Yasmine joined the GICJ team in April 2022. She is French and is currently studying at New York University (Abu Dhabi campus) with a double major in Political Science and Legal Studies. Yasmine speaks French and English and is conversant in Spanish, Mandarin, and dialectic Arabic. Following her childhood dreams of becoming a French ambassador, working at GICJ, will allow Yasmine to deepen her understanding of how civil society contributes to and interacts with the UN. The Center's humanitarian focus is seen by Yasmine as a precious opportunity to assist and report on human rights conferences as well as learn about human rights mechanisms through tasks such as conducting research work on human rights violations and applicable of international law. Yasmine holds a dear memory of a writing seminar called ‘Saving Strangers’ in which she focused on Western humanitarian interventions in times of human rights abuses. This fueled her endeavors to lead a purposeful career and have an impact on the world. Working with leaders in the fight against injustices and human rights violations at the GICJ, she says, ‘is the opportunity of a lifetime for any student wanting to change the world’. 

Viktoria joined GICJ in April 2022 as a volunteer. She is studying International Relations & Management at Regensburg Applied University for Technology and is currently in Geneva for an internship at ADHRB, where she is advocating for human rights in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Within her studies, she is focussing on the reinvention of liberalism in international political cooperation, especially in human rights promotion. Viktoria is working as a student assistant at the faculty of business studies. She is joining GICJ to gain a more universal view and grasp on human rights crises around the globe. Viktoria is looking forward to extend her knowledge through GICJ's training opportunities. She speaks German, English and French.

Hadil joined the GICJ team in April 2022. She is from Tunisia and is currently in her second year of university studying communication and journalism at the Institute of Press and Information Science in Tunisia. Her interest in Human Rights began when she joined different Humanitarian associations and clubs such as JCI and Rotaract as a communication assistant,  in addition to her current studies that she
considers as the perfect instrument that aims to defend, investigate, report and interest in the Human Rights Field. Hadil believes that Human rights is not confined in NGOs only, it is a culture itself that’s why she aims to spread awareness about it through art and cultural events therefore she worked as a communication/press assistant in the Human Rights Screen Film Festival that carries Human Rights Cases in films from different perspectives. In this internship, Hadil is looking to expand her knowledge about Human Rights by receiving training on Human Rights mechanisms and to gain experience that will help her develop her skills in her professional career. Hadil speaks Arabic, French and English.

Gian joined GICJ in March 2022. He graduated in February with a Bachelor’s degree in law from University of Zurich. During his mobility semester at the University of Geneva, he developed a passion for international law through studying international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Gian worked as an academic assistant both for law firms as well as on research projects at university. Before beginning his Master’s degree in international law, he is delighted to use the opportunity to work with GICJ to gain practical knowledge of international law, especially and get training on the mechanisms to address current human rights issues around the world through the UN Human Rights Council and other institutions. He is particularly interested in the connection of human rights and the protection of the environment. Gian speaks German, English, Italian and French.

Rhea Goyal joined GICJ as a volunteer in March, 2022. She is an LL.M candidate at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva. She has 2 years of domestic legal experience and 7 months of experience working in a human rights organisation. She has researched and co-published a paper on ‘Guilt Beyond Conviction: The Theory of Residual Doubt in India’ which analyses the capital sentencing laws in India. Her areas of interest are International human rights law and litigation, International criminal law and International refugee law. She is currently researching and writing on the compatibility of transitional justice mechanisms with the Rome Statute for her LL.M thesis. At GICJ, she wishes to observe closely and get training on the processes employed by the UN and its treaty bodies for the enforcement and implementation of universal standards of human rights.

Francesca Maccabruni is an Italian student of Criminology at CIELS in Milan. At university, she had the opportunity to study subjects such as criminal law, prison law, migration and interventions for integration and security, criminology and victimology, cybercrime and economic crime. In the course of her studies, she has written articles for the university on various areas of criminology: “Women and homicide”; “Paedophilia, the case of Jonìhn Wayne Gacy”; “The 10 most vicious serial killers”. In 2021, Francesca had an Erasmus experience in Tarragona, Spain, where she stayed for six months, attending the local university. Her employment as head and coordinator of activities at the youth centre and her university experiences have enabled her to acquire organisational, operational and strategic skills such as attention to details, working collaboratively and under pressure. Francesca is very interested in everything related to law, justice, defence and social security. The internship at GICJ is an opportunity for her to grow professionally and hone her skills in a field she is passionate about. This experience will allow her to receive training in human rights and international law, and learn about the structure and work of an NGO.

Conall joined GICJ in February 2022. He graduated from Glasgow University, where he studied Public Policy and Politics at undergraduate level. He is currently obtaining his Master’s degree in Human Rights Law at Queen’s University Belfast. Having been born and raised in Northern Ireland, Conall has an understanding of how violence and conflict are facilitated by the absence of human rights standards. He believes the theoretical human rights knowledge he has gained through his master degree will be complemented by gaining practical experience with the GICJ. He is particularly interested in receiving training to aid him gain a deeper understanding of the various mechanisms and institutions that are used to promote human rights globally.

Lian joined GICJ in July 2021, as a translation volunteer. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the Complutense University of Madrid and she is currently pursuing a Master’s Programme in Human Rights and Democratization at the Global Campus of Human Rights, in Venice and Hamburg. Her interests lie in migration and conflict studies, as well as researching about gender and humanitarian issues from a sociological perspective. In addition, as a former ballet student for more than ten years, Lian has found the connection between arts and human rights a very transformative and moving way to approach human rights advocacy. Alongside her current experience with GICJ, she has volunteered with other international organizations before, such as Open Arms, Spanish Red Cross and Save the Children, but collaborating with GICJ will allow her to keep learning and receiving training about many human rights issues around the world that do not receive much attention from the media and gain practical knowledge about the roles and the interaction between non-government organizations and the UN. 

Aimara joined the GICJ team in October 2021. She studied International Relations in Cuba, with a huge passion for International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights. After having initiated her career as a diplomat at the Cuban Ministry of Foreig Affairs, she went ahead to work on international cooperation projects and is currently enrolled on the Master Program on Governance and Human Rights at the Autonomous University of Madrid. Aimara is devoted to research, advocacy and policy analysis particularly on migration and refugees related issues. She has also a keen interest on the peace and development UN agenda, assessing international conflicts, protection of vulnerable groups as well as peace-making, peacekeeping and post-conflict strategies. With her experience at GICJ she hopes to learn in-depth how international organizations work for the fulfillment of human rights within international human rights mechanisms and receive training.

Tiril joined GICJ in January 2022. She is 24 and recently obtained her Master degree in law at the University of Bergen, specialising in refugee law and international humanitarian law. During her first years of studies she volunteered as a legal advisor for prison inmates. She then volunteered as a legal counselor for children. Through this work she discovered a passion for human rights protection of vulnerable groups. Before joining GICJ, Tiril worked as a Senior Executive Officer at the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She also has a three-months internship in Madrid, working in an international law firm. Her main areas of interest are refugee and migration law, the protection and promotion of children's rights and human rights in armed conflict. With her internship in GICJ she is looking forward to gaining practical experience in the international field of law. She hopes to learn more about the UN human rights mechanisms, and receive training, especially about the Human Right Council.

Natalia joined GICJ in January 2022. Born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia, she holds a Law degree from Universidad del Rosario and she is currently finishing a second degree in International Relations with an emphasis in Security, Peace, and Conflict. Besides working at the university as a teacher´s assistant, she also participated in the Harvard National Model of UN, debating mainly about Human Rights issues. In addition, she worked at the Student Council, focusing on gender issues. From her experience as an intern in the Colombia Constitutional Court, she learned more about human rights issues in Colombia. From her internship at GICJ, she aims to get professional experience and training in the field of human rights, to learn about the practical functioning of the International System, and learn about human rights mechanisms and issues around the world. She speaks Spanish, English and is currently learning French. 

Razan has joined the GICJ team in December 2021 from Malmo, Sweden. She is currently studying Peace and Conflict Studies at Lund University. Born in Iraq, to live in Syria and then reunited with her family in Sweden, Razan has developed a keen interest in human rights, migration, refugees, war and peace. She has worked with the UNHCR and gained experience and training in the field of human rights of refugees. Given the opportunity to work with GICJ, she is excited to gain more knowledge of human rights law and international humanitarian law. She speaks English, Swedish, and Arabic fluently.

Sanzhar graduated from KazGUU University in Kazakhstan, where he studied law. He is 24 and was born and raised in Satpayev, Kazakhstan. He speaks Kazakh, English and Russian. He is currently in his second and final year of obtaining his Master's degree at University of Padova, Italy. At the University of Padova he studies the Human Rights and Multilevel Governance Program, and he researches political repression in the post-Soviet area. He believes that the experience and training from GICJ will help him in the future in strengthening democracy in post-Soviet countries, as well as strengthening, understanding and protecting human rights around the world.

Amie joined GICJ in September 2021. She completed her Bachelors degree majoring in Law, Politics and Governance with a minor in Gender Studies at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Amie, a dual-national, recently immigrated to the United Kingdom where she completed a law conversion course to pursue her career as a solicitor. During this time, she worked as a pro-bono legal adviser at her law school’s housing clinic and joined Me&You, a South African company promoting racial and gender equality through educational means. She is passionate about outreach and has been involved in numerous projects including rehabilitating a South African orphanage, environmental conservation projects and creating vegetable gardens for underprivileged communities to address food insecurity.  With the training she receives at GICJ, Amie hopes to expand her knowledge of international law and gain insight into women and minority groups’ rights for the purpose of legislative reform.

Mohamed Mahmoud Feyala joined GICJ in November 2021. He pursued a PhD in public international law at Benha University and received several courses in international law from Harvard University, University of London, and University of Geneva. Before, he obtained a LLB and a master’s degree in public law from Alexandria University. Moreover, he worked as a legal advisor in the United Nations Volunteers, and he is currently a lecturer in international law at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport. Being particularly concerned with issues related to human rights and international humanitarian law, his legal and research background gives him the ability to analyse human rights violations from the point of view of international law. The involvement in an international work environment and training at GICJ will give him a great opportunity to see and learn about the latest developments and everything that is going on in the international arena. He speaks Arabic, English, and French.

Isabelle Despicht joined GICJ in January 2022. She is currently completing her bachelor’s degree in European Studies at Zuyd University of Applied Sciences in Maastricht. She is a passionate Human Rights advocate, and has a keen interest in international organizations, the European Union, security, and foreign affairs. Next to her studies, she completed an internship with the Armenian Embassy in The Hague where she researched on the Human Rights violations in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. During her semester abroad, she studied international relations at Universidad Europea de Valencia. She was involved with the International Team for Security Studies (ITSS) Verona, where she interviewed experts and wrote articles on UK and European Security. At GICJ, Isabelle would like to gain practical experience and training in the field of human rights and broaden her knowledge on the functioning of international organizations and the UN system, all while raising the profile of human rights violations worldwide.

Sivar Ahmed joined the team in January 2022. She was born and raised in Erbil, Iraq. She got a Bachelors degree in Accounting in Iraq, and a Master degree in International Relations and Diplomacy in Geneva. She has worked with International Organisations providing humanitarian aid in Iraq, such as Oxfam and Save the Children. She had a chance to work directly with internally displaced people and Syrian refugees in camps in Iraq. She is interested in human rights issues in the Middle East, particularly in Iraq, and especially issues related to freedom of expression and gender-based violence. In her internship with GICJ, she is looking forward to developing her knowledge in human rights and justice and receiving training on Human Rights mechanisms.