By Dr. Mischa Thompson, Senior Policy Advisor
“I am proud of my country and the human rights and values it stands for. I fight so that these values can be for all.”
– Anina Ciuciu, France’s first Romani Candidate for Senate, TILN 2018
From March 4-10, 2018, 32 young leaders representing 26 countries across Europe and the United States participated in the seventh annual Transatlantic Inclusion Leaders Network (TILN) workshop held in Brussels, Belgium. Hosted by the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) in partnership with the U.S. Helsinki Commission, U.S. State Department, and other stakeholders, TILN brought leaders together to learn from one another, expand their leadership skills, and offer a more inclusive vision for the world. As part of the workshop, TILN leaders joined the German Marshall Fund’s Brussels Forum Young Professionals Summit and engaged with senior officials of the U.S. and European public and private sector on issues ranging from tariffs and trade to Russia and counterterrorism. 
The 2018 cohort focused on strategies to strengthen democracies amid increasing political polarization and to maintain a strong voice during times of transition. As elected officials and civil society leaders under the age of 35, TILN participants stressed the importance of creating spaces for constructive dialogue and exchange across generations, political parties, and diverse sectors of society as key to a prosperous transatlantic future.
In the weeks following the workshop, previous TILN alumni led projects in Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, and Bosnia. These initiatives focused on developing national networks of young leaders to encourage more inclusive decision-making in increasingly diverse populations.
The Transatlantic Inclusion Leaders Network (TILN) “inspires, informs, and connects diverse young leaders to excel in elected office and other leadership roles, advance inclusive policies, and engage with transatlantic policymakers.” Participants are from diverse U.S. and European communities, including the Balkans, with a proven commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion best practices in their policymaking and society.
For more information on TILN, please see the Transatlantic Inclusion Leaders Network 2018 Workshop Report.
TILN 2018 Participants
Raumesh Akbari | United States | Representative, State of Tennessee General Assembly
András Büchler | Hungary | Head of Public Relations, Libri Publishing Group
René Gögge | Germany | Member of State Parliament, Hamburg
Abderrahmane Amajou | Italy | Coordinator, Slow Food International
Godfrey Chimbganda | Ireland | Chairman, Youth Platform Project Ireland
Natalia Sofia Guala Beathyate | Spain | International Programs Officer, Spanish National Organization of the Blind (ONCE)
Eugen Balin | Germany | Attorney, Anwaltskanzlei Balin Legal
Anina Ciuciu | France | Board Member, La Voix des Rroms
Saida Hamouyehy | Italy | Communication Manager, Convergence Onlus
Abdelkarim Bellafkih | Belgium | President, Federation of Moroccan Organizations
Dave Ensberg | Netherlands | Chairman of the Executive Board, Foundation Biezonderwijs
Danjel Hyseni | Albania | Youth Coordinator/Policy Advisor, Roma Active Albania
Wesley Bellamy | United States | Council Member, City Council of Charlottesville, Virginia
Alisa Flemming | United Kingdom | Councillor, Croydon Borough Council
Filiz Keküllüoglu | Germany | Policy Officer & Head of Division of Integration, Senate Department for Education, Youth and Family in Berlin
Davit Khazhakyan | Armenia | Member of City Council, Municipality of Yerevan
Eduard Mihalas | Moldova | Program Analyst on Population and Development, United Nations Population Fund
Pazilaiti Simayijiang | Finland | Vice Chair, Finish Feminist Party
Elvira Kovács | Serbia | Member of Parliament, National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia
Vasilena Mitsiadi | Greece | Mechanical Engineer, Municipality of Trikala
Yasmine Taeb | United States | Legislative Director for Human Rights & Civil Liberties, Friends Committee on National Legislation; Committeewoman, Democratic National Committee
Asllan Llunji | Montenegro | Advisor to the Mayor, Municipality of Ulcinj
Branislav Nesovic | Kosovo | Associate Political Affairs Officer, United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo
Rebecca ThompsonUnited StatesVice President, Deliver Strategies
Nvard Margaryan | Armenia | President, PINK Armenia
Ruslana Panukhnyk | Ukraine | Executive Director, KyivPride
Robert Uribe | United States | Mayor of Douglas, Arizona
Maryam Mejdi | France | Financial Analyst, Meridiam
Sanaa Saitouli | France | Deputy Mayor of Cergy
Sarah Whitehead | United Kingdom | Founder & Director, Community Pride CIC
Tarik Mete | Austria | Deputy Head of Department, Social Insurance Institution of Salzburg
Antonín Seidel | Czech Republic | City Counselor, Kralupy nad Vltavou
