Amnesty International Country Coordinators are volunteer activists who specialise in Human Rights campaigning for specific countries around the world.  

Together, these activists make up the Country Coordinator Forum, and lead our country-focused campaign and advocacy work in the UK, supported by research and further expertise from the International Secretariat.

Current Country Coordinator Forum

The forum is led by the Chair and Vice Chairs of the forum:

Chair

Nabila Hanson: nabila.hanson@amnesty.org.uk

Vice-Chairs

Ruth Boundou, Ruth.Boundou@amnesty.org.uk

Clara Candat-Bazile, Clara.Candat-bazile@amnesty.org.uk

North America & Caribbean

· Cuba: (Recruiting)

· North America: Lise Rossi, lise.rossi@amnesty.org.uk

· Haiti & The Dominican Republic, English Speaking Caribbean: Tilly Ellin, Tilly.Ellin@amnesty.org.uk

Central America

· Mexico:  Xavier Wiltshire, Xavier.Wiltshire@amnesty.org.uk

· Nicaragua & Guatemala:  Dave Lee, dave.lee@amnesty.org.uk

· El Salvador & Honduras: Sheila Royce*, sheila.royce@amnesty.org.uk

South America

· Colombia, Brazil: (recruiting)

· Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay: Graham Minter, graham.minter@amnesty.org.uk

· Venezuela: James Baird, james.baird@amnesty.org.uk

· Argentina & Chile: David Rogers, david.rogers@amnesty.org.uk

Europe

· Turkey: Chris Ramsey, Chris.ramsey@amnesty.org.uk

· Western & Northern Europe: Jovana Bosnjak, Jovana.Bosnjak@amnesty.org.uk

· Balkans: Ulrike Schmidt*, Ulrike.schmidt@amnesty.org.uk

· Central Europe: Lucja Jastrzebska, Lucja.Jastrzebska@amnesty.org.uk

Former Soviet Union

· Russia: Barrie Hay*, barrie.hay@amnesty.org.uk

· Russia (Gender, Sexuality, Identity focus): (recruiting)

· Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine: Anna Dzhavaha – Anna.Dzhavaha@amnesty.org.uk

· Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan: (recruiting)

· South Caucuses: Fuad Babayev, fuad.babayev@amnesty.org.uk

China & East Asia

· China and Taiwan: Nabila Hanson* nabila.hanson@amnesty.org.uk

· China and Taiwan: Emily Upson, Emily.upson@amnesty.org.uk

· Hong Kong: Paul Wong, Paul.Wong@amnesty.org.uk

· North and South Korea: Kenny Latunde-Dada, kenny.latunde-dada@amnesty.org.uk

· North and South Korea: Clara Candat Bazile, clara.candat-bazile@amnesty.org.uk

· Japan and Mongolia: Akane Matsumoto, Akane.Matsumoto@amnesty.org.uk

South East Asia

· Burma/Myanmar: Malcolm Dingwall-Smith*, Malcolm.Dingwall-Smith@Amnesty.org.uk

· Laos, Thailand: Duncan Booth, duncan.booth@amnesty.org.uk

· Indonesia, Timor L’Est, Australia, Nauru, New Zealand and South Pacific Islands: Benicio Gorga, benicio.gorga@amnesty.org.uk

· Malaysia and Singapore: Jobayer Hossain, Jobayer.hossain@amnesty.org.uk

· Philippines and Cambodia: Saffron Baldoza, Saffron.Baldoza@amnesty.org.uk

· Philippines and Vietnam: Lara Bautista, Lara.Bautista@amnesty.org.uk

South Asia

· Pakistan: Irfan Ali, Irfan.Ali@amnesty.org.uk

· Afghanistan & The Maldives: Nigina Istanakzai-zarifi, nigina.istanakzai-zarifi@amnesty.org.uk

· Bangladesh and Sri Lanka: Jerry Allen, Jerry.Allen@amnesty.org.uk

· India & Nepal: Cherry Bird*, cherry.bird@amnesty.org.uk

Middle East & Gulf

· Syria: Richard Kotter, richard.kotter@amnesty.org.uk

· Syria: John Elo, john.elo@amnesty.org.uk

· Israel, Occupied Palestinian Territory: Mariam Torres, Mariam.Torres@amnesty.org.uk

· Israel, Occupied Palestinian Territory: Jack Farrar, jack.farrar@amnesty.org.uk

· Jordan and Lebanon:  Jadal Said, Jadal.Said@amnesty.co.uk

· Qatar, Oman, UAE: Alma Rinaldi Alma.Rinaldi@amnesty.org.uk

· Yemen, Saudi Arabia: Paul Dawson*, paul.dawson@amnesty.org.uk

· Yemen: Motaz Amer, Motaz.Amer@amnesty.org.uk

· Iran: Nils Scott, Nils.scott@amnesty.org.uk

· Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq: Haleema Naz,  Haleema.Naz@amnesty.org.uk

North Africa

· Algeria, Libya: Hadil El-Khouly, Hadil.El-Khouly@amnesty.org.uk

· Morocco, Western Sahara and Tunisia: Beverley Foulkes-Jones*, beverley.foulkes-jones@amnesty.org.uk

· Egypt: Diana Hysenaj, Diana.Hysenaj@amnesty.org.uk

West & Central Africa

· Republic of Congo, Liberia, Rwanda, Burundi and Cameroon: *Lisa Incledon, Lisa.Incledon@amnesty.org.uk

· Niger, Nigeria, Gambia, Sierra Leone: Arlina Hysenaj Arlina.Hysenaj@amnesty.org.uk

· Central African Republic, Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal: Mako Haruzivishe, mako.haruzivishe@amnesty.org.uk

· Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, Benin, Togo, Ghana and Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ruth Boundou, Ruth.Boundou@amnesty.org.uk

Horn & East Africa

· Eritrea, Uganda: Alex Jackson, alex.jackson@amnesty.org.uk

· Ethiopia, Kenya: Sophie Junnonen*, Sophie.Junnonen@amnesty.org.uk

· Tanzania, Sudan, South Sudan, Chad: Esmeralda Gambelli, Esmeralda.Gambelli@amnesty.org.uk

· Somalia: Osman Ahmed, Osman.Ahmed@amnesty.org.uk

Southern Africa

· Angola, Mozambique, Madagascar: Jennifer Chukwudi, Jennifer.chukwudi@amnesty.org.uk

· South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini: (Recruiting)

· Zimbabwe – Mark Clixby, Mark.Clixby@amnesty.org.uk

· Zambia: Shazia Tariq, Shazia.tariq@amnesty.org.uk

* Regional Team Coordinator

Underlined - These are new Country Coordinators. Please be patient.

Roles and Responsibilities of a Country Coordinator

The role of a Country Coordinator is extremely varied, and different approaches will work best depending on the country or countries on which they work. However, responsibilities include:

•    Building and maintaining relationships with relevant organisations and activists. 
•    Developing campaigns on Human Rights issues in their country of focus, and delivering them across activist groups and communities in the UK.
•    Leading our campaign work on Individuals and Communities at risk. 
•    Organising events to raise awareness about human rights issues. 
•    Advocating for policy changes that will improve the human rights situation within that specific country. 
•    Working with other Amnesty International UK Country Coordinators around the world to coordinate global campaigns. 
•    Working with colleagues at the International Secretariat to deliver UK engagement with global campaigning on their country of focus.

Work on Different Countries: Challenges and Opportunities

The Country Coordinator role is one of the most responsible and challenging activism roles at Amnesty UK. 

Our Country Coordinator network meet with embassies and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office staff to lobby for human rights protections and change, build relationships with other organisations, individual activists and diaspora groups, speak for Amnesty on issues they're working on to groups and to the media, design and deliver nationwide campaigns - including leading on our Individual and Communities at Risk cases - and much more. 

These roles are challenging - often the issues and cases being worked on are complex and intricate, upsetting and frustrating, and no amount of resource and attention feels like enough. Country Coordinators can also attract the attention and hostility of those communities and governments of whom they are critical. 

However, through these roles, our activists are also able to learn and develop new skills and deploy old skills in new ways. Most importantly, they are able to have an impact in protecting Human rights on a global scale.

Volunteering as a Country Coordinator for Amnesty International UK means you will be faced with various challenges and opportunities to help protect and promote human rights within specific countries. 

Grassroots Activism

Amnesty UK Country Coordinators play a significant part in leading grassroots activism in the UK to achieve human rights change in the country they work on. They are responsible for mobilising volunteers, organising events and campaigns, and engaging with communities in the UK to build support for human rights issues. By leading grassroots activism, our Country Coordinators are helping to amplify the voices of human rights defenders and draw attention to the issues that matter most to individuals and communities. 

How to become a Country Coordinator

There are no set qualifications needed to become a Country Coordinator for Amnesty International UK, however, there are certain skills and qualities that would be beneficial for anyone looking to apply. These include: 

•    Knowledge of human rights issues, particularly in the country you will be coordinating
•    Experience in advocacy, campaigning, or community organising.
•    Language skills
•    Cultural competence
•    Leadership qualities
•    Resilience and a willingness to learn and adapt. 

Application Process

If you are interested in applying to become an Amnesty Country Coordinator, vacancies are posted on Amnesty International UK website where prospective coordinators will find a link to an application form. After shortlisting, candidates may be invited to interview with existing members of the Country Coordinator Forum, regional team, and Community Organiser.

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