Who we are
Ms Karine Appy (Brazil - France)
President
Holding a degree in philosophy and international relations, she has previously held key positions within international organizations. She worked at CCFD-Terre Solidaire, the leading French development NGO, where she led advocacy projects in collaboration with the media on major issues such as corporate social responsibility, food sovereignty, the fight against tax havens, and conflict resolution.
She also worked at the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH).
Ms Aisha Gilani (United Kingdom)
Secretary - Barrister
Aisha Gilani is a UK Barrister who holds a Bachelor and Master of Law.
She has more than 15 years’ experience working in policy development, public affairs and communications with the UK government, the Commonwealth, United Nations organisations and civil society, including several years working in international affairs. She is an expert in international human rights law, with experience in post-conflict reconstruction. She brings to Human Dignity a wide range of expertise in advocacy, strategic communications, press and public affairs, campaigns, and civil society engagement.
Mr Amourlaye Touré (Côte d'Ivoire)
Treasurer
Amourlaye Touré is an international development professional with 20 years of experience on human rights, elections, good governance, and the environment. He worked as a Country Director for the International Foundation for Electoral Systems and Freedom House in Niger, Togo, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Rwanda.
He is a founding member of the Ivorian Human Rights Movement (MIDH), which is a leading rights-based NGO in Cote d’Ivoire. As head of MIDH, Amourlaye worked on more than 400 investigations during the Ivorian crisis on issues ranging from rape, torture, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearance, and destruction of properties.
As a consultant, Amourlaye has worked for Open Society Initiative, Amnesty International, the UNDP, NDI, IFES, Rights and Democracy, etc. in countries like Djibouti, Sierra Leone, DRC, Niger, Liberia, Benin, Kenya, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
He is fluent in Bambara, French, and English, and conversational Spanish.
Mr Clement Nyaletsossi Voule (Togo)
Administrator
Clément is the former United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to peaceful assembly and association. He is currently a Senior Researcher at the Geneva Academy and a Senior Adviser at the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR).
From 2011 to 2020, he was an expert member of the African Commission’s Working Group on Extractive Industries, Environment, and Human Rights Violations in Africa.
A former Director of African Advocacy at ISHR, Clément also led the organization’s work on human rights defenders in transitional states. He served as the Secretary-General of the Togolese Coalition of Human Rights Defenders and of Amnesty International’s section in Togo.
Ms Anita Nyanjong (Kenya)
Lawyer
Based in Nairobi, Anita is a lawyer at the High Court of Kenya with over 15 years of experience in human rights advocacy across Africa.
She has worked with the East Africa Child Rights Network (EACRN) and Equality Now, where she led legal and political advocacy to combat sexual exploitation and trafficking of women and girls in several African countries. Anita also worked as a program manager at the International Commission of Jurists, where she led legal advocacy on access to justice and the rule of law.
Anita holds a Master’s degree in International Public Law and a postgraduate diploma in Women’s Human Rights Law from Queen Mary University of London. She is currently pursuing a PhD at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria.
A trained mediator, Anita is an avid reader with a strong passion for justice for women and children. She speaks English, Swahili, and French.
Ms Karina Ivanova (Bulgaria)
Projects Assistant
Karina studied law in France and Colombia and holds a Master’s degree in International Law from Panthéon-Assas University Paris 2.
Passionate about human rights and development issues, Karina has worked and volunteered with the European Union, the UN, and various NGOs. Between January 2018 and June 2019, she worked with the Bulgarian Red Cross and IOM on humanitarian aid and refugee and asylum seeker integration projects.
Karina has lived and worked in Bulgaria, France, Colombia, Mexico, and the Netherlands. She is fluent in English, French, Spanish, and Bulgarian. She is currently based in Malawi, where she works for United Purpose, a development NGO.
Believing that the realization of economic, social, and cultural rights is key to sustainable development and social justice, Karina joined the Human Dignity team as a volunteer in 2017.
Ms Seynabou Benga (Senegal-France)