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Experts on countries of origin by country

Bussmann, Dr Gus

I am a Law and DEI expert with 15+ years of experience and intersectional background. I have presence on: Walpole, GQ Heroes, MBS & British Council of Fashion, Attitude Magazine, quoted by Vogue Business and Boston Consultancy Group. I teach at Istituto Marangoni and have extensive experience in: LGBTQ+ Rights, Human Rights in Latin America, Political Landscape of Brazil and Latin American Countries, Law and Politics. 

Occupation: Expert in Human Rights, LGBTQ+ Rights and Latin American Countries.
DEI consultant
Countries of expertise: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela

Christian, Dr. Patrick James

The Expert is a psychoanalytical anthropologist of violent ethnic & cultural conflict in Eurasia, South Asia, Middle East, Central and South America, West Africa, North Africa and the Horn of Africa with experience working in military, diplomatic, and humanitarian interventions in intra-state violent conflicts.

Occupation: Psychoanalytical Anthropologist
Countries of expertise: Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Chad, Colombia, Djibouti, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, Iran, Iraq, Kenya, Kuwait, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Peru, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Uganda, Western Sahara, Yemen

Flotte, Koyana

Koyana Flotte is an anthropologist, culture bearer, community leader, and independent consultant with a decade of experience conducting research in Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras. Dr. Flotte is more well known for her support of humanitarian aid causes for in-transit immigrants who experience intersectional violence such as LGBTQ+, women, and children seeking asylum in the United States. She has also collaborated with organizations like RAICES, Santa Fe Dreamers Project, Transgender Law Center, Mariposas Sin Fronteras, etc.

 Dr. Flotte is Native and grew up in West Texas, on the Texas-Mexico border.

Occupation: Independent Consultant
Countries of expertise: El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua

Olmedo, Diego Robles

The Expert is the National Coordinator at Foundacion Scalabrini de Mexico (FSMX) NGO, leading a dedicated team of 50 professionals across Mexico in designing and executing impactful projects focused on migration, human trafficking, and children's rights in Central America. Throughout the years the expert has demonstrated expertise with federal, state, and international entities, including IOM, UNCHR, UNICEF and various embassies. The expert also works as University Professor at Universidad del Valle de Mexico, the expert delivers insightful instruction on strategic planning and international relations. He has held roles at the UNDP and the Consulate General of Mexico in Austin (U.S) which reflect a comprehensive skill set in advocacy, and bilateral relations, making a significant impact in protecting the rights of vulnerable populations.

Occupation: The expert is highly experienced and versatile professional with a strong background and advocacy within the realm of migration, human trafficking, and human rights. Proficient in designing, coordinating, and supervising projects within the NGO sector aimed at supporting vulnerable populations, particularly migrants and refugees. Adept at leading and managing teams to achieve set objectives and deliver results in line with donor requirements. Experienced university professor with a focus on strategic planning, international relations, and diplomatic affairs. The expert has extensive experience in both governmental and non-governmental sectors, including roles within the United Nations system, diplomatic missions, and private sector entities.
Countries of expertise: Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela

Paarlberg, Michael Ahn

Central & South American Expert - Political Scientist and Associate Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, this expert focuses on diaspora politics and immigration issues. They have a rich background in both academic research and practical policy, having advised on foreign policy during the 2020 Bernie Sanders campaign. Their insights on labor and immigration have been featured in prominent publications, showcasing their expertise in these critical areas. Recognized for their impactful scholarship, they continue to influence discussions on transnational political dynamics and community engagement.

Occupation: An accomplished political scientist and associate professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, this expert specializes in the intersections of political behavior, diaspora politics, and immigration policy. With a Ph.D. in Political Science from Georgetown University, their dissertation focused on diaspora outreach by Latin American parties.
Their professional experience encompasses both academia and practical politics, having served as the chief foreign policy adviser for Latin America on Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign. They are also an associate fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies and have extensive field experience as an election monitor for the Organization of American States in Brazil, El Salvador, and Colombia.
This expert has contributed to major publications, including The Guardian and Washington City Paper, focusing on labor and immigration policy. Their research has been published in peer-reviewed journals, addressing topics such as sanctuary policies, transnational gangs, and the influence of diaspora communities on electoral campaigns. Their scholarly work has received recognition, including an honorable mention from the American Political Science Association.
Countries of expertise: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Latin America

Rodman, Debra

The Honorable Dr. Debra Rodman is an Associate Professor of Anthropology and Women’s Studies and former Director of Women's Studies at Randolph-Macon College. Her areas of expertise are transnational migration, gender and ethnic relations, gender-based violence, and women’s rights. As an anthropology and gender/women’s studies professor, she teaches courses on race, class, and gender, gender and economic development, immigration and refugees, and teaches community-based courses with local refugee resettlement organizations In addition to research and teaching, Dr. Rodman serves as an expert witness in federal immigration court for families fleeing violence and persecution with a focus on women, children, and LGBT individuals.

Debra Rodman has a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Miami, an M.A. in Marine Affairs and Policy from the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, and her Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Florida. Dr. Rodman is a former Fulbright scholar and received additional funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. A fluent Spanish speaker, she has over 20 years’ experience working in Central America and with refugee and immigrant communities in the United States.

Dr. Rodman served in the… Read more

Occupation: Associate Professor
Countries of expertise: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras

Sandoval-Cervantes, Ivan

The Expert is a cultural anthropologist from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. He is an UDLAP alum, and obtained his PhD from the University of Oregon in 2016. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the Department of Anthropology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). In the Spring 2022 semester, He will be a Visiting Research Fellow at the Animal Law and Policy Program at Harvard Law School where he will be working on his project “Dead Letter”: Animal Law, Activism, and Mexican Politics," which is part of a new research on the animal rights movement in urban Mexico.

His research interests can be divided into two overlapping sub-fields. The first sub-field includes the anthropology of migration, particularly the analysis of internal and transnational migrations, gender (masculinity and femininity), indigeneity, kinship, and care. The second sub-field includes multi-species ethnography, legal anthropology and the anthropology of social movements, particularly through the study of activism and animal rights in the Mexico-U.S. borderlands.

Occupation: University Professor
Countries of expertise: El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, United States of America

Smith Rotabi-Casares, Karen

The Expert is Professor of Social Work at California State University- Monterey Bay. She has extensive international experience, with an emphasis on Guatemala, El Salvador and Somalia. Her practice in these countries is oriented to child protection as well as violence against women. She has worked as an expert witness, mainly for Guatemala, but recent work in Somalia has expanded her area of expertise.  She has an extensive publication history, with an orientation to human rights.

Occupation: Professor
Countries of expertise: El Salvador, Guatemala, Somalia