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23.11.2018 | Press Release

New President of Welthungerhilfe elected

Change of Leadership: Marlehn Thieme is Welthungerhilfe's new President.

Marlehn Thieme, President of Welthungerhilfe
Marlehn Thieme, President of Welthungerhilfe. © Rat für Nachhaltige Entwicklung, Foto: Andreas Weiss
Simone Pott Team Communications

Berlin/Bonn, 2018-11-23 – The General Assembly of Welthungerhilfe elected a new president yesterday in Berlin. Marlehn Thieme will now be representing the organisation in the non-salaried position. The previous president, Bärbel Dieckmann, vacated her post after ten years for personal reasons.

“I am thankful to have been able to volunteer as president of this very special organisation for ten years and represent it to the outside world. Welthungerhilfe is one of the major German aid organisations that improve the living conditions of people in Africa, Asia, and Latin America through thousands of development projects and humanitarian aid programmes. We did everything in our power to reduce hunger throughout the world. I would especially like to thank the 2500 colleagues who are currently working domestically and in 38 foreign countries with strength, engagement, expertise, and innovativeness. Time and time again, they have shown me how boldly people can make a difference, even in challenging and sometimes severe conditions such as in South Sudan or the Central African Republic”, emphasises Dieckmann.

During Dieckmann’s tenure, Welthungerhilfe developed into an important dialogue partner on the topic of hunger and poverty, both in Germany and internationally. The organisation has experienced significant growth in the past ten years in terms of private donations and public grants.

Marlehn Thieme has been a member of the German Council for Sustainable Development since 2004 and has been chairing the Committee since 2012. The 61-year-old lawyer has also been a member of the Council of the Protestant Church in Germany since 2003 and heads the ZDF Television Council. She has many years of experience in the field of private foundations. “I have great respect for the impressive achievements made by Bärbel Dieckmann and Welthungerhilfe in the past ten years. I am honoured by this opportunity to personally support Welthungerhilfe and am looking forward to applying my extensive experience to this challenging task. Hunger and poverty are not inevitable. I am convinced that people can make a difference, and I want to do my part”, says Thieme.

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