SPAIN

Hanif Escudero is responsible for the area of youth at Junta Islámica, a non-profit Islamic organization that has been active since 1989. The organization's objective is developing the rights and liberties of Muslims in Spain. Presently, the most significant project of the Área de Juventud de Junta Islámica is its collaboration with the Halal Institute, a Spanish certification company of Halal Guarantee, where Hanif Escudero is the Director of Development. Área de Juventud de Junta Islámica is also working with Webislam.com, the most viewed Islamic website in Spain with more than 10 million hits monthly. The organization is also in partnership with the Centro de Documentación y Publicaciones Islámicas (Center of Islamic Documentation and Publications) that has released over 30 books and is currently preparing to launch a collection called Sahada, entailing five books on the Islam. Hanif Escudero is the President of the cultural youth association Al Agua (The Water), a non-profit company that carries out intercultural projects focused towards youth. It offers a framework of development and interaction between youths of diverse cultures and beliefs, promoting the understanding and exchange of ideas and projects. The most important activities of Al Agua is a project entitled: Somos Sonidos (We Are Sounds). It is utilizing the vehicle of music and dance to reach the youth. Al Agua is also working with Asociación de Jóvenes Musulmanes de España (the Association for Young Spanish Muslims). The organization arranges workshops on crafts, ethnic activities and concerts to offer activities of alternative leisure to the youth. Hanif Escudero, born in Granada (Andalucia) in 1981, is studying Psychology and attended the National University of Education at Distance. He is an expert in online education (E-learning) and in Islamic culture, civilization and religion. He has organized diverse conferences on Halal diet in Paris, London and Barcelona, and he has attended events as the World Encounter of the Dawa, in Toronto, Canada. In 2002 he did the Hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca and in 2004 he visited the Camp of refugee Saharawis of Tinduf, Algeria. Recently, he has been named president of the Asociación de Jóvenes Musulmanes de España (Association of Muslim Youths of Spain), where he holds youth's consultations and develops projects of interest for the Muslim youths as well as educational trips to Morocco or Mataamaulana (Mauritania).

City: Barcelona

Marc Rovira Atencia is the Vice President of Al Budur, a non-profit social, cultural, and educational organization dedicated to building bridges between the Magrebi immigrant people and Spanish people and culture. He has created different activities towards the development of immigrant people in their new country. He acts into three different ways: 1- Information to the community like the Islamic principles or particularities of their culture, so they can understand the new coming people; 2- Advising for the immigrants and 3- Occupational training, so the immigrants can apply for better jobs in Spain. According to these principles we develop specific programs on each one. Born in Barcelona, he studied at university Advertisement and Public Relations, and has an MBA by the EAE business school in Barcelona. He's specialized in Fundraising and Strategic Communication, at the moment he has his own business on advertisement and public relations consultancy, and contributes with different NPO's (non profit organizations) as a Fundraiser.

City: Barcelona

Ndeye Andújar is the Vice President of Junta Islamic Catalan, a socio-cultural entity linked with the Junta Islámica, presided by Mansur Escudero, Secretary of the Spanish Islamic Commission (CIE), whose objective is to develop the Law of Cooperate signed with the State in 1992 as well as articulate the progressive Muslim movement in Catalonia. Ndeye Andœjar participated in the organization of the International Congress of Islamic Feminists, which celebrated its second anniversary in Barcelona. She also participated in the editing counsel of www.webislam.com, which is the first Islamic site completely in Spanish. The website has published many articles and works on the work of Islamic Muslim feminists such as Riffat Hassan and Azizah Al Hibri. She has also led conferences in high schools and institutions on the various topics in Islam as well as been interviewed by different publications as Cadena SER and the magazine, el Inmigrante. She was born in Barcelona, Spain and worked as a professor of teaching in France, after which she participated in the National University of Education Correspondence Course titled Professional Expert in Culture, Islamic Religion and Culture. She is licensed in Linguistics at Barcelona University.

City: Paris