Our Team

Until October 2014, Carlos served as Global Rights’ Director of the Ethnic and Racial Equality Program/Advisor on the Rights of LGBTI People. He is trained as a journalist and a lawyer. Carlos is working to combat racial and ethnic discrimination and discrimination based on different sexual orientations and gender identities in the Americas and in some countries in Africa. He has 25 years of experience working with the Organization of American States and its different bodies, including the Inter-American Human Rights Protection System, Summit of the Americas Process, General Assembly, and Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs. He conducts trainings, offers technical assistance, and monitors the UN system.

Carlos worked for the Commission for the Defense of Human Rights in Central America (CODEHUCA) as an Advocacy Director and he was the Latin America Program Officer for Penal Reform International.

He holds a B.A. in Mass Media and a Law Degree (J.D.) from the Universidad de Costa Rica. He also obtained an M.A. in Human Rights from the United Nations University for Peace.

quesada@raceandequality.org

Christina oversees the implementation of Race and Equality’s programs, and designs strategies to advance organizational goals in collaboration with civil society partners.

Before joining Race and Equality, Christina was a Fellow at Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights. Her interest in social justice issues in Latin America has led her to study transitional justice in Argentina, intern with an indigenous rights organization in Ecuador, and eventually become a Peace Corps Volunteer in Paraguay. While there, Christina worked with community leaders to expand local government services, especially for women and children.

Christina is also a Professorial Lecturer in Law at the George Washington University Law School. She received her J.D. from American University Washington College of Law, where she specialized in international human rights law and gender issues, and also holds an M.A. in Latin American Studies from Georgetown University and a B.A. in Political Science from Bryn Mawr College. She is admitted to practice law in the state of New York.

fetterhoff@raceandequality.org

Elvia works on advocacy projects within the sphere of the Organization of American States, principally in favor of the ratification of the Inter-American Convention Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, and Related Forms of Intolerance.

Previously, Elvia worked for many years as the International Affairs Director at the organization Afroamérica XXI. In this role, she advocated for the Afro-Latino population and was the coordinator of many international projects for Afro-Latinos. Also, along with the organization Global Rights – Partners for Justice, she was one of the Afro-Latino leaders who helped to advocate for the creation of the Rapporteurship on the Rights of Persons of African Descent and against Racial Discrimination at the OAS. As a member of various Afro-Latino organizations, she has published numerous training materials and is the author of the book entitled Aportes del pueblo afrodescendiente. La historia oculta de América Latina. Elvia Duque studied Law at the Universidad Santiago de Cali and was born in Cali, Colombia.

duque@raceandequality.org

In her role, Carmen consults for Race and Equality’s Legal Program, seeking to strengthen the organization’s legal actions in favor of both individuals and collective groups.

Carmen is a trained attorney with a master’s in political sociology. In her previous role, she contributed to documentation and litigation strategies at the Mexican national system, as well as developing advocacy strategies towards the Inter-American Human Rights Protection System. Her work focused on populations facing structural violence and discrimination, collaborating with organizations supporting these groups. She has also carried investigative and training processes in relation to these topics.

She has been part of a number of human rights organizations in Mexico, including the Miguel Agustin Pro Juarez Human Rights Center (Centro de Derechos Humanos Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez) & Attorneys for Justice and Human Rights (Abogadas y Abogados para la Justicia y los Derechos Humanos), where she worked in the regional project “Discrimination by ethnicity and gender in the Americas: The case of Indigenous Women.” She has also been leading judicial inspector at the Supreme Court in Mexico City and directed the Justice and International Law Regional Office for Central America and Central Mexico. She has worked alongside the Inter-American Institute for Human Rights in training lawyers in Latin America to incorporate gender and race/ethnicity approaches to their legal advocacy for cases of violence and discrimination against women and discrimination against Afrodescendants, respectively.

herrera@raceandequality.org

Zuleika is the Senior LGBTI Program Officer and works with human rights defenders in Latin America to support and strengthen their advocacy capacity at the domestic and international levels.

Before joining Race & Equality, Zuleika completed the J.D. Distinguished Fellowship of American University Washington College of Law at Lesbianas Independientes Feministas Socialistas (LIFS), an Lesbian, trans, and bisexual (LTB) organization in Lima, Peru where she served as a member of its legal team and conducted workshops on LTB rights for Peruvian civil society. Additionally, she was a research assistant at the Academy on Human Rights and International Law and the Anti-Torture Initiative. Zuleika was an intern at the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL) and the Study for the Defense of Women’s Rights (DEMUS), among other NGOs.

Zuleika received her law degree from American University Washington College of Law, where she focused on human rights and gender. She also holds an M.A. in International Relations from the School of International Service of American University and a B.A. in Political Science and Public Affairs from Syracuse University. She is admitted to practice law in the District of Colombia.

rivera@raceandequality.org

Alejandro is the Compliance Officer for Race and Equality. In this role, he is tasked with reviewing organizational compliance policies, overseeing contract implementation and follow-up with contractors, as well as providing staff and consultants with training regarding procurement policies and procedures. Alejandro works closely with Senior Leadership, the Finance team and Programs to ensure effective organizational implementation of internal policies. Prior to this role, Alejandro was the Latin America Program Assistant at Race and Equality, where he provided logistical and programmatic support to the Race and Equality’s projects, as well as performing daily operational tasks for the Washington, DC office. He was also tasked with exploring new methods for improving the organization’s program impact and new development opportunities. Before joining Race and Equality, Alejandro was an intern at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, where he supported the Contracts and Grants department monitoring the implementation of various regional democracy projects, including some in Latin America and the Caribbean. Alejandro monitored federal compliance measures and supported the procurement of goods and services. Alejandro has an M.A. in International Commerce and Policy in 2015 from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA and a B.A. in Global Affairs in 2012. His focuses on human rights violations, democracy, and economic development in the Americas. He has research experience in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and his native country of Bolivia. aguayo@raceandequality.org

Catalina is the Women’s Rights Consultant. In this role, she is focused on strengthening the rights of women in the region acting as a means for them to raise their voice before international human rights bodies for their protection. Consequently, she develops activities, trainings, and research with a gender perspective. Before joining Race and Equality, Catalina worked at a Prosecutor’s Office Specializing in Gender Violence in the City of Buenos Aires. Also, she has experience working in the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights as an intern as well as on migration and refugee issues due to practices done in Buenos Aires as a student. Catalina graduated as a lawyer from the University of Buenos Aires Law School and she is specialized in Public International Law. ledebur@raceandequality.org

Getye directly reports to the Executive Director and performs all day-to-day financial transactions, as well as preparing the organization’s periodic financial reports. Getye has over 20 years of work experience in the field of accounting and financial management. Before joining Race & Equality, he worked at a publicly-owned enterprise, a coffee plantation development corporation, and in his own professional consultancy firm in Ethiopia. Getye received his B.A. in Accounting from Addis Ababa University/Ethiopia, as well as a professional certification from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) in the United Kingdom (UK). mulat@raceandequality.org

Johanna oversees the successful implementation of programming in the country assigned. It includes aiding in the coordination of the overall strategy for the country, designing and implementing programs to build the capacity of human rights activists in Latin America through training, research, advocacy, and strategic litigation.

She previously worked as a consultant for the Women’s Human Rights Institute, where she trained indigenous women to defend their rights in the Inter-American human rights system. She was also director of the Free Legal Clinic at Universidad San Francisco (Quito, Ecuador), representing victims of human rights violations before national and international bodies. She taught public international law and clinics at Universidad San Francisco’s Faculty of Law. She has been a consultant and Fellow at the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights, a consultant at the United Nations office in Ecuador, and a consultant for various civil society groups in Latin America.

Johanna received her law degree from Universidad San Francisco, an LLM in International Human Rights Law from the University of Notre Dame, and a master’s degree in international relations from the Latin American School of Social Science (FLACSO).

villegas@raceandequality.org

Julia works in close contact with local partners in the region to strengthen their legal capacities to denounce human rights violations before the Inter-American and the Universal Human Rights Systems. Moreover, in her role as Legal Program Officer, she also cooperates with the legal team in the strategic litigation of cases before human rights mechanisms. Prior to joining Race and Equality, Julia was affiliated with the American University Washington College of Law as a visiting scholar. At AUWCL, she also coordinated the Initiative on Transparency and Election Monitoring at the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. In the U.S., she worked as a “Rómulo Gallegos” legal fellow and consultant for the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Previously, in Argentina, she served as a public defender representing women victims of gender-based violence. Moreover, as a researcher, she participated in several projects sponsored by the University of Buenos Aires and dedicated to the study of the impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations. Julia has a J.D. from the University of Buenos Aires and an LL.M in International and Comparative Law from the University of California- Los Angeles. dellasoppa@raceandequality.org

In this role, Noelia coordinates at the local level the internship project for the empowerment of activists in Latin America. Noelia also supports Race and Equality’s capacity building actions for effectively implementing the Inter-American Convention against Racism, Racial Discrimination, and All Forms of Intolerance (CIRDI) in Uruguay. Noelia is a human rights defender of the Afro-descendant population of the Americas with more than twenty years of experience. She has worked on building capacity for political advocacy and advocacy in civil society organizations. At the same time, she has experience working with the Inter-American (OAS) and International (UN) System for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights. Noelia is a Popular Educator certified by the Franciscan Multiversity of Latin America with several Human Rights certifications with a Diploma in Race Relations and Social Inclusion of the Afro-descendant population. She is an independent consultant in Human Rights, Afro-descendants, and Public Policies with experience in Public Management and project management. maciel@raceandequality.org

Elliot is one of the Latin America Program Assistants. In his role, he works closely with Program Officers to facilitate, administrative, logistical, and programmatic support for Race and Equality’s projects and the Washington D.C. office. Prior to joining Race and Equality, Elliot was completing an M.A. in Latin American Studies at Georgetown University. While studying he completed a capstone study on the Chilean Constitutional rewrite in the context of other contemporary constitutional rewrites in the region in partnership with the Chilean organization Observatorio Nueva Constitución. While studying he interned with Guatemala Solidarity Project, an organization advocating for indigenous peoples’ rights in Guatemala. Before attending Georgetown, Elliot graduated with a B.A. in International Relations with Honors from Hendrix College in Arkansas. anderson@raceandequality.org

Esteban supports the organization in strategic litigation before the Inter-American Human Rights System and the Universal System.

Prior to joining Race and Equality, Esteban was concluding an MSc in International Development, with an emphasis on poverty and inequality, at the University of Manchester, UK, on a Chevening Scholarship. He also worked at the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL), where she was responsible for strategic litigation and advocacy before the Inter-American Human Rights System for cases involving El Salvador and Nicaragua, in addition to following up on Economic, Social, Cultural and Environmental Rights (ESCR) issues in the Central American region and Mexico.

Esteban received his law degree from the Escuela Libre de Derecho in Costa Rica and has a master’s degree in International Law and International Relations from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid where he was a scholarship holder of the Fundación Carolina, and a master’s degree in Peace, Conflict and Human Rights Studies from the University of Granada, Spain.

madrigal@raceandequality.org

María Luisa is a consultant for the Legal Program for Latin America of the Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights. She collaborates with strategic litigation actions before the Inter-American Human Rights System (IAHRS) and the Universal System, implementing, together with allied organizations, the legal strategy, advocacy actions and strengthening the capacities of partners in the assigned country. Before joining Race and Equality, Ma. Luisa worked as a lawyer responsible for strategic litigation in the Program for Central America and Mexico of the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL). She also worked as a professor of legal anthropology and criminology at the Universidad Austral de Chile, and as a researcher at the Center for Environmental Studies and Sustainable Human Development of the same university (CEAM-UACh). Ma. Luisa graduated as a lawyer and social anthropologist from the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain. She has a master’s degree in Economics, as well as specializations in ESCER and the rights of indigenous peoples from the University of Chile; in international cooperation and migration from the Rey Juan Carlos University of Madrid, Spain, among others. She is currently pursuing a Masters in International Human Rights Law at the United Nations University for Peace (UPEACE). gomezcomi@raceandequality.org

David coordinates the Latin American Human Rights Consortium, an initiative that brings together Race and Equality with two other international organizations to strengthen human rights in the region. In his role, he promotes a unified approach to programming, coordinates partner relationships, provides strategic advice, and promotes initiatives to strengthen partner capacity. David previously served as Director of Security and Justice for the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) in Ecuador and as a Specialist for the Department for Electoral Cooperation and Observation at the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington, D.C. David also has served as a Consultant for the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) and as a researcher at the Latin American School of Social Sciences (FLACSO) in Santiago, Chile. David holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Political Science from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, as well as a Master’s degree in Latin American Studies, with a double concentration in Government and Political Economy from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in the United States. alvarez@raceandequality.org

Fernando is a consultant for the Latin America Legal Program at Race and Equality. Before joining Race and Equality, Fernando worked as a legal consultant for various non-governmental organizations in Latin America. In Argentina, Fernando was Chief of Staff and Legal Advisor to the Secretary for Human Rights in the Buenos Aires province, where he designed and applied public policies on human rights and represented the province before international human rights protection mechanisms. Fernando has extensive experience on migration and refugee issues, international criminal law, and litigation before the Inter-American Human Rights System. Fernando has also served as an intern at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and at the Center for Justice and International Law. Fernando graduated as a lawyer from the University of Buenos Aires Law School. In addition, he holds a Master’s Degree in Fundamental Rights from the University Carlos III of Madrid. Fernando has taken many courses and certificate programs on economic, social and cultural rights, as well as development, migration and refugees. legalconsultant@raceandequality.org

Mariana works with human rights defenders in the region, managing programs to strengthen activists, journalists, dissidents, and civil society through by developing different trainings, research, and other activities. Previously Mariana worked as a program manager in a human rights NGO and as a research assistant in a think tank based in Washington, D.C. While in Mexico City, she used to work as a program manager in an educational nonprofit and other private sector companies. Mariana received her International Business and Management degree and her graduate degree in Engineering and Project Management from Universidad Panamericana – Mexico campus. tejeida@raceandequality.org

In this role, Yanitza works to design and implement innovative programs to build the capacity of human rights activists in Latin America. Yanitza initiated her legal path by working as a lawyer in Cuba, mainly focusing on civil law, criminal law, and disputes. She also practiced law in Ecuador, working as a legal advisor for the local Government of Pichincha (GAP) in Quito. Her work focused on enhancing law to protect people’s rights in a human mobility context, designing local immigration public policies, and developing advocacy strategies towards the local and national level institutions. She also actively participated in constructing the Organic Law on the Human Mobility process in Ecuador. Continuing her legal career in the U.S., she was part of the Human Rights Clinic (HRC), in Miami Law’s Human Rights Program, as a student fellow to gain experience in human rights litigation and advocacy at the local, national, regional, and international levels. Yanitza has a law degree from the “Oscar Lucero Moya” University in Cuba. She received her second law degree, an LL.M/J.D. in International Law from the University of Miami School of Law in Florida. sanchez@raceandequality.org

Jesús is in charge of executing communication actions to advocate on human rights issues in Latin America. He also supports the implementation of Race and Equality’s communication strategy. He is a social communicator and journalist from Barranquilla, Colombia. Previously, he coordinated the communications area of a Colombian NGO that fights for the rights of LGBTI+ people, and was the facilitator of a pilot project that created a model for the Colombian Police to prevent and improve attention to cases of gender-based violence. He has worked in media and human rights organizations that address issues of gender, internal armed conflict, and peace agreements. commslatam@raceandequality.org

Maria Fernanda coordinates Race and Equality’s office in Colombia. She also designs and implements programs to support our Afro-Colombian and LGBTI partners’ abilities in advocacy skills and organizational strengthening. Before joining our team, Maria Fernanda worked on women’s and LGBTI issues for the Government of Bogotá. She also has experience advising grassroots organizations on project management and researching the impact of Colombia’s armed conflict on Afro-Colombian women. Maria Fernanda studied political science at the Universidad Javeriana (Bogotá, Colombia). She also studied research design and received a master’s degree in gender studies from Central European University. She has been honored by the CEU Budapest Foundation and received a Research Fellowship from the CEU’s Internship Support Program. As a member of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ Professional Fellows Program for Economic Empowerment, she studied at the University of Connecticut and the Universidad de la Paz (San José, Costa Rica). escobar@raceandequality.org

Camila is a consultant for the Legal Program in Colombia on issues related to human mobility and human rights. She develops actions of denunciation, advocacy, dissemination of information, and accompaniment for the promotion of a dignified life free of violence for the population in contexts of human mobility. She has degrees in Law and Sociology from the Universidad Javeriana, with training in creative theories and methodologies in the construction of cultures of peace, and social mapping and spatial analysis of socio-territorial problems. She is currently pursuing a specialization in Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law at the National University of Colombia. Before joining Race and Equality, she worked as a legal advisor in different areas accompanying rural communities, Afro-descendants, people with trans life experience, and people in situations of human mobility. She has experience in migration, international protection, and asylum. Additionally, she is a field researcher and worked on the design and construction of educational programs in legal matters, as well as in the analysis of socio-territorial conflicts, advising communities in situations of vulnerability in achieving their community perspectives of future and justice. becerra@raceandequality.org

Lina is a junior researcher in the line of research and advocacy activities against racist police violence in Colombia. She is a Sociologist from the Universidad del Valle. Before joining Raza e Igualdad, Lina was a research assistant at the Universidad del Valle in the Ethnic-Racial Studies and Labor Studies research group in its different social components in projects related to affirmative action, higher education, and job placement for Afro-descendant populations. and indigenous women, processes of economic strengthening and social leadership of indigenous women, internationalization and characterization of Colombian Universities and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) of the United States. Lina has participated in the Afro-descendant Foundation for Social and Sexual Diversities SOMOS IDENTIDAD in activities related to training processes from a gender and ethnic-racial approach, in activities to accompany and disseminate affirmative actions for the Afro-descendant population in higher education. She was a scholarship holder of the Martin Luther King program carried out by USAID, Embassy of the United States and Colombo Americano. In 2017 she participated in the School for Advanced Studies in Ethnic-racial Inequalities: dialogues between Africa, America and Europe at the Universidad del Valle. investigacioncali@raceandequality.org

Pablo is in charge of coordinating communication actions and generating content in Colombia, in addition to supporting the execution of the Institute's campaigns at a national and regional level. Before joining Raza e Igualdad, Pablo worked in the interagency project of combination prevention for HIV, “Haz tu Parte”, implemented by the United Nations Population Fund UNFPA-Colombia. There he was part of the creative team and led the communications area of the educational strategy. Pablo studied Social Communication and Journalism at the Uniminuto University and his focus is audiovisual production for digital platforms. periodista@raceandequality.org

In this role, Sara is in charge of coordinating the administrative, financial, and logistical policies of the Race and Equality office in Colombia. Before joining Race and Equality, she worked as an Administrative Assistant at the Feminist Kolective Corporation. She also worked at the Humanas Corporation as administrator of the project “Support for the construction of public policies with a gender approach in Colombia”, financed by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation. Sara is a Business Administrator from the Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia (UNAD), and has extensive experience in planning, executing and optimizing financial resources, mastery in establishing excellent business relationships and office management. logistic@raceandequality.org

Angélica is a consultant for the Legal Program for Colombia of the Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights. Collaborates with strategic litigation actions before the Inter-American Human Rights System (SIDH) and the Universal System, and supports the Racial Justice line of the Institute in Colombia through national and international advocacy actions and the strengthening of the capacities of organizations of Afro-Colombian civil society. Before joining Raza y Igualdad, Angélica worked as a consultant on human trafficking in Panama, Costa Rica and Colombia for the Justice Education Society and as a Latin America Advisor for the Minority Rights Group. She has been a legal and human rights advisor to various territorial entities in Colombia and a Young Researcher for the Colombian Ministry of Science and the Colombian Caribbean Observatory. She was also an intern at the Tippecanoe County Courthouse Public Defense Office in Indiana, United States. Angélica graduated as a lawyer from the University of Cartagena and has an LL.M. from Pennsylvania State University with a concentration in race and equity studies which she completed as a Fulbright scholarship recipient. She has been an opinion columnist in Colombia and a speaker at various national and international conferences on human rights, receiving recognition and distinctions for her research work. ricaurte@raceandequality.org

Luz implements the communication strategies of the LGBTI Program working with staff and activists in the region to promote the LGBTI+ work of Race and Equality and our partners. Previously, she worked as a consultant in the area of communications for various feminist non-governmental organizations such as the Estudio por la Defensa de los Derechos de la Mujer(DEMUS), Movimiento Manuela Ramos, and Lesbianas Independientes Feministas Socialistas(LIFS), all dedicated to the protection and promotion of the human rights of women and LGBTI+ and gender diverse people. She has experience carrying out communication campaigns for political and social advocacy incoordination with independent activists, groups, and civil society organizations. Among her most prominent campaigns is #LesbianasCedaw and Generación Z; the first was part of a coalition of human rights organizations and the second, part of a project by UNICEF, Promundo, and Movimiento Manuela Ramos. Luz has a B.A. in Journalism and Communication from the Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC). lgbticomms@raceandequality.org

Lawyer and Coordinator of the Race and Equality Brazil Program. Rodnei is responsible for managing the projects, programs and strategic alliances of Race and Equality in Brazil. For 23 years he acted as lawyer and coordinator of SOS Racism of Geledés – Black Women’s Institute. He has a postgraduate study in Human Rights from the University of São Paulo (USP), postgraduate in Human Rights and International Law from the Advocates Training Program at Columbia University (NY), also a postgraduate in Civil Law and Civil Procedural Law. Litigator with vast experience in the defense of the rights of the Black population. Since 2001, he has been acting before the International Human Rights Protection Systems, both in the Inter-American Human Rights System and the Universal Human Rights System. jerico@raceandequality.org

Nathaly Calixto (she/her) serves as the Brazil Program Officer and is located in the Washington DC office. Her role involves representing the Brazil office at an institutional level in DC and advocating for our partners, effectively elevating their concerns to the highest levels of human rights protection. She actively engages with influential stakeholders, such as the US Congress, State Department, the OAS, and prominent human rights organizations with a regional and global impact. Nathaly is a lawyer specializing in International Politics and Human Rights, with a Master’s in Political Science and International Relations from NOVA University of Lisbon, and SciencePo-certified in International Migration. She has worked in Brazil, Sri Lanka, and Portugal, conducting research in the fields of migration, international politics and human rights. calixto@raceandequality.org

Leilane works with the strengthening of Brazilian organizations to combat racism and gender violence, and to promote and defend human rights at the national and international levels. Leilane is a lawyer, with a master´s degree in law and public policies. She has experience in criminal law. Before joining Race and Equality, she has worked to combat violence against women, and also as a legal assistant in supporting refugee and refugee seekers. She is currently working on her Ph.D. at PUC/Rio, where she is researching environmental migrations and refuge. She is also a researcher on human rights, forced displacement, extractivist, and environmental justice, with a focus on race and gender. reis@raceandequality.org

Mariah Rafaela Silva (she/her) is a black transgender woman and lives in the periphery, graduated in art history at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. She holds a master’s degree in history, theory and criticism of culture at the State University of Amazonas and a PhD in Communication at the Fluminense Federal University in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Mariah has more than 13 years of experience with civil and social rights movements and organizations. She studied Gender and Migration at Universidade Nova de Lisboa and did field research during her masters at the International Slavery Museum. As an activist, teacher and researcher, her subjects of study focus on violence and the production of subjectivity in the global south, racism and LGBTIphobia in the social media, promotion of human rights in favela territories, art and sociology, and digital citizenship for LGBTI black persons. Her research led her to develop studies and works in England and in the Amazon region of Brazil. Mariah is the author of several publications in Brazil and abroad, in the most varied fields of knowledge, such as the arts, culture, pedagogy, sociology, philosophy and, mainly, in the field of promoting the human rights for black and LGBTI persons. silva@raceandequality.org

Paolla handles all communications work for our work on LGBTI rights in Brazil and supports the implementation of our region-wide communications strategy. Before joining us, Paolla worked in the field of public relations, particularly in cultural and business promotions. She has focused her past work as a journalist and communications specialist on the topics of race, gender, and intersectional feminism, especially the development of Afro-descendant identity and consciousness for social movements seeking racial and gender justice. Paolla is trained as a journalist and holds a master’s degree in Culture and Territory from Universidad Federal Fluminense (Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil) jornalista@raceandequality.org

Ana Carolina Mattoso is a lawyer and, in Race and Equality, works as LGBTI Officer in Brazil in articulation with the regional LGBTI Program. Ana Carolina holds a PhD in Law from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro. Her main areas of interest are Law and Race Relations, Decolonial Feminism and intersectionalities of race, gender and sexuality. She is a professor at the Department of Law at PUC-Rio, a researcher, speaker and conducts training on racial and gender diversity in several institutions. mattoso@raceandequality.org

Gaia is the advocacy officer in Geneva and coordinates the advocacy activities before international human rights mechanisms in Geneva, Switzerland. Prior to joining Race and Equality, Gaia worked with the Mexican Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in the democratic space unit, where she focused on the monitoring of abuses against human rights defenders, journalists and during peaceful protests. Additionally, she worked in different local and international human rights organization on human rights education, particularly on international human rights mechanisms, in Chile, Germany and Switzerland. Gaia holds an Msc in Human Rights from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a BA in International Studies with a specialization in the Latin Americana region form Leiden University. hefti@raceandequality.org

Camilo is responsible for designing and carrying out Race & Equality’s advocacy strategy before the European Union (EU) institutions and its different bodies. Prior to joining Race & Equality, Camilo has worked for European and Latin American NGO networks, implementing advocacy strategies towards the EU with the aim to promote a human rights-based approach in its relations with Latin America and the Caribbean. As a consultant he has facilitated strategic planning and project design processes for civil society organizations, conduct research, policy analysis and drafting of studies. He was also advisor on international affairs and cooperation for the Ministry of Culture of Colombia. Camilo holds a BA in Economics from Universidad de Los Andes in Colombia, and an Advanced Master in European Integration and Development from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium. tovar@raceandequality.org