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Opening session

Empowering our future: Why diversity, inclusion and social justice matter

 Monday, 24 August

 14:30 – 15:30 CET

Social justice is about creating a fair, diverse and inclusive society. Today, many people are still discriminated against because of their gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, or disability. While governments, NGOs and the private sector are making some progress in fighting bias, putting principles of diversity and inclusion into practice, or ensuring a fair system of justice, there is still more to be done.

The plenary session will provide a common understanding of these issues and their meaning, exposing gaps and discussing the case for why diversity, inclusion and social justice matter within society, and the role of lawyers in driving and supporting a positive change. Speakers will share information, initiatives and tools to ensure better access to justice and a more diverse and inclusive world.

As an international association cherishing these values, we invite all of you to join our plenary session to discuss principles and forms of equality shaped around diversity. Joined by esteemed speakers with extensive knowledge and expertise within the field, this session will remind us once again the importance of diversity, inclusion and social justice.

AIJA President Paola Fudakowska

AIJA Human Rights Committee:

  • Ayşe Ülkü Solak
  • Gülsüm Aslan
  • Pia Padfield
  • Martijn Burgers

Congress Work Coordinators:

  • Clara Poglia
  • Mark Beardsworth
  • Fernanda Souto Pacheco

Please register to the congress to attend this session.

Speakers

Ayşe Ülkü Solak

NAZALI Tax and Legal Services, Turkey

Moderator

Gülsüm Aslan

AIG, Netherlands

Moderator

Rasheka Scott

Fondia, Finland

  • Senior Legal Counsel, Global IP & Technology Lead at Fondia
  • Over 10 years of experience handling Intellectual Property law, business legal agreements, brand management and IP protection
  • Board member of UNICEF Finland
  • Founder of Black Professionals Finland
  • A collective for Black professionals working in Finland
  • Co-founder of Youwowme Helsinki
  • Mentor for young ladies 18-24 years old)
  • Born in Jamaica and lived and educated in Belgium, England and Finland
  • Law degrees: LLB (University of Bristol), LLM and Finnish Masters of Law (University of Helsinki)
  • Member of AIJA since 2010
  • Elected Member of Executive Committee in 2014
  • Organizing Committee Helsinki Half Year Conference 2013
  • Work experience before Fondia (2008-2017)
  • Attorney General’s Chambers, Jamaica
  • Attorneys-at-law Juridia Oy, Finland
  • Kolster Oy Ab, Finland

Gilly Orr

Social and Sustainable Capital, United Kingdom

Gilly is currently External Affairs Director at Social and Sustainable Capital (SASC). She joined the firm in 2018 at Fund Development Director to build and launch the now successful Social and Sustainable Housing fund. The fund enables frontline support charities to purchase high quality housing for their vulnerable clients. 

Gilly has extensive experience of large-scale project management in the public, private and third sectors. Prior to joining SASC she worked in youth services where she helped charities take on social investment allowing them to scale their work. Before that, Gilly spent 14 years in journalism at the BBC, where she edited the award-winning Today programme and co-ordinated global radio coverage of major UK events. 

She has a Masters in Inequality and Social Sciences from the LSE and believes that it is incumbent on western societies to deliver equity for all if they want to truly flourish. Gilly volunteers on projects, run by the Order of Malta, that supports marginalised communities across the globe. She is a former volunteer, trustee and advisor for its UK youth branch, the Order of Malta Volunteers

Marina Zanatta Ganzarolli

OAB SP, Brazil

General reporters

Paola Fudakowska

AIJA President, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, UK

Martijn Burgers

Pact advocaten, Netherlands

AIJA Human Rights Committee

Pia Padfield

Simmons&Simmons, UK

AIJA Human Rights Committee

Clara Poglia

Schellenberg Wittmer, Switzerland

Virtual Congress Work Coordinator

Mark Beardsworth

Wickersham & Taft LLP, UK

Virtual Congress Work Coordinator

Fernanda Souto Pacheco

Dannemann Siemsen Advogados, Brazil

Virtual Congress Work Coordinator