Joint Alumni Forum Webcast
(organized by Stanford Club of Switzerland)
Humanitarian Aid in the Times of COVID-19 - Hear about how humanitarian organizations have coped with challenges during this public health crisis
Panel: Lola Nashashibi Grace (MECI), James Jackson (Medair) and Hansjörg Eberle (FSD)
Moderator: Jean-Michel Kaliszewski (Stanford Club of Switzerland)
Dear Harvardians and alumni of Oxford & Cambridge, Stanford, Yale, Columbia and other interested parties,
This webcast will consider how in the past year our attitudes, core values and sense of community were put to the test. The past year also shed light upon global supply chains and international logistics which were deeply disrupted by the current pandemic. Humanitarian organizations faced enormous challenges during this time. We'll hear from a panel of humanitarian organizations on how they are coping with their respective challenges and the changes they witnessed and foresee going forward.
The Joint Alumni Forum would like to invite you to an interactive evening commencing with presentations from our specialists’ panel, then a panel discussion followed by a moderated Q&A where participants can raise questions and comments.
Time: Wednesday, 19. May, 18.00 (Central European Time)
Register here
We look forward to providing a thought-provoking forum for discussion.
For and on behalf of the Harvard Club of Switzerland and the Joint Alumni Forum
Diane B Bailey
Meet the Speakers
Lola Nashashibi Grace
Lola Nashashibi Grace, Founder Middle East Children’s Institute (MECI). A venture philanthropist with 25+ years experience in investment banking and asset management, is engaged in philanthropic and community endeavors relating to international development, education and biological/genetic research. Lola serves on the EMEA Advisory Board for Citi Private Bank, is a Trustee of Cold Spring Harbor Lab, Co-founder of Impact Cancer Foundation and the Fund for Research & Education at UNIL and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Lola received BA, MA, and MBA degrees from Stanford University. In 2005, Lola founded the Middle East Children’s Institute (MECI), a non-for-profit focusing on women’s empowerment, economic development and holistic educational programs for women and children victims of war in the Middle East.
She received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor Award and is a member of the Prince Albert II Roundtable on Philanthropy. Lola speaks four languages and has 5 children.
James Jackson
James Jackson, is the Executive Office and Legal Director for Medair, a humanitarian NGO based in Switzerland. Medair focuses on emergency relief in conflict and natural disaster situations in the world's most difficult and hard to reach places, with a particular focus on health (especially women and children), water/sanitation and shelter. www.medair.org Jim has been with Medair for 11 years, after 25 years in the corporate world. At Medair, he is responsible for governance, compliance, strategic planning and innovation/continuous improvement. Jim has an Economics degree from Duke, a law degree from the University of Florida and a Masters in Law and Economics from Miami (Florida).
Hansjörg Eberle
Hansjörg Eberle, Fondation Suisse de Déminage (Foundation for Mine Action). Hansjörg Eberle is a business economist (HWV St. Gall). He started his career with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in 1985. His last position was head of the department of finance, administration and IT He left in 1997 and set up two consulting companies focussing on project management services in banking and the UN.
At the same time, Hansjörg created with friends the Fondation Suisse de déminage (FSD), an international mine action NGO based in Geneva. Since 2003 he has been FSD’s full-time director. FSD employs and trains its own demining staff and intervenes typically in countries affected by war and civil strife. The main operational theatres are in Iraq, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Chad, the Central African Republic, the Philippines and Colombia.
Jean-Michel Kaliszewski
Moderator. Jean-Michel Kaliszewski has worked for the Air Transport Industry for many years and is now active in social and community interests ( Stanford Alumni, Martial Arts Budo in Geneva). Prior to working for IATA in various management positions (payment services, IT, cargo), he has led pioneering industry projects as Director at SITA in the area of IT applications and telecommunication services for the air transport community.
He graduated in Electrical Engineering at Stanford University and lives in the Geneva area since 1999.
About the Joint Alumni Forum
The Joint Alumni Forum, a social responsibility committee of the Harvard Club of Switzerland and cooperation with the alumni clubs in Switzerland of Harvard, Oxford & Cambridge, Stanford, Yale and Columbia University was established in January 2018 as a forum for discussion, education and debate on various themes encompassing social responsibility (i.e. equality themes, environment, sustainability, human rights, etc.). The outreach for the speakers series is broader than the alumni of universities in the collaboration, but also like-minded representatives of institutions and interest groups based in Switzerland and members of the public. If you’d like to know more about us or participate in our initiatives you can contact joint.alumni.forum@gmail.com.
