The
son of an Italian diplomat, Sahlan L. Momo was born in Villareggia
(Turin), Italy, on 31 December 1944 and spent his formative years
in several European countries getting acquainted with different
cultures and beliefs.
After receiving his Master’s degree in Political Science (University
«La Sapienza», Rome), he carried out cross culture fieldwork in
North Africa, the Middle East, Asia and South-East Asia deepening
his knowledge of the anthropological, spiritual and aesthetic
aspects of these cultures.
Mr Momo began his professional career as a painter and sculptor
in 1968, investigating the non-mimetic representation of symbols
developed further into reflections on art and the creative process.
He was Associate Professor of Painting and Professor of Photography
at the Fine Art Academy in Rome (1976-1980).
In 1980 he took an interest in issues relating to sustainability,
the conservation of cultural heritage and the ‘book’ as an artistic
expression, synthesizing his findings by reformulating the concepts
of editio in relation to the visual, the plastic and
the written text. He conceived and devised an innovative method
of producing durable and sustainable books and, in 1986, founded
the Semar publishing
house which adhered to this new method. Aiming to actively support
the conservation of cultural heritage, he founded the international
journal Conservazione. Cultura e Ambiente [Conservation.
Cultural Heritage and Environment] in 1989 and remained Chief
editor until 1999, fostering several meetings and conferences
on related topics.
Mr Momo was Professor of History of Contemporary Art at the University
«La Sapienza» and Professor of History of Theatre at the European
Institute of Design (Rome, 1989-1993), and lectured at several
conferences and congresses during this period. Distancing himself
somewhat from the academic world, his interest was increasingly
drawn to issues of sustainability, the Third sector, cross-culture,
interfaith dialogue and ethic business. He became more actively
engaged in managing the publishing house and fulfilling her cross-cultural
editorial line, releasing over a hundred titles (1994-2002). In
2003 he established the Semar international unit in The Hague,
Netherlands.
He is founder and Chair of the Spanda Foundation (2005), and founder
and Chief editor of Musiké. International Journal of Ethnomusicological
studies (2005 – ).
His artistic works are both in private and institutional collections
(National Gallery of Modern Art, Rome; Victoria and Albert Museum,
London; Museum of Modern Art, New York; Museum of Contemporary
Art, Frankfurt, etc.).
Mr Momo has served as Chair and Member of a number of advisory
committees for academic, research and scientific institutions
and has been the recipient of several national and international
awards and honours. He has published books and papers on a variety
of topics including art theory, conservation of cultural heritage,
spirituality, and is author and presenter of radio broadcastings
on cultural anthropology and comparative religion.
Father of three children, he currently lives between Rome and
The Hague.
H.
Johannes Witteveen Treasurer
Dr
Hendrikus Johannes Witteveen was born on June 12, 1921, in Zeist,
the Netherlands. He was educated at the Netherlands School of
Economics in Rotterdam and received his doctoral degree in 1947.
From 1948 to 1963 Mr Witteveen was professor of Business Cycles
and Economics at the Netherlands School of Economics in Rotterdam,
and from 1951 Rector Magnificus of the same institution. From
1963 to 1965 he served as Minister of Finance to the Dutch Government,
a function he returned to again from 1967 to 1971 after spending
two years as Member of the Dutch Parliament.
Mr Witteveen has been Managing Director (1973-1979) of the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington, DC, USA, and Chairman (1978-1983)
of the Group of Thirty (Consultative Group of International Economic
and Monetary Affairs - G30), Washington, DC, USA.
He has served as director or advisor on international economic
and monetary affairs to various international and Dutch companies.
He was Advisor to the Managing Board of ABN-AMRO Bank, Member
of the European Advisory Council of General Motors, Member of
the International Council of Morgan Guaranty, Director of the
Royal Dutch Petroleum Company, Chairman of the Robeco Group and
Chairman of ING Group, among others.
He is a life-long member of the International Sufi Movement and
is now its Vice-President.
Among his publications: Developing a new monetary system:
a long term view, (Washington DC: The 1983 Per Jacobsson
Lecture); Economic Globalisation from a broader, long-term
perspective: some questions and concerns, The Economist,
146, 4 (1998); The determination and consequences of International
Liquidity, The Economist, 143, 4 (1995); Universal Sufism,
(Longmead: Element Books, 1997); The heart of Sufism,
(Boston: Shambhala, 1999); Soefisme en economie, (Deventer:
Ankh Hermes, 2001); Sufism in action, Achievement, inspiration
and integrity in a tough world, (London: Vega, 2003).
Simona
Sapienza Secretary
Ms Simona Sapienza was born on January 19, 1973 in Rome, Italy.
She was educated at the Sawyer Business School (Pittsburgh, US,
1991) and at the University "La Sapienza" (Rome, Italy)
where she received her MA in Law (1996). In 2000 she was called
to the Bar (Rome). In 2001 she attended the University of Finance
(London), and got her PhD in Rome (2004).
From 1990 to 1992 Ms Sapienza was actively engaged in supporting
the Africa – Project Against Apartheid, an NGO associated with
the Department of Public Information of the UN. In 1994, as Charter
Member of the Association for Exchanges among Young Europeans
(Rome), Ms Sapienza developed a series of projects under the auspices
of the EU Commission to improve dialogue among European cultures.
From 1997 to 2002 she was tutor in Private Comparative Law at
the Institute of Comparative Law of the University La Sapienza
(Rome); lecturer in European Contract Law at the LUISS University
(Rome) and legal consultant at the Italian National Research Council-UN
International Institute for the Unification of Law (CNR-UNIDROIT)
Centre for Comparative and Foreign Law Studies, (UNIDROIT Convention
on the International Return of Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural
Objects.) Ms Sapienza has been legal consultant for various Italian
institutes of research for the international protection of human
and civil rights, among others the Centre for High European Studies
at the University of Urbino (1996-2000) and the CNR institute
for the Comparative Study on the Guarantees of Fundamental Rights
(1999-2001).
From 1999 to 2002 she lectured in Banking and Financial law at
the Postgraduate School in Banking Law of the University of Siena
(Italy). As soon as admitted to the Bar (2000) she joined the
International Capital Markets (ICM) Department of Allen & Overy
in Rome where she was nominated Senior Associate in 2005 and worked
until 2011. Ms Sapienza is currently Counsel at Chessa Donnini
Pappalardo Studio Legale Associato (Rome, Italy) where, as Head
of the Investment Funds and Regulatory Department, she advises
investment banks, asset managers, banking foundations and broker
dealers on international financial transactions and regulatory
issues.
Among her publications: The English Legal System (London:
Cameron Markby Hewitt, 1996); Unilex on UN Covnetion on International
Sale of Goods (senior ed.); “Il diritto comunitario come
fonte per il diritto dei contratti” [Community Law as Source for
the Law of Contracts], in Il Diritto Privato nella Giurisprudenza
(Turin: UTET, 1999); “Mutual Funds, UCITS, Sicavs and Pension
Funds in Italy”, in Securities Transactions in Europe
(London: Sweet & Maxwell, 2003); “Laws and Regulations of Italian
Hedge Funds”, in Alternative Investment News (New York,
2004).Ms Sapienza has written extensively on Geopolitic
and Islamic/Shariah compliant financial transactions, among others:
The Financing of International Terrorism (Zone-H, 2005);
“Keeping Money Out of Terrorist Hands”, in Monitor (London:
RUSI/Jane's, 2006).
Jan
Pronk Advisor
Professor
Pronk was born on March 16, 1940, in Scheveningen,
The Netherlands. He has garnered repute as one of the most influential
persons in Development Cooperation in The Netherlands, both through
his distinguished career as a politician and a prominent United
Nations Official.
Mr Pronk studied Economics at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam
where he worked in research, and made extensive scholarly contributions
to the field of development.
In 1971, he took up politics and has since served as the Minister
of Development Cooperation (1973-1977, 1989-1994, 1994-1998) and
as Minister of Housing and Environment (1998-2002). In the meantime,
he was Professor of Theory and Practice of Policy Making at University
of Amsterdam (1988-1989).
Among other positions, Mr Pronk served as Deputy Governor of the
World Bank (1973-1977, 1989-1998), as Member of the Development
Committee of the same institution (1974-1977, 1989-1998), as Deputy
Secretary General of the United Nations Conference for Trade and
Development (UNCTAD)
(1980-1986), as Co-Chairman of the Global Coalition for Africa
(1991-1998) and as Chairman of the 6th Conference of Parties of
the UN Convention on Climate Change (2000-2001).
He was
Special Envoy of the Secretary General of UN for the World Summit
on Sustainable Development (2001-2003), Chairman of the Board
of the International Institute for Environment and Development
(IIED)
(2002-2004), Chairman of the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative
Council (WSSCC)
(2003-2004), Chairman of the Federation of Refugee Organisations
in the Netherlands (VON),
(2003-2004) and Special Representative of the Secretary General
of the United Nations in Sudan, Khartoum, were he led the UN peace
keeping operation (UNMIS)
(2004-2006).
He is currently a Professor in Theory and Practice of International
Development at the Institute of Social Studies (ISS)
in The Hague, President of the Society for International Development
(SID),
and Chairman of the Interchurch Peace Council in the Netherlands
(Interkerkelijk Vredesberaad, IKV).
Among his publications: De Kritische Grens. Beschouwingen
over Tweespalt en Orde[The Critical Frontier. Essays
on Conflict and Order],(Amsterdam, Prometheus, 2004); Catalysing
Development? A Debate on Aid (Malden/Oxford, Blackwell, 2004);
Willens en Wetens. Gedachten over Globalisering en Politiek [Calculated
Default. Essays on Globalisation and Politics], (Amsterdam,
Bert Bakker, 2005); Het pantser afleggen. Ideeën voor een
open politiek [Laying Down the Armour. Towards an Open Policy],
(Amsterdam, Bert Bakker, 2008).
Mr Pronk has been the recipient of several national and international
awards and honours.
