Mohammed Al-shuwaiter
Co-founder & Executive Director
Mohammed is a Yemeni jurist, (living in Canada) with an L.L.M. in international law from American University Washington College of Law AUWC, Washington DC, where he specialized in international humanitarian law and human rights. He was a Fulbright-Humphrey Fellow in Law and Human Rights at AUWCL (2014-2015). In Yemen, Mohammed obtained a law degree, and an L.L.M in Islamic Jurisprudence, and worked as a legal researcher at the Ministry of Justice, and was a constitutional consultant for the Rapporteur of the Constitutional Drafting Committee in Yemen at constitutional committee. Mohammed’s expertise in the area of international humanitarian law and human rights enabled him to provide consulting services to a number of international organizations, such as the World Bank, working on the Middle East. Mohammed has also published a series of articles. Mohammed is a native Arabic speaker, fluent in English.
Nathania Ustun
Co-founder & Board Member
Nathania is an U.S. attorney, specializing in immigration and employment law, human rights law, and arbitration. Raised in Montreal, Quebec,Canada, educated in France at Sciences Po.,with a MA from Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs in New York, and a JD from Boston College, Nathania has devoted her professional and legal career to human rights, women’s rights, and immigration law. Nathania spent the early part of her career as a political analyst and speech writer - specialized on the Middle East, Human Rights, and Economic Development at the United Nations, and also working for Diplomatic Missions to the UN, such as the Indonesian Mission. Currently, Nathania has a small solo immigration practice in Northern Virginia and Washington, DC, and is an active member and part of the leadership of the American Bar Association-International Law Section, for the Canada Committee, the Immigration and Naturalization Committee, and the Middle East Committee. She is also a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Nathania is a Canadian and French National. She is a native French speaker, bilingual in French and English, and speaks conversational Spanish, Arabic, and Turkish.
Emelie Kozak
Co-founder & Board Member
Emelie is a Canadian trained, non-practicing lawyer. She obtained a J.D. from the University of Ottawa and an LL.M. in International Legal Studies from American University Washington College of Law, where she specialized in international human rights law and gender. Emelie has worked with and on behalf of minorities and vulnerable groups in a variety of settings, including a regional human rights commission, legal aid clinics and local and international NGOs. Her areas of focus have included gender equality advocacy, maternal health, indigenous land rights and the economic, social and cultural rights of migrants and refugees. Emelie is currently pursuing her M.D. degree at the University of Calgary.
Shurooq Al-Qasemi
Communication specialist
Shurooq is a Yemeni international and European Law student at The Hague University of Applied Sciences, focusing on International Criminal Justice, with a Minor in Cultural Memory of War and Conflict from Leiden University. During her studies, Shurooq has been exploring the intersection of her legal studies, justice, and cultural memory. To this end, Shurooq is actively involved in various projects, including her role as a Research Assistant to the project's lead researcher in the "Mapping Madaniya" initiative, a project that aims to redefine the concept of a "civil state" in the MENA region. Prior to her legal studies, Shurooq was a news editor and correspondent with the Yemeni network Belqees TV. Culturally, Shurooq served as a project coordinator for the musical festival Le Guess Who, where she oversaw the production of five short documentaries about Arab artists who remain in their homeland"
Anoiar El amraoui
Liberian specialist
Anoiar lives in the city of Sefrou in Morocco. He holds a master’s degree in human rights in international law and national legislation at the Faculty of Law, Fez, Vice President of the Moroccan Center for Human Rights Education and the Promotion of Democratic Building and a member of the Center. Anoiar is currently working in the field of spreading a culture of human rights and international humanitarian law.
Maha Tambal
Project manager
Maha is a Fulbright-Humphrey Fellow Alumna at the American University Washington College of Law. Before that, Tambal served as the Civil Society Organizations Coordinator at the National Democratic Institute, Sudan Office under the USAID Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS) to support the democratic transition in Sudan. Before that, she was a Training and Partnership Coordinator at RedR UK in Khartoum and worked for UN WOMEN to support women's economic empowerment in the Darfur region. In 2018, she worked in Kenya in enhancing resilience between refugees and host communities in the Horn of Africa. In 2020, as a Reagan-Fascell Fellow at the National Endowment for Democracy, Ms. Tambal addressed the root causes of Sudanese youth engagement in violent extremism. She has published several articles focusing on the Sudanese democratic transition, including How Many (More) Sudanese Have to Die for Democracy? and UNITAMS Sudanese Political Process Dialogue Process...Success or Failure?
Urooj Mian
Gender Justice and Strategy Expert
Urooj holds a Master in Law (LL.M) in International Crime and Justice from the United Nations Interregional Crime Research Institute (UNICRI) and University of Torino, a Master in Social Science (M.Sc) in Peace and Conflict Research, from Uppsala University in Sweden, and a Bachelor of Public Affairs in Policy Management (B.PAPM) specializing in Human Rights and Law from Carleton University. Her combination of previous experience as a life-long activist, a policy-maker, and a founding executive director of a national advocacy-focussed not-for-profit forwarding the Women Peace and Security agenda, reinforces her confidence that access to justice, awareness on the rule of law, and its effective application is critical in realizing dignity for humanity worldwide. Urooj is the founding CEO at Sustainable Human Empowerment (SHE) Associates. A boutique consulting firm headquartered in Canada with a mission to empower sustainable impact and enable transformative change in the areas of gender equality, peace and justice worldwide.
Dania Qasem
Law Student
Dania Qasem is a third-year Juris Doctor candidate at the University of Ottawa, pursuing a Joint Honours in Political Science. Throughout her studies, she has taken on leadership roles that have shaped her passion for law. Dania's decision to pursue law school stems from her commitment to human rights and her desire to see greater Arab representation in the legal field. Dania's professional experiences have given her a solid understanding of the legal landscape. She has also developed policies and collaborated with diplomatic missions, gaining insights into global legal challenges and the importance of international cooperation. These roles have shaped her strategic approach to advocacy, focusing on making legal systems more inclusive and equitable. Proud of her Arab heritage, Dania brings a unique perspective to her work in human rights and law. She looks forward to contributing to impactful human rights advocacy. Dania is fluent in English, French, and Arabic.
