The Global Prenatal Initiative is a campagne to raise awareness about the impact of the prenatal period on the developpement of a human being. The goal is mainly to spread information about this period to further the evolution of individuals, families and even society in all it’s aspects. The vision we have is that peace starts in the womb and we defend « Maternal empowerement » (Give power to mothers) as an essential part of sustainable developpement.

The Youth Delegation that unites about thirty young people from about fifteen nationalities and from various fields of expertise (Midwifes, Doctors, International Relations Specialists, Artists, Students, Political Scientists…) participates actively in this campaign on a global scale in partnership with the Noble Institution for Enviromental Peace (NGO in special consultative status with the UN).

In 2014, the GPI held an official partnership with the International Year of Families and in 2015 with the International Year of Light. In 2016, the GPI is helping to spread information about the importance of Pulses for the nutrition of pregnant women, in partnership with the Internation Year of Pulses. The GPI also supports the “1001 critical days manifesto” (from conception till 2 years of age) in the United Kingdom: http://www.1001criticaldays.co.uk/

Please, follow the GPI Youth Delegation facebook page and twitter account to learn more.

Meet the Youth Delegates:

Lubiana Gosp Server

Lubiana Gosp-Server

I have always been passionate about social engagement, philosophy and international politics, this is why the balance beween those interests in my life is fundamental for me.  Living in several countries helped me realise how important cultural diversity is for me. I speak French, German and English. I have a Bachelor degree in International Relations from the University of Geneva and I have learnt a lot about Economy, History, Law, Political Science on an international level. Because I wanted to increase my critical mind and my capacity of questioning the world, I decided to do a second Bachelor degree in Philosophy with the University of Paris X.
I am now doing my Master degree in Public Management (major in International Policies) at the University of Geneva.
I am involved in the cause of « maternal empowerment » since 2011, because I strongly believe that parenthood and education are the keys for a global and durable peace. I was an United Nations Representative of a first NGO for 4 years in Geneva, where I could speak up for “maternal empowerment”. Now I am a United Nations Representative of the NGO called Noble Institution for Environmental Peace, which recognizes that the first human environment is the womb. I had the opportunity to do advocacy for maternal empowerment in several places : at the United Nations for 5 years, in the preparation conference of RIO+20 in Paris, at two World Family Summits in Germany and in China and finally in local organizations in India (schools, hospitals).
Furthermore, I am the Co-Director of the Global Prenatal Initiative – Youth Delegation which I co-founded. Because I think that “youth empowerment” is a very important tool for peacebuilding, I founded Coexister Genève as well. It is a group of young people which, through dialogue, solidarity and the development of mutual awareness, promotes an active coexistence between people of all faiths and none, fostering togetherness and social cohesion.
In sum, my involvement is based on my passion for humanity and my determination to be part of the global changes.

Ioana Frandes

Ioana Frandes

I am a Family Medicine Specialist M.D. from Romania, Deputy-Chief, GPI Chief Medical Officer, Youth Delegate in our organisation’s UN ECOSOC Commission. Writer/Editor for a Romanian website about health (mental, spiritual, physical) safiisanatos.ro and blogger at prenatalbliss.wordpress.com. I participated as a Youth Delegate at the World Family Summit +9 (Berlin,2013), at the Opening Ceremony of the International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies (Paris,UNESCO Hq,2015), at the Antenatal Mental Health Symposium Parliamentary Lecture Series (London,2015) and at the World Family Summit 2016 (Cairo, Egypt). In 2014, I took part at the „Conference Exchange Madrid 2014” internship program for general practitioners. My passion for prenatal education started with reading a book about prenatal education, which made me became aware of the importance of intrauterine life and how it influences the future of a human being…! So I knew i had a „job” to do in this field…Because this period has a long-term impact on physical, emotional and mental development from the moment of conception to early infancy. My believe is that if future parents, especially mothers, are informed, educated and supported, it is possible to bring healthy, emotionally secure, creative and capable human beings into the world, changing the existing paradigm.

Marie Cier

Marie Cier

I’m Marie Cier, a 20 years old midwife student. I have been passionated all my life about prenatal education and how this period could be hugely important for the baby future life. I have been getting involved in that cause for a few years. Now I’m tooling a gap year in order to discover what is happening about birth all around the world. I was in India with Lubiana as youth delegate and I’m about to take part in a GPI event in Hawaii, for the beginning of the year 2015. I did the first year of medicine in Grenoble after passing the French Baccalaureate. Now I would like to go in an english speaking university next year (Sydney or London) to increase my speaking skills and in order to do my midwifery Bachelor. I hope to meet all of you soon, to know you more and to begin the networking together. I wish our youth delegation will became as well organized as it could and by that way, becoming useful for the all humanity.

Maria Navarro Sanchez

María Navarro Sánchez

My name is María Navarro Sánchez, I am 22 years old. I am from Spain. I grew up in a small town of Zaragoza, next to a mountain with my parents and my siblings (I am the oldest of four children), due to I had to look care of them, grew in myself, a big maternal sense and a huge responsibility. Some years later, I went to the University in Zaragoza, where I studied to be an Infant teacher (children from 3 to 6 years) with a speciality in English education for little children. I have finished my studies this year. Meanwhile I studied my career; I participated in several courses and conferences related to pedagogic and educational subjects like the holistic education called Pedagogía 3000. Now, I am studying a postgrade about Waldorf Infant Education, whose forefather was Rudolf Steiner, in Barcelona. Its length is two years. After all these years of study and experience with children (through different activities in schools and camps), every time I am more aware of the importance of parent’s education in order to they can be able to educate their children providing them all the elements that they need. Parents have to give them some values and help them to be people who will be eager to know themselves and to be better, and therefore they will be willing to improve their society, to give something from themselves to others. I knew the prenatal education through my mother who is interested in this subject long time ago and like her, I think that a better world is only possible thanks to a conscious pregnancies because the nature of children is completely influenced by the way of the mother live these nine months. Therefore, I really want to dedicate a big part of my professional and personal life to spread the prenatal education around the world.

Moffat Osoro

Moffat Osoro

My name is Moffat Osoro, 31 years of age from Kisii County Nairobi Kenya. I have a management and administration professional background from Zenith College Nairobi. I have also trained and have experience in Information Technology. Additionally I learned some basics in foreign languages including Germany, Spanish, Italian and French. I worked as an administrative assistant for four years in one of privately owned Company in Nairobi Central Business District. I later resigned and started a family business which I ran until 2009 when I decided to get involved in community activities. In 2009, I founded FreMo Medical with meager resources and support from a few friends and relatives. We have been running the centre since then. Later last year we founded a Nongovernmental organization Family Birth and Community Support (FABCOS) where I am the Board Member and Executive Director with the mission of mobilizing communities to be involved in birth process, parenting, formal and informal education for the youths and adults to get empowered fully. We are in the early process of projects planning, identification and funding from well wishers.

Maxime Goupil

Maxime Goupil

Cooperation between nations and cultures is inherent to how I was raised and educated. Being French and German, speaking both languages and growing up in Alsace surely opened my mind. I went to a French-German high school and graduated in both the Abitur (German high school diploma) and the Baccalauréat (French high school diploma) in Freiburg, Germany. After one-year studying IT in Strasbourg I decided to go to Geneva and graduated in a Bachelor degree in International Relations, majoring in Law and Political Science. I’m currently doing a LLM in International Public Law and Human Rights in the Netherlands.
I got involved in prenatal education because I firmly believe that education, parenthood and children are the core and the core values of large-scale societies. In Geneva, I had the opportunity to get involved at the UN alongside NGOS representatives.

Yasmine El Kettani

Yasmine El Kettani

My name is Yasmine El Kettani, I’m 20, I live in Rabat, and I m in my third year of Biology in the Science Faculty of Rabat. I want to pursue in pharmacy than in Analysis Laboratory. Recently I have created an association with some friends to help poor kids in precarious situation. We think that one of our principal axis will be moroccan young girls education and future, additional to the help we will give to the other poor kids. We are just waiting for the legal autorisation to start.
More than that, I was benevol at La Maison de l’Avenir, at Rabat, association for children with cancer, summer 2011 and summer 2012.

Karan Katoch

Karan Katoch

My name is Dr Karan Katoch. I am 25 years old with a Bachelor in Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery and I am also a Certified Yoga Therapist from North India. I live in Palampur a small town in Himachal Pradesh.
The subject of Prenatal care has always been of great interest to me: the nine months period in a mother’ womb which lead to the qualities in her child; the food she eats; the environment she lives in; the psychological mind frame she is in during prenatal period etc. I truly believe that Prenatal care and Prenatal education are actually more important than food supplements or medications during pregnancy. It is my sincere belief that we can change the world by raising awareness on the importance of the prenatal period on a global level, by raising awareness on the dos and don’ts during this special period of pregnancy. A world free from terrorism, violence, corruption & many other matters polluting our surrounding can only take place if we start from the beginning: by the education of mothers on how to bring to the world children of a different type. My dream is to start a not for profit multi speciality hospital here in my hometown in order to Provide a separate Prenatal education program for pregnant women but also help people who are less fortunate to be able to have proper medical treatment.

Lucia Gomez Roux

Lucia Gomez Roux

I was born in a small town in Buenos Aires, Argentina 32 years ago, i’m the oldest of four siblings but i have an oldest brother also, from my father; we are all very close. Be the oldest has graetly influenced in my own developmente through a maternal instinct to care and protection. When i was eleven years old we moved to the north of Argentina and then to Madrid (Spain) when i was nineteen, where i actually live, because of this i’m used to mantein relationships, also very important frindships through the distance. I started to study psychology but i after a few years i leave the university…i was sure that human being are more than stadistics, synaptic conections and stimulus-response.. My vocation were always children, so i studied to be a nurse teacher (0-3 years old). Two yearse ago i met ANEP SPAIN’s president and she changed my life, i read “the natural prenatal education” (Marie-Andrée Bertin) and started to study more and more about this unknown reality. That was when i realized the importance of raising awareness among prospective parents of the graet work that lies ahed.  At the moment i’m doing a training of coach in transpersonal education, an inclusive education of the psysical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of human beings.

Emma Tostivint

Emma Tostivint

Hello, my name is Emma, I am 26 years old. I’m from the South of France near Perpignan where my parents live. I was raised in a family of organic fruit and vegetable producers. I spent mychildhood in the nature, because my parents have values such as respect for the environment, love of nature, respecting the body and a healthy lifestyle. These are values I have today and I place them very high on my list of priorities. I was early fascinated by all that is connected with maternity and birth, probably from my mother who is passionate, I made Midwife studies and currently practicing in Mayotte for my first post. I do not find myself in current practices and believes that there are other ways to prepare for a birth, welcome and raise a child in this world, in the aim of the rise of a happier humanity. I love all above music, essential in my life and like to sing accompanying me on guitar.

Estelle Kervella

I am currently a French teacher at the University (IAU) in Aixen-Provence, South of France. I have lived and taught last year in the USA (Maryland) and was lucky to attend the « Maternal empowerment panel » last February in NYC, organized next to the U.N ; and at another conference at Montclair University New Jersey, organized and animated by Julie and François Gerland. It has been really a rich and precious experience for me as I saw the interest aroused by this cause. This year, in addition to my job, I am finishing my last year of my master degree in Science of Education. I got to know Julie Gerland during a workshop in the South of France one July and then I joined the movement to defend “maternal empowerment” I think in 2005 or so. I was first really interested by the concern of the power of prenatal education and the role that pregnancy and parenthood has to play in our society. I am more and more convinced that our goal as the Youth Delegation dealing with such a wonderful matter, is to spread the word and make people aware of this essential need of giving the best of the conditions to all the mothers and parents as a whole in the world, in order to think of a better and more welcoming society, pregnancy has to be considered as a citizen part, that has to be conscious, empowered and responsable for our future. As young people, we are fully invested in this era, I hope that I will be able to bring my best to this great cause, and that altogether we will be able to have beautiful things done, throughout the world.

Rajaram Joshi

Rajaram Joshi

My Name is Rajaram Joshi, 30 years old from Nepal. I passed my masters degree on Business Management from Shanker Dev College, Tribhuwan University Kathmandu Nepal. I started my career from Rotary International’s Health Hunger & Humanity Grant Project as a project Manager. This project is mainly focused on Reproductive Health and poverty Alleviation.
My experience in this organization, to enhance my competence in the community based training on reproductive health issues, planning events, monitoring and evaluation, Rural Development and Social Coordination, social performance upliftment, Volunteering Management, Project Running and effective Action Plan, Social Motivation & Rural Setting, Advocacy for peace and Brotherhood, Awareness on Sanitation/Population/family planning/Hygiene/ Child Spacing, Medical/Dental Service/HIV AIDS/Uterine Prolepses, Community Development/Microcredit/Birthing Centers, Disaster Response, Conflict Resolution and Peace Planning.
As a President/Project Director of Volunteer Youth Nepal (VYN) I am also engaging in community Development activity Nationwide. The Target of this Organization are Poor, Vulnerable & Socially Excluded (PVSE) People with a special focus on highly Marginalized indigenous groups, ultra poor and poor households, adolescents, single women, conflict survivors and disaster affected people.

Tedla Tsedey

Tedla Tsedey

I am Tsedey Abay Tedla, a Harvard Law School LL.M. graduate who specialized in International Laws and currently working as an Adjunct Professor at Kentucky State University. Prior to coming to the United States, I was engaged in several activities involving women one among which was volunteering at a Legal Aid Center as an Assistant Legal Advisor, where I worked with women and children who were victims of domestic violence and economic exploitation. I have also worked as a Legal Associate in Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX) which was established with an ultimate purpose of improving livelihoods of smallholder farmers through modern agricultural marketing.
I have always been passionate about women and the role they can play in realizing global sustainable development if given the opportunity. As part of pursuing my passion, I conduct independent researches and I had the chance to present a paper titled ‘Freedom: The yet to be realized dream of Rural Girls in East Africa’, which mainly focused on Child Marriage and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), at a Conference held in University of Kentucky, College of Law, in 2014. I also intern for Birth Rights Bar Association which works to address violations of women’s rights during childbirth. If there is one thing I know for sure, it is that I cannot sleep tight until this world becomes a better place and I have a strong conviction that the role of family in making this a reality cannot be overrated. Together, we can make a differece!

Zofia Fenrych 

Zofia Fenrych

Through my upbringing immersed in arts I have always been open to the sensitivity to nature and more inclined to trust my instincts. I am a poet, I almost became a professional pianist, I paint; I studied classical philology for a while, graduated with a BA in English.In pursuit of a profession that would allow me to help people I have gone on to study homeopathy at the SHI Schule in Switzerland, then onwards in the London School of Classical Homeopathy. The most important point in my life, however, has been becoming a mother. Pregnancy was the most beautiful time for me. My son came to the world at home, in an atmosphere of love and peace. To birth him in a calm way I was using HypnoBirthing techniques. Afterwards I wanted every woman to be able to experience birth this way, so with time I have qualified as a HypnoBirthing practitioner and since have been teaching this amazing method to expecting couples. The significance of the time in the womb together with the birth is such an important message to pass on. Being aware of how much we can do for humanity just by making moms and their babies happier and calmer from conception onwards can change the world we live in. My heart and motivation is with the Global Prenatal Initiative and I will give my best for our projects to thrive.

Arnaud N’zassy

Arnaud N’zassy

My name is Arnaud N’zassy. Born in the city of Port-Gentil (Gabon). I obtained a Master degree in French and Francophone literature at the Omar Bongo University. I currently live in Libreville (the political capital of Gabon) where I teach French and work in an editing agency. Writing and playing music are for me a real passion (especially the writing of novels, essays, theatre plays, poetry….the practice of choral singing, guitar, flute). I joined the Youth Delegation in 2013 after the Benin symposium on prenatal education. To make sense of one’s life is to put it at the service of others. This is the reason for my commitment in the Global Prenatal Initiative.

Chada El Alj

Chada El Alj

My name is Chada EL ALJ, I am 21 years old from Morocco. I speak fluently three languages, Arabic, French and English. I am an exchange student in ESC Rennes School of business, from the Rabat business School in the International University of Rabat, majoring in Marketing, communication and management studies.
I have some experiences in the field of volunteering, thanks to my university in Rabat, I completed fifty hours of community work in two associations, ‘Achbal Biladi’ and ‘Jeune pour Jeune’. Also, I helped in numerous fundraising events with the Rotaract Club of my home university.
I truly believe that a born child already has a past of nine months, so I am glad to be a part of the Youth Delegation, and I hope I can spend my time sharing my vision!

Amelie Paterne

Amelie Paterne

My name is Amelie Paterne. I’m 34 years old and I live in Brive-France. After a 3-year University Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, I have worked for 5 years in an International Cosmetics Company as a Marketing Assistant. I spent 2 years working for them in their British subsidiary then came back to France near my family. Then I started to teach English in a private school. And since 2011, I started my own business. I’m teaching children at home from primary school to high school. I’m helping them with their homework especially on literary subjects. But the most important part of my job consists in giving them confidence so they can feel better to express themselves and make them believe in their real potential. I realized that it’s very challenging for children as we are living in a very competitive world. So I’m trying to give them new perspectives and make learning more meaningful.
I’m also a mother; I have a 3 years-old boy. I had a wonderful experience during my pregnancy and also to birth my son. I used some HypnoBirthing techniques. Becoming a mother made me realize that every woman or every parent needs more support to be ready for this beautiful human adventure!! I believe there is a lot we can do before conceiving, on a physical, emotional and spiritual level. This can make a huge difference for both parents and babies and that way we may see changes in our societies. I wish I knew more! So I’m deeply willing to do something to make this possible for every future parent to be healthier and happier and so give every child the chance to start his life in a peaceful and loving environment. I’m so glad to be part of the Global Prenatal Initiative.

Jean-Marc Pineau

Jean-Marc Pineau

My name is Jean-Marc Pineau, I’m a student living in the south of France in a town called Pamiers. I am half-french on my father’s side and half-english on my mother’s. I am currently studying at a French Lycée but soon I hope to go to university to study History, English and anything else that may interest me until that time. I love travelling and playing music and I am a big fan of History. I was born in England 17 years ago and I moved to France when I was only 3 years old. I’ve started to become interested in the world and realise the problems and challenges that we as humans face not long ago. I have a great passion for education, which I feel is the single most important aspect a country needs to focus on. I found out about prenatal education through the Global Prenatal Initiative and Julie Gerland, and I believe that this idea will be one of the next social advances to come into the public view in the years to come. My wish is to be able to change the world for the better and I believe that starts by getting other people to help change it with you.

Kamila Kaminska

Kamila Kaminska

I am a Counsellor practising in the UK and registered with the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy. I trained in Humanistic Integrative Counselling and I hope to further my education with a Diploma in Parent-Infant Psychotherapy. Through my experience of working with mums who experience perinatal depression, anxiety or are struggling with the consequences of birth trauma, I have developed a real passion for supporting new and expecting mothers with their partners. Thanks to my training, additional reading and networking with holistic birth practitioners, I started realising that there is a fundamentally different, and yet healthier, view on pregnancy and birth compared with the perspective of mainstream culture. I am convinced that we, as part of modern societies in the world, can do so much more to create supportive environments for pregnant women. We can help them to know and feel that they are bringing something very special to this world – a human person! – and that they are respected for this. I believe that by recognising the importance of a peaceful pregnancy and birth for all women we are making a radical step towards creating a better world for all of us.

Javier Valdez

Javier Valdez

Purpose, passion, travel, impact, and family. These five pillars are what continue to drive my life long fascination with social entrepreneurship, and every decision I’ve made has molded my path to improve the lives of others through life-changing travel experiences. Having previously only stayed in run-down hotels at best when growing up in California and Arizona, my love affair with hotels began the first time I set foot in a Costa Rican Hilton Hotel September 2009. From the excellence in bell service to plush-pillows and breathtaking balcony views I made a split decision to pursue a career in Hospitality. Later, globe-trotting through Asia, Europe and Latin America on my own after graduating from Arizona State University (the first in his family to obtain a university education) would forever change my perception of the world and the meaning of living. On a whim, I moved to Hawaii in 2011 without a job, and within 1 month began my career with Hilton Hotels Worldwide. I worked diligently at Hilton for 5 years’ post-grad earning a nomination of the highest honor, the CEO Light & Warmth Award Nomination in 2015 for my dedication to the brand values, and community service; however, I was struck by the opportunity that the travel industry could significantly impact people’s lives, including local under-served communities in a positive way. My next step was to set-up a private travel management company to realize my vision of helping organizations and everyday people travel in a socially responsible way. Since its inception this March, MYGHT Inc., has had a progressive evolution into the social innovation space. While I’ve spent most the first half of 2016 traveling and networking the heck out of this world, I’ve been simultaneously developing a program for at-risk teens to educate them on travel, professionalism and soft skills to prepare them for opportunities within the travel industry, or wherever their journey may lead. My involvement with GPI was a personal decision. I truly believe if this initiative was available for my mother and sister their lives would have been impacted in a positive way. I am truly looking forward to my involvement with this community.

Morgan Kapyala Phiri

Morgan Kapyala

I am a Zambian Economist, music producer and sound engineer, currently based in Zambia after graduating at the University of Namibia as an economist for energy and company competition. I was born on the 19^th April 1985 in Ndola Copperbelt province in Zambia. In 2002 I graduated at Kabulonga Boys High school, i then proceeded to Obtain A-Levels at Springfield training center. As a humanitarian, my general about Africa is that, Africa has reach cultural diversity that can be branded in the world view thus encouraging an universal growth. In the music industry, my brand name is ‘Morgan the syndicate’. I have had the honor to have worked with some of the revered musicians in the world from south Africa, award winning artists from Namibia, Nigeria, Australia, Germany and the United States of America. As an ambitious individual I am also committed to helping the world community by volunteering to various organizations as youth director, mentor, and talent identification coordinator. In southern Africa i provide my services as a director of youth for Families Are Nations. In Europe I am a member of the Global Prenatal Initiative, while on the worldly scale I am an active member of the World Family Organization to which I have volunteered as a member of the task force to implementing Sustainable development goals. In introspect, I view myself as an entrepreneur by nature as well as an avid learner of sorts. After graduation i took on a childhood dream of road construction, with a preliminary training in cobblestone technology and graduated in July 2017. I then pursued an accounts executive position as a trader and broker in the capital markets for a Pan-African organization known as PANEX and I have been trained as a derivatives expert, certified by Knut berry trees and licensed in the capital markets by the Securities Exchange Commission of Zambia.

Arvind Thiagarajan

Arvind Thiagarajan

Born on the prestigious International Women’s day, which is celebrated worldwide on March 8th, I believe, I am an extremely honoured representative of gender equality. My formative years were at the Lawrence School, Lovedale. Its 160 years of pedagogic history exposed me to the notion of ‘self’, ‘society’ & collective responsibilities. I was ranked 15^th among the 500,000 aspiring candidates in the Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) Engineering Entrance Exam in Tamil Nadu, which earned me a merit Scholarship for my college education to pursue Mechanical Engineering. I was one of only two selected through Rotary for the honour of being an Indian Ambassador, in the Semester at Sea program (a global studies program certified by the University of Virginia), introducing the depths of Indian culture and its rich heritageto more 1500 people on board the ship. Quitting my corporate career, I took up the opportunity of being the Public Relations and Finance Head of Blink Foundation; an NGO that trains college students to impart metrics based values education to school students from all economic sectors. We currently have 370 trained college volunteers who’ve taught 8000+ school students from 18 schools in and around Chennai, India. A year later, we founded Blink Research & Services (BRS), a social enterprise sister company. As Executive Director of Operations at BRS,I drove focus towards 2 key areas viz; Values based Education in schools & salience of prenatal care & education for expectant mothers. Since then,I have hosted multiple events in hospitals and our office facility, and spoken in many platforms to raise awareness on maternal health and care for moms and moms to be. The implications of the gestational period is unaware to many of the expectants mothers in today’s time. During this magical period of 9 months, the conscious or unconscious reflexive interactions of the mothercan have a long lasting impact on the development of the child, both mentally and physically. The name of the first school any new born attends is the “Mother’s Womb”, silently learning traits that are essential for survival, and simultaneously developing its senses and personality.Although this topic has only come to light recently, lot of these things track back to our ancient scriptures from many centuries ago. To build a better society filled with peace and happiness, we must start from womb for it all begins here. 

(More bios coming soon)

For more information and to request joining the YD team please contact Lubiana Gosp-Server or Ioana Frandes here: contact GPI.