By Katie Fuhs

Given the central role that young people have played in previous OGP Summits, the Government of Korea wishes to support young people around the world to engage further with OGP to ensure that youth are central to policy and advocacy around open government in the future. Towards that aim, the Government of Korea has asked Accountability Lab to recruit youth activists focused on anti-corruption, civic space and public participation, and inclusive digital innovation to share their ideas and perspectives at the 2021 OGP Summit.

As such, Accountability Lab is proud to introduce the youth delegates of the 2021 Open Government Partnership Summit. If you are interested in speaking with a particular delegate or inviting one to take part in your Summit event, please contact [email protected].

Esma Gumberidze (Georgia)

Priority: Anti-corruption

Areas of Expertise: Participation of persons with disabilities in decision-making; intersectionality of youth, gender, and disability

Bio: Esma is a human rights defender, disabled activist, citizen journalist, and blogger who creates peace-building related youth content. She is a co-founder of the UN Youth Delegate Alumni Network, co-founder of the disabled women’s organization, The Platform for New Opportunities, a member of the Disability Inclusion Council for the Tbilisi Mayor, and an author of the podcast Intersectionality and political mobilization. She is also an author for another podcast, Feminstream, which covers disabled women’s rights and is funded by UN Women. Furthermore, Esma is a Leadership Council Board Member of the European Democracy Youth Network, a member of CEPPS Youth Advisory Group, and a fellow at the Center for Inclusive Policy. Esma has authored numerous pieces of research for UNDP Georgia and UN Women, including a situational analysis of persons with disabilities and participation as well as a monitoring report on the rights of women with disabilities in Georgia.

Fabio Rotondo (Italy)

Priority: Anti-corruption

Areas of Expertise: Participation, inclusion, democratic processes

Bio: Fabio works for The Good Lobby Italia, an NGO that focuses on inclusion and participation in democratic processes. He is also a climate activist for Greenpeace, and he holds a Bachelor’s degree in Linguistic Mediation and a Master’s in Political Science.

 

Gabriela Boechat (Brazil)

Country: Brazil

Priority: Anti-corruption

Areas of Expertise: Open government in São Paulo, public procurement and open contracting, youth political education

Bio: Gabriela Boechat is a great enthusiast of the open government agenda. After graduating with a degree in Public Policy and International Relations from the Federal University of ABC, she worked on the co-creation and implementation of the first two action plans of the City of São Paulo. She also coordinated a network of public servants to promote access to information and open government. She then worked on public procurement in the education department of the Municipality of São Paulo. Today, Gabriela is a contributor for the Open Government Institute, researching and advocating for more open, transparent, and participatory contracting in Brazil as a way to fight corruption.

김민지 Minji Kim (South Korea)

Priority: Anti-corruption

Areas of Expertise: Education, social media, metaverse

Bio: Minji is studying administration at university and is interested in the development factors of a society. Since 2019, she’s been participating in an OGP youth working group and has been actively advising domestic institutions on the perspective of young people.

 

 Kijung Seo (South Korea)

Priority: Inclusive digital innovation

Areas of Expertise: Digital democracy, digital sexual violence

Bio: Kijung Seo is a party official with Transition Korea, working on digital civic engagement as a public policy platform director. She is also a researcher of Transition Korea Lab, a think tank that aims to resolve social gaps. Previously, she worked as a journalist in the press and in the National Assembly. Kijung has a Master of Public Administration from the Graduate School of Governance at SungKyunKwan University and studied Political Science and Diplomacy as an undergraduate.

 

Ilma Rivai (Indonesia)

Priority: Civic space and public participation

Areas of Expertise: Rights of people with disabilities

Bio: Ilma Rivai was born with light to moderate cerebral palsy. From secondary school to 2020, she was involved with Young Voices Indonesia, an organization for persons with disabilities, where she informed Indonesia’s current Disability Law. In 2016, she took interest in the development sector and became a part of the UNFPA’s Youth Advisory Panel, representing youth and promoting the importance of disability rights during YAP’s cross-sectoral government meetings. From 2018-2019, she joined 2030 Youth Force Indonesia. Currently, Ilma is a new member of the Australia Indonesia Youth Association – Jakarta Chapter. Ilma finds human rights and development issues to be important and complex, which motivates her even more to enjoy exploring everything she can about these issues.

Gülşen Güler (United Kingdom)

Priority: Inclusive digital innovation

Areas of Expertise: Digital inclusion, digital literacy, open data and accountability

Bio: Gülşen Güler is a researcher and consultant, currently working as the research director at Civic Software Foundation. She focuses on examining and reimagining the relationships between data, digital tech, decision-making, and power. Güler is also a trained social worker and has experience in the criminal justice system where she witnessed the limitations of data collection and classification of reporting systems as well as the real-world harm these gaps cause. Her lived experiences in this field inform her desire to dismantle techno-deterministic narratives, build trust, and bring accountability. Her perspective is informed by intersectionality, data feminism, situated learning, and sociotechnical imaginaries. She holds an MSc in Communication Studies and has been listed as a data changemaker for her outstanding work in the field.

Ismail Auwal Garba (Nigeria)

Country: Nigeria

Priority: Anti-corruption

Areas of Expertise: Media, nutrition, education

Bio: Ismail was born in Kano, Nigeria in 1993. He served as the technical co-lead of the Open Governance Partnership’s thematic group on Anti-Corruption, making him the youngest to hold such a position in the nation. Through this role, he helped to design the Kano State Anti-Corruption Strategy and was also given the opportunity to oversee the establishment of Anti-Corruption Clubs in state-owned secondary schools and tertiary institutions.

Jessy Sekere (Papua New Guinea)

Priority: Inclusive digital innovation

Areas of Expertise: Policy, information and communications technology, data and governance

Bio: Jessy is a motivated young Papua New Guinean with a broad understanding of policy development in the ICT sector. He has experience with the policies and implications of emerging technologies such as AI and 5G. Jessy has hands-on technical experience, demonstrated by his history of working with ICT-oriented companies and government organizations, including DATEC PNG, PNG NBC, and PNG Department of ICT. He is currently employed with the Department of ICT under the Policy & Emerging Technologies Wing. Jessy has contributed to PNG’s Government Cloud Policy, Data Governance Policy, National Cybersecurity Policy, UAS Policy, Freedom of Information Policy, and more.

Melissa Chaidez Castaños (Mexico)

Priority: Civic space and public participation

Areas of Expertise: Open government, governance, citizen participation

Bio: Melissa Chaidez is the Technical Coordinator of the Core Group of Civil Society for Open Government Mexico. Specializing in open government and governance issues, Melissa is a co-author of the book, Open Government Partnership in Mexico: A perspective from civil society. Previously, Melissa worked for the National Electoral Institute with the vote from abroad office for a federal election as well as the Constituent Assembly to advise on the creation of the constitution for Mexico City. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Policy from the Autonomous University of Sinaloa, where she took several courses on open government, e-government, and gender and won the Luis F. Aguilar medal of academic merit for obtaining the best grades and performance in the public policy program.

Praise Ajibola Oluwaleye (Nigeria)

Country: Nigeria

Priority: Inclusive digital innovation

Areas of Expertise: Digital divide, skill-access gap, shared values

Long Bio: Praise is a transformation and development catalyst, digital innovation activist, and mind & belief systems engineer. He wishes to empower adolescents through digital skills on leadership, personal development, strategic thinking, entrepreneurship, and active citizenry. Praise has sustainably built high capacity projects and products, including the incubation of a community of 1000+ young and thriving changemakers in rural Nigeria through digitally-connected platforms. These platforms have metamorphosed into digitally engaged & evolved instruments that leverage data to provide accountability, visibility, and domesticate democratic processes. Praise envisions a Nigeria where the common Nigerian child can access all the facilities they need to learn and thrive in a digital economy and ecosystem.

Purity Akoth Obwar (Kenya)

Priority: Inclusive digital innovation

Areas of Expertise: Digital literacy & inclusion, breaking digital gender barriers, AI & the future of employment

Bio: Purity Akoth Obwar is a skilled communications, digital marketing, and public relations professional with 4+ years of experience in fostering positive relationships between organizations and media. She is committed to providing communities and organizations with positive media interactions that build impactful development changes, strengthen local interactions and partnerships, develop cohesive relationships, and establish credibility. She is a skilled technology enthusiast who uses her innovative problem-solving skills to train young people on digital literacy and safety, web development, and design thinking skills. Purity holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Media Technology with IT from Maseno University.

Rafael Leite (Brazil)

Priority: Anti-corruption

Areas of Expertise: Promoting ethics and integrity through human resource management practices and reform, building administrative capacity in governments through the professionalization of senior management

Bio: Rafael Leite is a consultant in public management and a specialist in state reform and modernisation. He has worked for various civil society organisations and public agencies, such as Vetor Brasil, the Leman Foundation, and the Civil Service Agency of Chile. Leite has carried out technical consultancy projects with international organisations such as the Inter-American Development Bank as well as developing research projects in different academic centres and think tanks. Rafael holds a degree in public administration from Getulio Vargas Foundation/São Paulo School of Business Administration.

Reilly Martin (United States)

Priority: Inclusive digital innovation

Areas of Expertise: Procurement, user experience

Long Bio: Reilly Martin is Senior Program Manager for the Open Contracting Partnership where she leads hands-on technical assistance, community building, and policy and advocacy support with governments and other procurement reformers. She has most recently worked as a director for the City of Boston’s Department of Innovation and Technology and as a research fellow for the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation at Georgetown University/State of Colorado. In these roles, she helped create and put in place user-focused technology for governments, including the City’s website. She also helped create and share best practices for digital services and procurement, both of which can’t be successful without digital inclusion and equity built in. She has a Master of Arts from Emerson College and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Northern Iowa. Reilly is currently in Portland, Oregon, and grew up in the U.S. Midwest. When not at work, you’d find her exploring the outdoors.

Thoneisa Jarrett (Jamaica)

Priority: Civic space and public participation

Areas of Expertise: Environment, access to information, mining & impact for communities

Bio: Thoneisa Jarrett was born in Alexandria, St.Ann to her mother Marie Gordon and grew up in the community of Scarborough with her two sisters and grandmother. She completed her primary education in a neighboring community at the Bethany Primary School, where she then attended Knox College for secondary school. During her seven-year tenure at the institution, she was always enthusiastic about drama and sports and had a zeal for service, which led her to serve in the Red Cross, United Nations, Environmental, and Girl’s Brigade clubs. Through these clubs and her role as Student Council president, Thoneisa sought to serve the institutions that she was a part of and to actively bring as many people as she could to the table. Now that she is at the University of the West Indies, she plans to use the platforms extended to her to further develop her country and, especially, aid the youth.

Romina Damini (Albania)

Priority: Anti-corruption

Areas of Expertise: Human rights, gender equality

Bio: Romina Damini is a legal expert and policy analyst and works as a Consultant and Researcher at the IOM. She previously worked as a Lecturer in Human Rights and as a Law Consultant for WomenNC in North Carolina, USA. Romina is committed to advancing her expertise in human rights, children protection, and anti-corruption. She pursued a mid-career Master’s in International Development Policy at Duke University and obtained a MSc in Civil Law from the University of Tirana.

 

Vino Lucero (Philippines)

Priority: Civic space and public participation

Areas of Expertise: Digital human rights, open data, freedom of information, and youth advocacy

Bio: Vino Lucero is the convenor of the Youth Alliance for Freedom of Information in the Philippines, a fellow for the 2021 GIF-Article 19 Internet of Rights Fellowship, and the national researcher for the Philippines for the 2020-2021 Global Data Barometer. He also is a contributing author for the book, Data Justice and COVID-19: Global Perspectives.

 

Priority: Inclusive digital innovation

Areas of Expertise: Social inequality, governance, women’s empowerment

Bio: Sohee Yang is currently working as a spokesperson for Transition Korea, a political party in South Korea, as well as a strategic manager at the newly established NPO Agnica, which promotes civic-hacking movements. Having actively worked as a young activist and a national representative at major international summits including the UN, APEC, and G20, Sohee has consistently sought more impactful solutions to alleviate social inequality. Her main focuses include polarisation, inequality, governance, and women empowerment. Sohee was awarded the Youth Hero Prize (2017) and Talent of Korea (Presidential Medal, 2013)

 

 

 

전하은 Haeun Jeon (South Korea)

Priority: Inclusive digital innovation

Areas of Expertise: Digital democracy, public data, entrepreneurship

Bio: Haeun Jeon is an enthusiastic problem-solver, connecting diverse experiences to design inclusive social innovation. She recently has been focusing on the role of business and technologies for creating innovative solutions for our society. She is currently working for a private corporation to promote a startup ecosystem and to support entrepreneurs in Korea. Previously, she worked for the public sector via the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and Korea Small Business Institute to support SMEs and startups. Haeun also has experience with several projects on civic participation through digital solutions and public data. Haeun holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and International Relations.

Other youth delegates include:

김민지 Minji Kim, 서효진 Hyo-Jin Seo, 박홍준 Hongjun Park, 박성수 Sungsoo Park, 손유진 Yoojin Son, 안예승 Yeseung Ahn, 안준현 Junhyun Ahn, 양소희 Sohee Yang, 서기정 Kijung Seo, 전하은 Haeun Jun & 황시은 Sieun Hwang

Katie Fuhs is a Senior Programs and Operations Officer for Accountability Lab