The Global Advisory Board brings together distinguished professionals from diverse fields to provide strategic guidance, strengthen the international profile of the War Childhood Museum, and support its mission across countries. While not involved in governance, GAB members offer expertise that informs key initiatives, partnerships, and long-term vision.
Global Advisory Board Members
Vesna Bajšanski-Agić
Vesna Bajšanski-Agić is the Vice President of Strategic Alliances and Global Development at TechSoup, a global nonprofit supporting over a million civil society organizations in more than 200 countries. Prior to joining TechSoup, she served for over a decade as the Executive Director of the Mozaik Foundation, where she has helped transform Mozaik into the leading social enterprise in the Western Balkans, with a strong focus on youth social entrepreneurship and social innovation. Vesna also served on the Board of Philea (Philanthropy Europe Association), where she contributed to shaping the strategic direction of European philanthropy and strengthening global civil society networks.
Marc D’Silva – Chair
Marc D’Silva worked in the international relief and development sector for over 30 years before his retirement in October 2024. Most of his time was spent working with Catholic Relief Services, most recently as Asia Regional Director based in Cambodia. Earlier postings included serving as Country Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2012-18) and India (2002-06). He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Sierra Leone. He is currently based in Porto, and trying his best to bring his Portuguese language skills up to conversant, where he is at for French.
Mary Fitzgerald
Mary Fitzgerald is a researcher, policy analyst and consultant specializing in the Mediterranean region, with over a decade of experience focusing on Libya. She has worked with organisations including the International Crisis Group, United States Institute of Peace, and the European Council on Foreign Relations. A former foreign correspondent for The Irish Times, she has reported from more than 40 countries and contributed to leading international publications. Mary is affiliated with several research institutes, including the Middle East Institute (Washington DC) and King’s College London. She is a trustee of Brussels think-tank Friends of Europe and lives in Marseille.
Dunja Mijatovic
Dunja Mijatović served as Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights (2018–2024), focusing on freedom of expression, safety of journalists, protection of human rights defenders, the rights of migrants and refugees, and combating discrimination. She placed particular emphasis on the rights of women, children, and conflict-affected groups, as well as the human rights impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Previously, she was OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (2010–2017), and earlier held senior roles in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Communications Regulatory Agency, the European Platform of Regulatory Agencies, and the Council of Europe. She is recognized as a leading expert on human rights, media freedom, and institution-building in transitional states.
Eric Nelson
Eric Nelson served as U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2019 to 2022. He retired from a four decade career in the U.S. Foreign Service in 2024, most recently serving as the Associate Director and Ambassador-in-Residence at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies in Germany. He held key leadership positions at the Department of State, including Deputy Executive Secretary and Director of eDiplomacy. His international postings spanned Europe, Latin America, and South Asia, and his career began with the Peace Corps in Liberia. Ambassador Nelson lives in Italy and Germany, advising firms and civil society organizations, including as a non-Executive Director of TechSoup and the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute.
Helene Rånlund
Helene Rånlund has been Director General of the National Swedish Museums of Military History—which includes the Army Museum in Stockholm and the Air Force Museum in Linköping—since 2022. She previously served nearly a decade as Deputy Director General of the same institution and held senior roles in the Swedish Government Offices and at Sida. She founded Blue Shield Sweden, chaired ICOM Sweden, and was awarded a state order by President Zelensky for supporting Ukrainian museums. Rånlund studied economics and international business at Linköping University and completed advanced leadership programs in management and public administration.
Ann Skelton
Professor Ann Skelton is an internationally renowned child rights expert. She is a Professor of Law at Leiden University, where she holds the Chair in Children’s Rights in a Sustainable World. She was also a member of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child from March 2017 to Feb 2025, the last two years of which she was the Chairperson of the Committee. Professor Skelton played a leading role in child law reform through her involvement with the committees of the South African Law Reform Commission that drafted the Child Justice Act and the Children’s Act and has appeared as counsel in many landmark child law cases in the South African superior courts, including 12 cases in the Constitutional Court. Her awards include the Honorary Worlds’ Children’s Prize, presented by Queen Sylvia of Sweden (2012) and the Juvenile Justice Without Borders award presented by the International Observatory on Juvenile Justice (2017).
Deyan Sudjic
Deyan Sudjic, OBE, is a British writer, editor, curator, and Director Emeritus specializing in architecture, design, and urbanism. Trained as an architect at the University of Edinburgh, he co-founded Blueprint magazine and served as editor-in-chief of Domus. He directed the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2002 and played a key role in Glasgow’s designation as UK City of Architecture and Design. From 2006 to 2020, he was Director of the Design Museum in London, where he led its move to Kensington and curated major exhibitions. For this move and the new building, he secured donations from a number of individuals, trusts and foundations, totalling £80m in cash and the value of the site. Under his leadership, the Museum won the European Museum of the Year Award in 2018. Sudjic is the author of several acclaimed books and continues to contribute to public discourse on design and the built environment.