Paula de Castro is Senior Programme Manager at the Dialogue Advisory Group and a member of the OSCE Mediation Roster. Prior to joining DAG, she worked as an analyst and programme manager for various organisations such as the Spanish Ministry of Defense (Directorate of Strategic and Security Affairs), the European Institute of Peace, and the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs think-tank, focussing on mediation, conflict resolution and foreign policy-oriented projects. Paula holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from Institut Barcelona Estudis Internacionals (IBEI) and was recently awarded a Nagulendran Philanthropy Alliance scholarship to study the Master’s programme on Mediation in Peace Processes at the ETH University in Zürich. Paula is also a Marshall Memorial Fellow of the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

Beyza completed a BA in International Relations at the University of Warsaw, and she holds an MA in International Relations from the University of Groningen, focusing particularly on international organisations. Prior to joining DAG, she worked in the non-profit sector in the peace & justice field, and interned in audit and internal oversight in an international organisation on chemical weapon disarmament. She joined DAG in September 2023 as part of the Finance & Admin Team.

Before joining DAG, Hana worked as a consultant at the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Cairo and interned at Patagonia and War Child in Amsterdam. Hana holds a Master’s degree in Conflict Resolution and Governance (Cum Laude) and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Amsterdam.

Shaun holds a master’s degree (with distinction) in International Relations and Democratic Politics from the University of Westminster in London. His research paid particular focus to Russian political history. Shaun joins us from the private sector with experience in coordinating teams in finance, administration and project support. Shaun is in charge of DAG’s financial administration and office management, and assists in the management of DAG’s budgets and grants.

Rocío started her professional path in journalism before transitioning to the mediation and conflict resolution sector. After working for the Spanish National Radio, she moved to Cairo in 2012, where she spent the next five years reporting on political and conflict dynamics in Egypt and the MENA region as an international correspondent. A fluent Arabic speaker, Rocío has worked on various DAG projects including Sudan, Iraq, and Libya. She holds an MSc in International Politics from Leiden University and a bachelor’s degree with honors in Audiovisual Communication from Complutense University of Madrid.

Nicolás holds a BSc + MSc joint degree in Economics (valedictorian) from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and the Université Paris-Dauphine and a MSc in International Security (summa cum laude) from Sciences Po. He has also been a visiting student at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. An enthusiastic traveller, Nicolás has lived in four continents, biked across South America, and sailed from Portugal to Polynesia. Nicolás has worked in the private, government, and not-for-profit sectors. He joined DAG in 2022.

Flavia Togni holds a Master of Science (MSc, cum laude) in Conflict Resolution and Governance from the University of Amsterdam and she completed a Master of Law in International Security (LL.M., cum laude) at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Prior to joining DAG, she worked as an independent researcher and managed international security-focused educational projects for a Dutch NGO. Her research, among others, pays particular focus on victim-centered transitional justice approaches and accountability for mass atrocities in terrorism-related contexts.

Amaya completed a BSc in Molecular Science and Technology (cum laude) at Leiden University/ Delft University of Technology and a MSc in Conflict Resolution and Governance (cum laude) at the University of Amsterdam, focussing on collective identity and repertoires in social movements. Prior to joining DAG, she worked on chemical weapons disarmament and refugee integration in the Netherlands.

Nicky joined DAG after working as independent researcher on local conflict in the Netherlands, and as a lecturer in Conflict Studies and Political Science at the University of Amsterdam, focussing on environmental security and peacebuilding and the political economy of conflict. She holds a B.A. in Cognitive Neurobiological Psychology from the University of Utrecht and a M.Sc. in Conflict Resolution and Governance from the University of Amsterdam.

Isabella re-joined DAG as programme manager in 2023. She has worked in the field and at headquarters on issues of conflict transformation, negotiation and peacebuilding at  international organisations and NGOs, including the UN Mission in Colombia, Berghof Foundation, and DAG. Isabella holds both a M.A. in Human Rights and Democratisation from the European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights, and a LL.M. in Law and Politics of International Security from the Free University Amsterdam.