This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , (Sweden), Director

Bjorn Pettersson brings 20 years of broad international human rights experience, working in Geneva, Latin America, Asia and Africa with the United Nations (OHCHR, DPKO, UNICEF,UNDP) and several human rights IGOs and NGOs. Bjorn has considerable senior management experience both with the United Nations and international NGOs. He has worked directly with national human rights institutions and human rights defenders in Colombia, Bolivia, Nepal, and Sierra Leone and therefore brings a field perspective to ISHR’s activities.

International Human Rights Defenders Programme, Geneva 

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , (Switzerland), Manager

Michael Ineichen joined ISHR in 2006 as an intern and has since worked for the organisation in a number of capacities. His primary area of work relates to monitoring and advocacy around the Human Rights Council and all aspects of the institution building. Prior to joining ISHR, Michael has worked for the Geneva International Model United Nations (GIMUN), a student-run NGO educating youth in issues related to the UN. Michael holds an MA in International Relations from the Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva.

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , (Burundi), Human Rights Officer

Chantal Mutamuriza holds a Master of Laws from the University of Burundi and has completed a number of trainings in International Human Rights Law including the Advanced Geneva Training Course on International Human Rights Law and Advocacy organised by ISHR. Founder and former president of ACAT-Burundi (Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture), she was a human rights activist within Burundian Civil Society for a number of years. She worked for TFF (Transnational Foundation for Peace and Future Research) as associate and Liaison for TFF project in Burundi, for four years. Prior to joining ISHR, she was working with the African Commission for Human and Peoples' Rights as an assistant of the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights' Defenders.

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , (Isle of Man), Human Rights Officer

Heather Collister holds a Ph.D. in Political Philosophy from Princeton University and an M.A. from the University of St Andrews (Scotland). Prior to joining ISHR she worked as project coordinator with the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, New Delhi, where she carried out research and advocacy on the situation of human rights defenders. She has also undertaken research assignments for UNICEF India and the South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre, New Delhi.

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , (United Kingdom), Training Specialist

Lizzy Openshaw holds a Bachelor of Arts in Modern Languages, a Masters of Arts in Human Rights and various teaching qualifications including the Trinity Diploma in Education. She has worked for 15 years in various capacities in the field of education as a teacher, education specialist, trainer, manager and curriculum adviser for various grammar schools in Austria, the British Council in Spain and Thailand, the Ministry of Education in Ethiopia and Durham University in the U.K. She is passionate about learning and believes that education is fundamental to achieving human rights for all. As well as being the in-house training specialist at ISHR, she also manages the professional development programme for interns.

Regional & National Human Rights Defenders Programme

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , (Togo), Manager

Clement Nyaletsossi Voule, a long time activist and lawyer, completed his postgraduate studies at the University of Nantes in France. Before joining ISHR in May 2006, he was Secretary General of Amnesty International in Togo (2000-2002) and has occupied several other positions within the organization, such as head of the training program, head of the lobbying team and coordinator of the jurists network and of the campaign for the International Criminal Court in Togo. He was a founding member and Secretary General of the Togolese Coalition of Human Rights Defenders from 2002 and program coordinator of the West African Human Rights Defenders network from April 2005. 

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , (United Kingdom), Human Rights Officer

Eleanor Openshaw has a Bachelor of Arts in Modern History and Modern Languages from the University of Oxford, and a Masters in International Relations (MA) from London Metropolitan University. At ISHR she works as a Human Rights Officer in the Regional and National Human Rights Defenders Programme. Prior to joining ISHR, Eleanor coordinated work on human rights defenders in the Policy Programme at Amnesty International's International Secretariat. She also has experience working for Peace Brigades International in a variety of capacities.

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , (Burundi), Human Rights Fellow

Vanina Gahore holds  an International Master in Peace, Conflict, and Development Studies from the University of Jaume I (Spain), and a Diploma of Specialisation in Economic, Social and Cultural Rights from the Henry Dunant University College (Geneva, Switzerland). Prior to  joining  ISHR, she worked as a joint project manager of the Caux Forum for Human Security (CFHS). She has also completed internships with the International Federation for Human Rights, the Women' s International League for Peace and Freedom, and the World Federation of United Nations Associations.

Programme Support Unit 

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , (USA), Manager, Development & Fundraising

Christopher Duckett holds a Bachelors degree cum laude from UCLA and a Masters degree from Lund University (Sweden). He has also studied at Berkeley and Amsterdam. After an initial career in financial services, Chris worked for a rapidly growing international NGO, which brought him to five continents. He has eight years of experience in human rights development and fundraising work.

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , (New Zealand/Switzerland), Manager, Communication & Outreach

Olivia Starrenburg holds a Bachelor of Communication Studies from Auckland University of Technology, and a Certificate in e-Marketing from the Marketing Association of New Zealand. Before joining ISHR in September 2010, Olivia worked in a variety of communications and marketing roles, and has solid experience across private, public and NGO settings.

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , (Switzerland), IT & Web Officer

Philippe Gervaix joined ISHR in August 2011 to manage the organisation's IT infrastructure and Website. Before joining ISHR, he worked for twelve years as IT manager in private sector companies based in Geneva. He holds a technical degree from a Geneva technical school and various Web and IT certifications.

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , (Switzerland), Finance Officer

Julie Pervangher holds a maturity degree from Geneva commercial school. She worked for seven years as an accountant in a medium size real estate agency in Geneva before deciding to dedicate her career to the humanitarian field. Further to this, she worked for an Italian NGO (CIAI) in India and for Fondation Hirondelle in Lausanne as finance officer for African radios in conflict zones.

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , (Switzerland), Finance Officer

Chantal Recupero holds a Bachelor degree in business and administration from the University of Applied Sciences in Geneva. She completed her degree in parallel with a part-time job as accountant for the public administration. She worked in various companies in the finance department before joining ISHR in December 2009 as Finance Officer. 

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , (France), Administration

Anne-Sophie holds a Master degree of Organisational Psychology from the University of Bordeaux II, France and has also studied at the University of Deusto in Bilbao, Spain. She has 6 years' experience in administration and human resources in France, Ireland and Japan. Prior to joining ISHR, Anne-Sophie worked as Administrative Assistant in an Irish organisation providing funding and support for their charity members in their development work, which brought her to several countries in Africa.