BY Mandy Moussouris – EMG director 12 December 2023

RACHEL WYNBERG a founding member of EMG, and a signatory on our trust deed, was one of the mothers of EMG and has raised and walked alongside the organisation for over 32 years. She is an academic, activist and policy analyst with a special interest in biodiversity use and benefit sharing, community rights, social justice, agroecology, and environmental governance and as such has contributed significantly over the years towards the organisations strategy and vision. We will miss her and her supportive, nurturing influence very much. We would like to express our love and appreciation for all that she has done and wish the absolute most happiness in her future work.

STEPHEN LAW - I had the honour of working with Stephen as Director of EMG and I have always said that Stephen is the best boss I ever had. He was EMG’s director from 1999 to 2018, almost 20 years and during this time he led the organisation in a wise and measured way, his door was always open, and he trusted us to do our work. He gave us all the scope to be creative in our work and held the centre calmly, but so solidly. After he retired as Director, Stephen continued as a board member and in that role, he was once again, supportive and a mentor to me as the new Director. Like Rachel EMG would not be what it is without him.

Whilst we are saying farewell, it’s not goodbye and whilst they will be further away and less involved in the organisation their whistles and laughs, words and guidance remain. The culture of tolerance, mutual respect, love of people and the planet that they gave us are part of the very fabric of what makes EMG as special as it is.