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MODERATORS
SANDRA CHINDOY
Benjamin Davis is Director of the Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Division at FAO. He has deep expertise in social protection, agricultural economics, and rural poverty reduction. He previously led FAO’s PtoP project and held roles at UNICEF and IFPRI. Benjamin holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics and a Master’s in Public Policy from UC Berkeley. His work focuses on inclusive rural development and social policy innovation.
BENJAMIN DAVIS
Joan Carling, an Indigenous activist from the Cordillera region of the Philippines, has over 20 years of advocacy for Indigenous rights, climate justice, and sustainable development. She served as General Secretary of AIPP (2008–2016) and now leads Indigenous Peoples Rights International (IPRI). A UN Champion of the Earth (2018) and Right Livelihood Award laureate (2024), she is a global voice for human rights and environmental justice.
JOAN CARLING
Birgitte Feiring is Director of Charapa and assistant to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. She has extensive experience in human rights and sustainable development, with expertise in Indigenous Peoples’ rights. Her work spans international institutions and focuses on consultation, land rights, and rights-based funding for Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and Afro-descendants.
BIRGITTE FEIRING
Etienne Coyette is an agricultural engineer specialising in landscape management. With over a decade of experience in Central Africa and Central America, he has worked extensively on rural development and natural resource management. Since joining the European Commission in 2004, he has served in the environment and external cooperation services focusing on sustainable agriculture and land governance.
ETIENNE COYETTE
Marcy joined ILC as Director in May 2025 and brings over 30 years of global experience in development, humanitarian action, partnerships, and governance. She has held senior roles with CARE International, OCHA, and the SUN Movement, leading strategic planning, gender equity, and resource mobilisation. Her work spans Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
MARCY VIGODA
JUNE 16 | DAY 1
Javier is a lawyer, specialising in constitutional law with a masters in educational and social development. Researcher of social movements, land and territories at the Center for Research and Popular Education – (Cinep/Programa por la paz). His areas of interest are agrarian issues and rights of rural communities.
JAVIER LAUTARO MEDINA BERNAL
Mike joined the ILC team in 2006, having previously worked with the Botswana government and UNDP. He became Director of the Secretariat in 2015. The best thing about this job, he says, is the opportunity to work with so many inspiring organisations, communities and individuals across the globe who are leading a bottom-up revolution for change! He holds a PhD in Social Anthropology and a BSc in Environmental Science.
MIKE TAYLOR
Ambassador Gilles Bertrand is originally from Marseille, France, and studied business administration and political science. He has more than 20 years of experience in the European Union (EU) institutions, especially in foreign policy and international cooperation. He has also led social inclusion organisations. He has been Ambassador of the European Union to Colombia since September 28, 2021.
GILLES BERTRAND
Martha Viviana Carvajalino Villegas is Colombia’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development. A lawyer and Master of Law from the National University of Colombia, she specialises in agrarian and environmental issues. She has led key reforms in rural development, including advancing Agrarian Reform as Deputy Minister, and has worked across public institutions and civil society to promote territorial rights and rural equity.
MARTHA CARVAJALINO
CARLOS ALBERTO SUESCÚN BARÓN
Social communicator and youth leader from the municipality of El Tarra, Norte de Santander. She is president of the Municipal Youth Council and is a member of the Catatumbo Network of Young Leaders. She has led communication processes for development, youth participation and capacity building in rural areas of the territory, working on the production of strategic content to promote the recognition of the rights of rural youth.
MERLY CAÑIZARES
Vladimir Angulo Cuero is an Afro-Colombian leader of the Black Communities Process (PCN). He has promoted the collective titling of ancestral lands and the strengthening of the autonomy of Community Councils in the Pacific and the Amazon. Despite the threats he has received, he continues to promote intercultural dialogue, social justice and equity for black communities in Colombia.
VLADIMIR ANGULO
Martha is a campesina from the Colombian Altillanura, agroecological producer and active defender of peasant rights. She is involved in several local, regional and national spaces for discussion and consensus-building, such as the National Committee of RENAF, with representation in the Colombian Agroecological Movement.
MARTHA LUCÍA SANTA DÍAZ
Luz is a rural woman leader from Zipaquirá, Colombia, and a long-time defender of land and environmental rights. She represents ANUC Cundinamarca and serves as President of the Peasant Users Association of Zipaquirá. She has worked as a psychosocial promoter supporting victims of armed conflict and is an active delegate in national platforms for rural women’s advocacy.
LUZ AMPARO VÁZQUEZ
MARÍA BENITEZ
Campesino leader from Montes de María, Bolívar, with a strong history in defending human rights and rural permanence. He leads the OPDs and the Agrarian Reform Committee in Zambrano, and promotes community organising in the Zona de Reserva Campesina Polígono 2. As a Territorial Social Dialogue manager with the CEV and JEP, he has helped clarify the impacts of armed conflict in his region.
MIGUEL MIRANDA CORTEZANO
María has a PhD in Cultural Anthropology and is project coordinator at Tropenbos Colombia. She has promoted local research processes to boost the use of traditional and local knowledge of Indigenous Peoples and rural communities. Some of her fields of action are related to intercultural and territorialised education, cultural heritage and the inclusion of women and youth in decision making in territorial processes.
MARIA CLARA VAN DER HAMMEN
Alba is the founder of the Red de Guardianes de Semillas de Vida, dedicated to preserving native and creole seeds in Colombia. Since 2006, she has also led the agroecological association Nuevas Raíces. With over 20 years of experience, she has worked alongside rural, Indigenous, and urban communities in southern Colombia.
ALBA PORTILLO
Arleny is a social leader from Potreros village in Solano, Caquetá, with experience leading the conciliation committee and local community board. From 2022 to 2024, he led a restoration project with Tropenbos Colombia, promoting freshwater turtle conservation and fostering intercultural agreements between Indigenous and peasant communities to protect the environment and strengthen coexistence.
ARLENDY ALBINO CLAROS
Vivian is a rural union leader who fights for the dignified life of the Amazonian campesinos. She began working for the empowerment of women in political and union life in the Federation of Indigenous Peasant Women “Bartolina Sisa”. Today she serves in the Vaca Diez Regional Union Federation of Peasant Workers and in BOCINAB, from where she advocates for the integral and sustainable development of the Bolivian Amazon.
VIVIAN PALOMEQUI IRINA
PAULO TEIXEIRA
JUNE 17 | DAY 2
Pallab is an Indigenous rights activist from Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh. Currently he is working as Executive Director of Kapaeeng Foundation (KF), working for the promotion and protection of the rights of Indigenous Peoples. He holds a Master’s in Mediation and Conflict Resolution from the University of South Australia. Pallab serves as one of ILC’s Global Council representatives from Asia.
PALLAB CHAKMA
Juan Carlos Mendoza is IFAD’s Director for Environment, Climate, Gender, and Social Inclusion. He has held leadership roles at the UNCCD, Green Climate Fund, World Bank, and KPMG, focusing on climate resilience, inclusive development, and resource mobilisation. He holds master’s degrees in public policy from Georgetown University and engineering from MIT, and has worked extensively across Latin America, Asia, and the Pacific.
JUAN CARLOS MENDOZA
Marcy joined ILC as Director in May 2025 and brings over 30 years of global experience in development, humanitarian action, partnerships, and governance. She has held senior roles with CARE International, OCHA, and the SUN Movement, leading strategic planning, gender equity, and resource mobilisation. Her work spans Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
MARCY VIGODA
Martha Viviana Carvajalino Villegas is Colombia’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development. A lawyer and Master of Law from the National University of Colombia, she specialises in agrarian and environmental issues. She has led key reforms in rural development, including advancing Agrarian Reform as Deputy Minister, and has worked across public institutions and civil society to promote territorial rights and rural equity.
MARTHA CARVAJALINO
Carlos represents Latin America and the Caribbean on the UN Working Group on the Rights of Peasants. A rural development coordinator at Javeriana University of Cali’s Institute of Intercultural Studies, he holds degrees in anthropology (National University of Colombia), Latin American studies (Sorbonne), and a PhD in sociology (IHEAL–Paris III).
CARLOS ARTURO DUARTE
César Aldrighi, an agronomist and public servant at INCRA since 2006, is its current President. He holds a master’s in Agroecosystems and specialisations in cooperativism and georeferencing. With xpertise in family farming, agrarian reform, and rural development, he has led key programs like PRONATER and Terra Forte, and held leadership roles in settlement development.
CESAR ALDRIGHI
Dewi Kartika is an agrarian activist who has been actively involved in various educational campaigns and people-based organisations. She joined the Konsorsium Pembaruan Agraria (KPA) in 2007, a populist organisation in Indonesia that consistently strives for agrarian reform, consisting of 145 civil peasants organisations and NGOs.
DEWI KARTIKA
Dr. Zeina Jallad is Director of the Palestine Land Studies Center and Assistant Professor of International Law at AUB. With 20 years of UN experience across MENA, Switzerland, and Laos, she specializes in housing, land, and property rights. She holds a JSD and LLM from Columbia, is a legal advisor to the UN, and serves on Birzeit University’s Board. Her work has been published in leading international law journals.
DR. ZEINA JALLAD
Doris Munyingi, is Program Manager at GROOTS Kenya and a passionate advocate for gender justice, land rights, and climate resilience. A 2023–2024 ILC Young Leaders Fellow, she also represents Eastern Africa in the GIMAC Young Women Network. Known for her transformative leadership, Doris empowers grassroots women and girls and champions equity across local, regional, and global platforms.
DORIS MUNYINGI
JUNE 18 | DAY 3
Dr. Albert Kwokwo Barume, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, is from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He holds a PhD in law focused on Indigenous rights in Africa and has over 25 years of experience. His roles include expert to the African Commission, ILO Senior Specialist, chair of the UN Expert Mechanism, and adviser to governments and international organizations.
ALBERT BARUME
Vivian, an Ilaikipiak Maasai from Laikipia North, Kenya, is Program Manager at IMPACT Kenya. She leads the Inclusive Conservation Initiative, promoting rights-based, community-led conservation. With a BSc in Environmental Conservation and ongoing MSc in Rangeland Management, she previously coordinated gender and natural resource programs.
VIVIAN SILOLE MALIH
Milan is the President of Save Sinjajevina. He is a Montenegrin journalist, a son of Sinjajevina pasturelands, one of Europe’s largest mountain grasslands.
MILAN SEKULOVIC
Gino Cocchiaro is a human rights lawyer, supporting civil society in shaping inclusive clean energy policies. With 15 years at Natural Justice in Kenya and South Africa, he has led community-driven legal work across Africa. Gino specialises in environmental justice, legal empowerment, and energy transition, advising on legal reforms and supporting grassroots organisations and environmental defenders
GINO COCCHIARO
Beverly Litdog Longid is an Igorot from the Bontok-Kankanaey Indigenous Peoples of the Cordillera, Philippines. She is the International Solidarity Officer of Katribu and serves on the Executive Council of the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP). An activist since high school, she has faced threats and harassment for her advocacy. Beverly is a grandmother and holds degrees in Psychology, English Literature, and Law
BEVERLY LONGID
Kleber Karipuna, an Indigenous leader from Amapá, Brazil, is Executive Coordinator of APIB and represents the Brazilian Amazon through COIAB. He also serves as Co-Chair of the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities. With a degree in environmental management and specialisation in indigenous project development, he is currently pursuing a master’s in human rights.
KLEBER KARIPUNA
José Luis Rengifo is ethnobiologist and member of “Proceso de Comunidades Negras” PCN, where he coordinates the ‘Territory and Natural Resources’ team. He is a high level advisor for Black communities, and member of the coalition of lands and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean.
JOSÉ LUIS RENGIFO
Paris Mona Kapupu, is an Indigenous women from the Bambuti Community in the Democratic Republic of Congo. She is in charge of communications for REPALEAC DRC.
PARIS MONA
Tobiko is an Indigenous Peoples’ rights advocate with expertise in securing communal tenure rights. He promotes Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) when engaging with communities. His mission is to ensure indigenous lands and territories are recognised and registered and envisions a future where women and youth are included in all spheres of society.
ISAAC TOBIKO
Chandra Tripura, a human rights activist and social entrepreneur from the Tripura Indigenous Community in Bangladesh, uses dance to advocate for Indigenous rights. She leads the youth-led “Back to the Roots” movement and serves on the ILC Youth Advisory Group and Asia Steering Committee. Chandra also represents youth on the Executive Council of AIPP, promoting Indigenous rights and cultural resilience across Asia
CHANDRA TRIPURA
Karine Hertzberg is Forest and Climate Counselor at Norway’s Embassy in Colombia, previously with Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI). She supports forest conservation efforts in Colombia, Ecuador, and the region. With over 20 years in climate policy, she led international negotiations on emissions and transparency. Karine holds a PhD in ecology from the University of Oslo.
KARINE HERTZBERG
Carla Cárdenas Monroy is Director for Latin America at the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI). An environmental lawyer with over 20 years of experience, she advocates for Indigenous rights, climate justice, and forest governance. She holds master’s degrees in law, natural resource management, and bioethics.
CARLA CARDENAS MONROY
Lina Peñuela is the Amazon Regional Strategy Coordinator for the UK’s International Forest Unit. Based in Bogotá, she has led forest policy and climate finance programmes for six years. Previously, she worked with the Colombian government on land use and climate finance. She holds a degree in International Relations with a focus on Sustainable Development and Risk Management.
LINA PENUELA
Martín Simón is a forestry engineer with a master’s in Integrated Natural Resources Management from CATIE, Costa Rica. He has worked with IFAD and the World Bank on forest and community programs in Argentina. With deep experience supporting Indigenous and peasant organisations, he led the Land Matrix Initiative in Latin America (2014–2024) and now facilitates Argentina’s National Land Coalition.
MARTÍN SIMÓN
JUNE 19 | DAY 4
Michael Fakhri is the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food. He is also a professor at the University of Oregon School of Law where he directs the Food Sovereignty Project.
MICHAEL FAKHRI
Estrella Penunia is Secretary General of the Asian Farmers’ Association (AFA), representing 24 national organisations across 16 Asian countries with 13 million family farmer members. AFA promotes sustainable, inclusive, and resilient food systems through land rights, agroecology, cooperative development, and empowering women, men, and youth.
ESTHER PENUNIA
Blanco Kiyongo is a young farmer and National President of the Ligue des Jeunes Paysans de la RDC. He is active in the CSIPM Youth Working Group engaging with the UN CFS, and serves as International Coordinator for Environment and Climate at the International Youth Network of La Francophonie. His work centers on youth leadership in sustainable agriculture, climate action, and inclusive food systems.
BLANCO KIYONGO