Foundation members
Menno Houtstra coordinates projects for ecotourism and rural development, mainly as free-lancer for the European Centre for Eco & Agro Tourism (ECEAT). He has a degree in irrigation science and rural development sociology at Wageningen University, the Netherlands. His main jobs comprise in assisting NGO's in CEC countries in project development and management and to analyse and monitor environmental and cultural effects of tourism on destination level. He has many world wide contacts in organisations that are striving for sustainable development. Menno maintains a Blog here!
Kyra Kuitert is working for DSP-groep since June 2008 as senior advisor “Safety Design and Management”. She has a degree in Garden and Landscape Architecture and Permaculture. She worked as project manager sustainable tourism at ECEAT from 2001 to 2008 mostly in the field of marketing and label development. She is also editor of a professional magazine related to garden and interior design. She has an extensive network in the fields of ecological building, sustainable architecture, and ecological living.
Marian Stuiver has completed her masters and doctorate in Rural Sociology and published on the heterogeneity of farmer's practices in the Netherlands as well as on the value of farmers’ knowledge for sustainable rural development. She is member of several NGO's active in the field of agriculture and rural development, with a special focus on local innovations for sustainability and the vital role of women in rural development. She has a wide international network in the scientific community. She presently works for the Amsterdam School of Social Sciences and is women's representative in the Dutch Delegation to the United Nations Committee on Sustainable Development in 2008 and 2009.
Valeria Klitsounova works as teacher in tourism on the Minsk State University and is chairwoman of Country Escape, ECEAT branch in Belarus that unites 200 members supporting village tourism. Valeria strongly advocates issues like GreenWays, Slow Food and Community Based Tourism on a national level, and is therefore an important link between alternative movements and the State.
Jan van Boeckel is a Dutch anthropologist, visual artist, art teacher and filmmaker. He published several films and books especially related with the development of everyone sensibility (and especially children) to Nature through Arts-based Environmental Education. Jan has lived for several years in Hällefors, in the forests of central Sweden, where he was an art teacher to both children and adults, and consultant on international cultural projects. Between 2004 and 2006 Jan has worked as Head of Communications at the Netherlands Centre for Indigenous Peoples in Amsterdam. He is currently research assistant at the University of Art and Design in Helsinki (Finland), where he is focussing on the added value of art practice in the context of nature and environmental education.
Terhi Arell is coordinator of ECEAT Finland since 5 years. She has extensive contacts in the organic agriculture movement, ecovillage network and in green politics.