Swiss Support Foundation

Board members

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  Ole von Uexkull

  President

  
  

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  Ole leads the work of the Right Livelihood Foundation and has been actively involved in the research and evaluation of candidates for the Right Livelihood Award in more than 35 countries. Prior to his leadership role at the Foundation, he worked at the German Parliament in Berlin, the United Nations Environment Programme in Paris, and the European Parliament in Brussels. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights in Berlin.

  “I have visited candidates for the Award in more than 35 countries and written reports to our international Jury. As a result, I have seen again and again the tremendous support the Award entails for those who receive it. The Award has a much bigger effect than if we were to simply transfer money to the projects – this way we multiply the effect of the contributions from our donors.”

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  Monika Griefahn

  Member of the Board

  
  

  + About Monika - Close

  Monika is a former Member of the German Parliament (1998-2009) and former Minister of Environmental Affairs in Lower Saxony. In 1980, she co-founded Greenpeace Germany, of which she was the first Executive Director and later Member of the International Board of Directors. Today, she is a consultant for various institutions and companies.

  Monika is the Vice Chair of the Board of the Right Livelihood Foundation. She has been on the Board since 1986.

  “As an activist, I fought against the Goliaths of the world myself. It is therefore a great satisfaction for me to support people who stand for the same values and who see cultural diversity as an opportunity rather than an obstacle. If this Award didn’t exist, it would have to be invented.”

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  Erwin Fuchs

  Member of the Board

  
  

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  Erwin has been working in the financial sector in Switzerland for over three decades, self-employed since 1994, and in his own trust company since 2003. Their services include accounting, tax matters, HR services, investments, real estate, financing, asset management, etc. He works with clients from small and medium-sized businesses to listed companies.

  “The incredible achievements of the Laureates are impressive, especially their courage, passion, tenacity, perseverance,  and the way they deal with setbacks in extremely difficult environments. We can all only take our hats off.”

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  Gesine Krüger

  Member of the Board

  
  

  + About Gesine - Close

  Prof. Dr. Gesine Krüger was appointed chair of Modern History with a focus on Africa at the University of Zurich in 2003. She studied in Germany and South Africa and wrote her PhD on the aftermath of the colonial genocide in Namibia. She was a Fellow at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin and is co-editor of the online Journal “Geschichte der Gegenwart.” Her research includes colonial and post-colonial history and Human-Animal Relations.

  “The often-resigned question, ‘What should you do in the face of… ?’ usually does not expect an answer. The Laureates of the Right Livelihood Award work on solutions and put their lives, their intelligence and their heart into it. We can learn from them.”