Open societies, governance and human rights

Maya is a political, social, and environmental activist, whose personal mission is to tackle hunger and food waste in Lebanon. Through her initiative FoodBlessed, Maya recovers fresh food destined for the dustbin, which is then packaged and distributed to those in need, including Lebanon’s large population of refugees from Syria and other countries in the region. Since the foundation of the organisation in 2012, Maya and a large team of volunteers have been able to distribute over 300,000 free meals to the hungry, and to rescue over 60,000 tons of food from going to waste. Maya also works as a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) consultant, advising firms how to conduct business ethically, and give back to society. She’s won several awards including ‘CSR In Action’ – Lebanon (2012), King Abdullah II ‘Award for Youth Innovation & Achievement’ – Jordan (2014), LAU’s ‘Spirit of Service Award’ – Lebanon (2015), and MBC al Amal ‘Humanitarian of the Year Award’ – Dubai (2016).

Rajab has dedicated his career to the promotion of democracy, education, and good governance in South Sudan, working for a number of national and international civil society organisations. His work with Democracy International and the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs contributed to mass civic education in the lead up to the 2010 Sudanese elections, and the 2011 referendum that resulted in South Sudanese independence. He is currently the Executive Director of the Organization for Responsive Governance, a leading civil society group that aims to promote democratically responsive governance as a driving force for stability and prosperity. Rajab participated in the 2018 African Union Elections Observation Mission in Zimbabwe. He imparts his expertise to South Sudanese students by doing part-time lecturing at the School of Public Service in the University of Juba.

Carlos is a politician and writer who served as the 48th President of Costa Rica. President Alvarado began his career in politics as an advisor in Costa Rica’s Legislative Assembly. After completing his master’s degree at the University of Sussex, he returned to Costa Rica and continued his political rise, serving as Minister of Human Development and Social Inclusion before being appointed Minister of Labour. In May 2018, at the age of 38, Alvarado was elected President of Costa Rica in a landslide victory, making him the country’s youngest president since 1916. His campaign was largely fought around issues of LGBTQ rights, with Alvarado strongly supporting the implementation of a ruling by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights requiring Costa Rica to recognise same-sex marriage. Aside from politics, President Alvarado has had a vibrant career across a variety of sectors, working as a development consultant, communications manager, and university professor. He is also an accomplished writer, having published two novels and an anthology of short stories.

Ziad is an Egyptian lawyer, former politician, and legal expert. He is currently the managing partner in Thebes Consultancy, a leading provider of legal information and advisory services in Egypt and the Arab world. He was previously a senior member of government, serving as Deputy Prime Minister of Egypt, and was a founding member of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party. He served as an MP, representing Assiut in Upper Egypt. As well as a successful career as a practicing lawyer, Ziad was an adjunct lecturer at the Faculty of Law at the Cairo University between 1998 and 2004.

Milan is a prominent human rights defender and independent expert who specialises in issues relating to prevention of torture, advocacy, and EU integration. For nearly twenty years, he has been active in the protection of human rights – conducting trainings for civil society organisations, judges, prosecutors, and state institutions, as well as providing free legal aid to victims of human rights violations in national and international courts. Over the course of his career, Milan has worked with a large number of human rights organisations, contributing to the creation of multiple successful campaigns and educational initiatives on issues including media freedoms, war crimes, and LGBTQ rights. For almost a decade, Milan served as Director of YUCOM, an organisation that provides legal assistance to more than 2,000 victims of human rights violations annually. He is currently Executive Director of Open Society Foundation, Serbia, with the mission of supporting Serbian citizens and institutions to build an open society, equality, and democratic values.