PICUM » About us » People » The Secretariat
The Secretariat
Ms. Michele LeVoy (Director)
michele.levoy@picum.org
Michele joined PICUM in March 2002 as a researcher on the organization’s first EU project on solidarity towards undocumented migrants in Europe. She became director in April 2006. She was previously coordinator of an international Master Degree program in human ecology at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and coordinator of a European multicultural society youth program at Pax Christi International. She has worked with resettled refugees in Chicago, USA, and with migrants in Brazil. She holds a Bachelor degree in French and Justice and Peace Studies from the University of St. Thomas and a Master in Applied Sciences (Housing and Development Program) from the Université Catholique de Louvain.
Languages: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish. She also speaks some Dutch and Italian.
Ms. Eve Geddie (Program Officer)
eve.geddie@picum.org
Eve currently leads PICUM’s project on Undocumented Migrant Women. She joined the PICUM team in January 2007, working on the access to health care project before twice serving as Acting Director (maternity-leave replacement). Prior to this, Eve worked in Ireland’s community development and NGO sector, providing services to disadvantaged groups and also campaigning for regularisation. She holds a European Master’s Degree in Human Rights and Democratisation (EIUC, Venice, Italy) and a BA(Hons First Class), in English, Media and Cultural Studies (DLIADT, Dublin).
Languages: English and French
Ms. Kadri Soova (Advocacy Officer)
Kadri joined the PICUM team as a Project Officer in October 2009. She became Advocacy Officer in November 2010. Previously she worked as an Adviser on social rights for the Chancellor of Justice of Estonia. She specialized in children’s rights and also worked as a consultant for SOS Children’s Villages in Estonia. Kadri studied Law at the University of Tartu in Estonia and did her Masters Degree in Human Rights and Democratisation at the Inter-University Centre in Venice and University of Padua in Italy. Her academic studies were focused on the rights of migrants.
Languages: Estonian, English, Italian, Dutch. She also speaks some Finnish, Russian and French.
Ms. Lilana Keith (Programme Officer)
Lilana started in her position as Programme Officer in May 2012 after being Project Officer for PICUM’s project on Undocumented Children since March 2011. Prior to this, she worked for the European Programme for Integration and Migration (EPIM), which funds organizations working on migration and integration issues. She has also worked on community-building and integration initiatives for migrants, regardless of status, in a suburb of Washington D.C. Lilana holds an MA in Migration Studies from the University of Kent Brussels School of International Studies, where she focused her research on international, EU and British human rights and migration laws and policies regarding irregular migrants and asylum seekers. She also holds a BA in Social Anthropology from the School of Oriental and African Studies.
Languages: English and French
Ms. Marta Grosso (Project Officer)
Marta joined PICUM in March 2012 as Project Officer for PICUM’s project Beyond Irregularity. Prior to this, she worked in Morocco for 5 years within the national human rights institution and several NGOs carrying out projects on good governance and human development related issues. She holds prior research experience working for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (Committee on Migrant Workers) and the IOM in Geneva. Marta graduated from the University of Bologna with a Master Degree in International and Diplomatic Studies, where she focused her research on EU and Italian migration law and polices regarding integration of migrants. She is currently completing a Master Program in Health Promotion (University of Perugia), with a thesis on the role of social determinants of health in reducing health inequalities affecting migrants.
Languages: Italian, English, French. She also speaks some Portuguese.
Ms. Sangeetha Iengar (Project Officer)
Sangeetha first joined PICUM in February 2012 as Project Assistant, before becoming Project Officer on the project on Undocumented Children in May 2012. Previously, she practised as a Barrister in the UK, focusing in the fields of youth crime and immigration. Sangeetha has prior field experience in Sierra Leone and Haiti working for local NGOs and international organisations on transitional justice, legal development, capacity building and child-trafficking issues. She has worked for various NGOs in the UK and abroad on human rights, child protection, women’s rights and migration issues. Sangeetha has an MA in English Language and Literature from the University of Oxford. She then studied Law at the Inns of Court School of Law in London, and was awarded a Diplock scholarship from the Honourable Society of Middle Temple. She has studied International Law at Harvard University, where she focused on migration issues.
Languages: English, Tamil, French, Krio, written Arabic. She also speaks some Spanish, Portuguese and Hindi
Mr. Paul Geeraerts (Office and Financial Administrator)
Paul joined PICUM in March 2010 as Office and Financial Administrator. Previously, he was Director of Finance and Administration at Avocats sans Frontières for one year, he covered different positions in finance at the International Planned Parenthood Federation for 8 years and before that at Warner-Lambert for 10 years. He holds a BA in accounting and fiscal law.
Languages: Dutch, French and English.
Mr. Nicola Flamigni (Communications Officer)
Nicola joined the PICUM team in May 2009 and became Communications Coordinator in January 2010. Previously he interned as assistant to two MEPs from GUE/NGL in the European Parliament and volunteered for different NGOs working for the protection of the rights of migrants. He holds a MA in Social and Public Communication (University of Bologna, Italy) and attended the ODYSSEUS One Year Certificate in European Law on Immigration and Asylum (Université Libre de Bruxelles). He also works as freelancer for the Italian press.
Languages: Italian, English and French.
Ms. Alexandrine Pirlot de Corbion (Communications Assistant) alex.pirlotdecorbion@picum.org
Alexandrine joined PICUM in February 2011 as Communications Assistant. Previously, she was engaged in carrying-out research on Security Sector Reform (SSR), human rights, gender related issues, women’s movements and conflict management, resolution and prevention. She holds prior field experience working for international organisations in Mexico, the UK, and Senegal supporting and implementing their advocacy and communication strategies. Alexandrine graduated from the University of Birmingham with an MSc in Conflict, Security and Development following an LLM in International Law at the University of Westminster and a BA in Law with International Relations at Oxford Brookes University.
Languages: French, English and Spanish
Ms. Marta Mateos (Project Assistant)
Marta started as Project Assistant for the project on undocumented migrant children in May 2012 following an internship at PICUM as a Communications Intern. Previously, she interned as a research assistant for the Organization for Refuge, Asylum and Migration (ORAM), and conducted field work in Honduras on social and economic development projects. She has volunteered for different NGOs working on gender, migration and development issues. She holds an MSc in International Health (Queen Margaret University), where she focused her research on violence against refugee and migrant women in Mexico. Marta graduated with Sociology Degree from Complutense University of Madrid.
Languages: Spanish, English and Portuguese.
General queries: info@picum.org
