Atlas Corps: Brazil Northern States Emerging Leaders Initiative

Brayan Torres has six years of experience in the non-profit sector and has earned a Bachelor of Social Work from the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua. Throughout the years, Brayan has inspired more than 600 volunteers from diverse backgrounds to become global leaders and change-makers in Latin America and the Caribbean. Brayan worked with a service-learning and youth leadership development program in the Dominican Republic, supporting community-based projects in order to improve the sanitation and public health of local rural communities. Previously, as a School Counselor, Brayan worked with Costa Rican youth in Monteverde by providing training and workshops about soft skills, leadership, and career advice. In addition, he was awarded a scholarship funded by the Senate of Hamburg, Germany to represent his hometown Leon, where he learned about youth mobility, cultural exchange, and conflict management. Currently, Brayan is based in Managua, Nicaragua, building technical skills in the outsourcing industry.

Lina Valencia has four years of experience working to empower young leaders and advance the rights and living conditions of vulnerable communities. Currently, Lina works for the International Center for Tropical Agriculture, one of the leading international organizations in climate change adaptation and mitigation practices, on initiatives to promote the scaling of climate-smart agriculture alternatives. Her work helps developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America improve food security and the implementation of sustainable practices. Previously, through her work at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA), Lina helped to facilitate the coordination between other UN agencies and local organizations to deliver humanitarian aid to vulnerable populations. As a young leader committed to social change, she co-founded a microcredit training program to improve low-income population access to basic goods and services in rural areas of Colombia. The program provided financial management training to communities impacted by high levels of violence and forced displacement. Lina has also volunteered with international nonprofits, such as AISEC and America Solidaria, to empower young leaders and promote meaningful social change in Latin America. Lina holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a major in International Relations, from the ICESI University in Cali in Colombia. Through her studies and experience, she has acquired in-depth knowledge of the different social, political, economic, and cultural dynamics of several countries, particularly in Latin American and the Caribbean.

Victor Rujano Bautista is a Venezuelan lawyer passionate about environmental law and social entrepreneurship. Based in Maracaibo city, Victor is the current director of CIMAS (@cimasorg), a nonprofit organization aiming to promote and defend Indigenous People’s rights and the right to a safe environment in Venezuela. Victor is also the founder of GENTE QUE EMPRENDE (@gentequeemprende), an educational initiative by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs in Venezuela, to foster best practices and tools specially addressed to overcome the vast challenges of the actual context in the country. In 2017, he was chosen to participate in the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Professional Fellowship Program, which connects top business and social entrepreneurs from the Americas. As a YLAI Alumni, he became a member of the Board of Directors of the State Alumni Venezuela, Chapter Zulia. Through his involvement on the Board of Directors, he joined forces with other Venezuelan professionals to promote impactful activities related to human rights, environment, education, culture, and entrepreneurship, and to strengthen the friendship ties between the United States of America and Venezuela. Victor is also a Delegate of the Youth Congress for Sustainable Americas, a network of leaders working on sustainability projects in the western hemisphere.

Victoria Schor has earned a Bachelor’s degree in Law from PUC São Paulo in Brazil, an LLM in European and Global Law from Universitat Pompeu Fabra Barcelona in Spain, and an MA in Human Rights from the Universität Wien in Austria. She is now pursuing two specializations from PUC Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil: one in Criminal Law and Criminology and the other in Sociology, History and Philosophy. She previously worked as a conciliator, where she conducted conciliation sessions between parties in order to reach agreements. She has also worked with human rights research, with a focus on human rights defenders, how nonviolent civil rights movements can shape international human rights law, and how individuals can engage with international organisations. She is currently part of Article 20 Network, where she provides legal assistance to protesters regarding the right to peaceful assembly and cases of the violations of human rights, including situations of police brutality. She is also part of People’s Planet Project, where she works with indigenous communities and environmental lawyers in the protection of the environment and human rights. Victoria focuses her studies on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, specifically on the rights of minorities, and the connection between human rights and the environment.