Marcel HAEGI was described as a “great person”, an experienced diplomat. He did the work for FEVR with dynamism and ability.
He had established a lot of international contacts, which he used in our fight for justice for road victims. He attended meetings of the United Nations, the European Commission, the World Health Organization, and many others, and was appreciated and respected by everyone.
“He was for me inspiring and an ideal who influenced me so much also for later activities and the decision to be a candidate for president in 2010. In respect for Marcel I also joined the board in 2004 to help that all his work should be continued.” Jeannot MERSCH
When Brigitte’s only son, Mansoor aged 26, was horrifically killed in October 1990 by a van driver who had ploughed into him whilst driving through a junction with lights already red for a long time, she was shocked at the shabby treatment of his innocent death. Brigitte quickly learnt that the response to a road death, however blameless the victim and reckless the offender, was worlds apart from the response to a violent death caused by someone in other circumstances. She protested through legal actions in the High Court – eventually three judicial reviews over five years. She found other people who were bereaved through letters in newspapers and approaches to Compassionate Friends, and she documented their experiences.
These experiences made it clear that a grave injustice was being perpetrated and suffered. Together with some of the people she met, Brigitte decided that to challenge the casual attitude to road casualties and offer support to the victims, a dedicated organisation needed to be set up, since none existed and no-one spoke up for road victims. RoadPeace’s first meeting was held around Brigitte’s dining table in 1991 and the organisation began in 1992 with the first-ever helpline for road crash victims, which she manned at the same time as developing the organisation.
As National Secretary, Brigitte has been involved with the day-to-day work of RoadPeace for 16 years, stepping down at the 7th conference in April 2008, which celebrated RoadPeace’s 15 years of pioneering work since its public launch in 1993. Brigitte’s engagement with RoadPeace continues in her role as president, but she is also working at international level for road crash victims: from 2004 until 2010 she has been President of FEVR (European Federation of Road Traffic Victims) and in collaboration with the World Health Organisation she continues to develop and promote the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.
Filippo initially joined the Italian association of road victims “AIFVS asp”, after his mother tragically lost her life hit by a car on the pedestrian crossing. He soon became a member of the Board of Directors and represented the association, as a delegate, in the FEVR. He’s graduated in Engineering and post-graduated with an Executive-MBA degree, he currently works as a Corporate Service Manager for a multinational company. Lived and worked in different continents during his professional career such as in Latin America, North Africa, Europe (Italy and Portugal). Despite his work commitments, Filippo has decided to dedicate his time to the cause of associations in support of road victims, as a direct family member of a victim and with no ulterior motive other than the improvement of road safety, prevention, post-crash and justice. He was appointed FEVR president in 2021, under his leadership FEVR was officially registered in Belgium, in Brussels, in a process that started with the signing of the deed on 1 December 2022 and ended during 2023. This enabled the development of the association towards a modern and sustainable structure.
