MEET THE TEAM

Ryan D’Souza

Director / Founder

Ryan Xavier D'Souza has been working on human rights advocacy and genocide prevention for the past 10 years. He has worked for the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh/ISIL, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia, and was a visiting fellow with the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford. He previously served as a consultant for the US Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide.

Before joining the United Nations peace operation in Somalia, he led advocacy and policy at the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, a New York-based human rights organization. During this time, he supported efforts by Yazda, Nadia Murad, and Amal Clooney to mobilize the UN Security Council to hold ISIS accountable for the genocide in northern Iraq.

Thikran Mato

Advocacy Officer

Thikran is a human rights activist and Yazidi genocide survivor from Kocho, a village near Mount Sinjar in Iraq. He was forcibly separated from his family and held in captivity by ISIS for two years. After his rescue, Thikran and his family were resettled in Germany through a program for genocide survivors.

Now, Thikran is a dedicated advocate for the Yazidi community, using his voice to champion their needs on the global stage. He has been featured in national and international media, including TIME Magazine, and has conducted advocacy efforts at the Iraqi Parliament, the French Senate, and The Hague using the Nobody's Listening VR experience. Thikran has also spoken to high school students in the UK about his experiences as part of a program to counter extremism.

While pursuing an online degree in English and Business Administration, Thikran continues to work toward a future where justice is served and humanity prevails over division. He is fluent in Arabic, Kurmanji, and English, and is now proficient in German.

Dijon Dajee Hierlehy MA

Art Director / Co-Founder

Dijon Dajee-Hierlehy has been working as an artist and curator for the past 14 years. He has exhibited internationally including at the Royal College of Art, Central Saint Martins and Miami Art Basel. He was a resident artist at Lights of Soho where he was exhibited alongside Tracy Emin and Chris Levine.

He has curated exhibitions and designed events for a number of high profile clients including, Cartier, Aspinals of London, TEDx, Gleneagles Hotel, Lisson Gallery and HRH Prince of Wales.

Dr. Alexander M Gross

Copy Editor

Alexander is a writer, historian and teacher living in London. In 2016 he completed his PhD in English Language and Literature at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil. He is a specialist in Shakespeare and Renaissance Drama, in particular the London contexts of Shakespeare’s work. Alexander has a passion for the English language and works as a freelance writer and copy editor across all manner of disciplines.

Dr Robert Keeling

Robert has a wide range of interests including human rights, international development and migration. Multilingual with over 10 years experience working on community development in both the UK and Germany, in particular with grassroots groups supporting asylum seekers and refugees.

Dr. Sarah Whittaker

Clinical Psychologist 

An expert in the psychological injuries and recovery from traumatic events, Sarah has over 10 years of experience working worldwide with survivors of human rights abuses and organised violence.She has travelled to northern Iraq on a number of occasions to collect testimony and provide psychological support to the Yazidi community. Sarah has provided expert witness for war crimes investigations and asylum tribunals.

Exhibition Writer

A freelance writer and editor with more than 20 years experience creating exhibitions and other visitor experiences, Steven has worked on an eclectic mixture of museums and cultural attractions in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Recently he wrote and co-curated Nelson Mandela: the Official Exhibition, exploring the life and legacy of South Africa’s first democratically elected president, and the struggle against apartheid. He is also working with the Plastic Oceans UK Foundation, developing materials for educating and empowering schoolchildren to tackle the plastic pollution crisis.

A past recipient of the BBC Wildlife Travel Writer of the Year Award, Steven is also a contributing author and editor of books on wildlife, heritage, photography, art and science.