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Latchezar L. Popov, Chairman
& Director
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 A
1978 law graduate of Sofia State University Faculty of Law
with a Masters of Law Degree, Mr. Popov served as legal advisor
for several state enterprises from 1978-1990. From 1990-1993,
he was in private practice. In 1993, he became counsel for
Advocates International and helped launch the Rule of Law
Institute in 1995. In 1996, Mr. Popov received the Pro Fide
Award from the Friends of the Martyrs Church of Finland for
his humanitarian work. In 1998, Mr. Popov successfully completed
the Human Rights Course at the Danish Center for Human Rights.
He serves as Vice Chairman of the Institute for Total Encouragement
and is a Board Member of the Lutheran Church in Bulgaria.
In April 2000, Mr. Popov gave a report about the Bulgarian
Legislation of Religious Freedom at the 56-th session of the
U.N. Commission on Human Rights in Geneva. As of 2000, the
Institute had a network of 110 lawyers engaged in human rights,
religious liberty, conflict resolution, and professional ethics.
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Samuel E. Ericsson, Vice Chairman
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An
immigrant from Sweden and a 1969 Harvard Law School graduate,
Mr. Ericsson was a partner with a major Los Angeles law firm
in the 1970s specializing in complex business litigation. He
participated in over 50 U.S. Supreme Court briefs on First Amendment
and church-state issues while serving as Executive Director
of the 4,500-member Christian Legal Society in the 1980s. Since
founding Advocates International in 1991, he has developed a
network of lawyers and judges reaching 100 nations and visited
over 40 countries, participating in judicial, human rights,
professional ethics and reconciliation conferences in 22 nations.
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Wallace H. Cheney, Treasurer |
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Mr. Cheney is a graduate of
Emory University and the University of South Carolina School
of Law. In addition to private practice, Mr. Cheney was employed
by the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons
for 23 years, serving 9 years as Assistant Director and General
Counsel until his retirement in January, 1999. During his government
career, he had the opportunity to work with lawyers, judges
and government officials from a number of countries, including
briefing visiting officials from over 40 countries and the United
Nations. Mr. Cheney is a recipient of the Distinguished Service
Medal, the highest medal given by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
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Nick Nedelchev, Secretary
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Mr. Nedelchev is current president
of the European Evangelical Alliance with alliances in 27 European
nations. He is the former president of the Bulgarian Evangelical
Alliance. He is the director of the Evangelical Seminary in
Sofia. |
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Slavi Pachovski
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Ambassador Pachovski is a 1978
graduate of Sofia University Law School. He was Assistant Professor
of International Law and International Relations at the Law
School, specializing in the field of Human Rights and International
Organizations. He has published three books and numerous articles.
After the democratic changes in Bulgaria Mr. Pachovski joined
the Ministry of Foreign Affair, and from 1992 to 1997 he was
the Bulgarian Ambassador to the United Nations. Since 1997 he
has been in private practice. In 2000, he became the U.N. Liaison
for Advocates International.
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John Langlois |
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Mr. Langlois has been a Deputy
in Parliament on the Isle of Guernsey in the English Channel
since 1980. He is the senior partner in the largest law firm
in Guernsey and serves on the board of directors of more than
fifty European companies, including major insurance and banking
institutions such as Credit Suisse First Boston. Mr. Langlois
serves as Chairman of the Religious Liberty Commission of the
World Evangelical Fellowship, which has affiliates in 115 nations
and over 150 million constituents.
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Eric Swensson
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Mr. Swensson is a graduate of
Stanford University and George Washington University Law School.
From 1972-1995 he worked in the U.S. Attorney's office in San
Francisco as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, specializing in organized
crime, money laundering, and drug trafficking in the Pacific
Rim. He has been in private practice since 1995 in northern
California.
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Fr. Anatoly Balanchev |
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Fr. Balanchev is a 1961 graduate
of Bulgarian Theological Academy. He is currently the Chairman
of St. Cyril and Methodij Orthodox Church. He is the General
Secretary and official speaker of the Holy Synod. In 1991 he
established the Orthodox Polyclinic with Diabetic Center St.
Evangelist Luke, the first of its kind in Bulgaria.
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Mariya Todorova
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Ms. Todorova is a graduate of
Sofia University Law School. She is in private practice in Sofia.
Since 1997 she has worked for Injstroi, the biggest construction
company in Bulgaria, as a chief legal adviser. She is a member
of RLI for 5 years and is the first volunteer secretary of RLI
office.
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