Solal Billon is advocacy officer for ATD Fourth World, an international movement that fights poverty and its root causes. ATD Fourth World has been working directly with people living in poverty on the ground, building trust and building solutions with them.

Tara Fiechter works as a Programme Officer for Lawyers for Lawyers, an NGO working to promote the independence of the legal profession worldwide by supporting lawyers who are at risk because of their work

Iiris Lamminmaki is the advocacy and campaigns officer for the Health and Environmental Alliance (HEAL), an organisation working to ensure that present and future generations can enjoy a clean environment for long and healthy lives. Iiris advocates for a ban on harmful chemicals and reduced exposure to these chemicals across Europe.

Paula recently joined the German Human Rights Coordination Mexico, a network of organisations and initiatives working in Germany on the human rights situation in Mexico. As EU Advocacy Officer, Paula supports Mexican human rights organisations in their fight against human rights violations and impunity, and for more democracy and justice.

Gabrielle Franck is a Policy Officer for Quality Education in Europe for Sustainable Social Transformation (QUEST), a European network that brings together civil society organisations, schools, universities and public bodies advocating for change in education and lifelong learning.

Johanna Tassot works as a policy officer for the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE). Her organisation promotes study and research in the field of reproduction. She advocates for better policies for people affected by infertility and for the medical professionals helping them.

Marie-Jeanne Gaertner joined RREUSE almost 2 years ago. RREUSE is an international network of social enterprises working in the circular economy. She works on textiles policies and coordinates RREUSE’s participation in a Horizon Europe funded project that aims to increase circularity and sustainability in textiles and clothing in Europe: Circular & Sustainable Textiles & Clothing (CISUTAC).

Yves Reichling, is the project manager for the Our Fish, Notre Poisson programme at Feedback EU, a Netherlands-based environmental campaign group working for food that is good for the planet and its people.

Maris Pedaja works on the energy transition and environmental campaigning for Friends of the Earth Estonia and the CEE Bankwatch Network in Estonia. She monitors the use of public finance for the energy transformation and advocates for a democratic shift to achieve a just and sustainable transition.

Sebastián Becker Castellaro defends freedom of expression in the online sphere as a Policy Advisor at European Digital Rights (EDRi). He focusses on platform regulation and policies counter disinformation and ‘surveillance advertising’, the systematic harvesting, marketing, and use of personal data in the online advertising industry.

Charlotte Braat is a climate justice activist with the Extinction Rebellion. As a campaigner for Reclame Fossielvrij, she fights for a ban on advertising by the fossil fuel industry and for polluting transport and travel.

Tatiana Nuño joined Seas At Risk in February 2023, coming from Greenpeace Spain where she was in charge of climate and energy issues. She combines her passion for the ocean with her work in favor of the EU’s marine environment.

Robin Roels works in the field of resource justice and extractivism at the European Environmental Bureau (EEB). He is the coordinator of the Critical Raw Materials Coalition.

Isabella Castrogiovani has been with UNICEF for over 20 years. She has extensive programming and advocacy experience, notably in the sectors of children's rights and rule of law. She has led UNICEF's advocacy on children and armed conflict in the context of the Syrian war. Isabella participated in our 8th EU Academy in November 2022.

Before joining the European Coalition for Corporate Justice (ECCJ) to work on mandatory human rights due diligence and company law, Marion Lupin was an EU Affairs advisor for the Belgian Liberal Trade Union EU and national social policy. We interviewed Marion on the sidelines of the 8th EU Academy in Brussels in November 2022.

Jana Leggen and Mary Hallaert are both active in Generation Climate Europe, a coalition of youth-led networks on climate and environmental issues at the European level.

I have been especially sensitive to the training format that combines theory and practice. This combination allowed me to better understand and visualize the European decision-making process. I can now identify the key moments and people, and know when and how to intervene.

What I liked most about this training was the thouroughness of the trainers, and how they made sure the information they were providing was well received and assimilated by participants. Another key component of the training was the inclusion of an insider’s perspective, which enriched the training with knowledge that is impossible to find in academic books.

Despite the online format, I had the opportunity to network with fellow participants during speed dating sessions. Meeting these inspiring people gave me renewed hope because so many are involved in the fight for a world where the pursuit of the interest of a few will no longer harm society.

Participating in the April-May 2021 online edition of the EUAcademy, themed “Bursting the Brussels bubble - Advocating for the public good: a Member State perspective”, made me much more aware of how I can strategically engage at the national level to contribute to more just policies across the EU.