Anuradha Vittachi
Anuradha fled her native Sri Lanka at the age of 13, after her family was subjected to political persecution after her journalist father exposed the race-hatred and ethnic conflict being engendered by state authorities - which led to the island’s half-century-long civil war. This attempt to silence truth-telling journalists reinforced her lifelong conviction in the vital importance of transparent and accountable governance, and of communication as a human right for all citizens.These twin preoccupations – of responsible governance and responsible media – have characterised her work.
She has also been a teacher, the author of acclaimed books on global survival and international child rights, a journalist published in dozens of journals and newspapers around the world, an award-winning TV documentary-maker, and an international speaker in the field of global justice.
In January 1995, with co-founder Peter Armstrong, she launched ‘OneWorld Online’ (OWO), the world’s first global justice portal on the internet. in 1999, Anuradha was selected by its international board of trustees to be the inaugural Director of the OneWorld International Foundation, the network’s governing body.
Among her many awards for OneWorld was UK’s Woman of the Year (1997) in her field. In 2000, she was chosen by the British Government to be the UK’s delegate to the G8 Summit’s Digital Opportunity Taskforce (DOTForce). A further devolutionary process at the OneWorld Network during 2004 led to the strengthening of the centres. Anuradha thus took up the challenge of running a newly-devolved OneWorld centre as the Director of a brand new OneWorld UK (incorporated 1st April 2005).
Rachid Benmokhtar Benabdallah
Rachid Benmokhtar Benabdallah obtained his degree in aeronautics engineering in 1967 in Toulouse. He later attended the International Program for Senior Executives at IMD in Switzerland.
He started his career with IBM France in 1967 and launched his first start up in 1973 in the domains of Information Systems and Management. Later, he founded other companies among which is a joint venture with the American engineering company IMEG and Parsons Brinckerhoff of New York, now CID.
His interest in education issues started in 1976 when he contributed to the Club of Rome project ‘No Limits to Learning’. In January 1995 he was appointed Minister of Education and in June 1998 President of Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane.
Mr. Rachid Benmokhtar Benabdallah is also member of Hassan II Academy of Sciences and Techniques; member of the UN Committee of Experts in Public Administration; one of the 15 scientific experts of the UNESCO in charge of the overall evaluation of large programs in exact, natural and social sciences. On 21st July 2006, President Benmokhtar was appointed by His Majesty King Mohammed VI as President of the Observatory of the National Initiatve for Human Development.
Katherine Marshall
Katherine Marshall has worked for over three decades on international development, with a focus on issues for the world’s poorest countries. She is a senior officer of the World Bank, where she has worked since 1971. She is currently responsible for a broad range of issues turning around ethics, values, rights and faith in development work, and serves as Counselor to the World Bank’s President.
Ms. Marshall served for several years as Country Director in the World Bank’s Africa region, focusing on the Sahel region, and on Southern Africa, and for East Asia (during the East Asia crisis), and has also worked on Eastern Africa and Latin America.
Ms. Marshall is a graduate of Wellesley College and the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University (MPA ’69). She serves on the Boards of several NGOs, and most prominently was engaged in the creation and development of the World Faiths Development Dialogue (WFDD). She speaks and publishes widely on issues for international development. Her daughter is serving in the Peace Corps in Guinea and her son is a student at Georgetown Day School.
Sharif Horthy