Speakers & contributors to the 2014 State of Europe Forum in Athens included:
Julie Doxat-Purser is the European Evangelical Alliance’s socio-political & religious liberty representative. She was previously EEA’s Brussels representative for 8 years. She co-convenes the European Religious Liberty Forum with Advocates Europe, and is helpings to develop the European Freedom Network, linking ministries working on human trafficking. Julia also works with the World Evangelical Alliance on religious liberty, human trafficking and political engagement training. Julia is married to Alistair and lives in Bournemouth, England.
David Fieldsend is the Manager of CARE for Europe, promoting Christian values in public policy discussion at the European Institutions concentrating on bioethics and family policy. He gained his first degree (town planning) from Newcastle University, holds a diploma in theological studies (Trinity, Bristol), and was awarded a European Masters degree in bioethics in 2009. He spent many years as a planning specialist in local government in the UK (including a secondment advising the Sudanese Government). He stood as a British Parliamentary Candidate in 1983 for the constituency of Falmouth-Camborne. He is married to Anne; they have three adult children and one grandson. He is a licensed Reader in the Church of England and member of the diocesan synod for Europe. He is the current chairman of the ECPF.
Antonie Fountain is a free lance human rights activist, publicist, columnist and stage speaker on issues such as human trafficking, refugees, social justice, macroeconomics, theology, and art. His is coordinaor of VOICE – Voice of Organisations in Cocoa in Europe. He was founder and director of anti-trafficking organisation Stop The Traffik Netherlands. Formerly the frontman of award winning rock and roll band Little Things That Kill, he now lives in a small commune on the Dutch countryside with his wife and two children.Jeff Fountain is director of the Schuman Centre for European Studies, and author of ‘Living as people of hope’ and ‘Deeply Rooted’, the story of the forgotten vision of Robert Schuman, ‘father of Europe’ and principle architect of Europe’s post-war peace. Jeff was director of YWAM Europe 1990-2009, and although originally from New Zealand, is a naturalised Dutchman.
His Eminence Ignatios Georgakopoulos, Metropolitan of Demetrias and Almyros, started a Sunday morning TV broadcast, Arhontariki, is a member of the National Transplant Council, has visited all the Orthodox churches of the world and is a founding member of the Administrative Council of the Scientists’ Association of Piraeus. In 1998,His Eminence was elected to the see of Demetrias and Almyros.
Monsignor Piotr Mazurkiewicz was Secretary General of the Commission of Episcopal Conferences of the European Union COMECE in 2008-2012 based in Brussels. He is professor at the University of Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw, having written doctoral theses on The Church in an open society, and The Europeanisation of Europe. He is a member of the Scientific Council of the Institute of Political Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
Christel Ngnambi started as the EEA Brussels Representative in September 2007. He is a political Science graduate with a deep interest in developing a Christian mind and applying Christian thinking to public policy. His personal public policy interests include migration.
Philip Powell, works as an independent consultant with the Jubilee Centre in Cambridge, UK. Originally from India but has lived in England for over fifteen years, and travelled globally speaking and engaging in human rights and advocacy work, including at the United Nations. Philip has a postgraduate degree in International Relations and has studied International Law at The Hague Academy of International Law and the London School of Economics.
Fotis Romeos is director of AMG Eastern Europe, and served with the Evangelical Alliance of Greece for many years, for some time being vice-president of the European Evangelical Alliance. He is engaged with the growing needs of many Greeks, many of whom have used their savings, and are losing their homes and jobs. Among young adults, unemployment is as high as 50%.
Dr Michael Schluter, CBE – Chief Executive Relational Research – prevented by sickness from participation
Michael is an economist who worked with the International Food Policy Research Institute, and was an economics consultant with the World Bank in East Africa. He started the Jubilee Centre in Cambridge in 1983 to connect the Bible with contemporary economic and political challenges, and subsequently he launched a number of other charities whose work includes social policy (Relationships Foundation), international peace-building (Concordis International) and alternative finance (Citylife). Currently he is developing the Relational Thinking Network of people and organisations who share the conviction that right relationships are the key to personal wellbeing and social cohesion. Michael is co-author of The R Factor (1993), Jubilee Manifesto (2005) and The Relational Manager (2009), and speaks to audiences all over the world on the biblically-rooted framework of ‘Relational Thinking’ for contemporary society. He and his wife Auriel have 3 children and 12 grandchildren.
Jonathan Tame – Executive Director Jubilee Centre
Jonathan trained as an agricultural economist and worked for the UK government’s aid agency before joining Youth With A Mission regional headquarters in Lausanne. He oversaw their relief and development operations across Africa and the Middle East then moved to Romania where he established a variety of projects, including a women’s counselling centre and a worldview café. He has worked closely with Michael Schluter since 2009, and has been the director of the Jubilee Centre since 2012. His wife Helene is studying theology and together they have five children.
Kari Tassia is the regional facilitator for Refugee Highway Partnership Europe and a member of the global Council of RHP (Global Partner of the World Evangelical Alliance). He represents RHP Europe in various European mission networks, linking ministries and churches working among refugees. Kari has served in Youth With A Mission since 1984: several years as a church planter in the UK among Punjabis and as the national director for YWAM Finland and the European regional coordinator for unreached people’s ministry and staff care. Kari is married to Maija and lives in Finland. They have two daughters and four grandchildren.
Dr Petros Vasileiadis Professor of New Testament, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki AUTH
Matteo Cattaneo. Graduated in Political and Medieval philosophy, he is currently working as coordinator in “Novae Terrae” Foundation, an NGO chaired by Luca Volonté and created to develop the culture of human dignity among international institutions. He is also the Italian Campaigns Manager of CitizenGO.
Magdalena Korzekwa is the author of fourteen books about joy, friendship, love and upbringing; works as Campaigns Manager for CitizenGO (Polish). Lawyer. She is also a publicist and journalist and moderates a lot of debates and congresses. She moderated a weekly Catholic TV program for children ”Ziarno“ in the Polish National TV Channel 1 as well as in TV Polonia (2000-2005). She was also a president of the Academic Catholic Association ”Soli Deo” at the University of Warsaw and promoted Christian values and human dignity, coordinated debates and conferences. She graduated law (2013) at the University of Warsaw and she is in her final year of her psychology studies at the University of Warsaw. She spent also one year having obtained an Erasmus Scholarship at the University of Vienna.