My name is Fernando and I am a lawyer. I have been working for almost fifteen years in the field of social activism and Roma associationism, of which, more than seven years in a professional way. Although I have worked in different fields, in the recent years I have dedicated my time working in social activism focusing on the defense of Human Rights and the endowment of political status to the "Roma cause". Currently, I am a legal advisor and member of the management team of the Spanish association "Roma Feminists for Diversity"; vice president of the Association "Feminist Roma Women and Men"; as well as member of the Spanish Network of Roma Lawyers.
I decided to apply for the RGPP program both for the academic opportunity offered by CEU, and for the opportunity to study with Roma students and teachers from different European countries. It is a perfect academic environment to change impressions and create international networks aiming to promote Roma Rights. Although I will continue my career that I have been striving for, the present program had offered me the chance to acquire invaluable experiences which will enrich my knowledge. So therefor, my goal for the next year is to pursue a LLM program in Human Rights. Thanks to my previous experience and for the intense training that I am currently receiving in CEU, I am working in developing the necessary skills to continuing working with more international organizations, as well as to work within the framework of the European institutions, aiming to influence and participate in the creation of new policies related to the Roma Communities in Europe.