Share Tweet Share Share The Honorary Advisors The Honorary Editors The Honorary Advisors John Szemerey, BelgiumThe Honorary ChairpersonJohn Szemerey is a political journalist. He retired in summer 2005 after working over 30 years in the information services of the European Commission, Brussels. Before that he had been features writer with a Fleet Street agency and he had been Westminster columnist for two newspapers. He is now Chairman of the International Division of the Chartered Institute of Journalists, the oldest and most senior professional organisation of journalists in the world.John, 69, was born in Hungary but escaped to England with his parents in 1949, when the Communists were tightening their grip on the country. He had most of his education in England, although he also won an exchange scholarship for a year at a top school in the USA. He studied financial and administrative management at the University of Louvain, Belgium.When Britain joined the European Community in 1973 he immediately applied for a job with the European Commission. As a political columnist he felt he must know at first hand how the EC worked. He was successful and was one of the first Brits to work for the Commission when he started there in January 1974.“Intending to stay at the Commission for two or three years,” says John, “I found the work so interesting and the international situation – working alongside colleagues from other European countries – so challenging and stimulating, that I stayed for over 30 years.” Prof Rudolf J. Siebert, USA/GermanyRudolf J. Siebert was born in Frankfurt a.M., Germany. He studied history, philology, philosophy, sociology, psychoanalysis, and theology at the University of Frankfurt a.M., the University of Mainz, the University of Munster, and the Catholic University of America, Washington D.C. from 1947 - 1955.Professor Siebert has taught, lectured, and published widely in Western and Eastern Europe, the United States, and Canada. He is a professor of Religion and Society in the Department of Comparative Religion at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. He is the director of the Center for Humanistic Future Studies at Western Michigan University since 1980, the director of the international course on the "Future of Religion" in the Inter-University Center for Post-Graduate Studies in Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia/Croatia since 1975, and the international course on "Religion and Civil Society" in Yalta, Crimea, and Ukraine since 1999. The Inter-University Center is sponsored by the University of Simferopol, Simferopol, Ukraine, and Western Michigan University. Professor Siebert's main works are The Critical Theory of Religion: Frankfurt School, and From Critical Theory to Critical Political Theology: Personal Autonomy and Universal Solidarity. From 1955 to the present, Professor Siebert has developed the critical or dialectical theory of religion out of the critical theory of society, from the endeavors of the Institute for Social Research at the University of Frankfurt, globally known as the "Frankfurt School," and in continual discourse with sociologists, psychologists, anthropologists, economists, philosophers, religiologists, and theologians from the United States, Canada, England, Belgium, Holland, France, Germany, Yugoslavia / Croatia, Israel, and Columbia.The dialectical theory of religion emphasizes the three global alternative futures of society: Future I - the totally administered society; Future II - the entirely militarized society; and Future III - the reconciled society. It stresses the three global alternative futures of religion: Future I - religious fundamentalism; Future II - total secularization; Future III - the open dialectic between the religious and the secular aiming at a post-modern reconciliation between a reformed religion and a transformed secular enlightenment. Prof Michael Brenner, USAMichael Brenner is a recognized authority on risk assessment & management, American foreign policy, and geopolitics. He is a "Fellow" of the Energy Institute at the University of Texas at Austin and a Fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations SAIS-Johns Hopkins. He also is Emeritus Professor of International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. He was the Director of the International Relations & Global Studies Program at the University of Texas until 2012.He has been an advisor to the United States government, a consultant to global corporations, a prominent participant in the programs of leading Washington think tanks and a prolific commentator on public affairs. His record of publication on a broad span of international issues is complementary to his extensive activities in the policy realm. He contributes essays regularly to the Huffington Post, the National Journal, and the Pakistani Spectator and also has written for al-Arabiya. Prof Brenner’s consulting includes the United States Departments of State and Defense, the Foreign Service Institute, Westinghouse Corporation and Mellon Bank.Professor Brenner has worked in the energy field for 30 years. He directed a project on International Energy & Natural Resource Issues sponsored by the Exxon Educational Foundation that produced a series of 20 case studies. He contributed studies of the Persian Gulf Reflagging Crisis, Oil as a Coercive Instrument in the 1970s, United States – China Bilateral Nuclear Accord, and US-France Dealings in Nuclear Energy. In addition, he organized the Pittsburgh Energy Seminar while at the Graduate School of Public & International Affairs, was Rapporteur for the Conference on Technology Transfer: Government & Industry in the Energy Sector at M.I.T. In the environmental policy field, he has conducted research on environmental management issues at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography (La Jolla), Natural Sciences Research Council (London), and the Center For International Affairs (Harvard University).He is the author of America’s Environmental Dilemma (Lexington Books) and The Scientific Advisory Function (Scripps Brenner is the author of numerous books, and over 70 articles and published papers on a wide range of topics. His most recent works are:; Democracy Promotion and Islam; Fear and Dread In The Middle East (also translated into Arabic);; Toward A More Independent Europe (Royal Institute of International Relations), Brussels), Narcissistic Public Personalities & Our Times.His writings include books with Cambridge University Press (Nuclear Power and Non-Proliferation), the Center For International Affairs at Harvard University (The Politics of International Monetary Reform); Institute of International Affairs at Cornell University (The Functionalist Theory of European Integration); the Brookings Institution (Reconcilable Differences, US-French Relations In The New Era) and publications in major journals in the United States and Europe, such as World Politics, Comparative Politics, Foreign Policy, International Studies Quarterly, International Affairs, Survival, Politique Etrangere, and Internationale Politik. Prof Brenner has directed multinational research projects with colleagues in France, England, Germany and Italy supported by grants from the Ford Foundation, NATO and the Commission of the European Union.Brenner is an invited lecturer at major universities and institutes in the United States and abroad, including Georgetown University, UCLA, the National Defense University, the State Department, Sorbonne, Ecole des Sciences Politiques, Royal Institute of International Affairs, International Institute of Strategic Studies (London), King’s College of the University of London, German Council on Foreign Relations, Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and Universita di Firenze.Brenner has held previous teaching and research appointments at Cornell, Stanford, Harvard, MIT, Brookings Institution, University of California – San Diego, University of California – Berkeley, and Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the National Defense University. He also has been a Fellow of the Center on France & the United States in Paris.His memberships include: APSA, ISA, IISS, Forum du Futur (Paris).Prof Brenner is proficient in French and English.Ph.D. Political Science, University of California, BerkeleyM.A. Political Science, University of California, BerkeleyB.A. Political Science, Summa Cum Lauda, Phi Beta Kappa , Brooklyne College – CUNYCertificate, International Relations, Stockholm University, Sweden Prof Willem Vervoort, Australia/NeatherlandsWillem Vervoort has an undergraduate degree from Wageningen University in the Netherlands and a PhD in field hydrology from the University of Georgia, USA. He has been working at the University of Sydney, Australia since 1999.He works with variety projects related to water, agriculture and the environment as groundwater interactions in stochastic ecohydrological models to predict vegetation distributions, measuring transmission losses from semi-arid rivers, probabilistic forecasting of rainfall, droughts and river flows, managing uncertainty in hydrological modeling, identifying spatial and temporal variability in groundwater levels and quality.He works internationally with capacity building projects and research projects, collaborating with various universities and research organisations in Mexico, the UK, the Netherlands, and in India. Prof Kamal Kishore Sharma PhDFormer CEO ArcelorMittal Aktau in Kazakhstan, an MNCFormer Vice Chancellor at Ansal University Gurgaona Public Policy Fellow of IIM Ahmedabad (PhD), has earlier served as a Class I Civil Service Officer with Government of India in Railways (IRTS).He has spent 29 plus professional years in formulating institutional strategies, executing, learning, leading & coaching. Apart from his well-grounded expertise in Leadership & General Management, he has deep interests in public policies in areas of education, environment, agriculture and water.He is currently involved in a social impact e-commerce startup that is solving last mile marketing challenges for farmer crops. He is energetic, entrepreneurial & very widely connected & respected in Government, Corporate & Grassroots circles. Dr Prashant Srivastava PhD, AustraliaDr Prashant Srivastava has served as editor and reviewer of several international journals and is Technical Editor of Remediation Australasia magazine. He has authored several research papers, book chapters and popular articles, and has been invited to present his work in several international conferences. He has been organising CleanUp conference series in Australia and overseas since 2015.He received his PhD and Masters in soil science from GBP University of Agriculture and Technology in Pantnagar, India, and subsequently obtained another PhD degree in environmental soil chemistry from the University of Sydney, Australia.He conducted his post-doctoral research at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory of the University of Georgia, USA. His research focuses on fate and transport of environmental contaminants and nutrients in soil, water and plants. He also holds tertiary qualifications in project/program management.Dr Prashant Srivastava is Principal Scientist and Business Manager at Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), based in University of South Australia in Adelaide, South Australia. He heads the research demonstration and outreach programs working closely with mining and oil sectors, environmental practitioners, regulatory authorities, and scientific researchers from around Australia. He has worked in both academia and industry. Dr Vyom Parashar PhD, USADr Vyom Parashar is an inventor, traveller and wildlife enthusiast aiming to bring phenomenal change in the chemical manufacturing industries by eliminating waste and its management. A senior scientist at NanoTheransotics Inc USA (New York), he has developed next generation of products to be used in medical and agriculture industries. Umesh Rashmi Rohtagi, USAAdvisor, Michigan UniversityAlexander Chan, AustraliaAmbassador- Opportunity International AustraliaLaurent Fournier, France/IndiaMs. Yora Atanasova, Bulgaria The Honorary EditorsVivek Umrao Glendenning, Canberra AustraliaFounder, CEO & Chief EditorThe Founder and the Chief Editor, the Ground Report India groupWorld Peace AmbassadorThe Author, BooksAfter mechanical engineering graduation and research work in renewable energy systems, he preferred to work voluntarily without a salary with exploited and marginalised communities in very backward areas, rather than taking a job for money.Getting a PhD scholarship in a European university could be a lifetime dream for a student of the people of Third World countries such as India. But he preferred to go to work with marginalised communities rather than to accept a PhD scholarship from a European university.To understand ground realities and non-manipulated primary information, he did many thousands kilometres foot-marches covering thousands of villages. By these intense foot marches, mass meetings and community talks, he had face-to-face dialogues with around one million people before the age of forty years.He has been exploring, understanding and implementing the ideas of social-economy, participatory local governance, education, citizen-media, ground-journalism, rural-journalism, freedom of expression, bureaucratic accountability, tribal development, village development, reliefs & rehabilitation, village revival and other.In India, he founded or co-founded or strongly supported various social organisations, educational and health institutes, cottage industries, marketing systems and community-universities for education, social economy, health, environment, social environment, renewable-energy, groundwater, river-rejuvenation, social justice and sustainability.He got married to an Australian hydrology-scientist around fifteen years ago, but stayed in India for more than a decade to work for exploited and marginalised communities. Before marriage, they mutually agreed that until the ongoing works need their physical presence in India, they will not have a baby. That is why they did not make any effort to have a baby for eleven years after the marriage.Many hundred thousand of people of marginalised communities of backward areas of India love and regard him, also have accepted him as their family. He left all these social-achievements and prestige for living as a forgotten person to become the full-time father for his son. Even before leaving India, he donated everything except some of his clothes, mobile, and laptop.Vivek Umrao GlendenningNow he lives in Canberra with his son and wife. He voluntarily writes for Indian journals and social media on social issues. Furthermore, he supports ground activists in India as a counsellor who work for the social solution. He is also associated with some international organisations who work for peace and sustainability.For Ground Report India editions, Vivek had been organising national or semi-national tours for exploring ground realities covering around 15000 kilometres in one or two months to establish Ground Report India, a constructive ground journalism platform with social accountability.He has written a book “मानसिक, सामाजिक, आर्थिक स्वराज्य की ओर” on various social issues, development community practices, water, agriculture, his ground works & efforts and conditioning of thoughts & mind. Reviewers say it is a practical book which answers “What” “Why” “How” practically for the development and social solution in India. The book is in Hindi and will be translated into English soon. He is writing a book on Bastar with the theme of the constructive conflict resolution in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, the red zone headquarters of the Maoists.For more about him, please go to his website at https://www.vivekumrao.org/vivek Dr Robert J Burrowes PhD, AustraliaDr Robert has a lifetime commitment to understanding and ending human violence. He has done extensive research since 1966 in an effort to understand why human beings are violent and has been a nonviolent activist since 1981. He is the author of ‘Why Violence?‘ and many other documents. Chaitanya Dave, USAChaitanya, born in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India, is an author, the Founder of Pragati Foundation, an Industrialist, a social activist, a highly progressive individual and an environmentalist; lives with his wife Amita in California, USA.Attended college at New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico and graduated with B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 1969. Started his own company in 1980 manufacturing metal finishing chemical products. The company is still running successfully.He is founder/president of a non-profit charity organization named ‘Pragati’, based in Southern California and Hemubhai Rural Development Foundation based in India. The foundation has done rural developmental work in villages in India since 1993. He has travelled extensively all over the world and runs a non-profit rural development foundation. Chaitanya Dave with Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister of Gujarat on December 2013 became the prime minister of India in May 2014On December 2013, Chaitanya Dave met in person with the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Narendrabhai Modi, about six months before he became the prime minister of the largest democracy in the world, India.Early on Chaitanya Dave learned that only through good education and focused hard work can one come up in life. That is what he did developing his successful metal finishing company against all odds and very little money, in Los Angeles in 1980. He learned that there is no substitute for hard work. He derived these and other principles from great men like Mahatma Gandhiji and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.Mr Davé has authored three books: CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY: A Shocking Record of US Crimes since 1776 (Nov. 2007)COLLAPSE: Civilization on the Brink (June 2010), and MONUMENTAL SHIFT: Creating a New Economy with Genuine Democracy. (2016) Wife: Amita Dave has M.S in education from Pune University and also a Master’s degree in Special Education in the USA. She has been a teacher, administrator and advisor in the field of Special Education with the Los Angeles Unified School District. Though retired now, she continues to take assignments in her field.Sons: Maurya Dave, an electrical engineer and the CEO of Surfin Chemical Corp., Los Angeles, CA, USADr Aditya Dave, a Veterinarian, currently doing his residency at Minnesota State University, St. Paul, Minnesota.Favourite quotes:“Nobody can make you unhappy without your permission” —Mahatma Gandhi"I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have it." -- Thomas Jefferson, third U.S. presidentChaitanya Dave’s motto in life:Work hard, read a lot, learn a lot, and enjoy your life with your family and friends while helping others too. Prof Surendra Pathak PhD, India (Gujrat)Professor-Value Education.Former Dean Social Science and Director Research (IASE Deemed University).President, Global Harmony Association IndiaEditor-in-Chief, Journal of Advanced Research in Journalism & Mass Communication. ISSN 2395-3810Editor,International Journal of Advanced Research in Peace, Harmony & Education. ISSN 2455-9326Member of the Advisory Board, Journal Horizons of Holistic Education" ISSN/EISSN 2349-8811 International Quarterly Peer Reviewed Journal published by Children University, Gujarat.Editorial Board Members, Journal- Environment and Social PsychologyISSN 2424-7979 (Print) ISSN 2424-8975 (Online)http://esp.whioce.com/index.php/ESP/about/editorialTeamMember, Board of Editors, Journal ‘The Journal of Global Resources'. (2014)ISSN 2395-3160 (Print) ISSN 2455-2445 (Online)http://www.isdesr.org/content/editorial-boardMember, International Advisory Board,Ground Report India Journal www.groundreportindia.org since 2012Editors (Hindi section) “MANJU FEATURES” University’s Feature Agency of the Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism, Bhopal (2001 to 2005).Assistant Editor of "मीडिया मीमांसा" (Media Mimansa)a University Journal of Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Mass Communication, Bhopal (2005 to 2007).Assistant Editor, a University Research Journal of Mahatma Gandhi Chitrakoot Gramodaya University, Chitrakoot, Satna (1993-94).Faculty, Department of Communication & Journalism, Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Mass Communication and Journalism, Bhopal, from January 2001 to Dec 2014. (Lien: Dec 2007 to July 2014)Faculty, Department of Communication & Journalism, Mahatma Gandhi Chitrakoot Gramodaya University from Feb1993 to March 1994.Faculty, Department of Communication & Journalism, Dr H.S. Gour University of Sagar form 22-07-1992 to 30-09-1992.Teaching at Various Universities, Colleges and Institutions as visiting Faculty during 1992 to 2010. Such as UTDs of Dr H.S. Gaur University of Sagar, Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University-Wardha, Kushabhau Thakre University of Journalism and Mass Communication-Raipur and others. Bhanwar Meghwanshi, India (Rajasthan)Founder & Chief Editor, ShunyakalHe is an incisive and forthright contemporary voice of the progressive Dalit movement and a widely followed Rajasthan-based freelance journalist, writer, poet, intellectual and social activist in Rajasthan. He has untiringly participated in campaigns and movements across the country, creating awareness on communalism, casteism, gender violence, globalisation, displacement and so on. Born on February 25, 1975 in Siridiyas village in Bhilwara district into a Dalit weaver family, Meghwanshi, at the age of 13, was indoctrinated by the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), with whom he spent five active years.He was made the head teacher (MUKHYA SHIKSHAK) of the Sangh’s village ‘shakha’ (camp), and later on, its district office head. He was part of the first ‘KAR SEWA’ that set out to demolish the Babri Masjid, but was arrested before reaching Ayodhya and spent ten days in Agra jail. After that, a certain incident completely shattered his faith in the RSS, making him realise their extreme, anti-Dalit stance. He severed his ties, openly taking a stand against them.After leaving the RSS, Meghwanshi worked full-time on communal harmony, brotherhood and peace, which he continues to do, till date. He was vociferous in his writings against the Gujarat carnage of 2002, and took part in the documentation and report writing with members of the Concerned Citizens’ Tribunal formed for the Gujarat victims.He also published the magazine Diamond India between 2002 and 2012, which lent voice to struggles against communalism and casteism. He broke many stereotypes and myths regarding minority communities, uncovering truths.About "Shunyakal":https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiMnnKmVvbQa-_R82EzmeRwThe voice of the voiceless is a Hindi media initiative covering issues of farmers, labourers and the marginalised. In future, it will be a full-fledged news web portal as well as radio service. It is probably the only news media channel being operated from a small village in Rajasthan.The objective of this channel is to bring attention to the concerns of the people, especially in the context of a globalised, corporatised media world. Shunyakal is the voice of ordinary people.The name ‘Shunyakal’ is derived from the concept of Zero Hour, in Parliament, during which there is an opportunity to raise matters of importance. But with the Parliament’s Zero Hour increasingly becoming the voice of politicians alone, the channel Shunyakal is the ordinary people’s Zero Hour - to ask questions and raise concerns of importance to us. Fr Baiju Chalakkal, India (Kerala) Sanjiv Kumar Sharma, India (Karnataka)Author, Thinker, Translator and a Travel-enthusiastic who has visited almost all states of India in his wheelchair.Sanjiv Kumar Sharma had polio paralysis of both the lower limbs at an early age and could not get into the formal system of education, ie schooling. On his own, he started with formal mainstream education at home, and appeared in few exams privately but soon realised about the inadequacy of traditional approach to education and started self-study in his way.Sanjiv stayed in a room for more than 12 years and spent time in reading books, writing, translating and contemplating on vital issues of human life, society and religion. Sanjiv has studied literature, philosophy, science, religion and psychology. He started writing during adolescent and continues to write till the date. He has written many articles, poems and stories which got published in various newspapers and magazines. With the area of social media, he also has turned into a prolific writer on the internet.It was in the year 2000 when Krishnamurti Foundation of India offered him translation assignments, and since then he has been translating for the same foundation and other organisation as well. He became a resident scholar of the foundation and stayed Varanasi for many months.Sanjiv has also ventured into what is known as social work. He has worked with an NGO for the upliftment of marginalised groups like disabled, HIV patients, neurological impaired and downtrodden. He also initiated many programs for the education of economically weaker sections. Sanjiv also works with the mainstream schools for bringing awareness about real education.Presently resides in the Indian city of Bengaluru (Karnataka) and devotes his time for disseminating awareness about real education, social activism. He organises and actively participates in meetings, dialogues and retreats on topics such as cordial relationships with self and others. GRI India-FamilyThe Honorary EditorsThe Honorary AdvisorsThe Honorary Legal AdvisorsRepresentatives