MEET OUR TEAM
We’re a team made up of community activists, researchers, artists and elected representatives - all working towards building a Europe and world that is equitable, just and sustainable.
FELLOWS
Kwanza Musi Dos Santos
Kwanza is an Italian-afro-Brazilian activist raised in Rome. She works as a trainer and consultant of Diversity Management and inclusion and is also co-founder of the cultural Association QuestaèRoma, created in 2013 by a group of young Italians of foreign backgrounds with the aim to erase any form of discrimination through culture and art. Recently, she has been teaching with Dr.Camilla Hawthorne and Angelica Pesarini about Black Italy at the previous three editions of the Black Europe Summer School in Amsterdam, and she was featured in a Vice News Documentary titled “Black Lives Matter in Italy”.
Samira Ibrahim
As a hydrologist and theologian, Samira I. Ibrahim is mainly involved in scientific research and is committed to building sustainable, inclusive and resilient communities through various projects and organisations. In addition, she is Climate Ambassador for the Future from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate and a researcher at the Dutch Agency for Environmental Assessment.
Lydia Ayame Hiraide
Lydia Ayame Hiraide is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Feminist Centre for Racial Justice (SOAS, University of London). Her research thinks about ecological and Black feminist movement building. Lydia Ayame’s doctoral research on intersectionality and British environmentalism at Goldsmiths, University of London received funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
Selma Benkhelifa
Selma, a dedicated mother of four, has carved an impressive career as a lawyer with more than two decades of experience. Specialising in migration law and addressing police violence, she has been recognised for her exceptional contributions with the prestigious Kirschen Prize. Her commitment extends beyond the courtroom as she is a passionate advocate for climate issues and anti-racism initiatives in Brussels. Her activism is complemented by her academic contributions, having served as a teacher in migration law for eight years. Selma's multifaceted career showcases her dedication to justice, education, and social change.
Leo Chukwugozie
Leo is a climate justice activist and educator for political change. He understands the social and ecological crises of our time as the result of an economic system built on profit logic and neocolonial structures. After he and many others of the initiative "Lützerath Lebt" resisted a lignite mining in direct action until January 2023, he now focusses his political work on education and organising, in order to empower people to fight together for alternatives.
Fatima Ezzamouri
Fatima Ezzamouri is a project manager in Diaconía Spain and social activist. She has worked as a researcher analyzing ethnic and racial discrimination in the labour market and she is a specialist in social stratification. She has developed European mobility projects in the Erasmus+ framework, as well as coordinating the organization Sobre los Márgenes, whose objective is the socio-educational insertion of young people at risk of exclusion.
Joacine Katar Moreira
Joacine is a black historian, political and social activist and a speaker born in Guinea-Bissau in 1982. With a PhD in African Studies, a master's degree in Development Studies and a degree in Modern and Contemporary History from ISCTE - University Institute of Lisbon, her approach is transdisciplinary and her areas of interest and research are gender issues, particularly violent masculinities; development; colonial history and racism; culture and visual studies, politics and social and civic movements. She actively takes part in the public and academic debate on Gender, Colonialism, Slavery and Racism in Portugal and was an independent member of the Portuguese Parliament until 2022.
Ibtihelle Ben Mrad
Ibtihelle is passionate and committed to sustainability, renewable energies, and solidarity. Her life's mission is to leverage her expertise to make a meaningful impact on humanity. She has served as the Environment, Climate, and Gender Officer at ‘Secours Islamique France’ as well as a Green Energy Support Engineer at the ‘United Nations Development Programme’. Her professional journey is enriched by diverse working and studying experiences across the globe. Beyond her professional endeavors, Ibtihelle is an avid nature lover who enjoys hiking, coffee and is always up for a game of football.
Sefa Adzua
Sefa grew up in the countryside close to Vienna for most of her life and is currently studying and living in Vienna. Both the countryside and the city have influenced her views on the future and aspirations for the future. She has been studying Political Science for three years now. Alongside her Political Science degree, she studies Romance Studies French at the University of Vienna and currently is working at the Austrian Society for European Politics as an Assistant.
Reem El-Hassany
Reem was born in Baghdad, Iraq, and raised in Limerick, Ireland. She currently works as a Digital Content Creator in the RTÉ Newsroom. Previously, she’s worked as a Presenter/Reporter for news2day, a dedicated children’s news programme; an English teacher in Seoul, South Korea; while continuing to maintain her expertise as a qualified pharmacist. Her enduring curiosity for understanding the intricacies of the world is complemented by a natural inclination to share compelling stories discovered on her journey. She advocates for global inclusivity and equality, striving to foster a world where these values permeate every sector. She actively seeks opportunities to contribute and help create positive change.