Consortium Members

  • Iyad Abumoghli

    Faith for Earth Coalition, United Nations Environment Programme

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    Dr. Iyad Abumoghli, Founder and Director of the Faith for Earth Initiative, has more than 35 years of experience with international organizations. Dr. Abumoghli's expertise focus on strategic planning, sustainable development, interfaith collaboration and knowledge and innovation. Dr. Abumoghli holds a doctorate degree in Bio-Chemical Engineering from the University of Bath/UK, and an outstanding graduate of the Virtual Development Academy - Johns University.

  • Godwin Adeboye

    University of the Western Cape

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    Godwin Adeboye is a First-Class graduate in religious studies from the University of Ibadan, in addition to a Master in Philosophy of religion from the same. Also, he has earned his academic development from University of Pretoria, South Africa (MTh), VID Specialized University, Norway and ECWA Theological Seminary Igbaja, Nigeria. He is the winner of the Does God Exist International Science and Faith scholarship essay competition in Michigan, 2013

  • Ayşe Almıla Akca

    Institute for Islamic Theology at Humboldt-University Berlin.

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    Dr. Ayşe Almıla Akca received her PhD at the Institute of Islamic Studies/Freie Universität Berlin in 2018 with an ethnographic study on legitimisation and authorisation of Islamic knowledge in mosque associations in Germany (awarded with the DAVO-Dissertationspreis 2019). Her research includes Islamic-religious knowledge and religious practices of Muslims in Europe, Practical Theology and ethnographic research.

  • Jacques W. Beukes

    University of Pretoria

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    Jacques Beukes has a PhD in Practical Theology and is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Practical Theology and Mission Studies at the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Theology and Religion. He is also an ordained reverend in the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa. He is an NRF-rated researcher, and his research foci are theology and development, religion and development, community development, congregational studies, diaconal studies, youth and children’s ministry.

  • Muhammad Ridwaan Gallant

    Muslim Judicial Council

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    He is presently the Head of the Environmental Desk at the Muslim Judicial Council. He is also the MJC representative on SAFCEI. He has been the Imaam and Khatib at various Masajid in Cape Town.
    He is very active in supplying the community information on environmental ethics. He is presently starting eco-congregations in the communities. He has published many research papers on Islam, Science as well as on Environmental issues at various conferences in many countries.

  • Rachel Mash

    Anglican Church of Southern Africa Environmental Network (Green Anglicans)

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    Rev Dr Rachel Mash is the coordinator of the ACSA Environmental Network (South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho and Eswatini). She is the secretary for the Anglican Communion Environmental Network and a member of the steering committee for the Season of Creation. She is also a member of the UNEP Faith For Earth task team on pollution.

  • Elizabeth Pulane Motswapong

    Department of Theology and Religious Studies
    University of Botswana

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    Dr. Elizabeth P. Motswapong is a Senior Lecturer in Indo Religions specialising in Hindu Studies, in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Botswana. She holds:
    Ph.D in Religious Studies (Hindu Studies), University of Kent, United Kingdom.
    MA in Oriental and African Religions, University of London (SOAS), United Kingdom.
    PGDE (RE and English), University of Botswana.

  • Maheshvari Naidu

    University of KwaZulu-Natal

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    Full Professor in Anthropology (Religion & Gender) & National Rated Scientist. Received institutional and national recognition for interdisciplinary research. In 2013, won a National Award (Department of Science & Technology for Women in Science). On editorial Boards of Anthropology Southern Africa (Taylor Francis), Oriental Anthropologist (Sage) and Religion & Development (Brill). Her background in feminist research allows for critical empirical work across international projects.

  • Philipp Öhlmann

    University of Botswana
    Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
    University of Pretoria

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    Philipp Öhlmann is Feodor Lynen Research Fellow at the University of Botswana. Moreover, he is Principal Investigator in the Research Programme in Religious Communities and Sustainable Development as well as Senior Associated Research at the Center for Rural Development at Humboldt University Berlin. Philipp conducted extensive research religion, development and sustainability in the African context. He is also the executive editor of the IN//RCSD journal Religion & Development.

  • Almut-Barbara Renger

    University of Basel
    Research Programme on Religious Communities and Sustainable Development, Humboldt University Berlin

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    Prof. Dr. Almut-Barbara Renger teaches Religious Studies at the University of Basel and is a Distinguished Research Fellow with the Research Programme on Religious Communities and Sustainable Development at HU Berlin. She has published widely on ancient myth, modern Buddhism and contemporary alternative religion. Within SAGRaS she focuses on Engaged Buddhist approaches that actively address planetary issues like climate change and environmental devastation, as well as social justice and ecology.

  • Juliane Stork

    Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

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    Juliane Stork (born 1991 in Berlin) is the John S. Mbiti Research Fellow at the Research Programme for Religious Communities and Sustainable Development. She pursues a PhD on "The Production of Theology in African Independent Christianity - the Case of Ecology in the Zion Christian Church in South Africa".

  • Attie van Niekerk

    Sustainable Communities Research Cluster, Centre for Faith and Community, Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; and NOVA Institute, Pretoria, South Africa

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    Born: 1951
    Dwgrees: BA, ND, DD, University of Pretoria
    Minister of the (black) DR Church in Africa: 1978-1984
    Professor, University of the North: 1984 - 1993.
    One of his books, Dominee, are you listening to the drums? was co-winner of the Sunday Times Literary Award for Political Writing in 1984, plus 50+ academic articles and chapters in books
    1994-2014: managing director of Nova Institute, and 1997-206 part-time lecturer and researcher, Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria.

  • Annalet van Schalkwyk

    Ecological activist, involved in #Sharp Ecosocialist Collective and Friends of Xolobeni
    Honorary Professor, University of KwaZulu Natal.

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    Prof Annalet van Schalkwyk taught Missiology at the University of South Africa, Tshwane, from 1995 to 2021. She is currently working on the Garden of Peace project, together with Tshwane Leadership Foundation, in the inner city of Tshwane. She has published several articles on Missiology and community development, feminist and ecofeminist theology, as well as interreligious dialogue and ecological activism in Southern Africa.

  • Geke van Vliet

    University of Pretoria

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    Geke van Vliet is joining SAGRaS as a PhD candidate at the University of Pretoria. She has finished a Research Master in Theology and a Master of Divinity at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Next to her studies, she has worked as a youth worker in the Protestant Church in Amsterdam. Within SAGRaS she will focus on the contribution of especially young people in mainline churches in South Africa and Germany to socio-ecological transition.

  • Tanya van Wyk

    University of Pretoria (South Africa)

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    Dr Tanya van Wyk is Senior Lecturer in Systematic Theology, Christian Ethics and Spirituality at the Faculty of Theology and Religion. Her current research foci include political theology, feminist theology and ethics and religion and sustainable development with a focus on gender equity. She is the Chairperson of the Research Ethics Committee of her Faculty and is currently a research fellow with the Programme for Religious Communities and Sustainable Development at Humboldt University.

  • Dietrich Werner

    Senior Research Scholar, Research Programme on Religious Communities and Sustainable Development, Theologische Fakultät, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (www.rcsd.hu-berlin.de); Member of Board of Globethics Geneva
    (https://www.globethics.net/board-of-foundation)

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    Born in Germany, 1956. Ordained minister of Lutheran Church in Northern Germany; Former Senior Theological Advisor to Bread for the World - Protestant Development Association Berlin; Former Director of Ecumenical Theological Education
    Program of World Council of Churches Geneva; Honorary Professor for Intercultural Theology at University of Applied Sciences at Hermannsburg; lead editor of international handbook on creation care and eco-diakonia.