About me
I’ve been a social and environmental safeguards specialist for the past six years and have worked in the field since 2017. If you’re wondering what I’ve been up to in all these years, here’s a list of my main achievements:
2020-today/Social & Environmental Safeguards Specialist → Producing several dozen human rights and political context analyses, gender analyses and action plans, risk assessments, mitigation strategies, environmental and social impact assessments, stakeholder engagement plans and more for international cooperation agencies, NGOs and international organisations
2025/Amazon → Supporting the development of a social safeguards framework for Amazon’s carbon offsetting programme
2023-2024/Systain Consulting → Helping some of Germany’s largest companies comply with the German and European due diligence and human rights laws
2022/AAE Consulting → Supporting a large conservation NGO to adapt their projects in Central Africa to FPIC principles
2018-2020/GIZ → Working as an advisor for the project “Strengthening and protecting indigenous territories in the Amazon”, mainly on sustainable land management plans
2017-2018/Survival International → Managing and developing the indigenous rights NGO’s campaign in the German-speaking countries
My Approach
What sets me apart is not only my extensive theoretical knowledge of the causes I work on, but my profound identification with the issues faced by the people I work with. During years of field work, often directly with marginalised communities at risk, I have learned to not only respect but deeply appreciate the struggles they face and, with this, I found my place in supporting them.
Intercultural communication
My work is often that of an intercultural translator: local communities often struggle to understand the requirements of international agencies and vice versa. I sit in the middle and make sure both sides understand the requirements and limitations of the other.
Respect & Integrity
Marginalised and local communities often grasp very quickly that I am always taking the side of those most at risk. While I understand and respect the requirements of large organisations, the main focus is on making sure risks for the most vulnerable people are effectively mitigated. Over the past eight years, this integrity has earned me the trust of the communities I work with, which is fundamental for what I do.
Flexibility
My greatest strength, after spending years in often remote regions of the Global South, is flexibility. Not everything always works the way it’s expected or supposed to and that’s ok. I find ways to deal with and excel in dynamic and ever-changing contexts, making sure that things still get done and that everyone stays safe.
Experience in the field
From the jungles of the Congo to the savannahs of Central Brasil, the deserts of the Sahara and the outskirts of vast metropoles, I’ve had the privilege to work with some of the most resilient communities in extremely diverse settings. The knowledge gained in the field resulted in a deep understanding of the realities of local communities, especially the most marginalised ones, an understanding that inspires all of my work.