Staff and Board

Juana Kweitel has been executive director of Conectas Human Rights since December 2016. She has a Masters in International Human Rights Law from the University of Essex, United Kingdom, and in Political Science from the University of São Paulo (Topic: “Accountability of Latin American Human Rights Organizations”). She holds a postgraduate degree in Human Rights and Democratic Transition from the University of Chile, and she graduated as a lawyer, with honors, from the University of Buenos Aires (UBA). She has worked in Argentina as institutional coordinator of CELS (Center for Legal and Social Studies) and as coordinator of the same organization’s Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Program. Juana serves on the Board of Trustees of Global Witness (2016).

Camila Asano has a degree in International Relations from the University of São Paulo. In 2009, she completed his master's degree in Political Science with distinction from the same institution. She is Director of Programs at Conectas Human Rights. At the organization, she has already coordinated the Foreign Policy and Human Rights Program and the Strengthening the Democratic Space program. Camila was an advisor to the National Human Rights Council from 2017 to 2020 and was a member of the Municipal Council for Policies for Migrants in the city of São Paulo. She was a professor of International Relations at Fundação Armando Álvares Penteado in São Paulo. In 2019, she received the Beth Lobo Award for Women's Human Rights from the São Paulo Legislative Assembly.

Marcos Roberto Fuchs is currently associate director of Conectas Human Rights and executive director of the Pro Bono Institute. He was a key figure in introducing pro bono culture in Brazil and he now promotes this ideal throughout Brazil and other countries in South America. He took part in the discussions on the Pro Bono Resolution approved by the São Paulo chapter of the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB/SP) in August 2002. He has given countless lectures at Universities and Lawyers Associations. He organized the 3rd International Seminar on Pro Bono Advocacy, held in São Paulo on December 4-5, 2003, that featured 30 international speakers and was attended by more than 200 people. He is the author of the tactical notebook Expanding Access to Justice, published by the New Tactics Project of the Center for Victims of Torture. He also volunteered as administrative director of the OAB/SP community channel, in 2004 and 2005.

Anamaria Schindler is a member of the leadership of Ashoka, an international organization with a focus on social entrepreneurship and social change. She was Global Co-President of Ashoka from 2005 to 2008 and is currently responsible for the organization’s strategy in Latin America. She founded and directed the Arapyaú Institute in Brazil from 2008 to 2011 and worked exclusively with human rights between 1986 and 1995 at the Center for the Study of Violence of the University of São Paulo and also as a columnist for the Valor Econômico newspaper from 2000 to 2005. Schindler is a sociologist with a Master’s and a Doctorate in Sociology from the University of São Paulo and she serves on the boards of a number of civil society organizations in Brazil and Latin America.

Andre Degenszajn is the Executive Director of Instituto Ibirapitanga, a foundation created in 2017 by Brazilian filmmaker Walter Salles. He was Secretary-General of GIFE, the Brazilian association of foundations, from 2013 to 2017. He has a Masters in International Relations from the Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP) and was a professor of International Relations from 2007 to 2011. He was a founding member of Conectas Human Rights, where he currently serves at the board. He is also a board member of Oxfam Brasil.

Denise Dora holds a degree in Juridical and Social Sciences from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (1983), a master's degree in International Human Rights Law from the University of Essex (2000), and a Master's degree in History, Politics and Cultural Goods from the Research and Documentation Center of the Getúlio Vargas Foundation, Rio de Janeiro (2011). She has extensive experience as a lawyer specialized in Human Rights, was a Professor at the Law School of the Rio dos Sinos Valley and the Ritter dos Reis University Center and a researcher at the Center for Applied Juridical Research at the FGV São Paulo Law School. Participated in various councils and directorates of civil society organizations, such as the Brazilian Fund for Human Rights, Action Aid and THEMIS - Gender, Justice and Human Rights.

Douglas Belchior is a teacher graduated in History from PUC-SP. Founder and professor in the Uneafro-Brasil Movement. Member of the Black Coalition for Rights, Operative Project Coordinator at the Brazil Human Rights Fund. Social networks: @negrobelchior

Flavia Regina de Souza is a lawyer who graduated from the University of São Paulo Law School and specialized in Tax Law at the Catholic University of São Paulo. She is a partner at the Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Marrey Jr. e Quiroga Advogados law firm, responsible for its Third Sector Law Department. She has published articles and presented papers on the third sector and pro bono lawyering at national and international conferences, and is a member of the Third Sector Law Commission at the São Paulo chapter of the Brazilian Bar Association. Souza teaches the “Legal Aspects of the Third Sector” module of the “Management Principles for Third Sector Organizations” course of PEC/FGV - Continued Education Program of the Getúlio Vargas Foundation, and is the coordinator and a professor of the “Law for the Third Sector” course of GVLaw - Continued Education Program of the Getúlio Vargas Foundation Law School.

Hélio Menezes is an anthropologist, works as a researcher, critic and curator. Graduated in International Relations and Social Sciences, he holds a master's and doctoral degree in Social Anthropology from the University of São Paulo. He is curator of Contemporary Art at the Centro Cultural São Paulo and at the Osório César Art Museum. He was international coordinator of the World Social Forum in Belém (2009), Dakar (2011) and Tunis (2013); and a fellow at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques (Sciences-Po Paris, 2007) and at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM, 2013). He has been developing research on anti-racist art and politics, modes of sociability and territorialization of black cultural practices in urban contexts, places of the black body in art and anthropological image theory.

Malak El-Chichini Poppovic is an independent consultant and was executive director of Conectas Human Rights from 2005 to 2011. Before this, she worked as an advisor for the Peace, Security and Human Rights portfolio of the United Nations Foundation and for the Solidarity Community Partnership Program against Poverty and Social Exclusion, in Brasília, and as a senior researcher at the Center for the Study of Violence of the University of São Paulo. She has worked for the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees in various countries (1975-1988). She holds a postgraduate degree in Economics and International Relations from the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva and a Bachelor’s in Economics from the University of Cairo.

Margarida Bulhões Pedreira Genevois, graduated in Social Sciences from the São Paulo School of Sociology and Politics. She has served as president of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Archdiocese of São Paulo and as a member of the Human Rights Commission of the University of São Paulo (USP). She was also a member of the National Council on Women’s Rights and one of the founders of the Brazil Human Rights Fund. In 2008, she received the title of “São Paulo Citizen” for the representativeness of her work in human rights.

Marcelo Furtado is the Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) and partner at ZScore a traceability platform for environmental assets using blockchain technology. Board Chair at World Resources Institute (WRI) Brazil. Member of the sustainability committee at Duratex SA. Executive director of Alana Family Foundation from July 2018 to March 2020 and co-founder of Believe.Earth. Served from 2016 to June 2018 as the facilitator of the Brazilian Coalition on Climate Forest and Agriculture. Chemical engineer by training with a master degree in renewable energy. Lemann Fellow and a member of the Yale World Fellow program (2011). Executive Director at Arapyaú Institute (2013 to 2017) family foundation that promotes sustainability, justice, education and political activism. Executive Director of Greenpeace Brazil (2008 to 2013).

Director of the São Paulo Law School at Fundação Getulio Vargas, where he is Professor of Constitutional Law. Graduated in Law from PUC-SP (1988), Master in Law from Columbia University (1995), Doctorate in Political Science from University of São Paulo (1998) and Postdoctoral from Center for Brazilian Studies (St. Antonies College, Oxford University.) He was Executive Director of Conectas Human Rights and the United Nations Latin American Institute for the Prevention of Crime - Brazil, as well as State Attorney in São Paulo.

Journalist and Lawyer. PhD in Public Policy, Strategies and Development at UFRJ, with a thesis on Lobby in the National Congress. Master in Social Policy from the State University of the North Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro - UENF with sandwich at the Free University of Brussels - ULB, Belgium. Policy / Advocacy professional with over 15 years of experience. She is currently a Specialist in Regional Humanitarian Access (Latin America) in the humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) - Belgium. He was Institutional Relations and responsible for advocacy at MSF Brasil for 5 years. She was project / advocacy coordinator at the Brazilian AIDS Interdisciplinary Association - ABIA, where she coordinated REBRIP's Intellectual Property Working Group, which brought together 17 civil society organizations, for seven years. She is a professor of Advocacy and Humanitarian Aid in the Professional Master's Degree in Analysis and Management of International Policies: Conflict Resolution and Development Cooperation (MAPI) at PUC Rio.

Silvio Luiz de Almeida is a lawyer, a professor at FGV-SP, Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie and the São Judas Tadeu University, a doctoral and post-doctorate in Philosophy and General Theory of Law (USP), a bachelor's and master's degree in Law (Mackenzie) and Philosophy (FFLCH-USP), technical consultant of the Quilombola Federation of the State of São Paulo and in the area of ​​affirmative action, public policies and antidiscrimination compliance

Sueli Carneiro holds a PhD in Education from USP (University of São Paulo) and founder of Geledés - Instituto de Mulher Negra. Theoretical of the issue of gender and race, created the only Brazilian program of guidance in the area of ​​physical and mental health specific to black women. In 1988 she was invited to join the National Council for the Feminine Condition in Brasilia. She is the author of "Racism, Sexism and Inequality in Brazil", which presents the main advances in overcoming the inequalities created by the practice of racial discrimination.

Theodomiro Dias holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the Law School of the Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC/SP), a Master of Laws (LLM) from the University of Wisconsin (United States) and a Doctor of Laws from the University of Saarland (Germany). He works as a criminal lawyer in São Paulo.

Emílio Martos has a degree in Business Administration and Law, with an MBA in Information Technology Management. He worked in a family business for 11 years, in the municipal legislature in Campo Grande (MS) for eight years and in the last 16 years in the management of third sector organizations, such as: ACMD (Association Community Holding Hands), Ethos Institute and the IBGC (Brazilian Institute of Corporate Governance), where his last position was that of Relations and Operations Superintendent. He is currently an independent consultant and is attending the coaching program of Instituto EcoSocial. He was a lead partner of the Avina Foundation and coordinator of one of the winning projects in the Ashoka - McKinsey Innovative Resource Mobilization Competition.

Heloisa Motoki is the founder of Quali Contábil, Influencer of the Women Entrepreneur Network, Special Consultant on the Forum Contábeis website. Graduated in MBA in Controlling, Graduated in Accounting and Accounting Technician, participant in the Entrepreneurship program by FGV / Goldman Sachs - 10,000 women. For 22 years in the accounting market, he has been working directly with small and medium companies in São Paulo.

Luigi Puntel is graduated in Business Administration for PUC-SP, with MBA in Commercial Management for FGV-SP. Specialist in Solution Selling (Sandler Training Brasil 2015/2017), Internationally Certified by PMP® Institute (Project Manager Preparation Training Tech Mahindra2014) and Certificate of Negotiation Communication (Brazilian Society of Neolinguistic Programming - SBPNL). Commercial executive with over 12 years of progressive sales experience. Currently responsible for managing accounts and technology operations for large companies in the Retail segment at Linx S.A., acting for leverage and territorial development, contract negotiation, P&L administration, forecast management and sales pipeline.