Can you tell us a little bit about your background?
My name is Serena and I come from Turin (Italy), where I completed my Master’s Degree in Law. Like most of the people starting this academic path, I wanted to be a Prosecutor. During my studies, however, I discovered the concept of fundamental human rights and their relevance to our lives. Since then, I have never stopped studying them. I completed a second Master’s Degree in Human Rights and Conflict Management at the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (Pisa, Italy). I then gained work experience in institutional contexts, such as at the Council of Europe, the United Nations and the EU Delegation to the UN in Geneva. Alongside my work, I also volunteer with a Turin-based organisation, StraLi for Strategic Litigation, which employs strategic litigation to defend human rights, mainly as relates to the environment or to vulnerable people like detainees and migrants. I have a deep passion for music and sing every now and then - especially with my dad! I read tons of books (my favourite is “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee); during the first lockdown I started cooking; and since I moved to Greece, I have developed a serious obsession with Greek yoghurt!
You started your journey at ELIL as a legal assistant. What inspired you to volunteer?
Following my work for various institutions, I was keen to gain first-hand experience of how the issues I had studied and worked on actually affected people. ELIL gave me the opportunity to listen to people’s stories, to look them in the eye and to understand the very real impact of having human rights denied or barely recognised. ELIL has been (and still is) an opportunity for growth - professionally and, perhaps even more so, personally. It has allowed me to meet wonderfully dedicated and passionate young professionals.
“ELIL gave me the opportunity to listen to people’s stories, to look them in the eye and to understand the very real impact of having human rights denied or barely recognised.”
Can you describe a particular moment that stands out for you?
What has impacted me the most are the passion and the tireless work of both lawyers and interpreters. They do not consider any one case more important than the next: the lawyers remember every person they met, their story and their progress through the asylum procedure. Considering that in Athens ELIL assists around 400 people each month, this alone is incredibly impressive. They take really good care of applicants, supporting them every step of the way, defending their rights and helping them however they can (for example by referring them for medical support or to other organisations based on need). The interpreters, in addition to acting as an impartial mouthpiece for people seeking asylum, are skilled in making them feel comfortable and listened to. Essentially, what has left the strongest impression are the people working for ELIL, who never stop fighting for applicants’ fundamental rights and dignity.
You are about to start a new role at ELIL as a Project Officer in Thessaloniki. What do you expect from this new position?
Firstly, I want to say that I am very grateful to have the opportunity to continue to contribute to ELIL’s mission and projects. The situation in the North of Greece is constantly evolving, with many people choosing to cross the land border rather than the sea route. As a result, there is an increasing need for legal aid. Working as Project Officer in Thessaloniki will give me broader, more in-depth knowledge of the current situation in the region and of the challenges and obstacles faced by new and not-so-new arrivals. In addition, and most importantly, I am very much motivated to build and maintain strong and stable relationships with the actors already working in the area in order to reinforce the system of support and social inclusion of asylum seekers and enable them to holistically access their basic rights.
Why do you think it is important for people to support the work we do?
What I find constantly inspiring about ELIL is not only its mission - providing free legal assistance to asylum seekers - but also its greater impact. Thanks to ELIL, asylum seekers are heard, understood and supported. And this is precisely why people should continue to support ELIL’s work. No one should feel like they have been forgotten, as many of those seeking asylum do. We need to continue to assist, listen and try to make their aim - to live a safe, dignified life - a reality. I would recommend that anyone reading this show their support for this wonderful organisation. With your help, our work can reach even more people!