trustees and has been conducting training programmes in the Asia Pacific Region. Mark is a certified MBTI Step 1 and Step 2 Facilitator.
Session: The Art of Giving and Receiving Effective Feedback

Martina Dharmesti Sindhunatha


Dharmesti has over 22 years’ corporate experience in leadership positions within Human Resources and Marketing and Communications and has been active in CISV for more than 14 years. She has participated in CISV as a parent, Chapter President, NA President, and currently as the Chapter Development Regional Coordinator for Asia Pacific. Her passion in people development has driven her to become a full time professional trainer, working extensively with stakeholders in different types of organizations. She believes that human skills are important predictors of success in personal and professional life. Dharmesti is now dedicating herself to the soft skills domain of Emotional Intelligence to pursue her noble goal of nurturing and inspiring people for a more caring and peaceful world.
Session: Leading with Emotional Intelligence

Marty Petrone


Marty Petrone is a former administrator and intercultural communication professor at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, U.S.A. She has also lived in Italy, England, and Spain, taught English in Cambodia and Thailand, and served as an independent intercultural communication consultant and facilitator for clients in the U.S. and abroad. Though her connection is relatively recent, she was drawn to CISV because she believes strongly in what our organization stands for and does. Marty was an active member of the CISV Risk Management Training Group that revised and updated the International Risk Management Training Curriculum and is a member of the Cincinnati CISV Chapter. Marty lives in Oxford, Ohio, a small American college town—but is often in other parts of the world visiting family and friends.
Session: Cultural Competence and Leadership

Mateo Velez


As a professional in business administration, Mateo specialized in Strategy and Stakeholder Management from Maastricht University Netherlands and in Social Impact Strategy from Pennsylvania University. He is a social entrepreneur and Innovation Consultant both for private sector and non-profit. Mateo is a firm believer in creating opportunities for social impact and innovation through shared-value where societal needs, business opportunities, and academy converge. He has been active in CISV both as a participant and at the International level (International Junior Representative 2010-12, Committees and Regional Delivery Team).
Session: Design Thinking for Social Impact: Inspiration, Ideation, and Implementation in our Chapters
 

Miranda Pieron


Miranda Pieron has been involved with CISV in The Netherlands since 2009. First as a Village delegation leader, later as well as a staff member for several national and international programmes, within and outside of The Netherlands. After a couple of years, she joined the national Village Committee, before serving the whole chapter/NA as national secretary and president. CISV started for Miranda as a volunteering activity during a summer holiday from university, where she studied Water Resources Management and Science Communication. The last six years she has worked as a researcher and consultant, working on challenges related to communication and knowledge management in the Dutch water sector. Next to her CISV activities, she likes to volunteer at other organizations related to development of (global) citizenship with young members of our society. For example, at a weekend school, where kids from socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods are invited to explore different jobs and careers. .
Session: Broadening our Horizon: Bridging to new target groups

Natasha ClaritaNatasha Clarita


Natasha is the current International Junior Branch Representative on the Chapter Development Committee.
Volunteering in Junior Branch on the local, national, regional and international level - especially as National Junior Representative of Junior Branch Indonesia and an Asia Pacific Junior Branch Team member – Natasha has developed her passion for education, youth, and Asia. Since 2011, the diversity and experiential learning culture of Junior Branch has been invaluable to her fascination with mediums of education and improving accessibility and inclusivity for her generation. This interest prompted her to develop initiatives such as Train the Trainer for Junior Branch and an ongoing project with Asia Pacific Junior Branch.
Outside CISV, she studies Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. She leads a student-run academic conference on development in Southeast Asia, takes pictures of food, and recreates them in her kitchen.
Session: IJBC Sessions
 

Nick Lavery


Nick Lavery has owned and operated his video production company, Take5 Digital, since graduating grade 12 in London, Canada. Over the past five years, Nick’s company has worked with many non-profit and corporate clients around the country, including universities, sports teams, small independent businesses, large industrial firms, and the United Way. A 2007 Summer Camp in Vancouver sparked an interest which lead to more programmes across Canada. Nick transitioned from participant to leader and facilitator. Nick has lead a Village delegation to Guatemala, coordinated a Regional Training Forum in London, and staffed a week-long programme in Mexico. Recently, Nick has cofounded a start-up called All bar offering a total meal replacement bar with a focus on social enterprise, with locally-sourced ingredients and high-nutrition at an accessible price.
Session: Facts Tell, Stories Sell - How and Why Non-profits Tell Their Stories with Video
 

Pipa Raimundo


Pipa has been involved in CISV since her participation in a Step Up in 2007. After participating in several CISV programmes over the years, Pipa discovered Junior Branch in 2011 and started getting increasingly involved at national, regional and international level. As one of the International Junior Branch Representatives for 2017-19 Pipa hopes that after her mandate, Junior Branch’s contribution and impact on CISV will be visible to all and that Junior Branch will be better defined and integrated in the organization at all levels.
Originally from Lisbon, Portugal but currently in the beautiful city of Paris, France, Pipa is finishing her Master degree in Development and Humanitarian Aid and she hopes to be able to work in development projects regarding access to education.
Session: IJBC Sessions
 

Rachel Kuck


Rachel Kuck is a doctoral candidate in Teaching and Teacher Education at the University of Michigan in Michigan, USA. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Furman University and a Master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Rachel has been an active member of CISV for over 10 years and currently holds multiple roles including CISV USA’s National Mosaic Committee Chair, member of the Educational Programmes Committee, and trainer on the USA’s National Leadership Training Team and the Americas Regional Delivery Team. In her free time, she enjoys training for triathlons, sewing, and playing with her dog.
Session: What is CISV’s Role in Responding to Global Events?
 

Roman Parzei


Roman Parzei has over 20 years experience in CISV at the Chapter, National, and International levels. He has served as Chapter Treasurer (CISV Toronto) for 7 years; has been the National Finance Chair (3 years) and National Treasurer (7 years) for CISV Canada; and was a member of the International Finance Committee (IFC) for 6 years including 4 years as IFC Alternate Chair. Roman is currently a member of the International Resources & Infrastructure Committee. Roman is also a Board member on the CISV International Insurance Company. Professionally, Roman has worked in the Municipal Government Finance sector for over 40 years and has extensive financial management, investment, and budget experience.
Session: Understanding CISV Finances and Financial Routines
 

Rouven Schȕtte


Rouven was the Local Junior Representative for his Chapter Hamburg, CISV Germany from 2014 to 2016. He first got involved with CISV in 2009 by participating in a Village. The next year he participated in an Interchange, a Village as a Junior Counsellor, and in a Seminar Camp. But his biggest dedication is to Junior Branch, where he has been staffing minicamps, organising Peace Day actions, and facilitating sessions at National Junior Branch meetings since 2013. After participating in his first two International Junior Branch Meetings, Rouven understood what a big potential the organization contained and what the next steps in the development of the organization should be. That’s what motivated him to apply to be one of the facilitators of the International Junior Branch Conference sessions at Global Conference 2018.
Session: IJBC Sessions
 

Santana Briggs


Santana has been involved in CISV since her experience as a participant at a Village in Mexico in 2008. Since then, she has been active member of the Junior Branch as well as her Chapter (Fredericton, CISV Canada), serving as Local Junior Representative, National Camp Coordinator, and National Junior Representative. Santana has also staffed two programmes, one locally and one in Iceland. Outside of CISV, Santana is a political science student at Acadia University and works as an editor on the university newspaper, The Athenaeum. Santana had the opportunity to attend the first Global Conference as a participant and looks forward to facilitating the International Junior Branch Conference sessions at Global Conference 2018.
Session: IJBC Sessions
 

Stephanie Hawkins


Stephanie Hawkins is a long-time CISVer and 5th grade school teacher in Austin, Texas. She participated in Village in France in 1999 as a delegate, led delegations to Villages in Norway in 2009 and Iceland in 2010, and most recently, has helped to establish the new CISV Austin/San Antonio Chapter serving the central Texas region. Over the last couple years, Stephanie’s school has welcomed more than 50 children with refugee status, inspiring her and the CISV Austin / San Antonio members to form the Mosaic Club. The purpose was to create a fun afterschool opportunity for these children to befriend some young CISVers and to help with some of the delicate feelings and difficulties they face as they continue to integrate into a very different world and life.
Session: Everyone Smiles in the Same Language: How a CISV Chapter and a School Community Came Together to Welcome and Support Refugee Children
 

Stephenie Teichman


Retiring from private legal practice, Stephenie joined the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of CISV in 2007 when her children began participating in international programmes. Initially serving as a Local Risk Manager, she continued on as National Risk Manager for CISV USA, and is now a Regional Coordinator of Risk Management in the Americas. Last year, she joined the National Governing Board for CISV USA, and is an internationally certified Risk Management Trainer. She has served on several international working committees to develop and improve CISV’s Risk Manager curriculum and training, allowing her to continue teaching and learning. Her passion for education and CISV’s commitment to instilling confidence and cultural awareness in developing independent thinkers and future leaders keeps her motivated and involved.
Session: Was That a Mistake or an Opportunity? Resiliency Through CISV Risk Management
 

Tamara Thorpe


Tamara has been dedicated to CISV since 2003, serving on local, national, and international teams to help CISV achieve its mission. She is a trainer on the Americas Training and Quality Assurance, and was formerly their Regional Coordinator. She is the former Chair of the International Evaluation and Research Committee and the USA Mosaic Committee, and has directed two International People’s Programmes. Tamara is best-known as the Millennials Mentor, creating engaging leadership trainings for millennials and entrepreneurs, and helping start-ups build strong management teams. After earning a degree in Linguistics and a Masters in Leadership and Training, Tamara became a solopreneur. She is a seasoned global speaker, and has presented an inspiring TEDxABQ talk, sharing the unique and complex journey of entrepreneurship.
Session: Leveraging Our Multi-Generational Volunteer Talent II CISV and Beyond: Using My CISV Experience to Grow My Chapter and a Career
 

Thom Kunz


Thom has two occupations (besides a few spare time interests for which there is never enough time): (1) CISV and (2) his profession as an IT Architecture and Strategy consultant and technical project manager for many different technologies. His main area of expertise is Cloud Computing and Digital Transformation. Most recently, Thom has supported CISV in ramping up the CISV Austria tenant in Office 365, he is collaborating with the International Office to migrate information to Office365 for CISV International and has supported the project for the new website platform for all National Associations and Chapters, which is based on WordPress. Thom loves his profession (all stuff IT), but more than that, Thom loves CISV!
Session: Let the Web work for your Chapter
 

Tiago Basto


Tiago is passionate about people, believing everyone should have the opportunity to be whatever they want to be. He first participated and fell in love with CISV at 17 years old. Since then, he has engaged with Junior Branch causes and occupied positions at a national level, including the National Junior Representative for Brazil. He went on to the Educational Content and Training area, and has delivered trainings during several workshops inside and outside Brazil. Currently he is the Training and Quality Assurance Reco for the Americas Region and an Essentials of Peace Education and Train the Trainer (TTT) trainer. Outside CISV, Tiago is an educator with a background in Law, Project Management, and Social Psychology and uses those competencies to promote people’s development through workshops and consultancy.
Session: What Kind of Peace Maker Am I?
 

Urška Glavan Širok


Urška is a communications scientist working as a freelancer in marketing, especially with social media and direct marketing. Working with social media also pushed her to start working on a more creative project. As a CISVer since the age of 16 she was an active volunteer on the local national, and international level, participating in difference activities. Urška mostly spent her time working as an National Association board member and National Association Representative during the time when CISV Slovenia grew from Promotional Association to National Association.
Session: Co-hosting - Why and How?