ABOUT US

Office

STEFANIE BOSSHARD (Director)
Berne/Switzerland
Born 1987 in Switzerland
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Since January 2022 Stefanie Bosshard is the director of the Swiss Democracy Foundation, setting up the Foundation's office in Bern, Switzerland.

Until the end of 2021, Stefanie Bosshard was the director of the Federation of Swiss Youth Parliaments, the non-partisan umbrella organization for political education and political participation for youths and young adults in Switzerland. In her previous positions, the educational scientist worked in education policy, among others for the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research EAER.

The focal points of her professional and voluntary commitments are the connections between education, participation and democracy, the engagement of young people in direct democracy, the promotion of a culture of democratic discussion and the creation of platforms for innovative ideas in politics.

Florence Testorelli (Intern)
Bern/Switzerland
Born 1998 in der Switzerland
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Florence Testorelli is an intern at the Swiss Democracy Foundation since September 2022. She is mainly responsible for the preliminary project: "Exploration for the establishment of a promotion fund democracy education", which the SDF is carrying out in collaboration with the Mercator Foundation Switzerland.

Until the summer 2022, Florence Testorelli studied International Relations, for her Bachelor's degree, with a focus in political science at the Univsersity of Geneva. The exchange semester in Lithuania in spring 2022 showed her what a privilege it is to grow up in an existing direct democracy.  

Furthermore she is a board member of Slow Food Youth and passionate about the association. 

The Board

Adrian Schmid, Präsident des Stiftungsrats

ADRIAN SCHMID (President)
Lucerne/Switzerland
Born 1956 in Switzerland
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The former Vice-President of the Swiss Green Party was for almost two decades a member of the Lucerne city parliament, including being its president in 1999.

He has been working for 40 years at the executive management level for various non-profi t organisations, such as the Lucerne Tenants’ Association, the VCS (a national Transport & Environment NGO) and the Swiss Heritage Association.

Adrian Schmid is a social scientist and has a long experience of directdemocratic processes at the local, regional, national and inter national level. He is Secretray General at the Initiative and Referendum Institute Europe and Managing Director of the Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy 2020 in Bern, Switzerland.

DR NANCY ECKERT
Alpthal/Switzerland
Born 1980 in Germany (GDR)
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Nancy Eckert has worked for over 12 years at the interface between politics, the public and business in public institutions. She is currently head of the office of the Conference of Sponsors and the University Council of the University of Applied Sciences of Eastern Switzerland. 

As a dual citizen of Germany and Switzerland and as an educational and political scientist, she is very familiar with different political and social systems. With her specific profile in education and higher education, she is politically active in Switzerland at national and cantonal level.

With her commitment, she would like to make a significant contribution to the political education of children, adolescents and young adults.

Bruno Kaufmann, Stiftungsrat

BRUNO KAUFMANN
Arboga/Sweden
Born 1965 in Switzerland
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Bruno Kaufmann is the Global Democracy Correspondent for “swissinfo”, the International service of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation.

He also reports as a Correspondent on Northern Europe for the Swiss Radio and TV “SRF”. He is the author of numerous publications on the subject of participatory and direct democracy including the “Global Passport to Modern Direct Democracy” co-published by SDF. He is the Co-Founder of the “Initiative and Referendum Institute Europe” and Co-President of the “Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy”.

Bruno Kaufmann is a political scientist and was member of the city govern ment in Falun/ Sweden, where he was responsible for elections, referendums and democracy issues. Today he lives in Arboga/Sweden, where he serves as a River Councillor.

Daniel Schily, Stiftungsrat

DANIEL SCHILY
Bonn/Germany
Born 1967 in Germany
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Daniel Schily co-founded the association “More Democracy” (Mehr Demokratie) in Germany in 1988.

Today he works as a member of the executive board of Democracy International. For decades, Daniel Schily has supported democratic developments in Germany and internationally. Among the projects promoted by him are “The Direct Democracy Navigator”, the “European Public Sphere” and the “Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy”.

The scientist and teacher Schily is co-owner of the technlogy company Voith with headquarters in Heidenheim upon the Brenz. He is engaged in developing the Hofgut Rengoldshausen at Lake Constance with its agricultural and social activities.

ANDREAS ZIVY
Binningen/Schweiz
Born 1955 in Switzerland
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Andreas Zivy was the CEO of the family company Ameropa until 2019 and has been on the board of the Ameropa Foundation, which focuses on development projects in third world countries. Since 2020 he is the chairman of the Ameropa Group.

A political scientist by education, Andreas Zivy has maintained a keen interest in political theory and practice and has been active both in a political party as well as grassroot movements in the past.

His primary motivation to join the Swiss Democracy Foundation were concerns on the worldwide democratic backsliding observed over the last decade.