Collaborators & Advisors
Sofía Maruri Armand-Ugón, Collaborator (Uruguay)
Sofía is a lawyer from the Universidad de Montevideo in Uruguay and holds a bachelor's degree in theology and religious studies from Universita della Santa Croce in Italy. She is pursuing a Master's degree in International Human Rights Law at the University of Oxford in the UK. Currently, she works at the Faculty of Law of the University of Montevideo as an academic assistant and lecturer in Human Rights. She also advises a number of Uruguayan legislators on human rights issues. She is interested in issues such as the right to freedom of religion and beliefs and freedom of expression.
Raúl Bajo Buenestado, Collaborator (Spain)
Raúl is an Associate Professor in Economics at University of Navarra, Spain. He also serves as a fellow at the Navarra Center for International Development (NCID), and as a non-resident scholar at Rice University’s Baker Institute Center for Energy Studies. His research lies at the intersection of energy, environmental and resource economics, industrial organization, and regulation and competition policy, and he has given workshops and seminars on these topics all over the world. He completed a Ph.D. in economics from Rice University in Houston, Texas in 2016. He received a Fulbright scholarship from 2012 to 2014 as a graduate student. Aspiring BBQ pitmaster and cyclist, he currently resides in Pamplona, although he was born and raised in Córdoba, Spain.
Gloria Pasadilla, Collaborator (Singapore)
Gloria is currently a Partner and Director at the Singapore-based Leadership Design Studio, doing consultancies in international trade policy and digital economy research. She worked and lived in Tokyo, Japan with the Asian Development Bank Institute, and in Singapore with the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Policy Support Unit. Prior to the stints in Tokyo and Singapore, she worked as economic professor at the University of Asia and the Pacific and as a policy wonk at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies. She advised government departments on trade issues and helped negotiate trade agreements. She has travelled extensively, making presentations in professional conferences. She was one of the founding expert advisors of UNESCAP-ARTNeT (Asia-Pacific Research and Training Network). Gloria has a PhD in economics from New York University and has interned at the International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C. and Goldman Sachs in Hong Kong.
Nuala Ribeiro-Alibhai, Collaborator (Kenya)
Nuala is a mother, healer, and educator. She has spent the last two decades working in health and education to bring about social change. Her approach is child-centered and family-focused. Her work with a wide range of public and private stakeholders has given her crucial insight into possible solutions to alleviate the educational and social challenges faced by children, young people and their families. Her focus is on designing, developing and implementing alternative programs with an ambition to enable individuals to realize their full potential as dignified equals. She has a BSc in Speech Pathology and MEd in Inclusive Education. She loves to create, drawing inspiration and strength from nature. She is a third-generation Kenyan- Indian.
Syeda Zainab Sabzwari, Collaborator (France)
Zainab has spent most of her life studying, working and living in various countries. She is a public policy analyst, a sociological economist, and a development practitioner. Her professional background is interestingly eclectic, and includes experience ranging from the Government of Pakistan to regional and international development banks, think tanks, and also the United Nations. Her forte includes civil service trainings, successful negotiations and socio-economic development. Zainab is an ardent believer of economic growth for human development and has devoted over fourteen years towards the cause of development and growth for all. Born in Pakistan, Zainab completed her higher education in the United Kingdom and Europe. She currently lives in Paris, France with her family.
Judith Sheehan,
Collaborator (Scotland)
Judith is a lover of organization, minimalism and pragmatism. She has worked in a number of organizations, in the Commercial sector, the Health Service and also Education within the Charity Sector. She holds a post graduate diploma in Human Resources which gave her the tools to create a culture which was more people-focused. She speaks several languages, probably owing to her passion for communication and is currently involved in the non-hearing sector of the community in Glasgow. She continues to build her portfolio of lectures and courses on ‘soft skills’ (e.g. Better public speaking, the Art of Conversation, Communication, Networking, Self-confidence, Modern Manners, Leadership, Empathy), aimed primarily at professional women and students. Judith was born and bred in Lancashire, England.
Ethel Tolansky,
Advisor (England)
Ethel is an avid researcher and author, specializing in the workings of the British and Foreign Intelligence, and in particular the French Resistance. She studied French and Arabic then worked in the University of Westminster, becoming Head of French there. She co-founded two research groups, 'War and Culture' and ‘Francophone Studies’. Her current research interests are World War II, French Resistance, and Francophone Literature. As a convert to Roman Catholicism from Judaism via Anglicanism, Ethel has a broad religious culture and has co-authored several booklets on leading contemporary Catholic figures. Ethel is of Jewish heritage and brought up in London, Dorset, and Egypt.
Tona Varela, Collaborator (USA)
Tona is a visionary NGO executive with over 30 years of experience in mission-oriented strategic planning and managing all levels of multiple projects including staffing, budgeting, fundraising and administration. Some of her areas of interest involve human flourishing, dialogue and communication, leadership and stewardship. Her work at Rosemoor Foundation and on several NGO Boards of Directors provides her opportunities to collaborate with educational institutions geared to women promoting personal excellence and social impact. Born in Washington, D.C., Tona grew up in Argentina and has lived on the East and West Coasts and in the Midwest. While she enjoys living in Manhattan, she is an admirer of nature and takes every opportunity to go for hikes and watch the beauty of the ocean.