About IYPF

Greg Nelson - Australia
gregnelson[at] iypf [dot] org

Greg Nelson (25) is passionate about capacity building and social equity issues. Specifically he is interested in the development of new models and structures that can sustainably bring change in these areas.

Greg currently holds the position of Vice President in VoRTCS (Volunteer Refugee Tutoring and Community Support) and was one of it's founding members. VoRTCS provides in-home tutoring support to newly settled refugee families. Since being launched over a year ago VoRTCS now has a volunteer base nearing 800 tutors, helping a little under 350 families.

Greg is currently leading a number of reforms in his role as Strategy Working Group.

Greg has completed both undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications in IT, choosing to focus on IT management and business analysis for his postgraduate studies.

Greg has been selected as 1 of 100 young people from around Australia to take part in the inaugural 2007 Brightest Young Minds summit to be held in Sydney. More recently Greg was named co-recipient of the 2007 Queenslander of the Year - Communit Spirit Award.

Responsibilities:

Kate Plant - United States
kateplant[at] iypf [dot] org

All too often people describe their achievements and not who they really are. So, I'm going to start something different. I am a bubbly, effervescent, sensitive, kind, strong person with a strong inner spirit. My husband and I have recently moved to Seattle, USA as a start to 'experiencing the world'.

I am currently working as a project manager for Environmental Impact Statements in the USA, volunteering with People for Puget Sound (P4PS) on the Safe Cosmetics & Other Project & the Governor's 2020 Puget Sound Partnership (Puget Sound is the name of the collective local waterways around here), volunteering for the Duwammish River Clean-Up Project which is currently striving to understand the social, health, environmental effects and industry effects of Businesses situated along and around the Duwammish River.

My GCF team and I organized the inaugural 'Global Change Fiesta - Where Ideas become Actions' (GCF). The GCF was a public event attached to the recent International Young Professionals Summit (IYPS) held from the 29th Nov. to 3rd Dec. 2004. The aim of the GCF was to allow the wider community and various (31) organizations looking at sustainable livelihoods, science and technology - to connect.

My Key Goal: I strive for natural balance, both in our operational structure/lives & within my body.

"...as long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest." - Nelson Mandela

Global security requires real positive and lasting global development. Based on the premise that this sort of development can only progress where basic health and rights are realized, in 2002, I set up the youth run development agency Citron Wood Foundation.

Since then, I have continued to contribute to various development processes including: Government Of Kenya-UNICEF Work Plan 2004-8, NEPAD APRM, ECOSOC, WSIS, WTO, IAC2006, UNGASS 2006. I've also gained a wealth of knowledge through numerous local and global development initiatives:

• as part of the Secretariat of the first ever historical sitting of the African Youth Parliament;
• as an Oxfam International Youth Parliament [Partnerships] Action Partner and Trade Justice Activtist;
• as National Campaign Coordinator WSIS RYNICS Youth Caucus Campaigns Kenya, Youth Representative to the National WSIS Taskforce and Pavilion subcommittee, and
• coordinator of the very successful inaugural Kenya Youth+ICT Convention 2005 and upcoming 2007Convention ;
• as the Eastern Africa Region Focal Point and Task Force member for GYCA (Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS),
• as a Member of the Scientific Committee and the Toronto Youth Force at XVI International Aids Conference; as an affiliate of KeFoSPAN [Kenya Food Security Policy Advocacy Network] and KICTANET [Kenya ICT Action Network];
• as Founder and President of Citron Wood Foundation;
• and as a young professional, devout in the service of humanity.

Chuma Casius - Zambia
chumacasius [at] iypf [dot] org

Chuma, who previously has worked for various organizations, is currently working for Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) as EU Project Coordinator, Food Aid and Food Security. He has 6 years experience in development work. Chuma has immense experience in monitoring and evaluation, research, programme funding to mention but a few.  In his development career he has also worked as M&E partner for the Holland based International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD) for over 15 IICD supported micro projects in Zambia. Adding on to his academic background in environment and development Chuma is currently pursuing his Masters degree in Development Studies at the University of the Free State in South Africa.

Jodie Nelson - Australia
jodienelson [at] iypf [dot] org

Jodie has recently completed a PhD in Accounting. She has taken up a position as a Lecturer at the University in which she studied having been a tutor in accounting for over 4 years now. Jodie´s work involves lecturing and assisting students with their coursework, and she strongly believes in using her own undergraduate, and postgraduate, student experiences as an effective mechanism with which to teach students effectively.

As well as lecturing, Jodie conducts her own research through the University to investigate important issues in thecorporate accounting environment. She is particularly interesting in companies´ disclosure and corporate governance practices. Jodie has been a volunteer Chief Financial Officer for the Queensland Team Handball Association for 3 years, involved with setting up and maintaining an effective accounting system that non-accountants in the Association will be able to use.

In her spare time, Jodie is a member of a non-profit medieval re-enactment group, 16th century renaissance sword fighting group and archery club, which helps her to keep life interesting as well have a bit of fun.

Morse Flores - Switzerland
morseflores [at] iypf [dot] org

Morse CAOAGAS Flores (29) is a native of the Philippines and he is very passionate about human rights in general and Indigenous peoples right in particular. In addition to this, he is also very committed with issues and discourses on environment and sustainable development, peace education and conflict transformation, humanitarian assistance, inter-religious dialogue, gender and youth empowerment.

At present, Morse is working as Technical Officer of PRO 169/IP LED (Project to Promote ILO Policy on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples and Indigenous Peoples and Local Economic Development) which is an inter-sectoral programme based in NORMES and EMP/ENTERPRISE of the International Labour Organization (Geneva, Switzerland).

Before joining the ILO, Morse served as one of the UN Indigenous Fellows at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), also in Geneva and at the same time, had the opportunity to work with UNESCO, WIPO, UNITAR and ILO in their specific programs and projects on indigenous peoples. With his previous experienced with the United Nations, Morse is currently serving as one of IARF’s UN Representative in Geneva and New York and likewise member of its International Council and Coordinator of its Young Adult Program (RFYN).

At the local, national and regional level; Morse has been instrumental and involved with the following organizations in various capacities and roles: Co-Founder of the Voice of the Youth Network (http://www.voty.org), Tuklas Katutubo, Inc and Kalinga Youth Development Organization, Inc; Member of the National Youth Parliament of the Philippines (1998-2000) and International Youth Parliament (2000-2004) and Volunteer of the Asia Pacific Regional Resource Center for Human Rights Education (Bangkok, Thailand) and Peaceboat International (Tokyo, Japan).

Morse holds a postgraduate degrees in International Law and Human Rights and International Humanitarian Assistance and was educated in Philippines, Japan, Costa Rica, Spain, Germany and Sweden, have visited, worked, lived and traveled in over a hundred countries and enjoy meeting and learning new cultures and language and photography.