IFTIKHAR AHMAD AYAZ,OBE (Chair)
Dr. Iftikhar Ahmad Ayaz received his early education in Qadian. At an early age, he moved to Tanzania where he received his Secondary education.
Later, he was awarded a Commonwealth Fellowship for higher studies in England. There, he first obtained B.Ed. Degree from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Later, he obtained two Postgraduate Diplomas in Teaching of English as a Foreign Language and in Comparative Education.
He received a Masters Degree in Applied Linguistics from the University of London and later on, he received his Ph.D. in Human Development from the United States.
After working for a time with the Department of Education, Tanzania, he worked at high-level positions with the Commonwealth and with different organisations of the United Nations, such as FAO, UNESCO, and UNDP.
He was appointed as a Commonwealth Field Expert in the Pacific Region. Nowadays, he is working as the Consul General of Tuvalu in the U.K and as Senator of the World Nations Congress and holds several other offices related to the restoration of Human Rights, alleviation of poverty, and conflict resolution.
In 1998, Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain awarded him O.B.E. (Officer of the Excellent Order of the British Empire).
Furthermore, he received the Alfred Nobel Medal, an Honorary degree of Doctorate in Education, and the Ambassador of Peace Award. He received the Hind Ratan and Nau Ratan Awards from the Government of India.
In addition, the American Biographical Institute gave him the ‘Greatest Mind of the 21st Century’ and ‘Important Personality of 2004’ Awards.
He is the Deputy Governor of the American Biographical Research Institute and Vice Chancellor of the International Academy of Letters, U.S.A. In 2009 he received the U.S.A. Presidential Inaugural Honour. Dr. Ayaz is also closely involved with the International Commission of Peace (ICOP), and holds doctorates in Human Development and Education, and a Master’s degree in Linguistics.
He has worked closely with a number of United Nations-linked organizations.
He has been awarded the Ambassador of Knowledge Medal – Medallion for Intelligence and Wisdom Ceremoniously acknowledged at the University of Cambridge, England during the 2010 World Forum recently.
Dr Ayaz is a well known International Human Rights activist and is making useful contribution to the restoration and sustenance of Human Rights particularly in the Commonwealth countries.
The services of Dr Ayaz for humanity have been recognized by the American Biographical Research Institute who has honored Dr Ayaz as the 2010 Man of the Year in Human Rights.
Dr Ayaz has also been awarded the World Freedom Medal and is an eminent member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Islam.
DR.PETAR GRAMATIKOFF
Petar Gramatikoff is a hierodeacon of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
He has a Master’s Degree in Theology and has been awarded a title of Doctor (Didiaskalos) of the Universal Orthodox Church by the Ecumenical Patriarchatee in 1999.
He has been teaching theology since more than 20 years and is also currently chief expert in religious questions in the municipality of Plovdiv.
He is vice President of the Eastern European Forum for Dialogue-Bridges NGO.
He has been working for years in the field of Human rights, defending the traditional view of Orthodox church in terms of respect for all beliefs, beside all theological conceptions.
For full CV: Petar Gramatikoff. CV, en
CLARENCE THOMPSON, MBE
Clarence Thompson is a social scientist, poet, business teacher and Chairman of the West Indian Standing Conference.
He is also the Chairman of the 198 Gallery which was set up during the 1980’s in response to the social unrest in and around Lambeth.
Clarence received his MBE in 1965 for his services towards the Race Relation Act Campaign which was responsible for the formation of the Race Relation board.
MARTIN WEIGHTMAN, DIRECTOR
Martin Weightman is the Director of the All Faiths Network. He has worked in the human rights field for more than 20 years and has been involved in and supported a number of different human rights organisations.
For more than 15 years, up until 2007, he was Director of the Church of Scientology’s European Human Rights Office. In this position he spent a lot of time working religious freedom issues.
However, this was not his only focus and throughout this time he has worked with European parliamentarians and legislators on subjects ranging from children’s rights, human rights education, mental health abuse and freedom of expression.