Project team

Ahmad Al-Rashid: Born in Aleppo, Syria, Ahmad studied English literature before fleeing the Syrian conflict to the Kurdistan region of Iraq in late 2012. Ahmad worked in Iraqi Kurdistan as a volunteer, teaching English in Syrian refugee camps. In mid-2013 he joined UNICEF to work for both the Syrian refugee response, and the Iraqi displaced people response after Mosul fell to ISIS in 2014. Since his arrival in the UK in mid-2015, Ahmad has been working with various groups and organizations raising awareness about the Syrian crisis and the plight of refugees in the region. In 2017, Ahmad graduated from SOAS – University of London. He holds an MSc in Violence, Conflict and Development.

Marie Gillespie: Marie trained as an anthropologist and is now Professor of Sociology at the Open University. Her teaching and research interests revolve around media and migration, diaspora cultures, politics and social change. Recent research includes projects on forced migration, digital connectivity and civic engagement among refugees. Recently she has carried out fieldwork in refugee camps in Greece and Jordan. She has collaborated with various international organisations including with UN Women on research leading to initiatives aimed at digital inclusion and civic engagement. She has led a series of culture and diplomacy projects on active citizenship in Egypt and Ukraine with the British Council and Goethe Institut. Marie has published extensively on a range of issues relating to migrant transnationalism, political communication and security.

Thanuja Hettiarachchi: Thanuja did her undergraduate degree (Bsc in Business Administration) in Sri Lanka (2006) and undertook her postgraduate studies (MBA, Master of Business Administration) at Glyndwr University in Wales (2012). For five years she worked in banking and finance before turning her attention to working with various Black and Minority Ethnic, Asylum and Refugee Support organisations both as a volunteer and as an employee. Currently, she is employed by the Ethnic Minorities and Youth Team, Wales (EYST) where she works as a Crisis Project Administrative Officer – in particular, supporting youth through the Covid-19 crisis. Thanu has extensive experience of working in the voluntary sector and with charity organisations promoting Black and Minority Ethnic Rights and personal, social and educational development in Swansea. She is a longstanding member of the Management Committee at Swansea’s City of Sanctuary and of Swansea Women’s Group. Across these different domains, Thanu has applied her skills in accounting, business administration, marketing, communication, photography and graphic design. Thanu has trained as a mentor and has a lengthy experience of mentoring, advocacy and support work. Currently, Thanu is actively participating on a voluntary basis in a wide range of Covid 19 support initiatives in Swansea. 

Helen Hintjens: Helen is Assistant Professor in Development and Social Justice at the International Institute of Social Studies in The Hague. She is interested in the comparative asylum policies of EU member states in the context of broader post-colonial relationships and ideas. Her particular interests is in pro-asylum advocacy networks and activists, the politics of selective urban surveillance of undocumented rejected asylum seekers, and networks of 'cities of sanctuary', as part of broader resistance to deterrence-based measures of destitution, detention and forced deportation. Her regional focus on the countries of the African Great Lakes region, especially Rwanda and Eastern DRC, and the relations of francophone Africa with EU member states. She works on peace building, including through music and the arts.

Carlos Ibarra Rivadeniera: Carlos current works for Ethnic Minority Youth Team (EYST) in Swansea, supporting Black and Minority Ethnic youth via educational and personal development programmes. He developed his career as socio-cultural facilitator in the fields of community development and leadership in parallel with professional counselling skills. Over the last 14 years Carlos has delivered more than 800 talks and workshops on adult education and self-empowerment, citizenship skills and human rights in the context of critical thinking, reaching 16000+ people. He enjoys developing blended human-technological learning experiences, e-learning programmes, instructional design and collaborative knowledge production. He has produced a dozen short multimedia courses on topics such as reflexive introspection to self-achievement and life purpose. He carried out most of his studies in Venezuela and holds an undergraduate degree in Religion and Philosophy (IUNAV), a diploma in Adult Education and Lifelong Learning (IMCEC), an Associate degree in Graphic Design (UNIR Technology College). He is currently undertaking an online degree in journalism (Catholic University Cecilio Acosta). He is also studying for an online Masters degree, Counselling (Grace School of Theology, Texas University). As a refugee from Venezuela, he works closely with a range of local NGOs and charities supporting asylum seekers and refugees, homeless and people with addictions in order to assist them in overcoming personal traumas.

Jeni Williams: Jeni Williams is a Senior Lecturer in Literature and Creative Writing. at the University of Wales: Trinity Saint David She is a poet and cultural critic who writes on literature, theatre and art with particular interests in gender, ethnicity and disempowerment. She is deeply concerned with the politics of marginality and published widely on Welsh Writing in English and is a member of Wales PEN Cymru on both the Executive and the Translation and Minority Linguistic Rights committees, She has worked closely with refugees and asylum seekers since 2004. She is a founder member and long time Chair of Swansea Women’s Asylum and Refugee Support Group. She has published poetry in many journals and anthologies. In 2016 she was shortlisted for The Live Canon International Poetry Competition and longlisted for The University of Canberra Vice Chancellors International Poetry Prize. Her first collection, Being the Famous Ones, appeared in 2009 with Parthian books. She has translated poems from Arabic, Welsh, Chinese and Swedish, run occasional poetry workshops with asylum seeking and refugee women since 2006 and co-edited 2 collections of this work: Fragments from the Dark: Women Writing Home and Self in Wales (Hafan, 2008) My Heart Loves in My Language (Hafan, 2017)

Alexi Yovanoff: Alexi was born in Athens, Greece, before moving to Milton Keynes where he has spent most of his adult working life. Currently, he is employed by The Open University  as a development and project manager in the key strategic research area – International Development and Inclusive Innovation. His role involves interdisciplinary collaborations and multi-tasking: working with researchers on funding bids to the Global Challenges Research Fund, building academic networks, ensuring Overseas Development Assistance compliance, chairing horizon-scanning forums for Academic Directors of Research, and much else. Alexi has undertaken projects in all corners of the world, from Europe to India, Africa and South America. Alexi’s academic background  is in Clinical Neuroscience M.Sc. (UCL) and  he is the Director of his own company, Integer Sport, working with professional football associations and clubs from around the world on projects as large as international club tournaments in India (Kerala, 2018) and as wide as increasing the inclusion of women players in football (Korea 2016).