Advisory Board
The international advisory board ensures the international cohesion of the Coalition and
strengthens cooperation with other international organizations such as the UN, KAICIID and the Vatican
strengthens cooperation with other international organizations such as the UN, KAICIID and the Vatican
Dr. Thomas G. Walsh (USA)
President of the HJ International Graduate School for Peace and Public Leadership, New York. Dr. Walsh has literally traveled to more than 120 nations of the world. Dr. Walsh went on to earn his Ph.D. at Vanderbilt University’s School of Religion where he specialized in the study of Religion and Ethics. Dr. Walsh serves as International Chair of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) till 2022. UPF holds General Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
Dr. Michael K. Platzer (Europe and USA)
Former Chief of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime – Rule of Law Division. Michael K. Platzer is currently the Representative of the Academic Council on the United Nations (ACUNS) in Vienna. In addition, Mr. Platzer is the founder of the United Nations Society of Writers and a member of the Austrian United Nations Association, the World Society of Victimology, Penal Reform International. From 2006 to 2010, Mr. Platzer has been advisor to the International Catholic Commission on Prison Pastoral Care (ICCPPC).
Prof. Dr. Jay Albanese (USA)
JAY S. ALBANESE is Professor and criminologist at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). He served as Chief of the International Center at the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the research arm of the U.S. Department of Justice for four years, while on loan from VCU. He is a past president and fellow of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS).
Prof. Dr. Elmar Kuhn (Europe)
President of the „Coalition of Faith Based Organization – Europe“. Founding member of the European Academy of Religions. Sec. Gen. of „Christians (help) in Need“ (CiN.international, international help programs for persecuted believers of religions ). Professor of Religious Studies at J. H. Pestalozzi Christian University, USA. 2010-2019 Dean of Class VII World Religions of the European Academy of Science and Arts. Key-note speaker on symposia about interreligious dialogue and narratives of peace in Cologne, Enugu, Frankfurt, Geneva, Ljubljana, Lugano, Osaka, Rome, Seoul, Skopje, Teheran, Tiflis, Tokyo, Vienna, Warsaw e.a..
Michael O´Connell, BSocSc (Australia)
Michael O’Connell AM (Member of the Order of Australia) BSocSc FGLF (Fellow of the Governor’s Leadership Foundation) is a consulting Victimologist; Member of the International Network of Services for Victims of Terrorism; and, Foundation Board Member of Victim Support Asia. Michael served as the inaugural Commissioner for Victims’ Rights, South Australia (2006-2018). Michael is a Vice President for the NGO Alliance on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice that is affiliated with the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, Vienna Austria and the United Nations, New York.
Dr. Afsar Rathor (EU-UN)
Dr. Afsar Rathor, President of Growth for Peace. lios-soil.org was initially established under the name Growth4Peace in Vienna, Austria, who had the aim to advocate for the pressing global issue of desertification. He was a former project manager in the UNIDO (UN Peace Building Missions in Rwanda) and other UN organizations from Pakistan, who grew up in Iran, studied in the United States and finally moved to Vienna working for the UN.
Dr. Darcy Roake (USA)
Darcy Roake is a Unitarian Universalist Minister and PhD in history at Tulane University with a focus on rights and justice movements. Reverend Roake was formerly the Minister at Community Church Unitarian Universalist in New Orleans, LA. She has a wide background in social justice and pastoral care in settings as varied as Oxfam America, Amnesty International, the United Nations, the Navajo Nation Public Defender’s Office, Massachusetts General Hospital, Planned Parenthood’s National Clergy Advocacy Board, and the Unitarian Universalist Association.
Prof. Dr. Irvin Waller (Canada)
Irvin Waller is a Full Professor of Criminology at the University of Ottawa and consults with governments across the world on how to reduce crime and protect victims. Professor Waller has received recognition from Canada and several European governments as the founding Executive Director of the International Centre for the Prevention of Crime affiliated with the United Nations.
Local events in english, german or urdu language. many of these events can be viewed as video clips.
The webinars were accessible worldwide as Zoom lectures and discussions. In this way, we had created an opportunity to be active on central topics of spirituality, justice and interfaith harmony during the Covid pandemic despite travel restrictions. These talks will continue in loose succession and are a source of important contributions to interfaith topics.