Emilia Amalā Raunio, Council Member

Emilia Amalā Raunio is a member and Dharma teacher student in Bodhidharma assosiation. The practice is based on the essential teachings of the main schools of Buddhism. It can be called buddhayāna, or the means of awakening from the dream ignorance. This includes various aspects of meditation: tranquillity and insight meditation, holistic deep meditation (Chan in Chinese, Sŏn in Korean, Zen in Japanese) and contemplation of the four boundless states of mind in an atmosphere of spiritual friendship.

Emilia enjoyes retreats with Bodhidharma association in Finland and Italy where her teacher Venerable Tae Hye Sunim lives. She has also received the Five Mindfulness Trainings by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh in Plum Village France and participated Martine Batchelors retreats in Finland.
Emilia studied Food Economics in the University of Helsinki early 2000 and as background in food science her interest is to heal the world together with our everyday actions, one of the means being vegan lifestyle.

She is the vice president of Finnish Buddhist Union and council member of EBU. Emilia is also one of the hosts in EBU's European Buddha Podcast and Chief in Editor in the EBU Magazine.

She enjoys vegan cooking, listening to old school hiphop and classical music, walks in the wild and training swimming techinques and taking a dip in open waters whatever the weather.

Michael Ritman, EBU Treasurer and Secretary

Michael Ritman (1961) was born and lives in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He has been president of the Buddhist Union of the Netherlands (BUN) since 2014. The BUN supported his candidature for the EBU council elections in 2017 and 2020. He believes the National Unions must clearly and visibly support the work of EBU in Europe.
Michael made a career in business management and is now working as an entrepreneur and business mediator. He has been a Rigpa student since 2004 and has worked as a volunteer translator of Buddhist texts until 2014. He believes in the Rimé principle of openness to all Buddhist traditions and is inspired by both the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh.

Isabelle Huet

Isabelle discovered the teachings of the Buddhism of spiritual friendship, Reiyukai. She became a member when she heard the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Dharma recited at a meeting 38 years ago. Since then, the practice has been part of her daily life.

Having taken early retirement after 26 years of teaching in a primary school, Isabelle now spends most of her free time working for her Buddhist community. She is the secretary of the council of "Le Bouddhisme de l'Amitié Spirituelle".
Isabelle lives in Paris. She is married and has three children. In her spare time, she enjoys singing, practising Tai chi chuan and cooking.

Jamie Cresswell, Vice-President

Jamie Cresswell was President of the European Buddhist Union from 2011 to 2017 and was elected Vice-President in 2017.
Jamie is a member of SGI-UK and the Network of Buddhist Organisations UK, which he represents at the EBU. He is Director of the Centre for Applied Buddhism, a member of the European Council of Religious Leaders and Chair of Religions for Peace, UK.
He has practised Buddhism for over 39 years and his Buddhist background includes a degree in Buddhist studies, as well as practice and study in many traditions and schools. He is currently undertaking a PhD in Buddhism and peace building.
In his spare time Jamie sings with a male voice choir, attempts to compose music and walks in the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside.

Stefano Davide Bettera, Vice-President

Stefano Davide Bettera is a writer, journalist and scholar. Regular contributor to the monthly Yoga Journal Italia, director of the quarterly Buddhism Magazine, he periodically intervenes in the social and philosophical debate. He is Vice President of the European Buddhist Union and in the CDA of the Italian Buddhist Union. He has published: "The Embrace of the World. Cultivating the wisdom of the spirit to build an ecological mind" (Oscar Mondadori - 2021), "The Western way to meditation" (RCS - 2020), "The Buddha was a concrete person" (Rizzoli - 2019), "Karma Polis" (Franco Angeli - 2018), "Do the right thing" (Morellini) (2018), "Happy as a Buddha" (Morellini - 2017). For further information: www.stefanobettera.com

Ron Eichhorn, EBU president

Ron Eichhorn (Buddhist Name: Mio Sop) is a professional film director and a Buddhist practitioner for over 30 years. He was elected as President of the European Buddhist Union in 2017, and re-elected in 2020. He is a Head Disciple of the Yun Hwa Denomination of World Social Buddhism and the Abbot of its Buddhist temple in Berlin.
Ron loves his work and appreciates the opportunity to spread the Dharma within civil society. He also likes sailing, cooking with and for friends and working in his vineyard.