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).
Ms Sapienza is currently Senior Associate in the International
Capital Markets department of Allen & Overy (Rome), which she
joined in 2000. She advises investment banks and brokers on ICM
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).
