Plenaries

Ms Theoni Koufonikolakou is the Greek Deputy Ombudswoman for Children’s Rights and a former Chair of the European Network of Ombudspersons for Children (ENOC). She is an attorney at law and holds a Master's degree in Political Science and Sociology. As an Ombudsperson she upheld especially the right of children to participate in decision-making and has intervened to promote an integrated child protection system in Greece. Furthermore, she has highlighted violations of the Rights of Children on the Move as well as of vulnerable children living at risk of poverty and social exclusion. She has published several articles on the interpretation of the UNCRC, democratic education and child protection. As an attorney at law, she has specialised in human rights protection and domestic violence. She has cooperated with NGOs providing legal aid to vulnerable populations. In addition, she has worked with the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE) as a researcher and instructor in adult education, and the Research Centre for Gender Equality (KETHI) in family protection cases. She has also worked on budgeting and legislative processes as the chief of staff for the Greek alternate Minister of Finance (2015-2018).

Nantina Tsekeri is a human rights lawyer and child&women rights expert. She is an advocate and strategic litigator before EU Institutions and the United Nations. Her specialisation is on International Human Rights Law with an emphasis on displaced and marginalized populations. Nantina has led various projects and conducted fact finding missions across the globe in her role as an independent human rights expert. She is the founder and CEO of the organisation Defence for Children International (DCI) in Greece. Nantina is also the Vice-President of the Child Friendly Justice - European Network (CFJ-EN) based in Brussels. She is also an invited expert in the Council of Europe’s Consultation Group for the Children of Ukraine and a member of the Committee of Experts of the Council of Europe on the Prevention of Violence against children via sexuality education. Nantina has previously worked as a UNHCR appointed decision maker to the Greek Asylum Authority in the Greek Ministry of Migration and for Amnesty International as Child Rights Coordinator. Nantina holds an LLM in International Human Rights Law from Utrecht University and she has completed three years of academic research in Glasgow University in the field of International Children’s Rights Law and has taken part in various research programs. In 2020, she was one of the ten individuals who received the prestigious Child10 Swedish Award for her distinguished work with the girls survivors of trafficking and in risk of exploitation .

Mariella Michailidou studied Political Science and holds a Master's degree in Social
Work, specializing in Child Protection. She worked in Social Services at the UK, in the
field of child protection and family support. In Greece for over a decade she worked at
the Greek Council for Refugees and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
with an emphasis on the protection and support of unaccompanied children. Since 2016
she has been working as UNICEF Child Protection Specialist, initially in the context of
UNICEF's response to the Refugee & Migrant crisis, focusing on the protection of
unaccompanied refugee and migrant children. From 2020 to date she has been working
on strengthening the wider child protection field in Greece, for the development of a
system that has the best interest of the child at its centre. In her work emphasis is placed
on promoting de-institutionalisation, family based forms of care, services at the
municipality level to prevent, support and intervene with families and children in need or
at risk of neglect and abuse and promote child friendly justice.

Hibai Arbide Aza is a Basque journalist and former criminal lawyer based in Greece since 2014. He has reported from around 15 countries across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America, focusing on conflicts, human rights, and current events. A regular contributor to El País, he has also worked with Eldiario.es, Público, Berria, and other media. He has been a correspondent for Telesur and collaborated with DW, ETB, TV3, and more. Additionally, he has produced reports and documentaries for AJ+, Al Jazeera, BBC, and others, while also contributing to various radio programs. Hibai has spent nearly two decades engaged with border and migration issues, first as an activist, then as a lawyer, and now as a journalist. He has covered the refugee crisis in Greece, the Balkans, and beyond, focusing on social issues, civil rights, LGTBI+ topics, and the far right. He co-hosts the podcast “7,000 Characters” and has contributed to several collective books. He is also the author of “Con el Agua al Cuello” (Up to Your Neck in Water), a chronicle of 10 years of migration policy on the Greek islands. After years of reporting from Lesbos, one of the most critical hotspots along Europe’s borders, he moved there permanently with his family in 2022.

Born in Leeds, Yorkshire to his Zimbabwean migrant student parents, Takura Donald Makoni had a travelled childhood. Bouncing between the UK, Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Botswana, inspired by his father's activism and his mother's steadfast support and guidance; this enriched his life with a diverse palate shaping his curious mind. Takura is recognised by The African & Caribbean Support Organisation of Northern Ireland for contributions to the community through volunteering, the arts and activism. He was recently recognised by the Advancing Race Equality Awards judging panel as recipient of the Anti-Racist Leader of the Year  Award 2024. Working with Belfast City Council, Beyond Skin, Arts Ekta, Glen Bank Community Centre, Terra Nova Productions, National Museums Northern Ireland  and JoinHer Network over the 20+ years living in Northern Ireland cements the feeling of ‘home’ that inspired him to settle in Belfast when he repatriated to the UK as an adult to seek and secure a better life for his family than was available in his economically deteriorating ancestral home of Zimbabwe. Takura is a single father of 5 boys and one girl.

Rachel Quine trained as a Restorative Justice Facilitator in 2006 and spent a decade facilitating restorative processes within the youth justice system, becoming an accredited practitioner in the UK in 2012. Since 2014 Rachel has provided restorative practice training and support to communities, professionals and organisations and set up the Conflict Clinic, a project where young people can access specialist restorative facilitation support in their schools. She completed a MSc in RP from Ulster University in 2018 and designed a RJ Level 5 course accredited by a London University and the UK Restorative Justice Council, giving her in-depth knowledge of the RP National Occupational Standards of practice. Rachel provides supervision to new and experienced facilitators and in 2022 she founded Understanding People (UP) project – a collective of experienced facilitators committed to addressing social inequalities and harm through radically respectful restorative practice. She has been a member of the Values and Standards Committee since 2022.

Annegrete Johanson has played a vital role in the development and implementation of restorative justice programmes and services in Estonia. She has a masters degree in social pedagogy and child protection and has been working with youth at risk for almost 20 years. In 2009, she founded the NGO RuaCrew, which supports young people and their families with the aim to prevent and respond to social conflicts and youth delinquency by the involvement of young people. Since its start she has been coordinating the work of the NGO, which adopted a restorative mindset. She worked at the Victim Support Department of the Social Insurance Board and coordinated the development of restorative justice volunteer service and training programme. She is a trainer and mediator herself. She was elected as a EFRJ Board member in 2024.

Tim Chapman lectured at Ulster University, Northern Ireland as Director of the Masters in Restorative Practices until 2019. He is active in promoting restorative justice in Europe and beyond. He is the former Chair of the European Forum for Restorative Justice. He is now affiliated to the Universita di Sassari.

Griet Defruyt works in the asylum centre of Poelkapelle, Belgium which is organised by Fedasil. She’s responsible for the team who is supporting 48 unaccompanied minor refugees. The asylum centre in Poelkapelle is one of the Belgian governmental centres offering shelter to refugees. Griet studies Social Work and afterwards a Master in Gender & Diversity at the University of Ghent. She wrote her master research about family reunification of unaccompanied minors. A few years ago, Fedasil started a collaboration with Ligand and Oranjehuis, two Belgian organisations who were specialised in restorative practices and new authority. Fedasil wanted to change their vision too, they wanted to decrease incidents in the asylum centres, to create more connection and to increase participation of residents. Since the start of this collaboration, all the Fedasil workers are educated in restorative practices so they can apply it on a daily basis in working with (young) refugees. Fedasil Poelkapelle tries to do as much as possible preventive work to avoid incidents or tensions. They create a ‘pleasant’ living environment as much as possible, knowing that refugees off course prefer another home than an asylum centre. Griet can explain their way of working and applying restorative practices.