Geneva International Centre for Justice Independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization Independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization
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2018-2019

Elizabeth Cole

United Kingdom

Elizabeth joined GICJ in September 2019. She graduated in June of the same year with a bachelor's degree in History and Politics from the University of Manchester. She is particularly interested in human rights and refugees, and is looking to pursue a master's degree in Human Rights Law in the near future. During her studies, she pursued a focus on the Middle East and the wider Islamic world, and is particularly interested in Iraq and the  influence of the US on world politics. Having previous experience working with refugees, she would like to become more of a specialist in human rights issues more broadly, and hoped to develop this while working at GICJ.

Valentina Ferreira Gutierrez

Chile 

Valentina joined GICJ in August 2019. She completed a master’s degree in Foundations and Practices of Sustainability at the University of Lausanne. During her studies, she developed a keen interest in indigenous people’s cultures by working with associations defending the rights of the Mapuche people in Southern Chile and Argentina. She decided then to focus her final research on the animist view of the world by indigenous peoples and shamanism as a relational knowledge. Her principal areas of interest are human rights of indigenous peoples, women and LGBTQI+ people, but wishes to expand to a broader perspective by working at GICJ especially on racism, right to development and human rights during armed conflicts.

Audrey Ferdinand

France

Audrey joined GICJ in July 2019. She has a master’s degree in international legal Careers from the Faculty of Law of Grenoble. Before that, she obtained a first-year master’s degree in international private lay and European law from the Faculty of Law of Strasbourg. She wrote her master’s research paper on the protection of international civil servants within international organisation, focusing on the International Labour Organization’s administrative tribunal. She developed a keen interest in human rights and has been active with NGOs in Geneva and volunteering with Amnesty international and associations working towards the insertion of refugees. Her areas of interest include human rights, humanitarian law, transitional justice, cyber security, and the SDGs. During her stay at GICJ, she aims to improve her knowledge in these fields.

 

Christopher Gawronski

United States

 

Chris joined GICJ in August 2018. He has a U.S. law degree (J.D.) from the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A. and is a Finn International Service Fellow. Chris’s interest in international law led him to GICJ where he hopes to gain first-hand experience interacting with UN agencies and practical knowledge about the use and development of international law regarding human rights. Chris has a keen interest in the international law of outer space and how space law and human rights can promote a more just and sustainable future for humanity. Chris also holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in urban planning and has lived and worked in the US, Canada, and the Middle East.

Isabela Zaleski Mori

Brazil

Isabela joined GICJ in June 2019. She is a lawyer in civil law, but as a professional aiming at contributing towards the promotion of individual, social, and economic rights especially in developing countries, she decided to change her work area in Brazil to be specialised in general international law.  Isabela holds a first year of master’s degree in International and European Law from the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, and she recently completed a second year in International Legal Careers from the University of Grenoble. She has a keen interest in women’s rights, refugee protection and indigenous peoples rights. At GICJ, she aims to gain in-depth knowledge about the United Nations Human Rights mechanisms and practical experience in the field of human rights. Isabela has experience in the public and private sector and has also lived in France, Australia and Italy.

Giorgia Airoldi

Italy

Giorgia Airoldi joined GICJ in February 2019. She graduated in March 2018, with a Master Degree in Law from the University of Bergamo, Italy. She majored in particular in International Criminal Law, with a final dissertation on the issue of Human Trafficking in Nepal, after gaining first-hand experience during an internship in Kathmandu. She is particularly interested in human rights and refugee law and she completed in 2019 her Second level master’s degree in Migration Law. Her thesis was about Israel’s migration policies and the issue of Palestinian Refugees: legal, legislative and comparative aspects, written after field research conducted in Jerusalem.

Rita Franceschet

France / Italy

Rita joined GICJ in February 2019. She is currently completing her master’s degree in International and European law at the University of Geneva Law School. Passionate about law and translation, Rita pursued her studies in legal translation and law at the University of Geneva Law School. Rita successfully completed a specialization programme in European Law and Institutions at the European Institute of the University of Geneva and she recently completed a six-month legal internship at the Centre for European Legal Studies, Jean Monnet Excellence Centre, of the University of Geneva. Since 2014, she has been working in Geneva as a teaching assistant of law and as a consultant for public information. Rita has a keen interest in human rights, sustainable development, intellectual property and International litigation. She speaks French, English, Spanish, Italian and German. In the future, she would like to work as legal advisor and professor of law.

 

Giulia Marini

Italy

Giulia joined GICJ in February 2019. She is a pursuing a master’s degree in Human Rights and Multi-Level Governance at the University of Padua. She is currently studying international law at the University of Geneva, with a deep focus on international humanitarian law, international human rights law and the interplay between those fields. She developed a particular interest in the application of international human rights law in contexts of armed conflict. In her free time, Giulia has volunteered for many civil society organizations both in Italy and abroad dealing with human rights, social injustices and organized crime. During her work at GICJ, she aims to obtain a comprehensive knowledge of the several UN human rights mechanisms and to network with the different stakeholders present in Geneva.

Elisa Cifiello

United States / Italy

Elisa joined GICJ in February 2019. Elisa is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in International Relations at Boston University, with a track in International Systems and World Order, and a regional focus on South Asia.  Currently, Elisa is doing a semester exchange with the University of Geneva. Elisa grew up in Bangladesh and Israel, and volunteered with children with disabilities, and with a refugee resettlement agency in Boston. Elisa hopes to pursue her career in line with international development, and to learn more about the right to development.

Pia Siebert

Germany

Pia joined GICJ in January 2019. She is a law student from the University of Münster in Germany and is currently studying international law with a focus on international human rights law and international humanitarian law in Geneva. On top of her studies and her professional interest in human rights, Pia is passionate about supporting socially disadvantaged people by volunteering with the Red Cross, Amnesty International’s local groups and various other local projects in both Germany and Switzerland. During her work at GICJ she aims to obtain in-depth knowledge about the human rights bodies of the United Nations and practical experience in the field of human rights. Her areas of particular interest are humanitarian issues, disarmament and international humanitarian law. Apart from her mother-tongue German Pia speaks English, French, Spanish and Polish.

Mutua K. Kobia

Kenya / Switzerland

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.

Aditi Ramakrishnan

India

Aditi joined GICJ in May 2019. She is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Business Administration at the University of California, Berkeley. She is particularly interested in development economics and international business, and hopes to use these to tackle socioeconomic inequality in the developing world. Previously, she has worked with nonprofits in India that serve underprivileged youth, the elderly, and disabled students. At GICJ, she has focused on the emerging issue of business and human rights; the Middle East, the rights of women, and the role of social media and technology in violating or facilitating human rights. From her experience, she hopes to gain international perspective on tackling injustices, and on the existing mechanisms that bind institutions to ethical policy and practice.

Benedetta Viti

Italy

Benedetta Viti joined GICJ in January 2019. She holds a Master Degree in Arabic Language and Middle Eastern Studies and she recently completed a Diploma in United Nations and Global Challenges from the Graduate Institute (2017) Geneva, Switzerland. Benedetta has working experience in Marketing & Communication in Switzerland, UK and the MENA Region and has been active with NGOs in Geneva, UK and Italy. She has a keen interest in human rights and the activities of the United Nations Human Rights Council; she believes in the integration of human rights in the economic sphere and the advancement of sustainable development through human rights.

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