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Louise Kazek
France
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Louise grew up in Lyon, France and joined GICJ in January 2024 after graduating from a Bachelor degree in International relations from the University of Maine, USA. She specialised her studies in the Middle-East region and has a deep interest in international law, international relations and humanitarian issues especially in Africa where she volunteered with a NGO. With this internship in GICJ, Louise aspires to understand the challenges that the United Nations bodies are facing regarding the protection of human rights and the prevention of conflicts. She expects to receive comprehensive training regarding the UN system. She would also like to strengthen her professional experience in an international environment like Geneva. Louise is bilingual in English, has knowledge in German and is learning Arabic. She is planning on getting a master degree or LLM in International Human Rights Law in Europe to advocate for the cause of human rights internationally. |
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Julia Rowland
Italy / United States of America
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Julia joined GICJ in January, 2024. She is Italian and American but has lived in Geneva for the majority of her life. In September 2023, she completed an LLM in Law and Gender at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), in London. Since she was a young teenager, she has had a deep interest in human rights, and the human rights of women specifically. She would like to dedicate her life and work to the advancement of gender equality and the end of gender discrimination. As part of the internship at GICJ, she would like to gain practical training, experience and understanding of the international human rights mechanisms and frameworks. She would also like to cultivate her research and writing skills in order to advocate for the human rights causes she is most passionate about an NGO that actively promotes and protects these rights.
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Gilma Villatoro
El Salvador / United States of America
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Gilma joined GICJ in January 2024. She holds a double major for a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and English with a Professional Writing and Media concentration in conjunction with Rhetorical and Community Engagement concentrations from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is passionate about working with the immigrant community especially in areas of refugee and asylum law. She has worked for several nonprofit organizations in Chicago that provide legal aid to the immigrant community in the country. Gilma’s major interest is conducting legal research as well as general research in the areas of comparative politics, country conditions, and rhetorical inquiry. Gilma expects from GICJ to learn more and be trained on International Humanitarian Law and the United Nations mechanisms and conventions including participating at the Human Rights Council.
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Gautier Boyrie
Canada
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Gautier joined GICJ in December 2023. Prior to moving to Geneva in September of that year, he worked in Toronto, Canada, as an economics and policy consultant at a large firm, and as a legal researcher for an artificial intelligence company. He graduated from the University of Toronto in 2021 with a bachelor’s in political science, specialising in the intersection of law and political development. His senior thesis was on the policy of laïcité in the province of Quebec. He was an active debate competitor throughout his studies, serving as the president of Canada’s largest debating society, and winning the 2020 North American Debating Championship. He hopes to acquire extensive training in order to deepen his knowledge of international human rights mechanisms in his time at GICJ. Long-term, Gautier aims to obtain a J.D. in pursuit of a career as a litigator. |
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Sofya Losikova
Russia
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Sofya joined GICJ in November 2023, following the completion of her LLB at Oxford Brookes University in May 2023. Her particular focus lies in global affairs, specifically within the domain of human rights. Originating from Moscow, Russia, and having been raised in Geneva, Switzerland, Sofya possesses linguistic versatility, being proficient in English, Russian, and French. Opting to immerse herself in international law before pursuing a Master’s degree, she is enthusiastic about the opportunity to work with GICJ. Sofya is dedicated to acquiring comprehensive training and hands-on experience in NGO advocacy within the framework of the international human rights system. Her goal is to deepen her understanding and proficiency in this field through practical engagement and structured learning opportunities. With a solid legal foundation, she is committed to harnessing her skills and expertise to make a substantive contribution to our collective mission, such as addressing the urgent and complex human rights challenges that extend across the global landscape. |
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Zach Ziye Zhang
China
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Zach joined GICJ in November 2023. He studies International Relations at George Washington University in Washington DC, specialising in conflict resolution. He is also a Schwarzman Scholar–a graduate school program similar to Rhodes Scholars. Zach’s interests are international law, US-China relations and geopolitical risk management. Hoping to pursue a career with the UN, Zach moved to Geneva to pursue a graduate exchange program with the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations. Zach has interned in influential think tanks in China and the US as well as China’s Development and Reform Commission. Zach has had unique insights the international human rights system. He understands that maintaining the integrity of the system is the key to achieving any meaningful progress in human rights in these conflict-ridden times. At GICJ, Zach aims to gain training and more practical experience in NGO advocacy and the international human rights system. He writes reports that help NGOs safeguard the integrity of international law and hold states accountable for their actions. Zach hopes to go to law school and pursue a career in international law. |
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Breshna Rani
Pakistan
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Breshna, a Pakistani national, currently residing in the UK joined GICJ in November 2024. She completed her LLB with a specialisation in international law from City, University of London and was subsequently called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2023. Throughout her studies, Breshna has participated in international moots, produced blog posts on various international issues and maintains a keen interest in international humanitarian and human rights law. As the first Pakistani to intern at GICJ, Breshna seeks to use this platform to advocate for local issues in Pakistan and South Asia that require international recognition. Further she seeks to deepen her knowledge about international mechanisms with GICJ’s training and support. |
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Symone McCollin-Norris
Canada
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Symone joined GICJ in September 2023. She graduated in June of 2022 with a Bachelor's degree in International Relations, minoring in Public International Law. In tandem with her work with GICJ, Symone equally works for the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) as a UN 2030 Agenda Programme Associate. Working closely with the Sustainable Development Goals in the Asia-Pacific region, Symone is acutely interested in the nexus of human rights and development especially in post-conflict contexts. At GICJ, she aims, to have training to gain a deeper understanding of post-conflict reconciliation and reconstruction measures and processes within international humanitarian law. |
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Samantha Santillàn
Mexico
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Samantha joined GICJ in August 2023 as a volunteer. She graduated as cum laude from the Faculty of Law at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. She had the opportunity to enrich her career in International Human Rights Law during her academic exchange program in Palestine-Israel. She was an intern at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights where she gained precious experience in the Inter-American System. She aims to learn more about the UN work in Latin America and the Caribbean. She expects from GICJ to help her expand her knowledge in that field, through training about the international panorama, and promote human rights work. Currently, Samantha is a candidate for her specialisation diploma in Public International Law in her home country, and she is set to start her Master at Sciences Po in September 2024. |
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Lené Sophia Strydom
South Africa
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Lené joined the GICJ team in August 2023, after graduating from her bachelor's degree in International Relations with Human Rights at the University of Sussex. Having spent her formative years in diverse locations such as South Africa, India, and Geneva, Lené's upbringing in varied cultural environments has fostered a profound international perspective on human rights which she uses in her work. Her academic journey ignited a deep passion for human rights and humanitarian law, prompting her to take a year out of studying to complete an internship at GICJ to gain practical experience in human rights and humanitarian law. Throughout her internship, Lené aims to expand her understanding of UN mechanisms and the integral role of human rights law. So far, Lené has had the opportunity to receive training in this regard, particularly by participating at the Human Rights Council’s sessions. Lené is set to start an LLM in Human Rights Law in September 2024. |
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Teboho Mosebo
South Africa
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Teboho, a South African national, joined GICJ in June 2023 after graduating from his Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, majoring in Political Science and Industrial psychology. From an early age, he has developed a deep appreciation for international law and politics. That is why, he is profoundly involved in activism with the hope of fighting human rights violations. By being part of GICJ, Teboho would like to broaden his research, analytical and writing skills, especially with regards to human rights issues. He also aims to gain adequate knowledge and pragmatic training and experience about the functionning of the UN mechanisms and be part of an NGO that actively protects and promotes human rights. |
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Tamir Boldbaatar
Mongolia
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Tamir Boldbaatar joined GICJ in February 2023 as a volunteer. She holds a Ph.D in comparative tort law/product liability from School of Law, National University of Mongolia (NUM) and a master's degree in comparative political science from Faculty of Law Nagoya University, Japan. She is an international lawyer with 23 years of progressive experience in teaching at School of Law, NUM (private international law, human rights, international law) and coaching law school students for the Hong Kong Humanitarian Law Moot Court Competition. She is a visiting professor at Toulouse Capitole University in France. In recent years, she has been writing articles on the impacts of soft law on the development of international human rights law. Through volunteering at GICJ, Tamir strives to deepen her knowledge on the functioning and monitoring of the United Nations, notably by receiving training on human rights mechanisms and their interaction with civil society organisations. Tamir speaks English, Russian, and has basic knowledge of Japanese and French. |
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Ihab Al-Barrawi
Palestine
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Ihab joined Geneva International Centre for Justice in June 2022 as a volunteer and trainee. He is a 24-year-old Palestinian national, born and raised in Palestine. He holds a bachelor’s degree in public law and political science from the Faculty of Law at University of Tunis Al-Manar (2022), and is completing his master’s degree in the same specialty. He holds a diploma in Palestinian studies from the Academy of Refugee Studies. He is a member of the international law and international relations research laboratory at the Faculty of Law, and a member of the Union of Palestinian Jurists in Tunisia. He is also active in some civil society organizations and human rights organizations. He participated in many trainings on simulating the mechanisms of the United Nations bodies through the Tunisian Model United Nations. He has developped a keen interest in the Palestinian question and specifically on how to bring human rights violations to which the Palestinian people are exposed by the Israeli occupation before the various human rights bodies. Ihab hopes, through GICJ, to develop his skills in the human rights field and international law. He wishes to gain practical experience, especially through the valuable and important training opportunities provided by GICJ. He hopes to use this experience to better defend the interests and rights of the Palestinian people. |
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Motasem Subhi Salameh Jendeya
Palestine / Gaza City
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Motasem joined Geneva International Centre for Justice in October 2022. Born and raised in Palestine, Gaza City, he obtained a bachelor’s degree in Law from the Faculty of Law at Al-Azhar University in Gaza. He is currently a trainee lawyer with the Palestinian Bar Association, and is studying for a master’s degree in public law from the Faculty of Law at the University of Tunis Al Manar. As a member of the International Law and International Relations Research Unit at the Faculty of Law at the University of Tunis, he won the Gold Category Award at the Global Conference on Climate Law and Governance 2022 among 1,400 participants around the world. He was awarded with the best research paper for his work entitled :"Human Rights and Climate Justice in Light of International Agreements". In addition, in 2023, he obtained the 15th place in the anti-corruption competition in Tunisia for his research paper entitled: "Digitization is a fundamental pillar in the fight against corruption". Motasem is passionate about issues of human rights and international humanitarian law in the Palestinian territories and exposes the grave violations against the Palestinian people and the suffering of Palestinian detainees in Israeli occupation prisons, as well as the siege imposed on Gaza. At GICJ, Motasem hopes be trained on advocacy and how the UN system can contribute to shed light on human rights violations. |
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