What is the Circle of Friends?

 

It is made up of all those who, since this Circle was founded in 2011, have decided to support the Foundation’s actions in favour of young Europeans and its aim of strengthening cohesion among these young people through the implementation of concrete projects.

This support mainly takes place in the form of donations that help increase the number of projects backed by the Foundation every year; it is a significant addition to other sources of funding from within the Foundation and from the family.

 

Why have a Circle of Friends?

 

 The number of projects submitted to the Foundation every year, in particular those worthy of being selected for their quality and their relevance to the Foundation’s mission, had greatly exceeded the possibilities offered by the resources that were available. It thus became necessary to find additional resources, in a context aggravated by a decrease in public funding usually granted to associations. Therefore, at the end of 2010, the Foundation’s Board of Governors decided to create a Circle of Friends.

 

The Honorary Committee of the Circle of Friends

 

It is made up of figures known for their commitment to the European Union who have had the opportunity to hold leadership positions in organisations directly related to European issues (European Commission, European Parliament, Council of Europe, associations).

It provides a set of skills and guarantees concrete, recognised involvement in European construction.

The Foundation’s Circle of Friends, which was officially established in April 2011, now plays this role and also does much more. It is a network of friends who share our commitment to Europe. They either provide us with direct support through their own networks of relations or else promote the Foundation and the projects it supports.

motdupresident

 

A message from Jimmy Roze, President of the Circle of Friends

 

The Circle of Friends of the Hippocrene Foundation first fulfils the aim of better meeting the requests for support placed by associations involved in developing projects enabling youth to take action for Europe.

Thanks to our generous donors, whom I would like to warmly thank, the number of projects supported by the Foundation has already increased, in particular in the essential area of “education for Europe”, which it considers one of its priorities.

I would also particularly like to thank the members of the Circle’s Honorary Committee who support us through their unwavering belief in Europe and the essential role to be played by civil society!

By deciding to make even a modest donation and thus join the Circle of Friends, you are enabling young people to become aware of their future European citizenship and are yourself taking a step to experiencing Europe up close. Join us now!

The Hippocrene Foundation would like to sincerely thank all donors who have contributed their support. These include members of the founders’ family and the Board of Governors, members of the Circle of Friends of the Hippocrene Foundation, and donors donating to a specific cause such as that of Romanian orphans.

Mécènes

Mme Michèle Guyot-Roze et Jimmy Roze
Mme Nicole Merville et François Merville
M. et Mme Hervé Guyot
M. et Mme Alexis Merville

Mme Dorothée Merville-Durand et Régis Durand

Grands donateurs

Comte et Comtesse Guy de Brantes
M. et Mme Daniel Guerlain
M. et Mme Claude Janssen
M. René Marbot
Mme Martine Méheut et M. Bernard Méheut

The mebers of Circle of Friends

PRESIDENT OF THE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS

Jimmy Roze

Jimmy Roze has been involved in the activities of the Hippocrene Foundation since 2006. With a degree from the ESSEC business school, he spent most of his career with Electricité de France and Gaz de France, where he held various positions in the areas of marketing, economic research, international procurement and international development, which gave him the opportunity to direct and coordinate several international structures. During the 1990-2002 period, he also actively participated in the establishment of the European representation and lobbying organisation for the gas industry in Brussels and in the negotiation of liberalisation provisions for the sector with the European Commission. After 2002, he created an energy consulting and research firm of which he is currently Executive Director.

MEMBER OF THE HONORARY COMMITTEE

Jacques Toubon

Honorary member of the Council of State, Minister for Culture and Francophony from 1993 to 1995, and Minister of Justice from 1995 to 1997, Jacques Toubon was advisor to the President of the Republic from 1997 to 1998. He has a law degree and graduated from Sciences Po Lyon and the École nationale d'administration. He was a member of the prefectural corps before taking up duties, from 1968 to 1976, in several ministerial cabinets (Overseas, Parliamentary Relations, Agriculture, Interior, Prime Minister).
RPR General Secretary from 1984-1988, MP for Paris at the National Assembly from 1981 to 1997 and Chairman of the Law Commission (1986-1987), Jacques Toubon was also Mayor of the 13th District of Paris from 1983 to 2001, Councillor of Paris from 1983 to 2008, and Member of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2009. He was President of the Council of Europe’s Eurimages Fund (2002-2009).
He was President of the Advisory Board for the Cité Nationale de l'Histoire de l'Immigration from 2007 to 2014. From January 2010 to July 2014, he was French Delegate for the Taxation of Cultural Goods and Services. Jacques Toubon was a member of the High Authority for the Distribution of Works and the Protection of Rights on the Internet and the High Council for Integration.
Since 18 July 2014, he has been the Defender of Rights.

MEMBER OF THE HONORARY COMMITTEE

Catherine Lalumière

Catherine Lalumière is a lecturer with a PhD in law. Since 2003, she has been President of Maison de l'Europe de Paris and in March 2008, she was elected President of Fédération Française des Maisons de l'Europe (FFME). Her actions and endeavours have been focused on the construction of Europe for many years. Secretary General of the Council of Europe from 1989 to 1994, she was elected Member of the European Parliament for two successive terms (1994-2004). She acted as Vice-President of the European Parliament from 2001 to 2004. These functions led her to write several reports and studies on culture, Europe, cultural diversity and inter-culturalism. Member of Parliament for Gironde from 1981 to 1989, she was State Secretary and Minister during this same period, in particular State Secretary in charge of European Affairs (1984-1986).

MEMBER OF THE HONORARY COMMITTEE

Claire Gibault

A conductor, she has directed many concerts and operas in France, Europe, the United States and Japan, in particular: Mozart's Idomeneo at the Washington Opera with Placido Domingo, and Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande at Covent Garden in London. When working at the Lyon Opera, she developed an art education policy, creating a children's choir with an adapted schedule with French National Education and putting on shows for young audiences. She was the first woman to conduct the La Scala orchestra in Milan and then the musicians of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. She was Claudio Abbado's assistant at La Scala and the Vienna Opera House. In 2004, she created the Orchestra Mozart Bologna by his side and at the same time became a Member of the European Parliament, sitting on the Committee on Culture and Education and the Committee on Women's Rights until 2009. In July 2010, she created Paris Mozart Orchestra, and in September 2010, she published La Musique à mains nues with Éditions de L'Iconoclaste. In November 2010, she was appointed member of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council by the Prime Minister and was then elected Vice-President of the section for Education and Culture for five years. At the same time, she continued her career as guest conductor in France and around the world.

MEMBER OF THE HONORARY COMMITTEE

Philippe Herzog

Founding President of the association Confrontations Europe. A graduate of Ecole Polytechnique, a former administrator at INSEE and a university professor of economic sciences, he taught at Paris-X Nanterre University (1973-2003). He was a member of the national board of the French Communist Party (PCF, 1979-1996), from which he resigned in 1996. He was a Member of the European Parliament (1989-2004), Chairman of the Committee on External Economic Relations, and Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. He was a member of the Economic and Social Council (1984-1989) and member of the Prime Minister's Council of Economic Analysis (1997-2008). He is currently special advisor to Michel Barnier, European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services.

MEMBER OF THE HONORARY COMMITTEER

Jérôme Vignon

He graduated from Ecole Polytechnique in 1964 and ENSAE ParisTech in 1969. From 1969 to 1980, he was Head of the Economic and Social Studies Department in Nantes and then Head of Programmes in Paris for the INSEE Planning Commission, before being called upon to work alongside Jacques Delors, then in charge of macroeconomic conditions and policies, as technical advisor to the cabinet of the Minister for the Economy and Finance (1981-1984). His career then took a European turn. From 1985 to 1998, Jérôme Vignon was in the European Commission. He was first cabinet member for Jacques Delors, President of the European Commission. He then acted as Head of Studies and then Director of the European Commission's Forward Studies Unit. From 1999 to 2000, he was Director in charge of European Strategy and Policies for DATAR. He then returned to the European Commission. From 2000 to 2009, he was head of the "European governance" team and Director for Social Protection & Social Inclusion. Since October 2010, he has been President of the Observatoire National de la Pauvreté et de l'Exclusion Sociale.