Elina Siegfried
Switzerland
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Elina Siegfried joined GICJ in February 2022. She is a law student from Basel. After having successfully absolved her Bachelors in Law at the University of Basel, she moved to Geneva and is currently enrolled in a bilingual Masters program in International Law. Even before her studies, she has already been able to gain considerable experience in the international sector. Having lived in the USA during her High School Years, worked on a "hacienda" in Chile, participated in Volunteering programs in Asia and worked as a flight attendant on the international network, she developed valuable skills in international relations and confirmed her interest in human rights. At GICJ, she hopes to receive training about human rights mechanisms, and more particularly, the functioning of the Human Rights Council. Having been enrolled in several volunteering programs for the CRC Youth, Yayasan Bali and other activities, she supports the team with her enthusiastic and inter-cultural oriented approach and engagement.
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Sarah Tayara
Syria
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Sarah joined the GICJ team in September 2020. She studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at University College London, and is currently studying Law after securing a training contract at international law firm Hogan Lovells. Sarah is passionate about human rights matters in the Middle East, and particularly in Syria due to her Syrian origins. Sarah has embarked on multiple trips to Syrian refugee camps in Lebanon and Turkey to meet with Syrian refugees and learn more about their human rights situation. With GICJ, Sarah hopes to be able to shed light on the ongoing struggles of refugees, particularly women and children, and to expose the gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law both in Syria and beyond, all while receiving training in the field of human rights. |
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Lola Stirling
United Kingdom
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Lola joined GICJ in November 2021. She is currently completing a degree in English and French law at the University of Sheffield in the UK and is spending her study abroad year in Geneva focusing on International law. She has long been passionate about international affairs and human rights violations. Her family was heavily impacted by both the Troubles in Northern Ireland and the Holocaust and emigrated to England as a result. She has gone on to become an ambassador for the Holocaust Educational Trust, a well-known and highly regarded charity in the UK. During her schooling, she participated in debates concerning Middle Eastern events and politics; she is proud to have never lost a debate over the two years she actively participated and led them. With GICJ she intends to gain training and experience working in the field of human rights and is specifically interested in humanitarian conflict and gender-based violence. She is a native English speaker, speaks French fluently and is currently teaching herself Spanish. |
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Jamel Nampijja
Uganda
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Jamel was born and raised in Kampala, Uganda, and currently resides in Geneva, Switzerland. She is currently the Vice president at IcSquared GMBH with duties including strategic planning, business negotiations, product hunting, and is the diversity and inclusion advisor at IcSquared. Jamel holds a Masters in Advanced studies in Peace and conflict transformation from Swiss Peace Academy, University of Basel and a bachelor’s degree in Public Relation. She has worked with local councils with youths and development and is motivated by positive social change and social movements like the civil rights movement and the fight against racism and segregation. Through this volunteer opportunity at GICJ, she would like to gain practical experience and broaden her knowledge in the field of human rights, international law, and justice. |
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Patricia Jjuuko
Uganda
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Patricia Jjuuko is Ugandan with over 10 years of professional experience in the social security and life insurance sectors. She is passionate about seeing individuals being treated with fairness and this eventually led up to heading the Client Service Department of Sanlam Life Insurance in Uganda, where she defended the rights of clients and ensured they had a good experience. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Development Studies from Makerere University in Uganda and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Refugee Protection and Forced Migration Studies at the University of London in the UK. Patricia was born and raised in Kenya and has lived in Uganda and the United States. She now lives in Nyon, Switzerland, with her husband and three sons.
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Charlotte von Bremen-Khüne
Germany
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Charlotte joined the volunteer team of GICJ in October 2021. As a lawyer, she is currently employed as a Research and Teaching Assistant at the University of Augsburg where she is also undertaking her PhD with a focus on International Human Rights Law. After graduating from law school in 2018, Charlotte decided to broaden her horizons and enrolled in an LLM Programme in International Law at the University of Bristol. During this additional master's course, she acquired great knowledge in fields such as Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law and gained experience working in the human rights sector as she volunteered for the Human Rights Implementation Centre and the Refugee Law Clinic Cologne. |
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Payton Brooke Focht
United States of America
Payton Focht joined GICJ in September 2021. She is from Washington and she is currently in her third and final year of obtaining her Jurist Doctor degree at Gonzaga University School of Law. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Global Politics from Washington State University, as well as two minors in History and Communications. In addition, she had the opportunity to study in Ireland where she learned the history and politics of the country and was introduced to the human rights related issues of the Troubles. She recently took human rights law related courses in Italy where she had the opportunity to participate in a mediation competition and the Black Lives Matter as a Global Movement conference. Payton hopes that her internship will provide her with invaluable training and experience in the international human rights law where she is able to grow her knowledge of the field as well as be surrounded by like-minded professionals that are passionate about human rights. |
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Marc Gancedo
Spain
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Marc is from Spain and joined GICJ in September 2021. He recently obtained a masters on human rights having achieved a bachelor's degree on international relations and political science from the University of Birmingham (UK) prior to that. Before joining GICJ, Marc worked on local level for FIBGAR, an NGO committed to fighting for transitional justice. With GICJ, he hopes to obtain a better understanding and training on the international system for the protection of human righ ts. His main areas of interest are international criminal law, counterterrorism and transitional justice. He is fluent in Spanish, Catalan and English and has a good understanding of French. |
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Buba Ceesay Gambia
Buba Ceesay is legal practitioner enrolled in The Gambia bar in 2019. He holds a Master of Law degree in Crossed-Cultural Business Practice (LL.M in International Contracts and Arbitration) from the University of Fribourg. Prior to this, he obtained a Bachelor of Laws (LL. B) from the University of The Gambia and pursued a post-graduate at The Gambia Law School leading to the qualification of a Barrister-at-Law (B.L) in 2018. Buba worked as an associate (junior legal Counsel) at Mari Bantang Chambers, a local law chamber in The Gambia, where he conducted litigations in both civil and criminal cases at the lower courts and acted for domestic clients in transactions and disputes. He also works as adjunct law lecturer at the Gambia Technical Training Institute, where he lectured Business and family Law to students pursuing diploma in law. Buba is keenly interested in International Law, promotion and protection of Human Rights, Transnational Justice, Environmental protections and most importantly, Business and Human right. He joined GICJ to gain extensive knowledge in human rights protection and promotion and their enabling frameworks. Buba Speaks English, Mandinka, and Wolof and handles basic conversation in French. |

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Mutua K. Kobia
Kenya / Switzerland

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Mutua Kobia joined GICJ in January 2017. After graduating with a Master Degree in International Relations and Diplomacy from the Geneva School of Diplomacy (2013) in Geneva, Switzerland, Mutua has been very active in the NGO Community in Geneva. Gender relations, the environment, and indigenous communities has been the interest and focus of much of his work particularly at the United Nations Human Rights Council. Mutua also holds a Bachelor of Philosophy from Hope College, Holland, Michigan. He intends to expand his knowledge in the field of human rights, international law, and justice as well as taking a more hands on approach and involvement with grass roots work and local on-the-ground projects. |
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