Human Rights & Civil Liberties

Patrícia Imada has over seven years of experience tackling social and gender inequalities and fostering women’s and youth empowerment in the nonprofit sector, public institutions, and social businesses. She earned a Post-certificate degree in Social Innovation Management from Amani Institute and a Master’s degree in Gender Studies from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. Her most recent experience was as head of Relationship, Diversity & impact at PrograMaria, helping the social startup achieve its mission of promoting women’s participation and inclusion in technology, considering the intersectionalities in between gender and race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic conditions, age, disability, among other factors. Throughout her career, she has worked in the management and operations of several projects addressing topics such as youth leadership and empowerment, responsible tourism and awareness about social inequalities, women’s digital inclusion, women’s economic empowerment, prevention of sexual violence against children and women, and youth political education, having worked in some of the poorest and hardest to access areas in Lima, Peru. Patrícia is constantly seeking the best ways to create a positive, sustainable, and holistic impact through her actions, aiming for a better and just world, with worthy lives for all.

Host Organization: Girl Up

Role at Host Organization: At Girl up, Patricia will serve as the Girl Up Global Operations Fellow: directly supporting Girl Up’s Senior Director, Global Operations in building and launching Girl Up’s global affiliate network, including supporting the first two pilot affiliate entities in Mexico and Brazil.

For approximately more than 11 years, Veronika Oxtafia has been working in the Public Prosecutor Institution (Attorney General Office of The Republic of Indonesia). As a Public Prosecutor Officer, Veronika Oxtafia handled multiple criminal cases and there are parts of them dealing with crimes against children. Within her law enforcement duties, Veronika focuses not merely on law enforcement efforts, but on the other side, she as well as committing deterrence duties to overcome or at least decreasing the number of crimes against child/children, and as consequences, the children would still receive their physical and/or psychological protection amongst their society later on and still could get their bright future. Due to those reasons, Veronika has committed sort of cooperation with Dinas Pemberdayaan Anak dan Perempuan (Child and Woman Empowerment Service) under the Merauke District Government to makeover District of Merauke to be a region with its characteristic that welcome and care towards children through several deterrence efforts such as establishing a halfway house for street children in District of Merauke.

Tyas Pusposari is an Indonesian social researcher with a profound interest in gender justice and grassroots activism. She currently works as a Learning and Evaluation Officer at Global Fund for Women where she supports its grantmaking strategy and organizational learning through monitoring, evaluation, and learning. Previously, she worked with several Indonesian grassroots organizations, mainly leading research projects. Her research spans from conducting comprehensive studies on child trafficking in Indonesia to mapping philanthropic support toward SDGs, to analyzing the Indonesian domestic workers’ rights movement. Recently, she worked with a grassroots disability organization to establish and develop its M&E systems for a program on ending gender-based violence against women with disabilities in Yogyakarta, funded by UN Trust Fund. She completed a Master of Public Administration as a Fulbright Scholar at Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey where she wrote a thesis about the Indonesian Muslim women’s rights movement. She is based in West Java.

Eka Christiningsih Tanlain (she/her/hers) is an experienced and passionate human rights educator who likes to conduct training for state apparatus and the public with various methods and games. She also has experience in developing modules, organizing public campaigns, and developing campaign tools. She has concerns about minority groups, gender & sexuality, and psychological impact in the helping profession. But she also keeps expanding her knowledge in other human rights issues such as torture, human rights defender, human rights cities, and others. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Jember University. Currently, she is pursuing a Master’s program in Social Psychology at Unika Atma Jaya with a focus on health.

Gustika Jusuf is an early-career researcher, activist, feminist, podcaster, public speaker, and occasional writer based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Like many millennials, it is not easy to put Gustika into a single box. Gustika currently works at IMPARSIAL (The Indonesian Human Rights Monitor), where her research encompasses the security sector reform policy, conflict, and human rights violations in Indonesia. Gustika is passionate about the intersectionality between gender, the military, statehood, and decolonization. Gustika had recently co-founded Girl, Peace, and Security–named as an hommage to UNSCR 1325–a learning initiative that aims to spark the interest of young women and girls in the defense and security sector, hoping to break from the masculine stigma attached to the field in Indonesia. Presently, Gustika is also involved as a National Consultant in the implementation of the Asian Development Bank’s JobStart pilot project in Indonesia. Gustika earned her Bachelor of Art in War Studies from King’s College London and wrote her dissertation on Indonesian women in peacekeeping. Over the same summer, her essay on the formation of outlaw motorcycle gangs in the United States post-world wars was selected for the LSE Centre for Women, Peace, and Security Conference. Some of Gustika’s writings in English can be found in The Jakarta Post and her personal blog on Medium. Prior to her current endeavors, Gustika interned at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Jakarta. Simultaneously, she also fulfilled a role as Youth Advisor to United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Indonesia.

Valeriya Ermilova has two years of experience in the nonprofit and business sectors and earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the Higher School of Economics in Moscow. While working as a Public Relations Manager for the LGBTQ Rights Organization, she wrote articles based on interviews and led projects to promote awareness of the current state of Russian LGBTQ rights. Previously, Valeriya worked at the global cybersecurity company Kaspersky, on the project “Coalition Against Stalkerware,” aimed at deterring gender-based digital violence and sexual abuse. Apart from that, Valeriya is contributing as an Internal Relations Manager to the Board of the European Youth Parliament (EYP), a non-governmental youth-led organization. Engagement in international sessions of the EYP as a delegate, journalist and organizer, strengthened her communication, planning, and problem-solving competencies. Valeriya is also interested in promoting gender equality and youth leadership and plans to explore the human rights aspect of peacebuilding while studying for her Master’s degree.

Maria Melnikova has over ten years of experience in marketing project management, where she developed skills in BTL, CRM and events, that she is eager to apply for social good. Maria’s childhood years in Libya, Syria, and Iraq provided her with an understanding of cultural diversity and the challenges faced by different communities, which subsequently led to her further interest in working in a global environment. Maria has extensive volunteering experience for AIESEC Brazil, UNV online, todogood, and ProCharity platforms in Russia. Maria graduated from the Allrussia Academy of Foreign Trade with a Bachelor’s degree in Foreign Trade Management and from Moscow Higher School of Business MIRBIS with a Master’s degree in Marketing Management. Additionally, Maria joined the European Center for Peace and Development as a candidate for the MBA program in 2018. She is an enthusiastic lifelong learner in cross-cultural communication. Maria believes in a world without borders and in 2020 joined the Civic Assistance Committee to work with refugees and migrants in Russia. Maria enjoys traveling, water sports, and caring for her foster labrador Martha.

Ely Cossio is a lawyer specializing in human rights, international humanitarian law, and transitional justice. With over five years of professional experience, she has developed extensive expertise in human rights advocacy, fact-finding, research, litigation, capacity-building, and community engagement. Her work primarily focuses on ethnic rights, territorial rights, transitional justice and reconciliation, and international criminal justice. Ely received her Master’s Degree from Duke University, where she was awarded the Duke Law Pro Bono recognition for her social engagement and community service. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Transitional Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law from the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights. Currently, she supports the research work of the Transitional Justice Team of the UN-OHCHR.

Alina Shaikhlislamova focuses on the goal of improving healthcare in Russia and the world by increasing the availability of innovative medicine for everyone. Alina possesses communication and organizational skills and has experience organizing and leading a volunteer team of ten people to teach schoolchildren to sort consumption waste and improve the environment. Alina also has technical and medical knowledge gained from over eight years as a Medical Equipment Sales Manager, Biomedical Engineer, and Implant Modeling worker. For almost three years now, Alina works as a Design Engineer of implants and medical equipment, where she wrote four know-hows and filed a patent. Alina’s main tasks are communicating with customers, forming a concept of a product, implementing modeling a prosthesis or equipment using software, and drawing up a report on the work done. Additionally, Alina is a Research Assistant at the Cyprus University of Technology in Cyprus. Together with her team, Alina is developing a new generation of portable blood analyzers. Working as an Engineer and Scientist, Alina continually participates in various scientific exhibitions and symposia. She annually makes scientific reports as a popularizer of science at city educational sites. Alina is concerned about the political and human rights situations in Russia. Alina would like to see her native country and fellow citizens take initiative for the country’s ecology, tolerate and respect each other, and know and defend their rights.

Allison Coady is a Senior Development Officer at Partners In Health Canada. Allison served as the Interim Director of Major Gifts at Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières-USA (MSF-USA). She joined MSF-USA as the Development Officer for Foundations, responsible for managing strategic relationships with US-based foundation donors. She has extensive international experience working on the ground in 13 African countries in the field of human rights. Prior to working at Doctors Without Borders, Allison was based in South Africa representing Canada’s International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development (Rights & Democracy) and served as Programs Manager for the Denis Hurley Peace Institute (DHPI) in Pretoria. During her time with Rights & Democracy, Allison implemented projects aimed at strengthening the capacity of civil society organizations in their efforts to document human rights violations and protect the rights of Zimbabwean asylum seekers. At DHPI, Allison coordinated conflict management, good governance, and constitution-making training programs for local leaders in Ethiopia, South Sudan, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe. Allison is a member of the associate board of ALIMA (the Alliance for International Medical Action). She holds a Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Pretoria and a Bachelor of Arts from Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada.

Anna Rountree brings over a decade of experience in international affairs, women’s and children’s rights, and mental health. Anna’s expertise lies in developing large-scale programs and campaigns that create opportunities for underrepresented populations. As Director of Communications at Clubhouse International, Anna plays a crucial role in amplifying the organization’s impact on individuals living with mental illness and driving engagement by developing and overseeing campaign strategy and tactics. In her prior Development roles at Clubhouse International, Anna used her interpersonal and writing skills to develop initiatives that grew constituency, helped meet financial goals, and influenced stakeholders. Anna’s focus on a rights-based approach has been instrumental in strengthening the impact of the Clubhouse network. On the Advisory Board of ECHO, Anna helps to build global capacity for emergency medicine, and on the Clubhouse Racial Justice Committee, Anna addresses inequities experienced by people of color living with mental illness. Anna edited the Governance and Rights Framework for the International Rescue Committee; prepared analytical reports for the General Assembly and Security Council, helping to secure passage of resolutions; and scrutinized policing of poorer communities as Associate Producer at CBS. Anna earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, double minoring in French and International Affairs from Binghamton University, and a Master of Arts in International Affairs from The New School. Anna’s practicum, Bridging the Gaps: Implementation of Comprehensive Abortion Care in Ethiopia, inspired much of her subsequent focus on the voiceless. Anna loves to travel, read, and meet people. She is committed to promoting the voice of underrepresented populations.

As Senior Communications Manager, Courtney Calardo oversees the overall development and implementation of BRAC Ultra-Poor Graduation Initiative’s (UPGI) communications strategy. Prior to joining BRAC UPGI, Courtney was the Communications Manager at Family Planning 2020, where she worked to promote greater access to and information on sexual and reproductive health for women and girls around the world. Courtney brings 10 years of experience in strategic communications with a primary focus on international development. Courtney has provided strategic communications and partnership development support to social entrepreneurs with innovative, evidence-based solutions for major global issues, as well as key implementing partners, and worked to promote the integration of innovation in development programming overall during her time at USAID. With additional experience in the private sector as a consultant, Courtney has supported the development and execution of communication strategies for academic institutions, international governments, NGOs, and the private sector. Courtney graduated from Indiana University Bloomington with a B.A. in Journalism and International Studies, focusing on human rights and photojournalism.