International Fellows Alumni

Aurece Aubrey Bahala is a training expert and program coordinator with the Institute for Autonomy and Governance, a policy, research, and training center in southern Philippines. She works to build governance capacity of political parties, civil society, Indigenous peoples, former combatants, marginalized groups, and officials of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). These stakeholders are involved in the transitional period negotiated to resolve the decades-long conflict in Mindanao. Aubrey previously worked on climate change and human security with the German Agency for International Cooperation, and as a college instructor. She has a Masters in public administration and public policy from the University of the Philippines and a BA in political science. During the Humphrey Fellowship, Aubrey aims to learn how civil society organizations in transitional countries shape public policies and institutions. She will engage with organizations that have global expertise with empowering marginalized groups to assert their rights and collective interests in governance, institution-building and policymaking.

Falume Dade is a sociologist working as a sustainability specialist. He has worked with Eni Rovuma Basin, a global energy company with natural gas operations in Mozambique. He has also worked as a community liaison officer and field coordinator in the oil and gas sector, promoting communication between communities and companies about the social and environmental impacts of their operations. His responsibilities have included designing, implementing and monitoring community projects and social programs related to education, health, youth empowerment, and other topics. He is committed to public service and community empowerment, and is involved in initiatives to support internally displaced people affected by violent extremism in his home region. Falume has a BA in sociology from Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique. During the Humphrey Fellowship, he aims to improve his knowledge and skills related to social policy design, implementation and evaluation. He also seeks to learn about strategies for effective advocacy with policymakers to promote socio-economic development and sustainability.

Andress Hamenda is the founder and chief executive officer of Punya Harapan, a civil society organization that delivers sustainable vocational education and reintegration support for youth in Indonesia’s juvenile justice system. This organization has offered programming in at least one-third of Indonesia’s juvenile prisons, reaching about half of the juvenile prison population. Andress has Masters degrees in management from Australian National University in Australia and from Coventry University in England, and a BA in management from Sam Ratulangi University in Indonesia. During the Humphrey Fellowship, Andress plans to improve his knowledge of children’s human rights, public and social policy analysis, and non-profit management. He aims to learn about US approaches to prison education and reintegration for youth, and prevention of forced labor in prisons. With the insights he gains, he plans to formulate Indonesia’s first national child safeguarding guidelines, develop innovative management practices, and propose policy reforms to public and private institutions working with children.

Tony Herdianto is an environmental protection expert. He serves as the World Resources Institute’s Liaison Officer for the Low Carbon Development Initiative in West Papua, Indonesia. In this role, he coordinates and engages with Indigenous and local communities and provincial officials about low-carbon initiatives. He manages projects, coordinates research, raises awareness, and promotes community participation in environmental policymaking. Previously, Tony worked with the Government of West Papua as a sustainable tourism consultant, and with a consortium on vocational education in agriculture. He founded the Doreka Foundation (Yayasan Dore Karui Indonesia) initiative to promote development through environmental education. In the future, Tony aims to serve as a diplomat. Tony has a Masters in international relations from Universitas Gadjah Mada. His Humphrey Fellowship goals include deepening his knowledge about climate policy, bolstering his leadership skills, and gaining practical experience with data analysis, policy formulation, and persuasive communication.

Bobur Khodjaev is an economist and the Economic Unit Head in the Office of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. In that role, he evaluates the economic implications of policy decisions, prepares sector updates, and develops policy positions on financial sector development priorities. Previously, Bobur worked with the Asian Development Bank in Manila and the Fund for Reconstruction and Development in Tashkent. He believes that policymakers must address how economic policies impact social and gender inequalities, and is an advocate for government accountability. Bobur has a Masters in finance from the University of Cambridge in England and a BA in economics from the Tashkent Institute of Railway Engineering. His Humphrey Fellowship goals include building his capacity to shape economic development policies to reduce poverty and promote employment and social progress. He also wants to learn about innovative approaches to public-private partnerships in the energy, infrastructure, transport, housing, and urban development sectors.

Ioana Morar is a psychologist, and is the Deputy General Director of Romania’s National Administration of Penitentiaries. During 13 years with this agency, she has been in charge of rehabilitation, health care, human resources, staff psychology, labor, security, and legal issues. Previously, Ioana was the Director of the Social Reintegration Department, and was the Head of Psychological Assistance for Gherla Penitentiary. She is on several professional advisory bodies, including for Penal Reform International, the European Prison Education Association, and a Council of Europe initiative on penological cooperation. Ioana has a PhD in psychology from the University of Bucharest, Masters degrees in law, criminal science, and sociology, and a BA in psychology. During the Humphrey Fellowship, she aims to improve her leadership skills and learn about innovative approaches to criminal justice and prison administration. She will use what she learns to improve policies and programs related to rehabilitation of incarcerated people, and to help establish an institute for prison administration in Romania.

Peter Moraleli Motloli is a law enforcement expert focused on human trafficking. In his most recent position, he was a Detective Inspector of the Lesotho Mounted Police Service. He led the Criminal Investigations Division, which handles human trafficking cases. Peter has collaborated with nongovernmental organizations to prevent trafficking and protect survivors. He also facilitated police training college workshops on human rights and combating police brutality, and led the police labor association. Peter has a Masters in political science and a BA in development studies, politics and administration from the National University of Lesotho. During the Humphrey Fellowship, Peter seeks to deepen his knowledge of human trafficking responses, including ways to investigate and hold police and immigration officials accountable for complicity in trafficking. He aims to learn about best practices related to victim identification, protection, and services, and models of human trafficking laws and policies.

Jean Philippe Ouédraogo is an economist and serves as the Chief of Monitoring and Evaluation in Burkina Faso’s Ministry of the Environment, Green Economy and Climate Change. His work helps ensure that the Ministry and its policies promote wellbeing of communities and advance environmental protection. He is active in public service, including planting trees, promoting girls’ education, nutrition, and political participation, raising awareness about the dangers of female genital mutilation, and encouraging environmentally sound farming practices. Ouédraogo has a graduate degree in economics and management, and a BA in economic sciences, from the University of Ouaga II in Burkina Faso. During the Humphrey Fellowship, Ouédraogo aims to improve his leadership skills, learn about public policy design and analysis, and gain skills related to results-based management and monitoring, evaluation, and learning. Upon his return to Burkina Faso, he intends to lead and provide technical assistance with public policy efforts to improve communities’ well-being.

Airlin Pérez Carrascal is an anti-racist human rights activist and community organizer. She is the Executive Director of Untú Raices Foundation, an organization that mobilizes grassroots groups and Afro-Colombian communities in Cartagena, Bolivar, to promote peace and racial justice. Previously, she worked as a research assistant with academic institutes and a children’s rights foundation. Airlin’s work focuses on police brutality against young Colombians in marginalized neighborhoods, and structural racism against young Black women in a context of State violence. She works to expose human rights violations, strengthen grassroots organizations, and advance peace and justice for youth and Afro-descendant women. She plans to establish an observatory on racial justice and reparations for Black communities. Airlin has a Masters of international development cooperation and a BA in education from the Universidad San Buenaventura, Cartagena. Her goals for the Humphrey Fellowship include enhancing her leadership skills and learning about strategies for promoting minority rights, social development, and peacebuilding through restorative justice approaches.

Maria Leticia Risco is a lawyer, and serves as the Coordinator of the Federal Missing Persons System in Argentina’s Ministry of Security. She leads a team that designed the missing persons system and the nationwide policies and plans on disappearances and missing persons. She coordinates with police, prosecutors, forensic experts, and the media, including when issuing missing persons alerts. Leticia previously worked as an advisor in the Institutional Transparency Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, and as an attorney in a law firm. She has a BA in law from the Universidad Nacional de Tucumán and post-graduate certificates in criminology, management, public policy, and public security from several universities in Argentina. During her Humphrey Fellowship year, she seeks to learn about US approaches to handling and investigating missing persons cases, including through use of databases, forensic DNA data banks, technology and other resources. She also aims to bolster her public speaking skills.

Leakhena Saroeurn is a Country Manager for SHE Investments. This social enterprise works to build a gender-responsive ecosystem to help women-led micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises to scale up, access financial capital, and transition to the formal economy. Leakhena works with national and international partners to bring entrepreneurship support services to hundreds of women entrepreneurs through incubator and accelerator programs and access to finance. She has collaborated with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs to support a strategic plan and assist women business owners with financial management. She has a BA in tourism management from the Royal University of Phnom Penh and a certificate in environmental studies. During the Humphrey Fellowship, Leakhena plans to expand her knowledge of policy design and implementation, and to learn about US approaches to community economic development and supporting women-owned businesses. She also aims to deepen her public relations and leadership skills.

Ali Üstünyer is an economist and serves as the Senior Social Policy and Development Specialist in Turkey’s Ministry of Family and Social Services. His work focuses on poverty reduction, employment, social inclusion, and social assistance and protection. Ali helped develop Turkey’s Integrated Social Assistance System, which has 30 million people enrolled. Previously, he worked as an Assistant Trade Expert with the Ministry of Trade. Ali has a Masters in international social and public policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science, where he was awarded a full Scholarship from the Chevening Programme, and a BA in economics from Bilkent University in Turkey. During the Humphrey Fellowship, Ali aims to learn about international best practices for social policies and programs on basic income for people living in poverty. He also plans to deepen his understanding of social policy analysis and design.

Ms. Laila Abed has worked with the Palestinian Center for Democracy and Conflict Resolution (PCDCR) for the past 14 years. In her current role as International Relations and Fundraising Manager for the organization, her primary responsibilities include developing proposals and concept notes for donors, developing fundraising strategies, and developing monitoring and evaluation plans for various projects. PCDCR works to shore up social structures and promote democratic principles, peace and reconciliation, and increase civic participation. Ms. Abed is committed to the cause of preserving civic peace in the Palestinian Territories. She plans to improve her knowledge of human rights and conflict resolution methodologies and bolster her leadership skills during her fellowship year. She hopes the knowledge and leadership skills she gains during the Humphrey Fellowship will position her as an integral part of the next generation of leaders of PCDCR. Ms. Abed holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and Communications Control and an MBA in Commerce/Business Administration from the Islamic University of Gaza.

Ms. Eman Alaghbari is a Reservoir Engineer at Petromasila. She has worked in the petroleum sector in Yemen since 2008, and was the first female reservoir engineer in the country. She is passionate about alleviating poverty in Yemen. In addition, Ms. Alaghbari is the founder of the Nature Conservation Initiative, which engages Yemeni youth interested in environmental protection. She also established Get Real, an organization focused on poverty reduction. The organization encourages entrepreneurship and vocational training among youth, and shares information about small business success with the public. Ms. Alaghbari holds a Master of Business Administration degree in management from the Lebanese International University and a Master of Science in Petroleum Engineering from Heriot-Watt University. Ms. Alaghbari wants to learn about public policy analysis during her fellowship year, and will use that knowledge to participate in reviewing economic policies in Yemen and improving them to suit the country’s economic development needs.

Mr. Bockarie-Konteh is the Director of Research, Planning and Knowledge Management at the Ministry of Youth Affairs in Sierra Leone. He has held similar positions in various government ministries during more than 10 years in the civil service. In his current role, Mr. Bockarie-Konteh ensures that the National Youth Policy and other complementary legal instruments are research-driven, properly planned and implemented in an environment that will support progressive institutional development and shared learning. Mr. Bockarie-Konteh holds undergraduate degrees in Business Studies, Entrepreneurship Studies, and Law from the University of Sierra Leone. He also holds a Master of Science degree in Development Management from the same institution. During his fellowship year, Mr. Bockarie-Konteh plans to deepen and expand his knowledge of policy formulation and implementation, advocacy, and the role of civil society in policy making.

Mr. Asmir Butkovic currently serves as the Head of Department of the Division of Informatics at the Police Support Agency in Sarajevo. In that role, Mr. Butkovic has developed various data collection and information technology tools to facilitate data integration and exchange of information among police agencies. He has been a lecturer at several universities, teaching database management systems, programming, algorithms and data structures, and software engineering. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Sarajevo. During his fellowship year, Mr. Butkovic plans to learn new skills in the field of Urban and Regional Planning, specifically in topics like predictive analytics, spatiotemporal data analysis, geographic information systems, public safety, smart cities, digital transformation of public services, digital rights, and cyber security. With this knowledge, he hopes to launch new urban innovation projects to improve living conditions, the safety and wellbeing of his community, data sharing, and crime analysis. Mr. Butkovic also plans to become more involved in academic teaching and research, preparing students to work on grand challenges.

Mr. Cristofer Correia is a political activist and was the Director-General of Citizen Participation in the National Assembly of Venezuela. His primary goal for the next five years is the restoration of democracy in Venezuela. He plans to use his time in the fellowship acquiring skills in governance strategies and policy making that can contribute to that goal. Mr. Correia has been involved in politics for many years. He was an elected member of the student movement of his university, where he organized the first-ever presidential debate in 2011. As a public servant, he works to engage citizens in the legislative agenda and encourage political participation. In 2021, Mr. Correia published “Inclusive Urban Renewal,” a book on addressing urban poverty through public policy. Mr. Correia holds a Master of Science degree in Public Policy from the University of Bristol. Through the Humphrey Fellowship, he aims to broaden his professional network and enhance his democracy-building knowledge and skills.

Ms. Nature Inger is a marketing professional who is active in feminist organizing and campaigning. She has worked in the fashion, entertainment and marketing sectors. Ms. Inger has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Digital Films and Television from Limkokwing University in Botswana. She is an ardent advocate for ending gender-based violence and promoting gender equality, and has launched and promoted social media campaigns to raise awareness about these issues. Most notably, she launched the #everythreehours campaign to highlight the high incidence of rape in Botswana, which has the second highest rate in the world. Her mission is to change societal behaviors around gender, which she believes will lead to systemic change and improve the lives of women and other marginalized groups in Botswana. During the Humphrey fellowship, Ms. Inger plans to learn more about human rights advocacy and strategies for running effective social campaigns. Her goal is to use the knowledge she acquires to broaden and deepen her work to change national narratives and attitudes around gender-based violence, and drive systemic reform in Botswana.

Ms. Mariam Kayani is a civil servant in the Pakistan Administrative Service with nearly 14 years of experience in developing and implementing government policies, along with extensive experience in administration of local government. In her most recent position as Deputy Secretary in the Establishment Division of the Cabinet Secretariat, she managed administrative affairs and career progression policies and rules of civil service personnel, including the administrative service, police service, secretariat group, and office management group. Ms. Kayani is a qualified member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan and Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, U.K. She holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Punjab, and a Master of Administrative Law and Policy from the University of Sydney. Ms. Kayani plans to learn more about public policy analysis, formulation, and implementation during her Fellowship, and intends to enhance her quantitative and qualitative analytical and research skills. With the knowledge and skills she acquires, she hopes to contribute to Pakistan’s Civil Service Reform Agenda by helping draft new policies and regulations for all levels of the civil service, including the provincial and local government.

Ms. Maja Markovic serves as a Program Coordinator with Juventas, an NGO that provides social care and services to vulnerable populations in Montenegro. As part of her work, she coordinates the implementation of projects, conducts policy analysis in the areas of social policy, youth activism, and human rights, and works to strengthen the capacity of NGOs. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, and a Master’s degree in International Affairs from the University of Montenegro. She also holds a Master of Arts in Public Administration from the University of Birmingham. As a Humphrey Fellow, Ms. Markovic wants to deepen her knowledge of social policy, policy implementation, and social services delivery. She also wants to learn more about public-private partnerships, and how such partnerships boost resources and capacity in the social services field. With the knowledge she gains, Ms. Markovic plans to help local NGOs adopt more effective models of service delivery, evaluate their projects and programs for effectiveness, and develop partnerships with state agencies. She also plans to help decentralize the social care system in Montenegro.