Board Members

Our committee

The Culture Ticino Network association is made up of the committee and the honor committee. It also collaborates closely with the Italian-Swiss group and the sister association Culture Ticino Network & Philippines Association of Paombong in the Philippines. :

A. Margherita Maffeis

President and founder
A. Margherita Maffeis-Natale, President and founder. She has been active

Jolanda Conedera

Committee’s member
Jolanda Conedera, Committee’s member.  From 2015 to 2016 she was a

Sabine De Luca

Committee’s member
Sabine De Luca, Committee’s member. Since 2014 is a member of the

France Carré

Committee’s member
France Carré has lived for over 30 years in the

Lorenza Fontana

Auditor
Lorenza Fontana was responsible for the administrative management and Human

Assistants of the Committee: Céline Ambrosini and Francesco Croci

Culture Ticino Network also have an Honorary Committee, which include many well-known people from Ticino and abroad: in July and August 2017 the Association will reorganize the committee.

  • Arthur Bolliger, Bolliger & Tanzi’s director
  • Prof. em. Dr. Marina Cattaruzza,  historian;
  • Julia Gertseva, singer
  • Walter Lisetto, President of Gruppo Carrozzella inSuperAbili;
  • Marco Romano, National Counselor;
  • Marco Treichler, GenerazionePiù;
  • Maristella Polli, ex RSI former journalist;
  • Antonio Franzi, Journalist;
  • Marina Bottinelli, Delegate of the Italian Chamber of Commerce for the Switzerland;
  • Adrian Weiss, President of Switzerland  Israel Association, Ticino section;
  • Tamara Pinillos, Missionary;
  • Maria Gabriella Rossi, Entrepreneur;
  • Michael Mercurio, former committee member and, since 2022, a member of the honorary committee;
  • Roberto Mazza, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports, and Events of the City of Lugano;
  • Natalya Shtey Gilardoni, Entrepreneur;
  • Daniel Ryser, Engineer;
  • Nicola Schulz Bizzozzero Crivelli, Clinical and Experimental Medicine Department, Psychiatry Section and Neuroscience Department, Psychiatry Section of PisaUniversity; editor of the “Hic et Nunc” column on the Ticino Live information site; Honorary Academic Member of the Mauritian International Academy

The Association also avails itself of a Italian-Swiss Committee , in July and August 2017 the Association will reorganize the committee.

 

  • Stefano Cropanese, President of Reatium Association;
  • Enrica Nogara, Comunal Counselor of Luino;
  • Mauro Guarneri, President of Insubria Arte;
  • General Consulate of Italy;

The Culture Ticino Network association heartily thanks all the volunteers in Ticino and in the Philippines for their precious work, and in particular:

  • Jennefer Espinosa, volunteer in the Philippines, president of our sister association “Culture Ticino Network & Philippines Association” in Paombong, Philippines (founded in 2020), and all committee members and volunteers.

Thank you from the bottom of our heart!

IN BRIEF ABOUT US:

“Peace cannot reign among men if it does not first reign in the heart of each of them.”

 (Karol Wojtyla) 

Culture Ticino Network is a non-profit, non-political, and non-denominational association based in Lugano, established in 2011 to promote a culture of peace, personal well-being, and environmental sustainability through various initiatives and activities, both nationally and internationally. As its name suggests, Culture Ticino Network aims to create a network of interaction among other associations, foundations, schools, universities, public and private institutions, businesses, and the entire population. With a desire to enhance our region of Ticino, we also strive to provide internship and job opportunities for recent graduates who are entering the challenging world of work.

Vision 

Generations in the heart of peace” is not only a slogan but a real lifestyle and a mindset. “Heart” is the entity which includes all our ideals to foster a better future full of new challenges.

Mission 

Culture of peace needs above all to be experienced into small groups – in families, schools, among friends – then to be spread on a larger scale, reaching the rest of the world. In accordance with the Association’s commitments, our mission is to spread our message to the hearts of all the generations. The Association is committed to create a new future focused on culture and peace, appreciated by all nationalities, religious groups and social classes, not only in Ticino but also in the entire world.

Below are some images of our solidarity projects.

Foreword

Statute

Culture Ticino Network Association, based in Lugano, has been recognized as a public utility association and has obtained, on May 8, 2013, tax exemption from Bellinzona’s Finance & Economics Department, in accordance with art. 65/f of the Taxation Law (LT) of June 21, 1994.

In 2018, the Association has obtained the renewal of the Certificato di pubblica utilità (Public Interest Certificate), valid until 2024.

Designation 

The name of this public utility and non-profit association shall be “Culture Ticino Network” (from now on called Culture-Ti.Net). Culture-Ti.Net is an association in accordance with art. 60 and following of the Swiss Civil Code. 

Headquarter 

The association’s headquarter is located in Lugano, at MaffeisNetwork SA, a marketing and communication agency. 

Culture-Ti.Net’s objective is to promote culture of Peace, people’s health and environmental health, in Ticino, in Switzerland and, in general, around the World, thanks to many different initiatives.

Furthermore, Culture-Ti.Net also aims to create an interactive network of professionals, companies, organizations, foundations, universities, public and private institutions, and individuals interested in solidarity.

Culture-Ti.Net spreads important messages to its target people, independently from their age. Culture-Ti.Net offers many job opportunities and integrates all its partners into its international network. Culture-Ti.Net shares all its experience and knowledge to its network partners. 

3.1 Eligibility

Any natural or legal person sharing Culture-Ti.Net’s objectives is eligible for membership in the association and becomes a member upon payment of association fees. 

3.2 Members classification and related association fees

  • Association fee for retiree (AVS) and students: CHF 30.-
  • Regular association fee: CHF 50.- 
  • Association fee for supporting members: CHF 100.- 
  • Association fee for legal entities: from a minimum of CHF 250.– 

3.3 Entrance 

Membership can be applied either in written form or by e-mail at Culture-Ti.Net’s Executive Board, that will exclusively decide about membership applicants. In case of rejected applications, the executive committee will reimburse the association fees within a month after the payment. 

3.4 Resignation 

Resignations must be submitted at least 3 months before the end of the year, either in written form or by e-mail. 

3.5 Exclusion 

Possible exclusions are supervised by the Executive Board only. The board is not constrained to disclose the reasons for the exclusion. 

4.1 Control bodies 

“Culture-Ti.Net” has the following bodies of control: 

  • General Assembly
  • Executive Board 
  • Statutory Auditors 

4.2 The General Assembly 

  • It gathers at least once a year 
  • It is summoned by the Executive Board
  • All members shall be summoned at least 14 days in advance either in written form or via e-mail and informed about the order of business
  • All members shall present, at least two weeks before the General Assembly, any request related to issues that are not included in the order of business
  • All of the present members have the right to vote 
  • The General Assembly is free to decide about which issues should be included in the order of business, independently from the number of members partecipating at the assembly. Decisions are taken by the majority. In case of a tie vote, the President’s vote is decisive. Regarding the decisions on those issues that are not included in order of business, the General Assembly requires at least half of the members of the association plus one to be present in order to make a determination.

The General Assembly is in charge of: 

  • Designation of the President of the day
  • Acceptance of the previous General Assembly’s minutes
  • Approval of the order of business 
  • Acceptance of the Executive Board’s annual report 
  • Modification of the articles of association, following Executive Board’s advice
  • Processing of all the Assembly’s requests
  • Attribution of the honorary titles
  • Election of members of the Executive Boards and the Statutory Advisers. 

The General Assembly can be summoned for a extraordinary general meeting if this is requested by at least a fifth of all the members of the association or by the Executive Board. 

4.3 The Executive Board

The Executive Board includes between two and five members, one of whom is the president of the Executive Board. The president is appointed by the Executive Board.

The Executive Board is summoned by its members. Every member of the Executive Board is entitled to summon the board.  It is the executive body of Culture-Ti.Net and acts as the association’s representative toward third parties. Members of the Executive Boards do not collect any monetary reward, with the exception of a refund related to out-of-pockets expenses. 

The Executive Board is in charge of: 

  • Decision-making related to the projects
  • Choosing and promoting the association’s initiatives and activities
  • Coordinating, developing and managing all the initiatives, events and activities 
  • Summoning the General Assembly
  • Formulating official requests to other institutions
  • Referring to the statutory audit
  • Fundraising
  • Managing administrative and financial tasks
  • Admissions and exclusions of the association’s members. 

4.4 The Revision Office 

The Statutory Audit includes an auditor who is appointed by the General Assembly for only one year. The auditor is re-eligible.

During its mandate, the auditor is entitled to access to the association’s accounts and compiling a report for the General Assembly. 

In order to develop its projects, Culture-Ti.Net is financially supported by: 

  • Association fees 
  • Donations 
  • Sponsors 

n case of dissolution the association’s capital will be devoted to another non-profit association in Ticino with the same or a similar objective.

It is stated that Culture-Ti.Net was established on March 9, 2011.

It is possible to download the statute’s PDF here.