ANDREA COUVERT
Andrea is an activist and a professional in Participatory Community Co-design processes. He enjoys embracing challenges and seeing how good design can improve people’s lives. While in Italy, he worked in the non-profit sector for over 15 years, gaining substantial experience in delivering communication products such as documentaries, magazines, and multimedia exhibitions. In South Africa, he is involved in community-driven civic participation projects with various civic associations and NPOs, including the Heinrich-Böll-Foundation, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, University of the Western Cape (UWC), Friends of Thandolwethu NPO, and the Woodstock Residents Association.
Andrea is one of the promoters of the Civic Action for Public Participation (CAPP) which promoted the Manifesto for a new Civic Participation Bylaw in Cape Town and in drafting a proposal for a new regulation for citizen participation, signed by 23 civic organisations in 2019.
BEVIL LUCAS
Bevil is one of the members of Reclaim the City and involved in the CGH occupation that is supported by Ndifuna Ukwazi and other organsiations such as the Cape Town- based Commoners Project. Lucas is also a member of the latter and has been working with colleagues in the co-design process being advanced at CGH currently. Bevil is a strong advocate of participatory democracy and planning. He has a long history in the trade union movement that originated during apartheid.
Hi has been part of the formation of the Cosatu and served in various positions in the trade union movement for many years. He serve on the Board of International Labour Research Information Group.
NAREN SEWPAUL
Naren is graduated in Education and Musicology from the Universities of Durban Westville and University of South Africa respectively. CFC specializes in Research Management and Facilitation of Capacity Development and Transformation in the Creative Industry.
Naren has twenty years experience of participatory research, project management and capacity building in Community Social
Development and Cultural Policy projects. Naren is also a competent composer, songwriter, scriptwriter and radio presenter.
He is presently studying for a M. Phil in Futures Studies at the University of Stellenbosch Business School.