Thank you Mirijana for always insisting on “Rights”. It has been a pleasure working with you on a variety of “Rights”. You walk the talk, always. Salutes!

Thank you Bujar for helping me grasp the different codes of communication in Macedonia. Despite the threats to your life you remained committed to bringing peace to divided communities. The way you led the volunteers of CBC Loja in their efforts to heal the wounds of the community in Tearce and Tetovo remain an inspiration. Above all thank you for being a very generous and trusted friend!

Indra is a seasoned practitioner in the Art of Giving! Her committment to the well being of children is inspiring. Indra most generously shared with me her knowledge, experience, expertise and networks. Without her guidance and support I would not have made the inroads in Malaysia with the government, civil society and private sector on issues like HIV AIDS, Harm Reduction, Injuries and the Rights of the Child. I miss working with Indra. Thank you, Indra!

Thank you for being the sounding board that I can rely on when exploring new ideas or sorting old dilemmas. Your ability to step back and question my motives and thinking from different perspectives has always added value to my decisions. What a relief to know where to go to when ideas need to marinate and not get butchered.
Your spirit is “Yes we can” and it indeed is infectious!

Carolin has been my most steadfast critic. Questioning relentlessly my decisions to ensure that I have thought them through. And once the decision is made she has been an ardent supporter: encouraging, reminding and nudging! One could not ask for more in a friend. Your actions are a constant reminder that ‘rights’ need defending through individual action and not merely big talk.
Thank you for inspiring me to do the things one could only imagine to do in his dreams.

Thank you for demonstrating the power of good intentions in an environment where it is often the first casualty of academic growth. Your openness to genuinely discuss and debate with anyone in the food change is a quality I came to value only after some time.

Prof. Marcel Tanner in my view is the Banyan tree in public health. No matter what part of the world he is in he would respond to emails as soon as possible with wisdom contained in a sentence or two.

Thank you, Prof. Tanner, for showing through your own actions that being at the top of the food chain need not be at the cost of humility and accessibility. Your silent guidance and support has opened many doors for me in Switzerland.

Thank you for often pointing to an alternative worldview and a timeline that goes well beyond the modern calendar.
Every time I need to make a big decision I am reminded of Andre Gide’s quote that you wrote in a New Years greeting card when I was contemplating deserting cardiac surgery – “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.”

Gaye is one of the most amazing person in a leadership position that I have ever met. In the short period of three years that I worked for Gaye, I learnt so much about how genuine partnerships are built and how committment is fostered?

Thank you, Gaye, for encouraging me to explore and forge the most difficult of partnerships. You always provided a sense of security that allowed me to keep trying with no fear of failure. I have learnt from you the power of delegation; the importance of standing up for your team; and the art of helping people find the best in themselves and then allowing them to rise and shine. Gaye you are a star! Thank you so much!

Thank you for instilling in me the habit of never giving less than a hundred percent in effort and for aiming for nothing less than excellence in whatever I undertake. Your lessons were delivered during in the operating room and in the ICU, but they guide me in every theatre.

Thank you for introducing me to the world of creativity and solution searching. From you I have learnt that there always has to be more than one way out in any situation.

Thank you for leading me into intellectual pursuits and for highlighting the value of the written word.
Above all thank you for practicing what you preach, no matter what season or surrounding.