Transatlantic Inclusion Leaders Network (TILN) 2023 Fellows
Launched in 2012 by the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF), the US Department of State, and the US Helsinki Commission, the Transatlantic Inclusion Leaders Network (TILN) is a program designed to connect and inspire emerging leaders to excel in elected office and other leadership roles, to advance inclusive policies, and to engage with transatlantic policymakers. Participants comprise a diverse group of leaders under 35 years old from the United States and Europe who have proved their commitment to fostering community, diversity, and inclusion. TILN has an alumni network of more than 200 leaders from 34 European countries (including Eastern Partnership countries and the Balkans) and 22 US states. Alumni hold elected office in bodies such as the US Congress, the European Parliament, and national and local governments, or hold senior corporate and civil society roles.
The 2023 TILN fellows will start their program in late January with six months of distance learning and a one week in-person experience in early May. The in-person portion of the program includes participation in Brussels Forum, GMF’s flagship conference, and engagement with high-level policymakers, business and civil society leaders, and GMF alumni in Brussels.
TILN program is supported by grants from the US Department of State (American Embassies in Brussels, Madrid, Oslo, Paris, and The Hague), the Meridiam Endowment Fund (Archery), the Open Society Foundations, KfW and Fundación ONCE.
GMF is proud to present the following 22 remarkable individuals (in first name alphabetical order):
Fellows
Adam Tricha (Belgium)
Attorney
De Borman & Counet
Adam (he/him) is an attorney based in Liège. He is a Belgian-Moroccan citizen and has a degree in European affairs from the College of Europe in Bruges. He also holds a certificate in finance from Harvard Law School. Adam has a keen interest in transatlantic policy and has traveled extensively to gain firsthand knowledge of his area of study. Adam hopes to draw from his multicultural background to build a world in which mutual understanding and commitment to better societies will be at the cornerstone of all policy.
Alba Brojka (Albania)
Head of Local Branch
Regional Youth Cooperation Office
Alba (she/her) leads a local branch of the Regional Youth Cooperation Office in Albania. She previously worked in the civil society sector. Alba believes that change is possible when people are empowered. She is a political scientist and has served as an advisor in the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs through the LEAD Albania fellowship. Alba has also worked as special representative on youth and security for the Albanian (2020) and the Slovak (2019) chairmanships of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). She worked in the Western Balkans with OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the European Endowment for Democracy, and the Albania National Democratic Institute. Alba has volunteered for civic and youth initiatives and attended trainings on leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School and on project management at the World Federation of United Nations Associations. She holds an MA in international relations and European diplomacy from the College of Europe, as well as degrees in political science (University of New York Tirana) and law (University of Tirana).
Alex Szilveszter Bodnár (Hungary)
Committee Member
Municipality of Budapest
Alex (he/him) has served on the Municipality of Budapest’s Culture, Education, Religious Affairs and Nationalities committee representing the ninth ward since 2019. He has lived in the city since the age of eight. Alex graduated from Corvinus University of Budapest where he studied international relations, specializing in European integration. At university, Alex was a leader in the House of European Affairs and Diplomacy (HEAD), a student organization dealing with diplomacy and European affairs. In this position, Alex learned from policymakers, former ambassadors, and diplomats. He held an internship at the City Diplomacy Unit of the Municipality of Budapest, where he gained insight into local governance and city diplomacy. Alex has been a member of the Hungarian Democratic Coalition since 2016.
Anisa Mahmood (United Kingdom)
Senior Parliamentary Researcher and Advisor
House of Commons
Anisa (she/her) is a senior parliamentary researcher and advisor for the UK Labour party with expertise in human rights, foreign policy, and racial discrimination. She has worked on Parliament’s Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill and is currently the chief communications officer of the Equality Act Review Campaign. She also sits on the executive committee of the New Diplomacy Project, which helps develop Labour’s foreign policy and conducts research into trade deals, the Afghanistan crisis, and the rising threat of populism, among other topics. Anisa organized a historic campaign to support Uyghur rights during Islamophobia Awareness Month in 2021 and secured the first-ever UK Parliamentary debate on the subject. In conjunction with the Muslim Council of Britain and Amnesty International, she planned the first ever cross-party parliamentary drop-in event on domestic and international Islamophobia.
Carlos Hermida García (Spain)
Regional Director
Fundación ONCE
Carlos (he/him) is a regional director for Fundación ONCE in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. He has served as a board member for the Special Employment Center Association Business Federation in Castilla-La Mancha since 2021. Carlos has worked as a psychologist, a local councilmember, and in public administration. His areas of expertise are inclusion, social responsibility, digital transformation, and corporate volunteering. He also has extensive experience in disability rights advocacy. Carlos was born in Toledo and holds degrees in psychology, business coaching, and human resources management from San Pablo University Madrid.
Charla M. Burnett, PhD (Michigan, United States)
International Development Specialist, Michigan State University
Founder, OrganizingTogether and Umoja House
Charla (she/her/they/them) is a social scientist and research methodologist focused on citizen science and resource allocation using geospatial technologies. She coordinates multilateral and bilateral international development projects. Charla has worked with international organizations in the Middle East and West Africa and has experience in migration, environmental, and conflict resolution policy. She currently supports Michigan State University's International Development Research Agenda as a USAID proposal development specialist for the department of Global Innovations in Development, Engagement, and Scholarship (Global IDEAS). In 2019, Charla founded OrganizingTogether, a laboratory for citizen science, which helps grassroots organizers conduct scientific studies for policy change. Charla founded the research nonprofit organizations Migration Alliance Partnership (MAP) Network and the International Society for Participatory Mapping (ISPM). For this work, she received an award from the University of Massachusetts Boston. In 2021, Charla started the Umoja House in her home city of Lansing, Michigan. The Umoja House is a temporary home for migrants, refugees, asylees, and internally displaced persons with a focus on victims of gender-based violence.
Cheyenne Sanders (California, United States)
Senior Staff Attorney, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians
Board of Directors, Native Action Network
Cheyenne (she/her) is an attorney based in California practicing federal Indian and tribal law. She works for a tribal government in southern California and advises her client on tribal sovereignty, economic development, and governance development. Cheyenne previously served as judge for a Washington state tribe. Cheyenne is a citizen of the Yurok Tribe and descends from the Village of Weitchpec and the House of Tse-kwel. Cheyenne has worked for her own tribe, successfully litigating for the release of water to protect the Klamath River and its biodiversity. She remains active in the Yurok Tribal Government, currently serving as an appointed leader of the tribe’s economic development corporation. Cheyenne is passionate about Indigenous representation in government and sits on the board of directors for Native Action Network, a non-profit organization committed to advancing the voice of Native and Indigenous women at local, tribal, federal, and international levels.
Ece Çiftçi (Turkey)
Founder and President
SosyalBen Foundation
Ece (she/her) believes that a better world can only be achieved with civil society participation and active citizenship. She has worked as an advocate for children’s access to quality education and for young people’s social cohesion and representation under the UN Sustainable Development Goals. She is also the founder and chairperson of the SosyalBen Foundation, launched in Istanbul, which has since expanded its operations to 11 countries. The foundation empowers disadvantaged youth through art, workshops, and events. Ece served as a youth delegate to the Council of Europe in 2022. She advocates inside and outside European institutions for children’s rights and youth empowerment. She holds an MA in social projects and NGO management from Istanbul Bilgi University.
Giorgi Beruashvili (Georgia)
Youth Programs Coordinator and Trainer
Woman and Development NGO
Giorgi (he/him) is a youth leader from Georgia focused on promoting civic engagement. He has experience in project oversight and campaigning initiatives. Giorgi worked as a project trainer at Youth Entrepreneurship for Rural Development in Tbilisi, where he focused on development and employment initiatives supporting youth and their local communities. Giorgi holds an MBA from Ilia State University and has attended numerous trainings, workshops and seminars on human rights, strategic planning, women’s rights, financial management, and social entrepreneurship.
Hakim Benbadra (France)
Family Business and VIP Director, the Africa CEO Forum
Community Organizer, Different Leaders
Hakim (he/him) is the family business and VIP director at the Africa CEO Forum, a private sector organization. He works closely with founders and CEOs of African family businesses, supporting them in their development. Hakim is also a community organizer with Different Leaders, a global collective organization with chapters in four continents committed to ensuring equal opportunities for youth. He helped to expand International Day for Equal Opportunities’ (IDEO) programming from five countries to 23 and leads IDEO’s effort to achieve UN recognition. Hakim is passionate about empowering underserved communities and supporting youth in France and across Africa.
Imane Nadif (Netherlands)
Councilor
Amsterdam City Council
Imane (she/her) is a city councilor in Amsterdam where she serves as vice-chairperson on the council’s GroenLinks delegation. She has worked on diversity, inclusion, and external relations for GroenLinks Amsterdam since 2021. Imane is committed to encouraging public participation in local government by co-designing policies with her city’s residents, organizations, and entrepreneurs. She strives to take an intersectional approach to Amsterdam’s policy challenges. Since joining the city council in 2018, Imane has submitted various policy proposals on youth involvement in governance, community wealth building, equality and fair pay for artists, and strategies to make sustainable choices accessible for all, regardless of income.
Immaculada Rosell Morales (Spain)
Social and Employment Policies Specialist, DINCAT
Associate Professor, Rovira i Virgili University
Immaculada (she/her) is a passionate advocate for the economic inclusion of people with disabilities. She studied social work and holds a master’s degree in innovative social projects. Immaculada works on employment projects at DINCAT, a Catalan federation of NGOs focused on advancing disability rights. She is also an associate professor of social work studies at Rovira i Virgili University. Her research includes comparative analysis of employment policies and methodologies for including people with disabilities in the labor force domestically and internationally. Immaculada is committed to using innovative methodologies to promote accessible environments while tackling discrimination in the workplace.
Janea Jamison (Louisiana, United States)
Regional Advocate, Office of Advocacy
US Small Business Administration
Janea (she/her) is a longtime advocate for racial and gender justice. She focuses on centering BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) women and girls in policy, organizing, and advocacy. In September 2022, she was appointed by the US Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy to serve as a regional advocate. In this role, Janea represents the interests of small businesses in the western United States by collaborating with business owners, state and local governments, and business associations. Janea previously worked for the Power Coalition, where she focused on organizational growth and programs advancing voting rights, uplifting women of color in leadership positions, and supporting Black men and boys. Janea has also worked with the East Baton Rouge Metro Council as legislative assistant to Councilwoman Erika L. Green (D-5), and as a court system supervisor in Assumption Parish in Mayor Ron Animashaun’s administration. Her program areas included constituent relations and youth development.
Lisa Esohel Ogbeibor Knudsen (Norway)
Deputy Director
Minotenk
Lisa (she/her) has long been active in local Norwegian politics and hopes to ignite positive change in Norwegian society by promoting values close to her heart. She is the deputy director for the Norwegian think tank Minotenk, where she focuses on tackling racism, discrimination, and hate speech. In 2022 Lisa’s book "It's personal: On racism and free speech” was published. It explores identity politics and the need for anti-racism in Norway. Lisa studied comparative politics at the University of Bergen and graduated from Waterford Kamhlaba United World College of Southern Africa. She participated in United World Colleges’ changemaker program and has taken courses on religious and multicultural dialogue at the University of Oslo.
Mamadou Bobo Sow (Belgium)
Boost Ambassador and Role Model, King Baudouin Foundation
Junior Consultant, Deloitte
Mamadou (he/him) left his native Guinea to resettle in Belgium at age 15. Despite facing significant adversity, he persevered in his dream of obtaining higher education and now works as a junior consultant at Deloitte. He has also been distinguished by the King Baudouin Foundation as an ambassador and role model in the organization’s Boost program. Mamadou founded Guinean Young Leaders, an NGO that provides trainings and networking opportunities to Guinean youth living in Europe. Mamadou describes himself as an eternal optimist, aiming to boost motivation, tackle discrimination, and foster inclusion for all people regardless of backgrounds and personal journeys.
Mark Duffy (Ireland)
Mayor of Ballina
Mayo County Councilor
From Ballina, Ireland, Mark (he/him) was elected to his local government in 2019. He now serves as mayor of Ballina, the youngest in the district’s history. As mayor, Mark has helped lead grassroots efforts to regenerate his town, focusing on a sustainable, green future for the community. He has built, and continues to promote, Ireland's strong connections with diaspora in the United States, regularly visiting Irish-American political and civic leaders in Washington DC, New York, Chicago, and Ballina’s twin towns of Pittsfield, Massachusetts and Scranton, Pennsylvania. Mark is passionate about community empowerment and enabling people to use their skills and energy to drive positive change. He co-founded a community group, now comprised of 500 volunteers, who pick up litter, paint derelict buildings, and support street art and green initiatives, among other projects.
Naia Begashvili (Georgia)
Program Officer
National Democratic Institute of Georgia
Naia (she/her) is a democracy and governance development professional. She has designed and implemented multi-stakeholder programs on inclusive policymaking and strengthening parliament and civil society. She is interested in gender equality and disability rights. Naia currently works on NDI Georgia’s parliamentary and inclusion programs. She supports civil society organizations and the Parliament of Georgia’s development and oversight functions. Naia joined NDI in 2015 and has worked on women’s political participation programs, parliamentary programs, and election observation missions. She holds a BA in international relations from Tbilisi State University. Naia is a vocal advocate for equality, freedom, and social justice.
Nadim Bel Lallahom (France)
President
Diversidays
Nadim (he/him) is dedicated to changing narratives about ecology, social inclusion, and digital tools by empowering entrepreneurs from marginalized communities. Through his involvement in Diversidays and the European Climate Foundation’s Les Nouvelles Voix initiative, he has tackled key challenges in digital inclusion and sustainability advocacy. Nadim believes human-centered design can be used to empower citizens to get involved in community decision-making. Nadim has also worked for the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs as the co-lead for a public innovation incubator, and for the French Ministry of Environment as a product designer and manager. Nadim holds a BA in social sciences from Sciences Po Paris and a dual MA in communication and creative industries from Sciences Po and Fudan University, Shanghai.
Nikola Xaviereff-Weckwerth (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Trainee, Council of Europe
National Minorities and Minority Languages Division
Nikola (he/him) has several years of experience in multilateral diplomacy. He was most recently employed at the Council of Europe. He works at the intersection of international security and human rights protection, including minority rights advocacy. Nikola believes in employing innovative and transformative strategies, such as remodeling constitutional arrangements, to address current political impasses in the Western Balkan countries. He is interested in in post-Soviet territories, peace and state-building in fragile conflict environments, and inter-governmental cooperation. Nikola was educated in Germany, Austria, and France, and graduated magna cum laude from KU Leuven with an MSc in international politics. He is fluent in English, German, Bosnian, and Russian, and has a good command of French.
Pamela Chomba Burga (Washington DC, United States)
Director of State Immigration Campaigns, FWD.us
DACA recipient from Peru
Pamela (she/her) is the director of state immigration campaigns at FWD.us. She was born in Lima, Peru, and moved with her family to the United States in 2001. Pamela has dedicated her career to organizing people-power through state legislative policies, empowering students to participate in the electoral process, and mentoring undocumented young adults. As FWD.us’s first state immigration director, Pamela worked to protect undocumented immigrants through legislative advocacy. She supported initiatives to protect undocumented immigrants’ data privacy and allow them to obtain driver’s licenses. She also works to defend undocumented immigrants against exploitation and to help them to overcome language barriers. She has built relationships between state coalition leadership and state legislative leaders. Prior to FWD.us, Pamela worked for Senator Cory Booker’s campaign in New Jersey and moved to Houston, Texas in 2014 to work with Black and Latinx community leaders.
Razmik Martirosyan (Armenia)
Journalist
168 Hours
Razmik (he/him) is a journalist at 168.am, a Yerevan-based news outlet. Through his work, Razmik has learned about human rights, public relations, current affairs in post-Soviet states, and international relations. In 2018 he served as a volunteer journalist for Alternativi International, a Bulgaria-based NGO focused on combatting hate speech. His research interests include freedom of the press and expression, political pluralism, armed conflicts in the South Caucasus, and the parliamentary system. Razmik strongly believes journalists have a responsibility to raise awareness and change public perception on pressing issues, and to fight discrimination. He received a BA in journalism from Yerevan State University in 2016 and an MA in human rights and democratization in the Caucasus from that institution.
Tim Wirix (Belgium)
Chairperson
Christian Democratic Student Organization (CDS), KU Leuven
Tim (he/him) is a law student and the leader of the Christian Democratic Students at KU Leuven. He also advocates for inclusivity and equality in Belgium. He has participated in initiatives to support students from low-income families and has sat on several student boards at KU Leuven. Tim launched an initiative to safeguard students’ mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, running campaigns in national newspapers to raise awareness and pressure university administrators and local officials to provide better mental healthcare for students. Tim speaks Dutch, English, and French.