meet the team

María (she/her) became an activist and advocate for human rights at 14, when she joined the secondary school union in her village in Spain. Since then, she has been representing young people in various capacities, including the Vice President of the Spanish Youth Council (CJE). She is now a PhD student at Ghent University and the United Nations University Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies, and she holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations and a Masters in African Studies.

Elias is a European and Human Rights activist from France. He is the former President of the European Union of Jewish Students (EUJS) and has represented young people in several capacities, including within the French Union of Jewish Students and the French Scouting Federation at a global level. He is well versed in advocacy strategy, research, and policy analysis and has experience in combating racism and online hate speech. Elias holds an M.A. in International Relations, Conflict & Security from the University of Kent.

Daniele (he/him) is an Italian philosopher, poet, journalist and activist for nonviolence. He is also the co-founder of the Italian Network on Youth, Peace and Security and the editorial manager of the magazine Azione nonviolenta. He has spent the past five years representing the European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (EBCO-BEOC) within the Youth Forum family. Daniele is also a trainer and project manager, supporting many youth-led initiatives and projects in Italy, the EU and beyond.

Natalia (she/they) is a human rights activist, trainer and author. She has been participating in youth spaces since she was 6 years old, and she had joined the City Youth Council of her home town in Finland when she was 14. Natalia is a youth coordinator in the Falcon movement and she served as a board member of IGLYO - the world’s largest LGBTQI+ student and youth organisation. She has delivered a range of global long-term projects and educational and campaigning activities about social and economic inclusion, LGBTQI+ rights, populism, sexual violence, peace and more.

For the past 6 years, Rareș has been an active advocate for school students' and children’s rights, promoting unconditional access to quality education, students participation in decision-making, and student-teacher co-creation in classrooms. Before becoming a Board Member, Rareș served as the President of the Romanian National School Students' Council and as a Board Member of the Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions. Rareș is studying Global Law at Tilburg University in the Netherlands.