Structure & Membres
Founded in Geneva in 2005, the Earth Focus Foundation is a private foundation of recognized public utility. Its mission is to raise environmental awareness among young people and engage the wider public in sustainable development issues.
FOUNDATION BOARD
President
Marco Föllmi
Vice-president
Sandra Schlittler Olimpico
Treasurer
Eric Hohberger
Members
Barry Gilbert-Miguet
Caroline Hunt-Matthes
Pierre-Alexis Arnaud
GENERAL COMMITTEE
Spokesman
Marco Föllmi
Members
Marco Föllmi
Sandra Schlittler Olimpico
Carl Bjertnes
Adrien Oleszkiewicz
Christophe Pardo
Pierra-Lisa Spafford
Caroline Verdi
Alphabetical order :

Adrien Oleszkiewicz
Project Manager

Barry Gilbert-Miguet
Board Member

Carl Bjertnes
Project Manager

Caroline Hunt-Matthes
Board Member

Caroline Verdi
Communication

Christophe Pardo
Digital

Daniel Whittle
Project Manager

Emma Sawadogo
HOB Association President

Éric Hohberger
Board Member
Treasurer

Kenneth Wong
Project Manager

Marco Föllmi
President

Miguel Ayala
Project Manager

Nozha Maklouf
Coordinator

Pierre-Alexis Arnaud
Membre du Conseil

Pierre-Lisa Spafford
Fundraiser

Ron Ockwell
Project Manager

Sandra Schlittler
Vice-president
Advisory Board
The creation of an Advisory Board, established to provide strategic support to the Foundation Board in their areas of expertise, was approved in 2023. The board is set to be fully operational by 2025. Its first members are :

Barry Gilbert-Miguet
Chairman
Advisory Board

David Shreeve
Member,
Advisory Board

Teodorina Lessidrenska
Member,
Advisory Board

Yves Flueckiger
Member,
Advisory Board
NicolaSpafford Furey(1943 - 2021)

With the passing of Nicola Furey in 2021, Earth Focus has lost one of its most valued and dedicated friends: a true founding figure without whom the organisation simply would not exist today.
Indeed, Nicola was present at the very outset of the initiative when, in her capacity as Hon. Vice-Consul of Belize, she participated as a panel member in a ‘Great Rainforest Debate’ organised on the Pregny campus of the International School of Geneva. The original Earth Focus, a magazine for ‘young people of all ages’ sponsored by the Bellerive Foundation, grew out of the role playing this event inspired and Nicola remained a steadfast champion of the new journal as well as the youth activism it stimulated – organising follow up debates and casting her net far and wide for articles and contributors.
When the project folded, following the death of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan and the consequent demise of the Bellerive Foundation, Nicola kept the spirit of the magazine alive through her trademark blend of drive and sheer persistence and gradually oversaw its evolution into the fully-fledged Foundation we know today – mobilising her seemingly endless web of connections to instigate awareness as well as the seeds of flourishing grass-roots programmes across the world.
Her residence just outside Geneva became an informal ‘academy’ or ‘hostel of excellence’, encouraging and empowering, through Nicola’s example, generations of young activists, many of whom she nurtured and housed while they honed their skills on Earth Focus projects.
Never a great one for diplomatic niceties, she demonstrated, in her capacity as Vice-President of the EFF Board an occasionally disarming but ultimately healthy disregard for procedure, and simply abhorred procrastination – cutting through both with a potent mix of charm, commitment and obstinacy. Whenever deadlock threatened, she could be counted on to hasten consensus by resorting to liberal distribution of her irresistible homemade brownies – the ultimate incentive !
A devout Buddhist, Nicola lives on as the guiding spirit and driving force of the Foundation, and she will forever be its guardian angel.
History of the Foundation

Prince Sadruddin, the paternal uncle of His Highness the Aga Khan, served the international community in various important roles. He was the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from 1965 to 1977 and later became the United Nations Coordinator for Assistance to Afghanistan from 1988 to 1990. Additionally, he served as the UN Secretary-General’s Executive Delegate for a humanitarian program in Iraq, Kuwait, and the Iraqi-Iranian and Iraqi-Turkish border regions in 1990.
In 1997, Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan founded the Bellerive Foundation, which he chaired alongside his wife, Princess Catherine.
The foundation’s main programs focus on the connection between natural resource scarcity and poverty in developing countries, the preservation of fragile mountain ecosystems, animal protection, and environmental education.
One of the key projects supported by the Bellerive Foundation was Earth Focus, a magazine created by young people for young people.
The project, which inspired the name of the current Earth Focus Foundation, emerged from a lively debate at the Pregny campus of the International School of Geneva following the historic Rio Earth Summit in 1992. This discussion led to the publication of the first Earth Focus magazine, which addressed sustainability and various social, environmental, and economic issues. Since then, the magazine has been published regularly, with 37 editions to date.
After the passing of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan and the dissolution of the Bellerive Foundation, the spirit of Earth Focus lived on, gradually evolving into the creation of the Earth Focus Foundation.
In 2005, the Earth Focus Foundation was founded in Geneva, continuing the awareness-raising mission of the Fondation Bellerive with a focus on young people.
Acting independently, it has expanded its reach and impact over the years, benefiting both young and old in Geneva and beyond. The Foundation has established strong relationships with other non-governmental organizations sharing the same goals, and continues to build partnerships with local and international entities. These collaborations are essential to ensuring a preserved planet and a sustainable, resilient, and equitable future.
In 2009, the Foundation presented the Centre Objectif Terre project to the State Council of the Republic and Canton of Geneva.
The proposed center, which will be open to the public, aims to inspire visitors to reflect on the world and society they hope to create, and explore the means to achieve this vision. Far from offering clichés or moralistic messages, the Objectif Terre Center will encourage visitors to ask the right questions and provide insights into how to address them. The center will bring together cultural, scientific, and educational players, as well as associations, NGOs, the public sector, and economic stakeholders, all working together toward sustainable development.
In January 2010, following the confirmation of a plot of land provided by the State of Geneva, partnerships were formed, and planning began for a 10,000 m² cultural center dedicated to sustainable development and universal rights.
Scheduled to open in 2030, the Centre Objectif Terre will become a key tourist attraction in Geneva, drawing both international and local visitors.