The Team
Selene Biffi – Founder
Selene Biffi is the founder of Youth Action for Change (YAC), a global, youth-led organisation inspiring and empowering young people in over 130 countries to become active agents of change in their own communities. She is the former coordinator of the Major Group on Children and Youth at the UN Commission on Sustainable Development, and now works as a consultant with the UN in Afghanistan.
She served in different capacities with the UN and Amnesty International in the past, and has published several works on youth empowerment and participation. She has also worked as a trainer and speaker for the UN, Council of Europe, Oxfam OIYP, OSCE, Columbia University and Microsoft. She holds a Bachelor in International Economics and Management from Università L.Bocconi (Italy) and a NOHA Master in International Humanitarian Action (Ireland and Spain).
In 2009 she has been selected as ‘Young Global Leader’ by the World Economic Forum.
Anush Hayrapetyan – Project manager
Anush Hayrapetyan is a youth activist from Armenia. At the age of 20, Anush joined National Youth Council of Armenia as Secretariat member dealing with a wide range of youth-related issues: active citizenship, leadership, human rights, and intercultural dialogue striving to promote youth opportunities as much as possible. She has been part of a variety of youth initiatives participating in a number of international youth events as a delegate and speaker. Anush is driven by belief that youth have enormous potential to make a significant and lasting difference in their communities if they are empowered with the tools and knowledge to do so. Her inspiration and desire to help young people drew her to work with Forgotten Diaries of Youth Action for Change, a unique platform empowering youth in conflict zones. Anush is also involved with the Youth for Human Rights project providing consulting to Armenian youth with an aim to raise their awareness on human rights issues and get them actively involved in rights protection and promotion. She is also writing articles on human rights, democracy and leadership for the project website, and not only, having her paper on “Democratization in the South Caucasus: Experiences, Obstacles and Possibilities for Change” as a winner of the EUNIC 2010, European youth competition. Anush has recently been honored as a Hero of Millennium for her passion for volunteering in youth field. Anush has a Specialist Diploma in International Relations and an LLM degree in Public International Law and Human Rights.
Shasheen Jayaweera – Strategy & Development Manager
Shasheen shares a passion for youth empowerment and economic development and was recognised as a finalist in the ‘Young Australian of the Year’ award in New South Wales in 2007 for his commitment to assisting developing nations. Shasheen co-founded Pacifikayouth in 2004 which became the largest network empowering Pacific Islands youth.
He has worked for the World Bank and the United Nations in Asia and the Pacific Islands and also as an economist in Mongolia. Shasheen currently works as management consultant for a global firm during the day and has also worked for some of Australia’s largest corporations in various strategy and analytical roles. He was a member of the Government’s National Youth Roundtable, the Oxfam International Youth Parliament and a delegate to two World Youth Congresses. Shasheen has a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Economics with first class honours from the University of New South Wales, Australia.
Silvia Raccagni – Adviser
Silvia Raccagni is particularly interested in democratization and human rights issues. She holds a BA in Translation and Interpretation, followed by a Master in European Policies & a Master in Human Rights. She wrote some papers on the process of democratization of the Western Balkans and the issue of Kosovo’s status.
She has won the ‘Italian Business Game’ for the most innovative students’ invention, then representing Italy at the annual European Business Game. She also participated in the IV Summit of the Americas for young entrepreneurs organized by the Young Americas Business Trust in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Silvia has worked as personal assistant of the Mayor of Milan (Italy), and now works as Community Affairs Coordinator at the Levi Strauss Europe in Bruxelles.
Leticia Zenevich Participants and Local Initiatives Coordinator
Letícia is a Brazilian Law student. Her interests range from conflict resolution to gender equality. She has volunteered with women who suffered from domestic violence in Brazil and has participated in several UN simulations, as well as moot courts, such as the Jean- Pictet Competition on International Humanitarian Law.
