After twelve very fulfilling and eventful years as Executive Director of CESR, I will be stepping down from the role at the end of March 2022.
It's been an enormous privilege leading CESR over a period bookended by global crises. I joined the organization convinced that human rights can and should be a pathway to economic and social justice. I’m very proud of what CESR and our partners have done to realize that potential. We’ve worked successfully with activists around the globe to overturn austerity measures, challenge tax abuse as human rights abuse, expose the injustice of economic inequality, and reimagine our economies in the wake of the pandemic.
I am also proud of how we’ve evolved as an organization over this time. CESR has always aimed to be a different kind of international NGO, one that disrupts the extractive and neocolonial dynamics that still characterize our field, and that strives to embody values of solidarity, collaboration, equity and justice in all aspects of our practice. CESR is now a truly global team spread across four continents, headed by an exceptional leadership team and a stellar board drawn from the human rights, feminist, economic and environmental justice movements worldwide. Our galvanizing strategy to envision a rights-based economy, forged as the pandemic was unfolding, is already yielding tangible results, as movements for human rights and economic justice converge around demands for systemic and transformative change.
This pivotal time for humanity as a whole has also been a pivotal one for me on a personal level. With CESR in robust shape, this feels like the right time to act on a decision that has been brewing for some time: to open the next chapter in my professional life and to make way for new leadership in the organization. As well as supporting the transition over the coming months, I’ll be taking some time for reflection on what’s next, including as part of a cohort of human rights practitioners brought together by the Symposium on Strength and Solidarity for Human Rights to address some of the emerging challenges in our field.
I want to express my deep appreciation for my wonderful colleagues on the CESR staff and Board, not just for their understanding, but for their commitment to creating optimal conditions for a smooth transition. The Board, chaired by Imad Sabi, has been working to design an effective process to recruit a new Executive Director, led by a Search Committee made up of members of the CESR Board, Staff and Advisory Council. Further details on the recruitment process will be shared with you very shortly.
Finally, my sincere thanks to you for being part of the global CESR community, whether as a partner, ally, funder or user of our materials. One of the greatest pleasures of my time at CESR has been working with and learning from you. We’ll keep you posted about the transition process over the coming months and would love to count on your help and support as CESR lays new foundations for the future. The moment we’re in makes our collaboration more vital than ever. But the momentum we’re generating together is unstoppable.
With gratitude, solidarity and warmest wishes,
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