JOANNE WATKINS
Joanne Watkins spent 20 years as Founder and President of a worldwide multimedia production and distribution company, where she was an award-winning producer of 11 feature films and several television and educational programs, including the acquisition and distribution of a 60-title international film library. In her passionate quest for freedom of expression and respect for human rights, Joanne became one of the national developers and lecturers of targeted information exploring International Humanitarian Law for the American Red Cross. Her position as a Disaster Action Team Leader and Client Services Supervisor for disaster relief, damage assessment, and disbursement of services for the American Red Cross made her become part of the relief effort at ground zero in the aftermath of September 11th and Hurricane Katrina, along with many other local and national disasters over the last decade. Joanne is a member of numerous non-profit organizations and has spent time as an invited guest at the United Nations as well as International Leadership and World Peace conferences, traveling as an Ambassador for Peace in India, South Korea, Washington, DC, and New York City.
INGRID STELLMACHER
Ingrid Stellmacher is Founder and CEO of Le Menach Foundation. A conflict resolution and peace building organisation, working for the equal participation of women in decision- making at all levels of civil society, business and governance; through mediation and negotiation skills, augmented AI tools, language and diplomacy.
Drawing on over 25 years-experience during an award-winning career in journalism, film and Television, Ingrid’s passion, energy and unique insight for unravelling complex issues to reach the heart of a story, helped her to develop the Mary Initiative in 2009; a teaching and diplomacy programme and launched the Dignity Diaries at the United Nations in New York in 2014. An international programme exploring the role and relevance of dignity in today’s world. From its importance as a pillar of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to the impact of its absence, particularly on the lives of women and girls. In 2019 Le Menach Foundation led a team of 9 organisations on a two-year project across 7 countries, on Refugee Integration through Dignity, Health and Employability.
Ingrid is a former board member of iDE, (International Development Enterprise), empowering entrepreneurs to end poverty and transforming 40 million lives over 4 decades across Africa, Asia and Central America; was on the board of the Council of Christians and Jews, the UK’s oldest interfaith organisation; Adviser to the Curriculum for Cohesion, and Head of Policy for conflict resolution for UK Think Tank, the Human City institute in Birmingham. Working on peace initiatives in Israel/Palestine, India/Pakistan, Malaysia, El Salvador/Guatemala, Oman the US and the UK, Ingrid and was made an Ambassador of Peace in 1999. Her work is deeply embedded in the transforming values of dignity, equity and compassion.
Honorary Board Members:
DR. MOHINI GIRI
Dr. Giri is the former Chairperson, National Commission for Women, & Founder/Chairperson-Guild of Service, New Delhi, India. Dr. Giri is the serving Chairperson of Guild of Service since 1979. Dr. Giri also serves as a Founder /President of the War Widow Association since 1971 and as Founder Trustee of the Women’s Initiative for Peace in South Asia since 2000. A social activist and leader in the women’s movement, specializing in human rights and gender justice, Dr. Giri is renowned both nationally and internationally for her committed work in empowering women of all ages politically, socially, legally and economically. She represents and takes initiative for India’s widows, a unique constituency. She is an advocate for social justice and the vulnerable in the society. She has held many public positions such as Chair of the National Commission for Women (1994-1998) and Chair of the Delhi State Social Welfare Advisory Board (1987-1990). As Chair of the National Commission for Women, Dr. Giri gave a new direction to the National Commission for Women and successfully implemented several schemes for empowering women.
DR. MEERA KHANNA
As board member of the Guild for Service, Voluntary Social Activist & Freelance Writer, Meera Khanna has over 16 years of experience in the developmental field. Her major focus is on women’s empowerment and capacity building particularly in conflict conditions. Her area of interest and work includes: Capacity building of marginalized women; Building leadership skills among women grass root leaders; Grass root work and advocacy work among widows; Militancy affected widows and children of Kashmir; iInitiatives for Peace in South Asian region particularly through cultural exchanges; Intersectionality of religion and gender equality. For the Guild she works on and writes advocacy documents both for national, international and UN system. She is a writer and a poet and has published a book on poems on Kashmir “If there be a Paradise.” Her second book published by Harper Collins is based on the first person narratives of those who have seen the genesis of the conflict in Kashmir.
