CIVICUS Staff

A human rights lawyer by training, Mandeep specialises in legislation relating to the core civil society freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly. He is passionate about improving civil society’s participation in decision making, and has written extensively on the intersection  between civil society, sustainable development and international affairs. Previously, Mandeep advised the International Committee of the Red Cross in New Delhi. He has also worked with the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative where he helped develop human rights modules for Commonwealth Parliamentarians and co-authored a citizens’ handbook on human rights commissions in India.  Presently Mandeep oversees CIVICUS’s work on defending civic freedoms and promoting democratic values while leading organisational engagement at the UN headquarters in New York.

Linked-in | Twitter

Claire oversees and coordinates CIVICUS financial and organisational planning, as well as investments, assets and facilities. She also manages expansion activities and relationships with partners/vendor, while also designing and implementing business strategies, plans and procedures designed to ensure CIVICUS’ health and sustainability. Claire has over 20 years finance/ operations experience, working mostly in in global civil society organizations, such as the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, International Planned Parenthood Federation, Marie Stopes International, and the International HIV/AIDS Alliance.

Linked-in

Andrew co-leads CIVICUS’s work to research, analyse and share understanding about global civil society trends and the political, economic and social changes impacting on civil society. Motivated by a commitment to internationalism and social justice and determined to try to make sense of the world, he’s also worked in fields such as cultural policy and people’s participation in governance. He served CIVICUS in several earlier roles, worked extensively as a freelance research, editorial and communications consultant and previously worked with the Commonwealth Foundation, an intergovernmental civil society agency.

Originally from Argentina but now living in Montevideo, Uruguay, Inés designs, supervises and conducts CIVICUS research on civil society action around the world. Having started her career in academia, she also teaches university classes on Comparative Politics and Global Civil Society, connecting to her everyday work on social movements and human rights. A political scientist by training, Inés also did photography studies, so she keeps looking for the ‘perfect shot’ everywhere she goes. She is passionate about women’s rights struggles both as a researcher and as a participant in what she views as the most successful revolution in modern history.

Linked-in | Twitter | Website

Samuel is a UK-based researcher currently working on the ENSURED project, a study of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

He has experience working both in the non-profit and private sector, including a policy analysis position with the International Music Council, a civil society organisation linked to UNESCO.

Samuel holds an interdisciplinary Master’s degree in International Relations from the Sorbonne Nouvelle University as well as a MA in Transnational Studies from University College London.

He is passionate about civic space issues and global governance reform, and is fluent in English, French and Spanish.

Elisa is a Researcher Intern with the CIVICUS Lens team. She has worked on refugee and migrant education in Geneva and contributed to research and reporting at the Human Rights Council for civil society organizations. Passionate about human rights, refugee protection, and social justice, she thrives in multicultural settings and speaks four languages. She is currently pursuing a Master's in International Humanitarian Action (NOHA) with a focus on IHL and in her free time she enjoys traveling and baking.

As the Junior Research Officer, Victoria supports the CIVICUS Lens Initiative and contributes to the production of the State of Civil Society Report by collecting data, conducting interviews, producing content and assisting in dissemination efforts on civil society action around the world. Victoria also teaches Conflicts and International Security at Universidad Torcuato Di Tella where she eraned both her BA and a MA in International Studies. Fluent in Spanish, English and French, Victoria has a diverse professional background across private, public and non-profit sectors which has deepened her understanding of multi-stakeholder environments and fuelled her interest in exploring the intersection of human rights, security and civil society engagement, leading to some publications of her own.

Linked-in

Manal Bidar is a climate activist and youth advocate from Agadir, Morocco, with over eight years of experience advancing climate action and youth engagement. She is the founder of both the Moroccan Regional Youth Governments Initiative, which mobilized over 20,000 young Moroccans to participate in policymaking, and the Moroccan Youth Climate Council, an initiative empowering young people to address national climate challenges.

Manal has worked with more than 30 organizations, including YOUNGO (the official youth constituency of the UNFCCC), the UNCCD Youth Caucus, and the African Youth Climate Hub, focusing on integrating young people into decision-making processes and promoting inclusive climate policies. She currently serves as the Communications Coordinator for the Water Youth Network, where she works at the intersection of water and climate policy.

She holds a double degree from Duke University (USA) and Duke Kunshan University (China) in Institutions and Governance, with tracks in Political Science. Her thesis explored the impact of youth institutionalization on youth influence within the UNFCCC COP processes.

Her career highlights include participating in over 20 major global conferences such as the United Nations Youth Climate Summit, COP27, COP28, and COP29, where she has been a dedicated voice for climate justice, youth empowerment, and sustainable development.

Outside of her professional work, Manal enjoys swimming, reading manga, and watching anime. She is passionate about inspiring youth and advocating for bold and inclusive climate policies toward a sustainable future.

Asma Darwish is an award-winning human rights defender of Arab-Persian origin, currently based in France. As a student, she was involved in Bahrain’s 2011 Arab Spring protests & has since become a passionate advocate for freedom of expression, civil & political rights, & women's rights. With numerous published articles, interviews & academic contributions, her strength lies in verbal & written communication. As CIVICUS’ Campaigns Officer, she leads the WeRise! Initiative, MENA Advocacy, & the Stand As My Witness Campaign. A mother of four—plus a cat, dog, fish, & a collection of thriving plants—Asma speaks Arabic, English, French, & Farsi. Aspiring to one day speak Spanish & Turkish as well.

Paul Mulindwa is a governance and development practitioner, with a PhD in Governance and International Relations from the University of Johannesburg, majoring in Development and Human rights studies. He holds MA in Policy Development and Practice from the University of Cape Town; MA in Human Rights from Makerere University in Uganda; Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from University of Pretoria, and BA Philosophy from Pontifical Urbaniana University, Italy. Paul has extensive experience of about 20 years in governance, sustainable development, international relations, social justice, climate Change, environmental justice, and peacebuilding. Paul has worked with various multi-lateral institutions, international, and regional organisations..

Website

Rajavelu Karunanithi is a human rights lawyer from India, with a Masters degree in international law. He has previous experience working on protection of human rights defenders (HRDs) at risk in India. Until recently he has been working with FORUM-ASIA on civic space issues in South Asia.

Rey leads the Advocacy and Campaigns cluster of CIVICUS and ensures the implementation of advocacy and campaign actions and projects effectively in different regions, in coordination with CIVICUS members, partners, and other clusters. Before CIVICUS, Rey worked for children's rights, gender equality, humanitarian, good governance and anti-corruption organisations and projects in the Philippines, the Asia-Pacific region, and globally.

Eduardo is joining CIVICUS as Advocacy and Campaign Officer, LAC and EU SEE, where he will contribute to addressing civic space restrictions. With a background in Political Science and Law, Eduardo is passionate about working alongside civil society to foster democratic values. Prior to joining CIVICUS, he acted as program manager and research officer for different international organizations, where he worked in projects related to democracy, the rule of law and human rights in Latin America. Outside of work, Eduardo is actively involved in activism to promote public space in San José, Costa Rica, city where he lives.

Nazlı Türker (she/they) works as the project coordinator for the EU SEE Flexible Support Mechanism, collaborating with civil society actors to address civic space restrictions and foster an enabling environment for civil society.

A queer-feminist activist with an MA in Political Science, Nazlı has spent the past decade leading rights-based projects focused on strengthening civic space, promoting peacebuilding, advancing gender equality and LGBTQIA+ rights, and enhancing activist well-being and resilience.

In addition to her coordination work, Nazlı is also a certified Standing Tree Qigong trainer and facilitator, where she combines body movement, storytelling, and various facilitation techniques to create safe spaces for rights defenders and activists, fostering resilience, self-care, and creativity within the rights-based movement.

Carolina leads the Innovation and Quality Management work at CIVICUS, bringing a wealth of experience spanning strategic design, program execution, and disruptive innovation. Throughout her career, Carolina has led and contributed to initiatives amplifying collective power across the so called Global South (the Majority of the world). As an innovation specialist, she has crafted internal processes that magnify impact and uphold excellence standards for organisations like CIVICUS and Amnesty International. Carolina advocates for a Quality and Innovation practice imbued with intersectional, feminist, antiracist, and anticolonial values, drawing from her multidisciplinary background in systems change, human centred methodologies for design, public engagement, and narrative practices.

Linked-in

Nwabueze Chibuzor is the Programme & Network Coordinator for the Digital Democracy Initiative, responsible for overseeing and managing its implementation. He has close to a decade experience working for various organisations in the international development sector like GIZ, British Council and Center for Democracy & Development. He has managed and implemented different programmes across various thematic fields and specializes in democratic governance, citizen engagement, civil society strengthening, state institution strengthening in fragile contexts and public policy development and analysis. He has strong technical interest in maximizing the roles that civil society and government play in how citizens and other relevant stakeholders can be engaged in democratic governance beyond the ballot.

Linked-In

Safia works to gather and share the myriad of ways that innovation and multi-sectoral input lead to sustainable solutions towards a more equitable world. She works to incubate new projects at CIVICUS with a particular focus on cross-organisational collaboration for greater efficiency and impact. Safia is committed to amplifying the advocacy efforts of indigenous communities in their fight for freedom and justice. She supports the global call to #FreePalestine.

Damilola Babatunde is a Project Manager and Policy Advocate with over 5 years of experience managing entire project life cycles, from design and implementation to monitoring, evaluation, and reporting. He is currently a Senior International Youth Advisor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, where he advises on foreign trade and development cooperation. Damilola has also served as a consultant for esteemed global organizations such as the United States Institute of Peace, the Queen's Commonwealth Trust, and the Population Council.

As the Innovation and Quality Management Specialist, Silvanos leads efforts to set, review, and uphold standards of excellence. He facilitates innovation and collaboration through designing and coordinating key forums, events, and processes that enhance CIVICUS' mission to support excluded voices and foster civic engagement. Silvanos also ensures the organization continuously adapts its systems and practices to meet evolving challenges.

Seun is a Project Officer - Host Liaison for the Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI) at CIVICUS. His career in the development practice spans eight years working as full-time staff and consultant for organizations including CSOs and government. His project management expertise covers a broad spectrum of critical issues, from electoral processes and media freedom to anti-corruption initiatives, local governance, healthcare, gender equality and financing. Prior to joining CIVICUS, Seun led an accelerator program designed to empower women-led SMEs in Nigeria and Cameroon. In this capacity, he forged partnerships with financial institutions to enhance funding accessibility for program participants.

Vincy is the Project Officer, Host Liaison for the Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI) at CIVICUS, with seven years of experience in the development sector. A dedicated feminist, she champions accountability, governance, and innovative solutions to tackle systemic injustices at the grassroots. Before joining CIVICUS, Vincy commissioned a youth accountability ambassadors’ program tasked with holding local leaders accountable for their actions. She holds a degree in Gender and Development Studies and has been recognized as a Peace Ambassador by the Institute of Economics and Peace (IEP). Vincy loves artivism and is a passionate mental health enthusiast.

As Programme Officer of Digital Democracy Initiative, Yessenia coordinates the digital resiliency grants. Yessenia is a communications and development professional with 20 years of experience working mostly in the international development sector in conservation, sustainable development and production, education and arts, human rights, and civil society funding and philanthropy. She loves creating creative and compelling content, products, and strategies that engage people in topics, causes and actions that help the world become a better place.

Ine joined CIVICUS in May 2013 as a Research Officer, initially coordinating the Enabling Environment National Assessments (EENA). She joined the CIVICUS Monitor as a regional researcher in 2018, and currently leads the Civic Space Research cluster.

Josef Benedict is a researcher covering the Asia Pacific region for the CIVICUS Monitor. Prior to this he worked with Amnesty International, leading campaigns on Southeast Asia and the Pacific including on civic space, police accountability, impunity and the death penalty. He has worked for over two decades on various human rights issues in the region.

Twitter

Laura Van den Eynde is a human rights researcher and adjunct lecturer at the Free University of Brussels in Belgium. She holds a degree in Law and a Master in Human Rights and Democratization, as well as a degree in international socio-legal studies from Stanford Law School. Her PhD focused on the interactions between civil society organizations and the judiciary. Before joining CIVICUS, Laura worked as a researcher for the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. She resides in Washington D.C., USA. Her work and volunteer experiences emphasize the critical role of civil society actors in upholding fundamental rights and the importance of comparative data in enhancing the understanding and respect for these rights.

Tara Petrović leads research on Europe and Central Asia for the CIVICUS Monitor. She is a human rights lawyer and civil society activist based in Belgrade, Serbia. Prior to her role at CIVICUS, she actively contributed to the Serbian civil sector, focusing on non-profit law, the development of an enabling environment for civil society activities and civic space. Alongside her legal expertise, Tara has also worked as a journalist and fixer. She wants to contribute to a world where diverse voices and initiatives thrive and is passionate about protecting civic space and fostering activism.

Nelson Baiye Mbu is a Civic Space Research Officer and an expert in human rights. For the CIVICUS Monitor, he covers the Central, Western, and Lusophone regions of Africa. Previously, he was a Human Rights Reporting, Analysis and Investigation Officer at the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office/MONUSCO in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Nelson has a doctorate in International Human Rights Law from the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, South Africa.

As EU & SEE Research Officer at CIVICUS, I contribute to advancing civic space and human rights in Europe through research, monitoring, and advocacy. With over seven years of experience in documenting human rights violations and leading international advocacy efforts, I’ve worked closely with local NGOs, UN bodies, and regional mechanisms across Latin America and beyond. I’m passionate about building cross-border solidarity to support grassroots movements and challenge shrinking civic space. 

Sigrid Lipott is leading the CIVICUS’s UN Geneva Hub in the role of UN Advisor. Sigrid works with UN bodies and mechanisms across various policy and legal frameworks and thematic areas, ranging from human rights to peace and security. Sigrid has an interdisciplinary PhD in Transborder Policies from the International University Institute for European Studies and has over 10 years of experience in research, policy, and project management in international organizations, think tanks, and civil society coalitions. She loves to work across geographic and sectoral divides and is passionate about international negotiation and human rights protection. She speaks Italian, French, English, and has working knowledge of German and Spanish.

Jesselina Rana, a human rights lawyer and feminist activist from Nepal, is the United Nations Advisor at CIVICUS' New York Hub. She leads civic space engagement, civil society participation, and international law/policy research at the UN headquarters, drawing from her prior grassroots work in Nepal, where she significantly contributed to the country's politico-legal feminist discourse. Her advocacy resulted in impactful reforms, including changes to rape laws, menstrual-health tax policies, and acid violence legislation, positively transforming Nepal's legal landscape. As the co-founder of Pad2Go, a menstrual health enterprise in Nepal, she has earned national and international acclaim. A graduate of Harvard Law School, Jesselina is fluent in English, Nepali, Hindi, and conversational Urdu.

Linked-In

Olimjon Bakhtaliev works with the UN Geneva Hub, supporting the organization’s engagement with UN human rights mechanisms, including the Human Rights Council and Universal Periodic Review. He has over eight years of experience with international organizations in Central Asia and Geneva, including the UN OHCHR, Saferworld, and UNDP, focusing on civil society development and human rights.

A member of the Pamiri Indigenous minority from Tajikistan, Olimjon has been a committed advocate for Pamiri rights, bringing their concerns to international platforms, particularly within the UN.

He speaks English, Russian, Shughni (Pamiri), and Tajik fluently, with conversational Farsi and working proficiency in French.

LinkedIn

My name is Greta, and I am a Human Rights intern at CIVICUS, supporting advocacy within the Geneva cluster and contributing to efforts that protect civic space globally.

Currently pursuing a Master in International Development and Management at Lund University, my focus spans from cooperation and food security to migration, SRHR, and inclusion.

What fuels me is the co-creation of knowledge with people on the ground and the belief that meaningful change happens when we listen deeply, act collectively, and dare to reimagine justice.

Nipuna joined CIVICUS in early 2023 inspired by its commitment to promoting civic action. He is a firm believer of freedom of expression as a pre-condition to both achieving progress and human rights.

Nipuna brings over 15 years’ experience shaping narratives, enabling people’s movements, and campaigning for positive change. He’s led media and communications work from grassroots to international levels, working for and with Oxfam, EarthRights, UN, civil society, and media partners.

Originally from Sri Lanka, he won the Colombo University’s Juin Aoki Journalism Award. His desire to shift mindsets and create positive behavior for change, had him successfully complete a psychology MSc from Heriot-Watt, UK.

Kgalalelo Gaebee is a digital communications enthusiast passionate about human rights, social justice, and equality. She holds an MA Degree in Media Studies from University of the Witwatersrand. Before joining CIVICUS, she worked as a Programme Coordinator at Media Monitoring Africa, where she was involved in various programmes related to promoting ethical journalism, youth/children’s rights advocacy, research, and digital media literacy.

Linked-In

Lerato Pagiwa, Communication Officer, facilitates the communications objectives of our membership, youth and International Civil Society Week teams in addition to managing our social media channels. Lerato's interest lie in exploring how current and future means of communication can be used to connect people in an increasingly globalised but disconnected world.

As a Liaison Officer, Tanya supports the networking and outreach activities of the Secretary General’s office. She works closely with teams coordinating CIVICUS’ external engagements – including advocacy, networks and media – to effectively harness and position the voice, presence and influence of the Secretary General in support of the aims and outcomes of the CIVICUS alliance. Based in South Africa, Tanya has spent the past few years gaining skills and experience in various communication media – including radio, social media and cinematography. She believes in using communication tools to give people around the world fair and unbiased access to information.

Linked-in

Silvia leads multilingual communications at CIVICUS. She supports global campaigns, advocacy efforts, and CIVICUS networks with strategic communications and multimedia resources.

Passionate about languages and cross-cultural collaboration, Silvia brings a keen eye for detail and a results-driven approach to projects that amplify diverse voices. With a background in architecture, development cooperation, and music, and over a decade in the development sector she is committed to driving impactful change through effective and inclusive communications.

Lindiwe Moyo, Finance Manager, oversees the day to day running of the CIVICUS finance department. Based in Johannesburg, Lindiwe has a strong accounting background with extensive experience in various accounting functions in various accounting standards namely IFRS (for Republic of South Africa and Switzerland entities) and US GAAP (for the United States entity). Lindiwe is good and effective at multi-tasking, detail oriented with strong analytical and problem solving skills.

Linked-in

Catherine has over 20 years’ experience working with humanitarian organisations in Africa and beyond. She is passionate about economic empowerment, poverty alleviation, disaster and humanitarian relief. Catherine has worked as part of the coordination team for CHARM. CHARM comprises of six consortium partners and her major role is to support the partners achieve their project objectives in areas of financial and grants management, budgeting, compliance and financial reporting.

As a Finance & Grants Officer, Adam manages the financial aspects of grants and funding within CIVICUS. I oversee the financial processes of obtaining and managing grants, ensuring compliance with funding regulations, and optimizing financial resources for project success.

James joined CIVICUS as a Finance & Grants Officer from Church World Service where he previously worked as Senior Regional Finance Specialist in charge of Budgeting, Reporting & Compliance. Prior to joining Church World Service, James worked with Samaritan’s Purse South Sudan where he presided over Grants, budgets and financial transactions.

James holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Accounting from the University of Nairobi and is currently pursuing MSC degree Finance from the same college. Additionally, he holds ACCA qualification from Strathmore University. James looks forward to being part of the change that CIVICUS stands for. Also, he loves listening, reading and telling tales.