Sandro Calvani (born 1952), is the Senior Adviser on Strategic Planning for the Mae Fah Luang Foundation (under Royal Patronage), Bangkok, Thailand.

Back in Italy in 1979, as a volunteer expert of the Italian Caritas he became interested in the emerging topic of migrations across the Mediterranean and opened in the Genoese harbour the first center providing facilities for foreigners and illegal migrants in a seaport, in collaboration with the then Anti-terrorism Prefect extraordinary General Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa.

Following the severe earthquake in Irpinia in November 1980 Calvani helped to create the first European relief network for natural disasters, in collaboration with Guido Bertolaso.

In the 1980s Calvani worked with advocacy campaigns against hunger in the world designed by the Radical Party and the summer schools for advanced training on the values of politics, in cooperation with Romano Prodi.

In 1975, Calvani conceived the title of the first Italian public opinion campaign on ethical consumption, the environment, recycling and global justice called Against hunger change your lifestyle.

In 1988 Calvani was chosen by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the founder and first director of the WHO Pan-African Center for Disaster Preparedness,[1] based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

During that period, in collaboration with General Mc Caffrey, anti-drug czar of the United States in the first Clinton administration, Calvani conceived the Barbados Plan of Action,[3] the first comprehensive regional program to control and prevent drug trafficking.

Calvani promoted innovative programs for public-private partnership including a series of episodes for the large audience TV soap opera Todos Quieren con Marilyn for public information on trafficking in persons, conceived and executed with Adriana Ruiz-Restrepo.

Calvani designed a program of music events against trafficking in weapons inspired by an escopetarra, an AK-47 converted into electric guitar, in collaboration with the Colombian musician César López.

[7] In July 2007 Calvani was appointed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon new director of UNICRI (United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute).

[8] During his career Calvani has participated in specialized courses on leadership development at Harvard University (Cambridge, Massachusetts) and the management of major health emergencies in Leuven (Belgium).