Rafael Merino Rus

Project Manager

“My constant concern for justice has served as a guiding light in both my personal life and my career; for me it is the only sensible and coherent way to live”.

WHAT OTHERS SAY ABOUT RAFAEL:
“He is executive, charismatic, studious and an excellent team member. He is an inspiring example of what it means to have a vital commitment to human rights.”
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2011 to present: Fundación Fernando Pombo. Project Manager.
Prior to 2011- Coordinadora Andaluza de ONG al Desarrollo. Project technician.
SPECIALISATIONS
Human rights expert with over 15 years of experience in social action programmes, research, training, public advocacy and awareness.
Noteworthy specialties: strategic planning, comprehensive project management, institutional relations, promotion of work networks, fundraising and communication. Rafa has a profound knowledge of all areas inherent to the Foundation’s work (pro bono, legal clinics, technology and human rights, etc.).
LANGUAGES
Spanish and English.
TEACHING
Training for NGOs
    • Course on “Gender and Human Rights” aimed at social entities in Tangier, Morocco, in collaboration with Fundación CIDEAL and AECID (2018 and 2019)
    • Course on “Human Rights and Development”, aimed at volunteers for Asociación Solidaridad
    • Course on “Management of social projects” aimed at employees of the Spanish Confederation for People with Physical and Organic Disabilities (Confederación Española de Personas con Discapacidad Física y Orgánica), 40 hours
University lecturing:
Since 2011 he has taught a course on “Poverty, human rights and social responsibility” to students pursuing Law Degrees, Masters for the Access to the Legal Profession and Masters in Human Rights at various universities, including Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Universidad Compultense de Madrid, Universidad de Navarra, Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Universidad Pompeu Fabra and Universidad Internacional de La Rioja
TRAINING
Masters in Management of Foundations and Non-profit Entities
Confederación de Empresarios de Andalucía – CEA (2010-2011).
B.A. in Economics
Universidad de Sevilla (2003-2008).
Various specialisation courses on human rights, international cooperation, communication, advocacy, teaching and project management
CONFERENCES
“New technologies and human rights”, Lab from Fundación Seres, 2019
«Desdemocracia, los “ismos” y el abismo. Universales ante las políticas segregatorias» (“De-democracy, ‘isms’ and the abyss. Facing segregation policies”), summer course at UPV/EHU, 2019
«II Congreso internacional «Derechos Humanos y Empresa: balance y situación actual» (II International Congress on Human Rights and Business: current status), Madrid, 2018 (co-coordinator)
«IV Congreso Europeo de Clínicas Jurídicas» (IV European Congress on Legal Clinics), Valencia, 2016.
PUBLICATIONS
“Desdemocracia, los “ismos” y el abismo. Universales ante las políticas segregatorias” (“Undemocracy, the ‘isms’ and the abyss. Facing segregation policies”), pending publication, 2020. Co-author of the chapter «Los derechos humanos, la democracia y la igualdad en la era de los algoritmos y la inteligencia artificial» (Human rights, democracy and equality in the era of algorithms and artificial intelligence)
Derechos Humanos y Empresa: balance y situación actual (Human Rights and Corporations: current status), Tirant Lo Blanc, 2020. Co-author of the chapter «La industria del textil y de la confección» (The textile and clothing industry)
La trata de seres humanos en España: estudio comparado sobre la detección e identificación de las víctimas (Human trafficking in Spain: comparative study on the detection and identification of victims), Legal Clinic with Javier Romañach, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 2019. Co-coordination of report.
Guía práctica de asistencia jurídica en Centros de Internamiento de Extranjeros (Practical Guide for legal aid to Alient Internment Centres). EXEQUO III Project, Fundación Fernando Pombo, 2018. (Finalist in the Global Pro Bono Awards 2018). Technical coordination of Project.
Guía práctica para la asistencia jurídica a víctimas de violencia de género (Practical gfor legal aid for victims of domestic violence). EXEQUO II Project, Fundación Fernando Pombo, 2015. (Finalist in the Global Pro Bono Awards 2015). Technical coordination of Project.
Guía práctica sobre la casuística legal habitual de personas en situación de calle (Practical guide on the legal case studies concerning homeless persons). EXEQUO I Project, Fundación Fernando Pombo, 2014. (Finalist: VI Premios Corresponsables and honourable mention in the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Report – Europe 2014). Technical coordination of Project.
Guía Voluntariado Profesional y Pro Bono: diferencias, ventajas y buenas prácticas (Guide to Professional and Pro Bono Volunteerism: differences, advantages and good practices) (2018) and Guía de Voluntariado Corporativo (Guide to Corporate Volunteerism) (2013), Voluntare. Co-author.
ARTICLES AND INTERVIEWS
  • «Necesitamos humanizar la tecnología para poner los derechos humanos en el centro de todos los avances tecnológicos» (We must humanise technology in order to place human rights at the centre of technological advances), interview with Fundación SERES, 2019.
  • «Marruecos da un paso en la protección a las mujeres» (Morocco takes a step in the protection of women) , Blog 3500 Millones, El País, 2019.
  • «Al otro lado de Black Mirror: algoritmos, democracia e igualdad» (The other side of Black Mirror: algorithms, democracy and equality), Revista Contexto, 2019.
  • «¿Controlamos los algoritmos que nos controlan?» (Do we control algorithms that control us?), Blog 3500 Millones, El País, 2018.
  • «¿Cómo afronta España su nueva etapa en el Consejo de DD.HH.?» (How is Spain handling its new era in the Human Rights Council?), Diarioresponsable, 2018.
  • «Posverdad, empresas y derechos humanos» (Post-truth, businesses and human rights), Diarioresponsable, 2017.
  • “¿Es suficiente la actual justicia internacional en derechos humanos y empresas?” (Is there currently sufficient legal justice concerning human rights and corporations?) Article co-author, Revista Tiempo de Paz, MPDL, 2016.