Committee of Recommendation
The members in our Committee of Recommendation show they support the Thumbs Up Foundation and its mission, vision, and goals. We are very proud to have the support of these great people who have been inspiring people all over the world for many years and many more to come. For us it has been very important to have the support from people that reach different layers in society, across the world. We are therefore very grateful to have a Committee of Recommendation that is rich in diversity, yet which stands united in working towards a sustainable future and in supporting the Thumbs Up Foundation.
Are you interested in becoming a member of our Committee of Recommendation? Contact us via info@thumbsupafrica.org!
Ruud Lubbers
Ruud Lubbers passed away on 14 February 2018. We thank him very much for the several ways in which he supported us. Former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mr. Lubbers was also Worldconnector and Initiator of the Earth Charter. He started his career in politics as Minister of Economic Affairs and after a significant number of years in national politics he became Prime Minister in 1982 and served until 1994. After his retirement from Dutch politics, Ruud Lubbers remained socially responsible, reflected through his teachings as a professor of globalization, his function as International President of the WWF, and as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. His reasoning to support our foundation: "It is time for the new generation to take over. That is why I joined Thumbs Up's Committee of Recommendation." May he rest in peace.
Farid Tabarki
Farid Tabarki is an entrepreneur, presenter, researcher and writer who is seeking to inspire people in a young and innovative way. Farid wants people, especially youngsters, to think outside of the box and he is not afraid to share his vision with others. As founder of Studio Zeitgeist, Farid is working on themes like radical decentralisation, (social) media, youth culture, multicultural society, and education. In 2006 and 2007, he presented the parliamentary election edition of MTV Coolpolitics, which was broadcasted live on TMF and MTV Benelux. Currently, Farid is presenting a Dutch TV program called "Dare to think, from Socrates to Sartre." Farid supports Thumbs Up as he strongly believes in the power of realizing one's dreams. As Farid tries to inspire people to think in a different way, he has made the right connection with Thumbs Up. To quote how he sees the Thumbs Up journey: "Organizing a hitchhike journey through the continent of Africa, while raising awareness for sustainable development is a crazy and a great idea!"
Razeena Omar
Razeena Omar is a woman who shares a passion for environmental sustainability. Alongside many other functions and contributions, Razeena is the co-chair of the Earth Charter International Council, former manager of the WWF-South Africa, and former environmental advisor to the previous national Minister of Education of South Africa. As present Chief Director for Integrated Coastal Management in South Africa, she is accountable for managing and preserving South Africa's 3500km coastline. She emphasizes that poverty and environmental degradation are linked in complex ways, and impact directly on the quality of life of the marginalized. She considers Thumbs Up, with its philosophical grounding in the Earth Charter, to be a fantastic (environmental) awareness initiative for working towards attaining a just and sustainable future for all. In Razeena's opinion: "Thumbs Up has the potential to be a powerful vehicle to engender positive change for the environment."
Dirk Janssen
Dirk Janssen is a 21-year-old student of Economics and Political Philosophy at the University College Maastricht in the Netherlands. Dirk is a Worldconnecter and the Dutch Youth representative to the UN. Being youth representative to the UN, Dirk has been active in the field of international cooperation and raising awareness on global problems that are affecting and going to affect youth now and in the future. At the general assembly of the UN, Dirk spoke about the increasingly globally interconnected youth and the influence this has on humanity, sustainability, and political movement of youth. Next to his work for the UN, he is a member of the Advisory Board of Society for International Development and has worked in a refugee camp in Ghana. His connection with youth is why he supports the Thumbs Up Foundation. "Thumbs Up for me is connecting and visualizing the connection between people and the environment on the other side of the world, this is why I support this initiative with all my heart."
