(c) Stephanie Bothor

VITA

Home base: Hamburg, Germany
Born in Uetersen, Germany
German mother, Lebanese father
Nationalities: German and Lebanese
Fluent in Arabic, English, French and German

Professional career

_ Since November 2019, responsible for citizen participation and international issues at the Staff Unit Refugees and Special Tasks (Stabsstelle Flüchtlinge und Übergreifende Aufgaben, SFA), Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, Germany. I troubleshoot (see details here); I co-developped and implemented from 2019-2022 a special project related to a Sinti community (see here and here).  
- July 2016-October 2019, Officer Citizen Participation, Central Coordination Unit for Refugees (Zentraler Koodinierungsstab für Flüchtlinge, ZKF), Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. 
_ 2011-June 2016, political advisor, consultant and trainer. Read MORE.
_ 20012-2016, in parallel to my consultancy work (see above), initiated and led the Naame Shaam campaign, under the legal umbrella of the Amsterdam-based Stichting Rule of Law Foundation. 
_ 2008-2010, founding Executive Director, Arab Human Rights Fund, Beirut/Lebanon.
_ 2006-2007, Director Friends of the Earth Europe, Brussels/Belgium. 
_ 2005, Director Public Relations, Deutsche Post DHL, Bonn/Germany.
_ 1999-2004, Director Communications, Greenpeace Germany.
_ 1995-1999, founder and head of Greenpeace in Lebanon; Media Coordinator of Greenpeace Mediterranean Office (in the 1990s with outposts in Lebanon, Israel, Turkey, Cyprus and Malta).
_ 1992-1995, Press Officer, Greenpeace Germany, in Hamburg.
_ 1990-1992, Sub-editor for the Middle East and the Islamic world, German Press Agency (Deutsche Presse-Agentur, DPA), Hamburg/Germany.
_ 1989-1999, DPA Bureau Chief in Manama/Bahrain, responsible for the Arab Gulf states, Iraq and Iran.
_ 1988-1989, DPA correspondent in Cairo, responsible for Egypt and Sudan.
_ 1987-1988, DPA trainee, stationed in Bonn, Cairo and Hamburg.
_ 1981-1986, numerous jobs during university studies: free-lance journalist for DPA, the international Deutsche Welle Radio and the newspaper Die Tageszeitung.

I established in September 2013 the Stichting Rule of Law Foundation in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. It ran the Naame Shaam campaign (focus on role of Iran and Hezbollah in Syria). The foundation was politically independent and was funded by private donors. I developped and implemented the campaign together with Syrian and Iranian activists in exile, in parallel to my consultancy work. Naame Shaam and the Rule of Law Foundation were folded in May 2016.

Education

_ 1981-1986, University of Hamburg, Master degree in Political Sciences. 
_ 1981, German School in Beirut, Lebanon, Abitur.
_ 1976-1977 and 1978-1979, 9th and 11th grade, due to the Lebanese civil war at the Ludwig-Meyn-Gymnasium in Uetersen, Germany. 
_ 1963-1975, Grand Lycée Franco-Libanais in Beirut, Kindergarten till 9th grade.

Volunteer work

_ Since 2015, Member in the Voting Membership Council, Foodwatch International and Foordwatch Germany. From March-November 2023 co-opting member of the International Board of Foodwatch. 

_ February 2020: Head of an election polling station in Hamburg, during parliamentary elections for the city state of Hamburg.

_ Septrember 2021: Head of an election polling station in Hamburg, during federal parliamentary elections in Germany.

 
Honors

_ Elected by the Lebanese media "Man of the Year 1998" for achievements in the environmental field.
_ Honored in 1999 with the "Tulip Prize" by the Dutch government for the same work.