Meet our team
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MemberSyria
Majid Albunni
Majid is a media and human rights advocate.
He holds an MA in International Relations and Global Affairs with a focus on civil society in Syria. Majid has worked as an editor for a media project called “Syrnet- Syria Radio Network” established by MiCT (Media in Cooperation and Transition) and funded by the German Foreign Office which aimed to support alternative radios in Syria.
Moreover, Majid has worked as a media/social media editor and coordinator during the intra-Syrian talks in Geneva for the Syrian opposition SNC (Syria Negotiations Commission). Majid has worked as a “Project Intern” with IOM – UN Migration assisting in two projects; Resettlement, and Migrant Entrepreneurship. He has joined the VDSH team in Berlin as a project coordinator for the project (Networking / Knowledge Transfer for Syrian Civil Society actors in Europe) in February 2019.
Nikolaus Kohl
TreasurerGermanyNikolaus Kohl
Nikolaus Kohl is originally from Saarland, where he grew up seeing both the French and Luxembourg border from his window.
After completing his businesses and engineering studies in Munich, Nikolaus came to Berlin to found a company developing cooling systems for computers.
He got involved with GSBTB in 2014, supporting its refugee projects in the self-organized refugee rights movement squats on Oranienplatz and Ohlauerstrasse. Since then, he has been a key figure in building up Give Something Back To Berlin. Besides founding his own business, he is also involved in his family firm which is based in Saarland. He has been in the GSBTB Board since 2016.
Silke Georgi
ChairpersonUSA and GermanySilke Georgi
Silke grew up in the U.S.A. as the daughter of German immigrants, and is a laywer by profession.
Silke started her NGO career straight out of Brandeis University with a BA in Politics with the Lawyers Alliance for Nuclear Arms Control. After re-migrating back to Germany she studied Law at the Freie Universität in Berlin and then moved to the Netherlands where she raised her two children while working with refugees and migrant women. There she helped bring the Stolpersteine Project to the Netherlands and researched the biographies of the 280 Jewish Holocaust victims of Eindhoven, resulting in the book “Ze waren onze buren” (They were our Neighbors).
Back in Berlin since 2014, she has been involved with GSBTB since 2015, teaching English as a volunteer. She works as a project manager for the NGO Sozialhelden, a disability rights organization in Berlin.
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Members Commitee
Annamaria Olsson
Founder and Member (currently on parental leave)SwedenAnnamaria Olsson
Swedish journalist and writer, living in Berlin since 2008.
Has over 10 years of NGO experience from Sweden, where Annamaria was also Director at SECO, one of the biggest Swedish NGOs. Studied German literature at the Humboldt Universität Berlin and has a BA in Political/Philosophy and Gender Studies from Uppsala University. Attended to courses in Middle Eastern and Holocaust Studies. Wrote her final thesis on political action in Hannah Arendt’s ”The Human Condition” and published her first book in 2014. She developed the concept of GSBTB in May 2012.
At GSBTB, Annamaria is responsible for relationship management and public speaking.
Böbe Barsi
Communications and Partnerships OfficerHungaryBöbe Barsi
Journalist and communications expert
Over the past ten years, Böbe worked for media and brands, contributed to magazines, news sites and corporate publications, and wrote in English, Spanish, German, and Hungarian. She has an MA in Communications and Cultural Studies, studied in Hungary, Spain and Argentina, and wrote her theses about the immigration museums of Barcelona and Buenos Aires and how Latin American migrants use the internet in their quest for a new home. She is a magazine enthusiast.
At Give Something Back to Berlin, Böbe is part of the Communications and Partnerships team.
Chris Taylor
MemberUSAChris Taylor
Chris is a musician and has served as a coach and music mentor for youth in both the USA and in Berlin.
After moving to Berlin in 2019, Chris studied at the Alice-Salomon Hochschule and holds an MA in Social Work as a Human Rights Profession. Before he moved to Germany, Chris has worked with youth through athletics and music. He has also performed as a bass player, recorded, composed, and toured with several different bands in the United States and abroad. Aside from performing as a musician, Chris has an interest in helping children and at-risk youth learn to cope with stress and to be successful in their lives through healthy, self-sustaining strategies with community-oriented support systems.
Chris currently volunteers with the GSBTB Open Music School as a bass instructor. Not only does he work for a youth centre in Kreuzburg, Chris also works with teenagers in Brandenburg as a pedagogical assistant for the Institut für Neue Soziale Plastik (Institute for New Social Plastic) fighting against Anti-Semitism.
Dina Marquardt
MemberGermanyDina Marquardt
Creative strategist, project manager, community organiser and mental health advocate.
Dina has worked in music tech, underground music and subculture in Berlin, the UK and the world for close to ten years and has an academic background in politics with a focus on more just forms of government and society. She also feels that safer spaces and more awareness are needed for conversations around mental health and mutual support. Dina strongly believes in healing in community and that music holds the power to bring us together and bring out the best in us.
Eyad Agha
MemberSyriaEyad Agha
Eyad Ibrahim Agha is a Syrian refugee who came to Germany in 2014.
Having studied Business Informatics back in Syria, he is now enrolled in a Master’s program, studying Information Systems Management at TU Berlin. Alongside this, he also works as a research assistant in the Weizenbaum Institute.
He has lived in Refugio since it was founded in 2015, and actively volunteers his time and efforts in different facets of the project. He also resides as an advisory board member of Give Something Back to Berlin, and is a member of the Ambassadors program of the ReDi School of Digital Integration.
Fayaz Ghaznavi
MemberAfghanistanFayaz Ghaznavi
Fayaz was born and raised in Kabul, Afghanistan, and attended school in Tehran, Iran. He came to Germany in 2015 and joined Give Something Back to Berlin’s Open Language Café program in English to improve his language skills, meet new people and learn more about different cultures.
Since 2015, he has finished high school, obtained a vocational diploma and did a traineeship as an electronics engineer. He starts his bachelor studies in electrical engineering in the winter semester of 2022.
His hobbies are spending time with family and friends and learning new things.
Gabriella D’Annunzio
Member & Open Music Lab Co-ManagerUnited KingdomGabriella D’Annunzio
Gaby is a social activist, community organiser and a mental health advocate.
She studied at The University of Edinburgh and has a Master of Arts in Psychology. She has always had a keen interest in social issues and people’s wellbeing. Over the last decade she has been finding ways to support people through difficulties, either by volunteering at refugee centers or by offering assistance to children with disabilities. With extensive experience in the creative industry, from art and design to music, she’s adopted a keen interest in using creative means to build a supportive network where one feels safe and has a sense of care from people around.
Gaby is the co-founder and co-manager of the Open Music Lab. She hopes to offer a hub for music lovers to feel welcomed and help encourage each to reach their full potential.
Majid Albunni
MemberSyriaMajid Albunni
Majid is a media and human rights advocate.
He holds an MA in International Relations and Global Affairs with a focus on civil society in Syria. Majid has worked as an editor for a media project called “Syrnet- Syria Radio Network” established by MiCT (Media in Cooperation and Transition) and funded by the German Foreign Office which aimed to support alternative radios in Syria.
Moreover, Majid has worked as a media/social media editor and coordinator during the intra-Syrian talks in Geneva for the Syrian opposition SNC (Syria Negotiations Commission). Majid has worked as a “Project Intern” with IOM – UN Migration assisting in two projects; Resettlement, and Migrant Entrepreneurship. He has joined the VDSH team in Berlin as a project coordinator for the project (Networking / Knowledge Transfer for Syrian Civil Society actors in Europe) in February 2019.
Nikolaus Kohl
TreasurerGermanyNikolaus Kohl
Nikolaus Kohl is originally from Saarland, where he grew up seeing both the French and Luxembourg border from his window.
After completing his businesses and engineering studies in Munich, Nikolaus came to Berlin to found a company developing cooling systems for computers.
He got involved with GSBTB in 2014, supporting its refugee projects in the self-organized refugee rights movement squats on Oranienplatz and Ohlauerstrasse. Since then, he has been a key figure in building up Give Something Back To Berlin. Besides founding his own business, he is also involved in his family firm which is based in Saarland. He has been in the GSBTB Board since 2016.
Silke Georgi
ChairpersonUSA and GermanySilke Georgi
Silke grew up in the U.S.A. as the daughter of German immigrants, and is a laywer by profession.
Silke started her NGO career straight out of Brandeis University with a BA in Politics with the Lawyers Alliance for Nuclear Arms Control. After re-migrating back to Germany she studied Law at the Freie Universität in Berlin and then moved to the Netherlands where she raised her two children while working with refugees and migrant women. There she helped bring the Stolpersteine Project to the Netherlands and researched the biographies of the 280 Jewish Holocaust victims of Eindhoven, resulting in the book “Ze waren onze buren” (They were our Neighbors).
Back in Berlin since 2014, she has been involved with GSBTB since 2015, teaching English as a volunteer. She works as a project manager for the NGO Sozialhelden, a disability rights organization in Berlin.
Yasmeen Almalki
MemberIraqYasmeen Almalki
Student and passionate painter
Yasmeen is from the beautiful city of Basra in Iraq. He has been living in Germany for more than 6 years. She continues her studies to become a child educator which allowed her to go on an internship at Berlin Metropolitan School for the whole year and she loved it!
Yasmeen is passionate about art, basketball and wandering. She joined GSBTB in 2017 as a volunteer interpreter from Arabic into English during drawing activities. Since then she has been part of the Open Hearts Space project and draws (and interprets) for Open Art Space on Tuesdays 🙂
Wilma Prior
MemberSwedenWilma Prior
Wilma is a volunteer cook and climate activist working on sustainable and creative cooking projects.
Wilma has studied cooking in Sweden for 3 years. Afterwards, she worked in Spain and in the US where she learned about food and culture. She moved to Berlin in 2019 to explore the diversity of cultures and communities present in the city. She got in touch with the Open Kitchen shortly after her arrival and became a regular participant and volunteer.
Not only does she follow sustainable and ethical standards in her cooking but also in her choice of everyday products.
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Senior Management
Annamaria Olsson
Founder and Member (currently on parental leave)SwedenAnnamaria Olsson
Swedish journalist and writer, living in Berlin since 2008.
Has over 10 years of NGO experience from Sweden, where Annamaria was also Director at SECO, one of the biggest Swedish NGOs. Studied German literature at the Humboldt Universität Berlin and has a BA in Political/Philosophy and Gender Studies from Uppsala University. Attended to courses in Middle Eastern and Holocaust Studies. Wrote her final thesis on political action in Hannah Arendt’s ”The Human Condition” and published her first book in 2014. She developed the concept of GSBTB in May 2012.
At GSBTB, Annamaria is responsible for relationship management and public speaking.
Lisa Hoffmann
Finance and Human Resources DirectorGermanyLisa Hoffmann
Living in Berlin since 2015, Lisa has previously done an MA in International Business Administration and Intercultural Management (with a focus on sustainability management).
Prior to working at GSBTB, Lisa worked at an international consumer rights organisation, where she gained valuable fundraising experience.
She is responsible for the financial management, accounting and controlling of operations at GSBTB.
Ragıp Zık
Communications and Partnerships DirectorTurkeyRagıp Zık
Sociologist, human rights activist and trainer, living in Berlin since 2015.
Ragıp brings with him over 15 years’ experience in project management, communication, and international cooperation. Working for NGOs in Greece, Italy, and Turkey, Ragıp has coordinated multi-partner projects across the Euro-Mediterranean area, the Middle East, and the Caucasus. He is a member of the Council of Europe’s Pool of Trainers and occasionally serves as a trainer and consultant in human rights, advocacy, peacebuilding, and youth work.
Ragıp holds a PhD in Sociology from Freie Universität Berlin and blends his civil society practice with social research. He His research on visual activism, social movements, and digital communication appeared in various academic and non-academic outlets and in various artistic formats.
At GSBTB, Ragıp develops and executes communication strategies and partnerships.
Tom Young
Programme Director & Open Music School FounderNew ZealandTom Young
Tom is originally from Aotearoa (New Zealand) and has lived in Berlin for more than 10 years. Amongst many other creative projects, he has spent the last 20 years recording albums and touring the world in many bands and with his solo act, Freddy Fudd Pucker. He continues to make music and visual art himself and sees the creative process as one of the most valuable tools we have to bring diverse groups of people together.
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Projects
Antonina Stasiuk
Project Manager, Open Hearts SpacePolandAntonina Stasiuk
Antonina, born and raised in Poland, holds an MA in Clinical Psychology and is currently working on a MA in Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology. In her academic work, her main area of interest is exploring the memory of Jewish history in Poland. In her professional work she has always been involved in projects related to community building.
Contacting GSBTB, and asking if can help with the Open Hearts Space project seemed to be a natural step for her after arriving in Berlin. She started off as a volunteer and is now the Manager of the Open Hearts Space.
Ben Osborn
Open Music Lab Co-ManagerUnited KingdomBen Osborn
Words and music-maker, educator and activist
Ben Osborn is a writer, songwriter, composer and sound designer from Oxford, UK, now based in Berlin, Germany. Coming from a poetic folk song tradition, his work draws also from electronica and classical music to create a space in which highly personal and deeply political stories can be told. He regularly collaborates with visual artists, dancers, theatre companies, filmmakers, podcasters, musicians and composers and has created works with institutions such as the Young Vic, Bristol Old Vic, National Theatre, National Portrait Gallery (UK), Folkteatern (Sweden), Literaturhaus Berlin, Kunsthaus Dortmund (Germany), Festival Lyric de Aix-En-Provence (France) and Teatro Orteuv (Mexico) among others, and has won several awards for his soundtracks, sound designs and songs. He gives writing and composition workshops in a variety of cultural and education institutions and is a visiting lecturer at Mountview University (UK).
Since 2017, Ben has been one of the directors of Give Something Back to Berlin’s Open Music Lab: an activist-led musical cooperative and collaborative learning space for refugees, migrants and others from marginalised communities. He previously worked for the HOPE not hate anti-racism campaign and the UCU trade union.
Bissan Awwad
Intern BundesfreiwilligendienstSyriaBissan Awwad
A student and a passionate health and women rights advocate
Bissan is from Syria and arrived in Germany in 2016. She first met the Give Something Back To Berlin team when they hosted an art workshop at Tempelhofer Hafen refugee camp. After joining the creative workshop at Tempelhofer Hafen, she became more involved at GSBTB, specifically, working with women and helping out at the Open Heart Space events. She also assisted with Arabic and English translations and contributed an article about feminism in music for the GSBTB blog. She is passionate about feminism, human rights, music, and psychology. She is currently studying at night school and hopes to bring her passion for medicine and women’s rights to a career in midwifery.
Currently, Bissan is supporting project activities and assisting in communications at GSBTB.
Gabriella D’Annunzio
Member & Open Music Lab Co-ManagerUnited KingdomGabriella D’Annunzio
Gaby is a social activist, community organiser and a mental health advocate.
She studied at The University of Edinburgh and has a Master of Arts in Psychology. She has always had a keen interest in social issues and people’s wellbeing. Over the last decade she has been finding ways to support people through difficulties, either by volunteering at refugee centers or by offering assistance to children with disabilities. With extensive experience in the creative industry, from art and design to music, she’s adopted a keen interest in using creative means to build a supportive network where one feels safe and has a sense of care from people around.
Gaby is the co-founder and co-manager of the Open Music Lab. She hopes to offer a hub for music lovers to feel welcomed and help encourage each to reach their full potential.
Joe Marshall
Project Manager, Open Music SchoolNew ZealandJoe Marshall
Community advocate and music lover
Joe started volunteering as a teacher at the Open Music School in 2017 and enjoyed how the classes have their own special way of connecting people. He has great enthusiasm for the improvement of social and environmental conditions in local communities, and holds an M.Sc. in environmental planning with a focus on the value in communities of open spaces, such as urban garden initiatives. He sees similarities at the Open Music School: A project which can only evolve and grow with the participation and influence of those it serves.
Originally from Aotearoa (New Zealand), he has contributed as a researcher, facilitator and manager to many projects and inititavies in different parts of the world. A music fan and musician, Joe is also often tinkering with his own creative projects.
Contact Joe for all things regarding the Open Music School!
Mine Nang
Community Manager and FundraiserGermany & AfghanistanMine Nang
Passionate about food, dance and connecting people
Having studied in Maastricht, Istanbul and Lund, Mine holds a BA in European Studies and a MA in Middle Eastern Studies. After gaining work experience abroad, she settled in Berlin in 2017. Since then she has been working in political communication, project management and fundraising for non-profits. She is passionate about politics, bringing people together and creating space of belonging for marginalized communities in Berlin.
At GSBTB, Mine is your Community Manager and Fundraiser. So message her on all questions on the Community Hub, the Sprechstunde, on how to get involved with us!
Ricarda Bochat
Project Manager, Open Kitchen and Open Language CafésGermanyRicarda Bochat
Having done a Master in Fashion Marketing in the UK, Ricarda moved back to her native Germany in 2012. Here she briefly got involved with the cooking group before spending a year in Nepal and India, mainly doing earthquake relief work and teaching English to Tibetan monks. Upon returning in 2015, she took over the role of coordinating the GSBTB Open Kitchen project. Since November 2020 she has also taken on the coordination of the language cafés.
At GSBTB, Ricarda manages the Open Kitchen and Open Language Cafés. She is also the interim Community Manager.
Stavroula Valachea
Intern Erasmus+GreeceStavroula Valachea
Political scientist and passionate human rights advocate
Stavroula is a political scientist with a strong interest in human rights. She studied International and European Economic Studies at Athens University of Economics and Business. Interested in the ways people can make a positive impact in the world, she hopes to contribute to the resolution of pressing social issues and to help people in need by working in non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
Prior to joining GSBTB, she has worked as a researcher and her main areas of interest are human rights law, human rights violations, and the role of NGOs in community development.
Currently, Stavroula is assisting in communications and supporting project activities at GSBTB.
Tom Young
Programme Director & Open Music School FounderNew ZealandTom Young
Tom is originally from Aotearoa (New Zealand) and has lived in Berlin for more than 10 years. Amongst many other creative projects, he has spent the last 20 years recording albums and touring the world in many bands and with his solo act, Freddy Fudd Pucker. He continues to make music and visual art himself and sees the creative process as one of the most valuable tools we have to bring diverse groups of people together.
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Fundraising HR and Administration
Lisa Hoffmann
Finance and Human Resources DirectorGermanyLisa Hoffmann
Living in Berlin since 2015, Lisa has previously done an MA in International Business Administration and Intercultural Management (with a focus on sustainability management).
Prior to working at GSBTB, Lisa worked at an international consumer rights organisation, where she gained valuable fundraising experience.
She is responsible for the financial management, accounting and controlling of operations at GSBTB.
Maya Tavor
Office ManagerIsraelMaya Tavor
Maya has been living in Berlin since 2015. She has a B.A. in Behavioral Science and has previously worked as an administrative manager, logistics manager, and project manager in various companies and NGOs.
Maya is the Office Manager of GSBTB, and she also likes to bake cookies to keep the team’s morale high.
Mine Nang
Community Manager and FundraiserGermany & AfghanistanMine Nang
Passionate about food, dance and connecting people
Having studied in Maastricht, Istanbul and Lund, Mine holds a BA in European Studies and a MA in Middle Eastern Studies. After gaining work experience abroad, she settled in Berlin in 2017. Since then she has been working in political communication, project management and fundraising for non-profits. She is passionate about politics, bringing people together and creating space of belonging for marginalized communities in Berlin.
At GSBTB, Mine is your Community Manager and Fundraiser. So message her on all questions on the Community Hub, the Sprechstunde, on how to get involved with us!
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Communications and Partnerships
Böbe Barsi
Communications and Partnerships OfficerHungaryBöbe Barsi
Journalist and communications expert
Over the past ten years, Böbe worked for media and brands, contributed to magazines, news sites and corporate publications, and wrote in English, Spanish, German, and Hungarian. She has an MA in Communications and Cultural Studies, studied in Hungary, Spain and Argentina, and wrote her theses about the immigration museums of Barcelona and Buenos Aires and how Latin American migrants use the internet in their quest for a new home. She is a magazine enthusiast.
At Give Something Back to Berlin, Böbe is part of the Communications and Partnerships team.
Mine Nang
Community Manager and FundraiserGermany & AfghanistanMine Nang
Passionate about food, dance and connecting people
Having studied in Maastricht, Istanbul and Lund, Mine holds a BA in European Studies and a MA in Middle Eastern Studies. After gaining work experience abroad, she settled in Berlin in 2017. Since then she has been working in political communication, project management and fundraising for non-profits. She is passionate about politics, bringing people together and creating space of belonging for marginalized communities in Berlin.
At GSBTB, Mine is your Community Manager and Fundraiser. So message her on all questions on the Community Hub, the Sprechstunde, on how to get involved with us!
Ragıp Zık
Communications and Partnerships DirectorTurkeyRagıp Zık
Sociologist, human rights activist and trainer, living in Berlin since 2015.
Ragıp brings with him over 15 years’ experience in project management, communication, and international cooperation. Working for NGOs in Greece, Italy, and Turkey, Ragıp has coordinated multi-partner projects across the Euro-Mediterranean area, the Middle East, and the Caucasus. He is a member of the Council of Europe’s Pool of Trainers and occasionally serves as a trainer and consultant in human rights, advocacy, peacebuilding, and youth work.
Ragıp holds a PhD in Sociology from Freie Universität Berlin and blends his civil society practice with social research. He His research on visual activism, social movements, and digital communication appeared in various academic and non-academic outlets and in various artistic formats.
At GSBTB, Ragıp develops and executes communication strategies and partnerships.
Stavroula Valachea
Intern Erasmus+GreeceStavroula Valachea
Political scientist and passionate human rights advocate
Stavroula is a political scientist with a strong interest in human rights. She studied International and European Economic Studies at Athens University of Economics and Business. Interested in the ways people can make a positive impact in the world, she hopes to contribute to the resolution of pressing social issues and to help people in need by working in non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
Prior to joining GSBTB, she has worked as a researcher and her main areas of interest are human rights law, human rights violations, and the role of NGOs in community development.
Currently, Stavroula is assisting in communications and supporting project activities at GSBTB.