About Us
our team
BAI & IJDH Staff
Interns & Volunteers
Board of Directors
Advisory Council
About Us
MARIO JOSEPH, AV., BAI MANAGING ATTORNEY, has co-managed and managed the BAI since 1996, and has practiced human rights and criminal law since 1993. The New York Times called him, “Haiti’s most prominent human rights lawyer” in 2006. Mario spearheaded the prosecution of the Raboteau Massacre trial in 2000, one of the most significant human rights cases anywhere in the Western Hemisphere. He has represented dozens of jailed political prisoners, in Haitian courts and in complaints before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. In 2013, Mario was a finalist for the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders. In 2014, Mario and Brian Concannon were awarded the Salem Award for Human Rights and Social Justice. In 2009, Mr. Joseph received the Judith Lee Stronach Human Rights Award from the Center for Justice & Accountability and the Katherine and George Alexander Human Rights Prize from the University of Santa Clara Law School.Mario has testified as an expert on Haitian criminal procedure before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and in U.S. courts, and served on the Haitian government’s Law Reform Commission. Mr. Joseph is also an educator and a graduate of Haiti’s Teachers’ College. He has extensive experience teaching human rights and legal issues to grassroots advocacy organizations, human rights groups and victims’ organizations. Contact: mario@ijdh.org
Human rights lawyer and activist Brian Concannon is the Founder and Executive Director of the Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti (IJDH). Brian is a trusted voice on human rights in Haiti and US policy to its oldest neighbor, through his writing and speaking to a wide range of audiences. But he is most proud of his work helping Haitian human rights advocates make their own voices heard, from the lawyers at the Bureau des Avocats Internationaux to the victims of the UN cholera in Haiti. Brian lived and worked in Haiti from 1995 to 2004, first with the United Nations, and after 1996 with the Bureau des Avocats Internationaux (BAI) in Port-au-Prince. He returned to the US to start IJDH in 2004, when a US-supported coup d’etat overthrew Haiti’s elected government and demonstrated that no progress in Haiti would be sustainable unless the US and other powerful countries respected Haitian sovereignty. Brian is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and Middlebury College. He held a Brandeis International Fellowship in Human Rights, Intervention and International Law from 2001-2003, and was a 2005-06 Wasserstein Public Interest Law Fellow at Harvard Law School. Contact: brian@ijdh.org
Alexandra “Sasha” Filippova, Senior Staff Attorney, has focused her legal practice on human rights, international dispute resolution, and public international law. Prior to joining IJDH, Sasha was an international arbitration and litigation associate at Shearman & Sterling LLP, where she served as a lead counsel in a successful lawsuit against the Syrian government for its extrajudicial killing of war correspondent Marie Colvin. Sasha’s other matters included litigating complex transnational disputes; co-authoring an amicus brief highlighting the importance of the command responsibility doctrine to the Eleventh Circuit; representing asylum seekers; conducting internal investigations in multiple countries; and advising clients on a variety of legal and policy matters. Sasha also recently served as a Senior Legal Fellow with the Center for Justice and Accountability, where she developed evidentiary and analytical support for a crimes against humanity claim, and as a Legal Advisor and Fellow with the American Bar Association’s Rule of Law Initiative, where she focused on confronting gender-based violence and promoting women’s empowerment around the globe.
Sasha holds graduate degrees from Georgetown University’s Law Center and Walsh School of Foreign Service, where she focused her studies on human rights and transitional justice, including field work in Liberia and Cambodia. She is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia and the State of New York. Contact: sasha@ijdh.org
Steve Forester, Immigration Policy Coordinator, leads efforts to win creation of a Haitian Family Reunification Parole Program (FRPP) to speed entry into the U.S. of 110,000 beneficiaries of approved visa petitions, to give parity with DHS’s Cuban FRPP and help Haiti recover by generating additional remittances. He has won support for this from about 100 congresspersons, 10 editorial boards in 17 editorials, the Miami-Dade County Commission, NY and Philadelphia city councils, the US Conference of Mayors, ABA, NAACP, Congressional Black Caucus, MA Gov. Patrick and others. Pre-quake, he secured pro-TPS editorials in major papers and political, legal and media support after devastating 2008 storms. He meets officials and pens op-eds; his January 2009 work won a quiet halt of all non-criminal Haiti deportations formalized by TPS after the quake. A Haiti rights advocate since 1979, he has testified in the Senate, House and other bodies and led the fight to enact the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act of 1998 (HRIFA), under which 20,000 Haitians became U.S. permanent residents. IJDH has sponsored his work since February 2009. Contact: steveforester@aol.com
Sandra Wisner, Senior Staff Attorney, is a Canadian human rights attorney working to hold international human rights violators accountable for their actions in Haiti. Prior to joining IJDH, Sandra worked as a UN legal consultant assisting with prosecutions of the Khmer Rouge at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia. She has litigated plaintiff-side discrimination and tort cases in Toronto, Canada, and spent a year in South Africa assisting the Legal Resources Centre in their representation of victims at the Marikana Commission of Inquiry. Sandra holds Canadian J.D. and Honours Bachelor of Arts degrees as well as an Advanced LL.M. in Public International Law from Leiden University, specializing in business and human rights. Contact: sandra@ijdh.org
Kristina Fried, Bertha Justice Fellow, prior to joining IJDH, worked as a Legal Fellow with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Washington, DC. During her fellowship, Kristina worked with stateless persons on administrative and legislative advocacy, as well as intervention on individual stateless and refugee cases. She also spent a semester working with the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights on strategic litigation and advocacy concerning violent push-backs of migrants at Europe’s external borders, in particular assisting with a submission to the Human Rights Committee. Prior to that, Kristina worked with the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies representing victims of gender- and gang-based violence in their asylum claims. Kristina holds a B.A. from the University of Melbourne in Islamic Studies and Arabic and is a 2020 graduate of Boston University School of Law, where she specialized in international human rights law. During law school, Kristina served as a student attorney with the International Human Rights Clinic, where she worked with civil society to map stateless populations in Lebanon, identify the root causes of statelessness, and propose an advocacy strategy to address those causes.
Catherine Chang, Operations Coordinator, before assuming her current role, served as an intern at IJDH providing administrative support and conducting research on United Nations sexual exploitation and abuse. She is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, where she majored in Political Science and Economics and worked on research on international conflict and human rights violations. She is a San Francisco Bay Area native and has volunteered with organizations serving those facing homelessness in her local community. Contact: catherine@ijdh.org
Meredith Gusky, Legal Intern, is a 2L at the George Washington University Law School. She is passionate about public international law, human rights, and transitional justice. Meredith is a member of the International Law in Domestic Courts Journal and enjoys researching and writing articles for the International Law and Policy Brief. Meredith is excited to be working with IJDH because of the organization’s commitment to client-centered advocacy and work with a broad range of stakeholders.
Tamara Valcin, Legal Intern, is a second-year J.D. Candidate at Brooklyn Law School. She is interested in public interest litigation and international criminal law. She graduated cum laude from Iona College where she earned her B.A. in Political Science and International Studies. Prior to attending law school, she worked at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office (DANY) as a Paralegal in the Investigations Division. At DANY, she was exposed to the demands of complex litigation by compiling evidence, assembling witness preparation materials, and responding to the needs of trial counsel working on criminal proceedings. This fueled her interest in becoming a public interest attorney who could create safe spaces for victims and defendants, ensuring that they find equitable solutions through the justice system. At Brooklyn Law, she is pursuing a curriculum that strengthens her oral advocacy and legal research skills. This past summer, she completed a Legal and Compliance Internship at Cerberus Capital Management L.P. While at Cerberus, she worked on projects related to private equity transactions, performed legal due diligence research, and assisted the Compliance Officer with internal investigations. As a Haitian American, Tamara feels personally connected to IJDH’s mission of building stability and prosperity in Haiti through justice and accountability. She hopes to use her knowledge of Haitian-Creole to contribute to the grassroots movement.
Allison Li, Intern, is a third-year undergraduate at Johns Hopkins University, majoring in International Studies, French, and Economics. At JHU, she serves as an editor on the Johns Hopkins Undergraduate Law Review. She plans on attending law school due to her strong interest in international law and human rights, and was drawn to IJDH because of their highly successful grassroots approach to advocacy. Working with IJDH, Allison hopes to advance initiatives in upholding women’s rights and countering gender-based violence.
Caitlyn Kilmer, Intern, is completing her second year at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. She is pursuing her Masters in Public and International Affairs with a focus on human security. Caitlyn’s research and interests focus on the role the international community plays in human rights crises. She was previously a media intern for ASA Social Fund for Hidden Peoples, an organization working with vulnerable groups in northern Uganda. Through her internship with IJDH, she hopes to gain more knowledge on human rights advocacy and more specifically the accountability of perpetrators of gender based violence.
Lucie Smith, Intern, is a junior studying International and Public Affairs with a focus in development at Brown University. While interning for IJDH this Fall 2021, she hopes to combine her background in economics, humanities, and Francophone studies to develop a multidisciplinary perspective on Haiti’s most pressing issues. Before coming to Brown, she grew up in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey. Outside of school, she is a project leader and writer for the Brown Global Research and Consulting Group.
Julianna Rivera, Intern, is a senior at Pace University currently living in New York City. Julianna is majoring in Sociology and Anthropology and minoring in Middle Eastern Studies and Pre-Law. During her studies, Julianna has found interests in cultural studies, human rights, humanitarian crises, and shifting dynamics within society. She wants to continue her studies by attending law school in hopes of being an International Human Rights lawyer. Julianna looks forward to working with IJDH and hopes to aid in creating change for people in Haiti.
Maddy Ayalew, Intern, is a recent graduate of The University of Virginia where she majored in Political and Social Thought and minored in Government. Maddy completed an undergraduate thesis entitled More Than Just an Image: Looking at Ritualized Spectacles of Violence Against Black Bodies, in which she explored images of state-sanctioned violence against Black people in the U.S. As an undergrad she also served as a moderator and chair of Sustained Dialogue at UVA and interned with statewide grassroots organization Virginia Organizing. Maddy is excited to be at IJDH and looks forward to learning more about Haiti and human rights advocacy.
Maeliss Guillaud, Volunteer, started practicing law in Luxembourg and France in various fields after studying international law in France, South Korea, and the U.S. She also helped a charity foundation promote children’s rights in Bangladesh and Madagascar. She is now living in Boston and assisting an association in the field of sexual violence in civil society and in the incarcerated population. Maeliss is also a pro bono attorney helping permanent residents from vulnerable communities to access US citizenship. Finally, she is an active legal fellow and ally of UnitedStateless, a nonprofit organization promoting human rights for stateless individuals in the US. Maeliss has a strong interest in ethics and justice and wishes to further structural changes to prevent civil rights violations. She hopes for marginalized communities’ empowerment to claim and affirm their rights.
FRANCISCKA LUCIEN, MA, FORMER IJDH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, joined IJDH as Executive Director in July 2019. She is a committed advocate for social justice, and an experienced international development professional skilled in strategic management, fundraising, communications, and advocacy. Her work focuses on the intersection of equity, health, and a rights-based approach to development. She served as Deputy Director of Policy and Partnerships for Partners In Health (PIH) in Liberia, coordinating with under-served communities, non-governmental organizations, the Ministry of Health, and international organizations to improve the delivery of critical health services in the wake of Liberia’s Ebola epidemic. She worked extensively in Haiti, leading key projects to strengthen public delivery systems for health care, and implementing the human right to health for rural, marginalized communities. Before entering the nonprofit field, she worked in advocacy and communications, helping clients across sectors on communications, issues management, and advocacy strategies. Franciscka’s role as Executive Director worked to advance accountability and recognition of human rights, in collaboration with the Institute’s Haiti-based partner organization, the Bureau des Avocats Internationaux. She holds an M.A. from the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs and a Bachelor of Science from the Georgetown University Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. She speaks English, French, Haitian Creole, and Spanish. Contact: franciscka@ijdh.org
Herby Duverné is Principal and CEO of Windwalker Group (2012 to present), a Boston-based risk management firm that focuses on cyber and physical security solutions. Mr. Duverné has served as the Deputy Director of Aviation Security (2006-2011) and Director of Emergency Management (2011-2012) for the Massachusetts Port Authority, which oversees Logan International Airport.
Irwin Stotzky, Esq. is a Professor of Law and Director of the Center for the Study of Human Rights at the University of Miami. He has advised the Haitian and Argentine governments on transitional justice issues, and represented Haitian refugees in U.S. courts. Professor Stotzky has written books on transitional justice in Haiti and Latin America.
Joia Mukherjee MD, MPH, IJDH Board Chair, is the Chief Medical Officer for Partners In Health, since 2000. She is an internist, paediatrician and infectious disease specialist and an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Mukherjee’s clinical focus in resource-poor settings has been HIV/AIDS, multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, mental health and most recently, ebola. She builds the capacity of healthcare professionals and emerging leaders in the Global Health Delivery discipline by teaching infectious disease, Global Health Delivery and human rights to health professionals and students from US and international institutions. Dr. Mukherjee serves on the board of directors for Last Mile Health, Village Health Works and Project Muso. She advises many other grassroots organizations in their efforts to deliver health care with a human rights approach to the poorest of the poor. In addition, Dr. Mukherjee consults for the World Health Organization and other international agencies on health systems strengthening, human resources for health, the treatment for HIV and more.
Paul Farmer, M.D. PhD, is founder of Partners in Health and a Professor at Harvard Medical School. Additionally, Dr. Farmer serves as Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on Community Based Medicine and Lessons from Haiti. Dr. Farmer has spent much of the past 25 years in Haiti, but his current primary residence is in Rwanda. Dr. Farmer changed the way the world treats infectious diseases among the poor by proving that top quality healthcare can be provided in resource-poor settings. Dr. Farmer brings unique and successful experience in implementing programs in Haiti and excellent relationships with Haitian health officials, the international healthcare community, and major donors to Haiti. Dr. Farmer is a MacArthur Foundation “Genius Award” winner.
Blaine Bookey is Co-Legal Director at the UC Hastings-based Center for Gender & Refugee Studies where she works to advance protections for survivors of gender-based violence and other forms of persecution. Blaine also coordinates the College’s Haiti Justice Initiative and Chairs the Board of Directors of the international women’s rights organization, MADRE. Previously, Blaine served as a legal fellow with IJDH and BAI and as a federal appellate law clerk. Before attending law school, Blaine worked as an immigration paralegal for several years advocating for many Haitian refugees. The American Constitution Society recognized Blaine for her work on behalf of marginalized communities with the 2016 David Carliner Public Interest Award.
Fran Quigley is a clinical professor at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, where he directs the Health and Human Rights Clinic. Students in the Health and Human Rights Clinic advocate for the rights of the poor, with a special focus on representing low-wage workers. He is the author of Walking Together, Walking Far: How a U.S. and African Medical School Partnership Is Winning the Fight against HIV/AIDS (Indiana University Press, 2009) and How Human Rights Can Build Haiti: The Lawyers, the Activists, and the Grassroots Movement (Vanderbilt University Press, forthcoming 2014), which profiles the work of IJDH and BAI. Fran has served as the executive director of ACLU of Indiana and as a public defender and civil rights attorney. He lives in Indianapolis with his wife Ellen and their three children, Sam, Katie, and Jack.
Mary H. White, M.D. is an infectious diseases physician who conducts medical evaluations of persons seeking asylum in the United States for persecution or torture in their home country at the Global Health Program of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. She has joined advocacy groups at the Department of Homeland Security to improve health conditions and standards in U.S. detention centers, and she has delivered medical care in Haiti.
