Advocacy work
Conducted institutional and strategic planning evaluations on behalf of the Open Society Institute (OSI) for groups in Romania, Bulgaria and the Slovak Republic.
Developed curricula and facilitated trainings for 250+ human rights activists across the world on international and domestic advocacy on behalf of the Open Society Institute, the European Roma Rights Centre in Budapest, Equitas in Montreal, Catholic Relief Services in Baku, etc.
Led a 10-country team of local activists reporting on the impact of the Decade of Roma Inclusion on behalf of the World Bank and OSI’s Roma Initiative Office and edited a book-length report DecadeWatch 2005-2006 (The World Bank and Open Society Institute, 2006).
Consulted on a 14-country report Access to Education and Employment for People with Intellectual Disabilities (Open Society Institute, 2005) on behalf of OSI’s Mental Health Initiative and helped grantees develop long-term advocacy strategies for integration and community services.
Coordinated a 10-country campaign for implementing new equality standards in the European Union, led by the European Roma Rights Centre in Budapest, Interights in London, and Migration Policy Group in Brussels.
Wrote 20+ shadow reports and conducted briefings before United Nations, European Union, and Council of Europe bodies, reviewing the human rights situation of Roma in more than a dozen European countries on behalf of the European Roma Rights Centre.
Conducted field research for Human Rights Watch in Romanian penitentiaries for a landmark report on human rights abuses against sexual minorities in Romania, Public Scandals: Sexual Orientation and Criminal Law in Romania (International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission and Human Rights Watch, 1997).
Co-founded co-founded ACCEPT, Romania's first and most prominent LGBT rights group, and developed the first campaign to decriminalize same-sex relations in Romania, which ended with the full repeal of sodomy laws in 2001.
Lobbied the Romanian Parliament on human rights legislation and liaised with authorities, non-governmental and media organizations on behalf of APADOR-Romanian Helsinki Committee.
Affiliations
2008 to present Board member, European Roma Information Office, Brussels
1995 to present Founding member, ACCEPT, Bucharest
1993 to present Member, APADOR-Romanian Helsinki Committee, Bucharest
1996 to 1999 International board member, International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, San Francisco.