Board of Directors
Profile of Gerhard Lück
Current position: Managing Director of the Institute
Positions held: community development and income generation specialist, social worker for mentally ill and mentally handicapped youth, street children and delinquents in South Africa, Guatemala, Turkey and Germany; social development programme practitioner; programme coordinator of the current integrated youth development programme and assisting young entrepreneurs to become successful business women/men, active member of Northern Areas People Development Initiative (NAPDI) from 2008 – 2016,
Areas of expertise: Project development and management, Project monitoring and evaluation, Financial Administration, Social research, Life-skills training, teambuilding and leadership training, organisation design and development, Facilitation and train-the-trainer skills, Social Compact Facilitation and Management, HIV and AIDS Management, Street law trainer, Conflict Management and Violence Prevention, SAFA Level 1 soccer coach for U 12 - U 18 teams, Alternative to Violence Project Facilitator, History and Heritage Researcher.
Qualifications: Diploma in Social Work completed in Germany, BA (Psychology Honours) completed at Nelson Mandela University – South Africa, Certificate Insurance Salesperson completed in Germany, Management of HIV/AIDS Programmes by InWEnt, Internationale Weiterbildung und Entwicklung GmbH (Capacity Development International) in co-operation with the Nelson Mandela University.
Profile of Shena Lamb-du Plessis
Director and Previous Chairperson of the Institute
Current position: Coordinator of the Alternatives to Violence Project, Western Cape.
Positions held: Research Associate, Social Development Professions, Faculty of Health Sciences, Nelson Mandela University (NMU);
Coordinator of the NMU’s Writing Centres, established an English Language Skills Programme for NMU’s International Office, coordinator of a community development project in Spain for 12 years, editor for the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations in Rome; co-author of book (The Parrot’s Egg, 1985) on migrant labour conditions in pre-1994 South Africa;
Areas of expertise: conflict management, English language development; project coordination; non-violent communication; accredited facilitator for the Alternative to Violence Project
Qualifications: MA Conflict Management (Nelson Mandela University), BA English and Communications (University of South Africa).
Profile Prof Veonna Goliath:
Director of the Institute’s Board
Current position: Senior Lecturer and student supervisor at the Department of Social Development Professions at Nelson Mandela University (NMU),
Positions held: Social Worker, Clinical Psychologist, Lecturer and student/intern supervisor/clinical psychologist, Clinical Psychologist to Medical students and staff.
Areas of expertise: Debriefing and Trauma support, conflict management and violence prevention, substance abuse counselling; positive youth development; youth leadership development
Qualifications: DPhil (Social Work) BA Social Work, Masters in Clinical Psychology from NMU and Diploma Human Resource Management & Training.
Profile Thabang Sipho Queench
Present Chairperson of the Institute’s Board
Current position: Community Engagement and Research Officer, Centre for the Advancement of Non-Racialism and Development, Nelson Mandela University (NMU)
Positions held: Right to Work Campaigns Coordinator (AIDC), Youth Worker (Youth for Christ Centre), Community Development Specialist, Juvenile Programme Coordinator (Correctional Services), Offender Rehabilitation Programme Facilitator (Correctional Services).
Areas of expertise: Social and Critical Theories, Advocacy and Participatory Research Approach, Project Development and Management, Project Monitoring and Evaluation, Life-skills Training, Group Facilitation.
Qualifications: BA (Sociology, Psychology and Education), BA Honours (Psychology) completed at NMU – South Africa, Advanced Facilitator Certificate (Race, Diversity, Social Justice and Organisational Transformation) completed at Witwatersrand University.