Leadership

Abigail Moy is the Director of the Grassroots Justice Network, convened by Namati. Since Namati's earliest days, she has led efforts to build a thriving global movement for legal empowerment: one capable of innovating boldly and collectively tackling the greatest justice challenges of our time. The Grassroots Justice Network works to achieve this vision by connecting, strengthening, and expanding the number of community paralegals around the world. Prior to joining Namati, Abigail worked with access to justice programs in Africa, Latin America, and South Asia, in cooperation with the World Bank, The Asia Foundation, Fundación Soros-Guatemala, and Timap for Justice. She previously clerked for the Hon. David H. Coar in the Northern District of Illinois, served in the Office of the Legal Adviser at the United States Department of State, and worked in the New York office of White & Case, LLP. Moy was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship, graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School, and holds a master’s degree in law and development from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

Marlon has more than two decades of experience in legal empowerment work, having devoted practically his entire career to social justice and human rights lawyering. He has combined grassroots education activities with active involvement in strategic litigation on human rights and public interest issues, policy reform work on social justice legislation, and justice system reform programs on improving access to justice. From 2008-2017, Marlon was the Coordinator of the Alternative Law Groups (ALG), a coalition of twenty (20) legal resource NGOs in the Philippines with distinct programs that are primarily concerned with the pursuit of public interest, respect for human rights, and promotion of social justice.  Before joining Namati, he has served as member of the Global Legal Empowerment Network’s Guidance Committee. Marlon is a professor at the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctor degree in 1994.  He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Management (Major in Legal Management) from the College of Arts and Sciences of the same university.

Luciana is a Human Rights attorney from Argentina; she has been working on access to justice and social rights for more than ten years. Currently, she is coordinating the Legal Empowerment Network efforts in Latin America. Previously, she was Co-Director of ACIJ – Civil Association for Equality and Justice and a member of the Network Guidance Committee. She has a broad experience working on social justice, access to justice and poverty, specify grassroots organizations and social movements, litigation on social rights, accountability and advocacy on social rights. Luciana was a university professor of Human Rights and Constitutional Law in Argentina, and she has worked as a consultant research with the Center for Economic and Social Rights and the Inter-American Development Bank. She has authored several books, papers, and op-eds about social rights and access to justice. SELECTED PUBLICATIONS (IN SPANISH):

• “Social rights in the "Greater Buenos Aires": Approaches from theory, the institutions and the action”, Coordinator. Eudeba. (2013)
• “Collective ruling implementation: economic, social and cultural rights”, Co- coordinator. Eudeba. (2013)
•  "Those who were left out: the right to housing in the draft bill to reform the Civil Code", Legal Journal of the Di Tella University. Siglo XX1, (2014).
•  “From the slum to the Trial: Community Building, institutional advocacy and litigation to fulfill the right to housing in the City of Buenos Aires”, Co-author, in ¨The Right to housing in the City of Buenos Aires¨  Eudeba (2011).
•  “The State has the obligation to give priority to the most disadvantaged”, September 9th, 2014, La Nación.

 

Michael has worked in access to justice, legal education and development since 2004, where he began building legal clinics and paralegal programs throughout Southeast Asia with Bridges Across Borders. In Cambodia, he managed the Community Empowerment and Legal Awareness Program, supporting grassroots advocates through participatory curriculum development, legal rights training and advocacy campaigns. Michael has also worked with Equal Access International in London and Nepal and has served as a founding board member of Tiny Toones in Cambodia, a non-profit working with at-risk youth through arts, dance and education, since 2007. Michael holds a B.A. in Legal Studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, an MSC in Violence, Conflict and Development from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and is a certified mediator.

Aimee Ongeso is a Global Network Manager at Namati, where she works on regional advocacy and learning initiatives to advance Namati’s mission. For the last nine years, Aimee has worked to support communities in ensuring their active participation in the design, execution and implementation of pro-poor policies and legislation. Prior to joining Namati, Aimee managed a variety of projects for the Public International Law & Policy Group and the Kituo Cha Sheria Legal Advice Center based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Born and raised in Barcelona, Spain, Marta supports the Grassroots Justice Network member initiatives throughout Latin America. She has extensive experience in human rights and protection, with a regional focus in Latin America. Marta has lived and worked in Colombia and Guatemala, and has also served as a Latin America researcher for the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) coding political violence and conflict events in Central America. Marta holds an MA in International Relations - International Humanitarian Action from Rijksuiversiteit Groningen and a BA in Humanities from Universitat Pompeu Fabra. She has also completed a professional postgraduate course in Humanitarian Protection (Universidad de Deusto). Marta loves hiking, reading, and cooking.

Anirudh is a computer engineer with more than 12 years of experience in the IT industry. He worked primarily as an application developer in PHP and Python. Prior to joining Namati, he worked at the non-profit ADR for 4 years as Senior Analyst for their electoral and political reform programs. His last stint was at PAG Services, where he headed the data analysis division. In his spare time, Anirudh likes to relax by reading fiction and traveling.

As the Director of Global Land and Environmental Justice Initiative at Namati, Rebecca supports land and environmental justice warriors find new ways to scale and sustain the impact of their work. Before joining Namati, Rebecca fostered movements for change and capacity development on access to justice issues ranging from natural resource revenue management to land tenure. Rebecca also has roots advocating for gender justice, drawing from experience directly representing survivors of trafficking and gender-based violence in New York. Her career began working alongside the Burmese democracy movement in Thailand and India. Rebecca earned a Juris Doctorate from Fordham University and a B.S. in astronomy from the University of Massachusetts. She has three children who she tries to convince to enjoy recipes that she collects from her travels.

Akhila Kolisetty is Manager, Grassroots Justice Network, where she drives forward campaigns to improve global access to justice and expand the reach of the legal empowerment movement. Akhila brings years of experience in research, advocacy, and partnerships to advance legal empowerment, gender justice, and human rights across Nepal, Sierra Leone, India, Bangladesh, and the United States. Most recently, as MADRE’s Policy and Campaigns Manager, she partnered with grassroots women and girls-led organizations to advance feminist policies for peace and environmental justice. Previously, she was a Presidential Fellow with the Open Society Foundations and a Consultant on legal empowerment data, policy and research with the Open Society Justice Initiative and Alliance for Social Dialogue in Nepal. A lawyer by training, she has also provided legal representation and advice to low-income survivors of domestic violence in family courts in New York. She holds a JD from Harvard Law School and a Bachelor’s in Economics and Political Science from Northwestern University. With roots in Andhra Pradesh, India and New Jersey, she enjoys poetry, creative writing, and exploring our beautiful planet.  

Selected Publications

The Delivery of Civil Legal Aid in Nepal: An Assessment of the System and Recommendations on the Way Forward. Akhila Kolisetty and Neetu Pokharel. National Human Rights Commission, Nepal. Sambahak: Human Rights Journal, Vol. 15 (May 2020)

Examining the Effectiveness of Legal Empowerment as a Pathway out of Poverty: A Case Study of BRAC – World Bank Justice and Development Working Paper Series (2014)

Book Review – The International Rule of Law Movement: A Crisis of Legitimacy and the Way Forward – Harvard Human Rights Journal

I am a trained Paralegal and an Advocate with 9 years’ experience in human rights practice and protection with regional focus in Africa, capacity building, prisoners’ rights, advocacy, public education, team building, rule of law, collaboration/networking expertise, and legal reforms within Ghana’s criminal justice sector. I hold Bachelor of Laws Degree and Arts [in Psychology, Geography and Resource Development] from the Central University and University of Ghana respectively. Prior to joining Namati, I served in various capacities at the POS Foundation i.e Project Manager, Paralegal, Admin/Finance Officer and managed several projects in Ghana and the West African Sub Region:

• Justice For All Programme - which provides access to justice for Pre-trial Detainees in efforts to de-congest overcrowded prison facilities by organizing Mobile Special Court Sittings in Prisons to adjudicate Remand cases.
• In-Prison Paralegal Program – Trained incarcerated persons and officers as paralegals to offer assistance to fellow incarcerated persons to appeal on their cases by self-representation per Article 19 (2)(f) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.
• UN Universal Periodic Review – Managed Ghana’s Civil Society Platform under the UPR, a peer review mechanism of the human right record of member states of the United Nations
• Promotion of Rule of Law and Judiciary – Promoting Small Scale Cross Border Trade, Rule of Law and Use of Technology in West Africa

I like swimming, hiking and adventure.

Dominique is born and raised in Davao City, The Philippines. Before joining Namati as Senior LEJ Associate, Grassroots Justice Network on October 2022, Dominique was working with the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) for four years. She is an alumni of Ateneo de Davao University, where she completed her Bachelor's degree in International Studies major in Asian Studies cum laude. She enjoys discovering RnB/hip-hop artists, creating memes, and going to the beach.

Poorvi Chitalkar is the Senior Manager, Learning Agenda at Namati. In this role, she leads efforts to generate new knowledge on legal empowerment, connecting research and program experimentation to drive learning. She supports collaboration among practitioners from Namati and the Global Legal Empowerment Network as well as researchers to advance comparative learning across diverse contexts. Before Namati, Poorvi led research and analysis at the Global Centre for Pluralism (Canada) advancing applied research on the sources of inclusion and exclusion in diverse societies and helping to shape inclusive policies and practices. She has worked at the International Development Research Centre, the office of the Ontario Ombudsman and practiced law at the Bombay High Court in India. She has conducted research on issues related to law and social justice, including the role and impact of public interest litigation and socio-economic rights litigation. Poorvi holds an LL.B from Symbiosis University (India) and an LL.M from the University of Toronto (Canada). She lives in Washington DC with her husband.

Alexia is a Network Associate who supports the Global Justice Network’s efforts in the Asia region. Based in the Philippines, she graduated cum laude with a BFA in Information Design and minors in French and Sustainability from the Ateneo de Manila University. Currently, she is working towards completing her Master of Community Development at the University of the Philippines-Diliman. Having previously worked in Oxfam Pilipinas and the Philippine national weather agency, DOST-PAGASA, Alexia is an advocate of disaster risk reduction and gender justice. Alexia enjoys surfing and takes karaoke very seriously.

Nzembi is the Program Officer, Land and Environmental Justice Initiative. She has extensive experience in research, stakeholder coordination, capacity building and program coordination. Nzembi has played key roles in various organizations where she contributed to enhancing natural resources governance, advocating for human rights and empowering marginalized communities. Prior to joining Namati, she worked at the Strathmore Extractives Industry Centre. She has authored and co-authored reports and chapters on Decarbonization, Circular Economy, Just Energy Transition and Access to Justice. Nzembi is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and is currently pursuing a Diploma in Project Management. She enjoys hiking, being outdoors and baking.

Samuel is the Senior Officer, Land and Environmental Justice Initiative at Namati. He is a passionate and strategic natural resources and environmental governance expert with expertise in natural resources advocacy, research, and program and project management. With a keen eye for detail and a dedication to sustainability, Samuel has honed his skills in project planning, coordination, and management, as well as stakeholder and partner management. Before his current role, Samuel served as a Project Officer, Natural Resources and Climate Governance at Transparency International Kenya, where he played a pivotal role in advocating for transparent and accountable governance in the extractive industries. Samuel has also worked as an Environmental Consultant with Globalink Consulting Limited and with Green Kenya Corporation as an Environmental Expert. His experience has provided him with advanced expertise in policy advocacy, campaigns, partnerships, and movement building, allowing him to drive impactful change in natural resources and environmental governance. Samuel holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resources Management from Egerton University and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Environmental Governance at the University of Nairobi, Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies. He is an alumnus of the African Group of Negotiators Experts Support (AGNES) Cohort XII and a member of the Environmental Institute of Kenya (EIK).

He looks forward to sharing and learning from the wealth of experiences in the network and growing together as a unit.

Daniela supports the Grassroots Justice Network member initiatives in Latin America. She holds a B.A. in International Relations and a minor in Political Economy from Lewis & Clark College, in Oregon, USA, and a Certification in Gender and Public Policy of Equality from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). She has a strong interest in human rights advocacy and security issues, which has been reflected in both her academic and professional experience working with non-profit organizations and international development agencies. Her experience includes the coordination of national and regional initiatives aimed at fostering gender-oriented programs, particularly those focused on the development of IT skills. Her efforts have also focused on the implementation of programs dedicated to preventing gender-based violence against women and girls in Mexico. Furthermore, Daniela developed a grassroots project called "Xochicalli: Flore(siendo) Unidas" (Xochicalli: Flourishing together), that sought to promote peace and raise awareness about gender-based violence through the creation of individual and collective self-care spaces for young women in Iztapalapa, Mexico City. She loves dancing, baking and traveling.

Jackie Sofia is the Senior Officer, Learning Agenda at Namati. In her position, Jackie is focused on synthesizing and sharing emerging learning in accessible, creative, practitioner-friendly formats. She has extensive experience in refugee rights and women’s rights, with a regional focus in the MENA. Her background spans the worlds of participatory research, documentary media and social entrepreneurship. She has lived and worked in Jordan, where she co-founded SITTI, a refugee-led social enterprise. Jackie holds a BA in International Studies from Johns Hopkins University, and is a 2011-2012 Fulbright fellow. Jackie loves cooking, photography and being outdoors.

Nuria Salim has a robust background in finance and a strong commitment to social impact and community empowerment. With a Bachelor's degree in Finance, Nuria has honed analytical skills and financial acumen through diverse roles in both private sector enterprises and non-profit organizations. Driven by a desire to make a meaningful difference, Nuria has transitioned to the non-profit sector, where she contributed her expertise to organizations committed to social justice and community empowerment. This experience underscored the importance of financial sustainability in advancing humanitarian causes and ignited a deep-seated interest in merging finance with social impact initiatives. Joining Namati, as a Network Operations Associate represents an exciting opportunity for Nuria Salim. Namati's pioneering work in legal empowerment aligns perfectly with her belief in empowering communities through access to justice and rights. By leveraging her finance and operations background, Nuria aims to contribute to and support Namati's mission of strengthening grassroots paralegals and promoting justice for all. Outside of work, Nuria is a passionate creative who is skilled in Photography and Graphic design. She is also a plant lover who frequently collects and propagates plants and succulents to share with friends and family.

Claudia Cote is a Senior Officer on the Learning Agenda team at Namati, where she contributes to knowledge-sharing initiatives on legal empowerment and fosters collaboration among practitioners and researchers throughout Latin America. With a robust background spanning international cooperation and civil society, Claudia has dedicated her career to advancing security and safety across sectors and regions. Her expertise includes critical areas such as penitentiary systems, human trafficking, addressing missing persons cases, and the prevention of torture and gender-based political violence. Claudia holds a BA in Politics and Public Administration from El Colegio de México (Colmex) and an MA in Public Policy from the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom, where she was awarded the Chevening Scholarship.