Working for the section as who we are, what we do, where we are .

Juan was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He graduated in 2015 from University of Buenos Aires with a degree in Sociology, focusing on Latin American History, Human Rights and Social Movements. He worked as a coordinator of community banks for the NGO Nuestras Huellas, inspired by the experience of Muhammad Yunus’ Grameen Bank in India. Since the year 2016 he works as project manager and communication leader for the Social Sciences Section at the Goetheanum.

Gerald Häfner born in 1956 in Munich, publicist, Waldorf educator, head of the section for social sciences of the Free University of Humanities based at the Goetheanum in Dornach (Switzerland).

Co-founder and former chairman of the GRÜNEN, former MDB and MEP, founder and long-time CEO of MORE DEMOCRACY e.V. and DEMOCRACY INTERNATIONAL.

Studied Waldorf Education, Social Sciences and Philosophy in Munich, Bochum and Witten / R. Initiator and co-founder of numerous initiatives in the field of democracy, civil rights and constitution (including “IDEE” (“Develop Democracy Initiative”), “Board of Trustees for a Democratically Established Federation German Länder “,” Mehr Demokratie eV “,” Democratic Europe Now! “and” Democracy International “) as well as various foundations (eg” Federal Foundation for the Reconstruction of the SED Dictatorship “,” Petra Kelly Foundation “).

Co-founder of the party THE GREENS in Bavaria (1978) as well as in Germany (1979/80), from 1979 district chairman and regional manager and as well as 1990-1994 chairman of the national association Bavaria. 1987-1990, 1994-1998 and 2001-2002 member of the German Bundestag, there u.a. Chairman and member of the Legal Affairs Committee, the European Affairs Committee, the Rules of Procedure Committee, the Special Committee on German Unity and the Enquête Commission for dealing with GDR injustice and shaping German unity.

Author of numerous successful draft laws, in particular on questions of democracy and civil rights (including freedom of information, transparency, collective action, unjustification, founding a foundation, parliamentary reform, citizen participation, improvements in electoral law, etc.) as well as other areas (including the inclusion of environmental protection in the Basic Law, No Smoking Protection Act). Initiator and author of various bills on direct democracy, including the cross-party bill on the introduction of nationwide referendums (on June 7, 2002, with 348 votes in favor and 199 against, despite an overwhelming parliamentary majority, unfortunately just missed the 2/3 majority).

2009-2014 Member of the European Parliament, coordinator and member of the Constitutional, Legal and Petitions Committees, Vice President DKOR (EU relations with the states of the Korean Peninsula) and Chairman of the Ethics Committee. Initiator and rapporteur of the European Parliament on the introduction of the European Citizens’ Initiative (first transnational public participation instrument in the EU and worldwide) and on other issues of suffrage, party law, transparency, curbing lobbying and improving European democracy.

Working as an expert on democracy and constitutional issues, etc. in Germany for the German. Bundestag and for the provincial assemblies of Lower Saxony, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Brandenburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Saarland, Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate as well as numerous other parliaments in European and international countries. Author or co-author of several successful and legal and constitutional texts in these countries.

Founder and others the “Federal Foundation for the Recovery of GDR Wrong”, the “Petra Kelly Foundation” and a member of the Board of Trustees u.a. at the “Stiftung Mitarbeit” and the “Stiftung Evidenz”. Co-initiator of the first all-German citizens’ initiative and author of the memorandum for a new German constitution and the democratic organization of German unity. Longtime CEO of “Mehr Demokratie” e.V. and president of “Democracy International”, initiator of “Democratic Europe Now!” And “Europa Neu Denken”, co-initiator of the “Initiative zur Reform von Unternehmensrecht in Deutschland”.

2002-2005 Member of the Board of the Anthroposophical Society in Germany and since 2015 Head of the Social Sciences Section of the School of Spiritual Science at the Goetheanum (Switzerland).

For many years independent journalistic, teaching and lecturing activities in Germany and abroad, among others. on political, legal and contemporary issues, in particular issues of law, democracy, the constitution, civic participation, the future of work and social systems, the basic income, a reform of the economic, social and monetary system, globalization and the cultural, social and political organization and future of Germany and Europe. Contributions, reports and interviews in various daily weeklies and monthly newspapers, invitations to radio and television broadcasts such as. a. Tagesschau, heute, RTL-Nachrichten, ARD / ZDF-Morgenmagazin, Sabine Christiansen (ARD), Maybrit Illner (ZDF), Berliner Runde (Phoenix), Münchner Runde (Bavarian TV), RTL, arte, Pro7, Sat1, vox, N24 , ORF, SRF, RAI, France TV, BBC News and BBC World Service, Sverige TV, BR, HR, MDR, NDR, RB, SR, SWF, WDR, Deutschlandfunk or Deutschlandradio Kultur. Various book contributions.