Arbitration Board Member | JEF European Congress 2023

Flavia-Gabriela SANDU

Contact Flavia

About Me

Hey everyone! I am Flavia, 25 years old, born and raised in a city in Romania that you probably never heard of (it's okay, no one ever does). I have been a member of JEF since 2017, having been involved on the local and national level in JEF Denmark, as well as being a PC2 chair in the FC in the 2019-2021 mandate. For the past 2 years I have been an EB member, which hopefully you might have been aware of. I have a bachelor’s degree in Language and International Studies, a master’s in European Studies, with a specialization in public policy, and I currently live in Brussels while interning at the European Parliament.

Other than JEFing, I enjoy sewing, watching video essays on sociological issues as well as fashion history, sword fighting, and drinking tea. I promise I am not as pretentious as this makes me sound.

Motivation for the position

I have been holding positions in the European bodies of JEF since 2019, which offered me great insight into relevant documents and procedures such as the statutes, the code of conduct, rules of procedure, credentials committee etc. I am familiar with the work of the Arbitration Board through the side of the people requesting and reading the information provided, which makes me believe I am also capable of reading (and interpreting) the statutes upon request.

In my time in JEF, I have seen the organization grow and develop significantly. With this, so have the rules and structures necessary for running JEF in a comprehensive way which ensures good governance and also a safe space for our members.

Moreover, I also placed in the top 3 in the famous (well, maybe not for you) quiz on the statutes of JEF Europe. I’ll gladly engage in another Kahoot Battle for Statutes Knowledge Supremacy, shall the Congress decide they’d like to see the AB candidates take it.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about my candidacy and background.

Maija MAUNU

Contact Maija

EMAIL: maija.maunu@jef.eu

About Me

Hey everyone! My name is Maija, I’ve been a JEFer for about 8 years now and by the day I am a jurist specialised in European and business law. While I come from Finland and have my JEF background mostly in Finland and on the European level, I am based in the Netherlands and frequently shuffle from here to Brussels and Helsinki for work, study and family. Outside of JEF and work I spend a lot of my time with my family, teaching an occasional Finnish class, hike or cook with my partner or friends, and most evenings relax with a cat or a dog on my lap, depending on which of my home countries I am in at that moment. I started my JEF journey as a secondary schooler with JEF Turku in 2016, first as a member and later as a board member. Soon after I was elected to the Federal Committee for the 2018-2019 term and acted as the chair of the European Parliamentary Elections 2019 Task Force. In 2020 and 2021, I spent two years as the International Officer in the JEF Finland board and loved also that national perspective of JEF Europe affairs. Most recently, in 2022 and 2023, I have been a member of the Arbitration Board of JEF Europe where I am now seeking a second term.

Motivation for the position

The last 2 years in the AB have shown how important the role of this body is for the organisation, as well as given me perspective on the matters we certainly still need to develop in the coming 2 years and beyond. What pushed me to seek a second term in the AB were the meaningfulness of the work we were given in the ongoing term, the opportunity for learning along with other experienced JEFers, supporting the functioning of our organisation, and lastly, ensuring the continuum in the body, to relay the lessons of the current term to the next. We have a lot of work to do on clarifying our Statutes, the Code of Conduct and other rules, and it is important pass on the discussions and knowledge gained over the past years to the coming term for our organisation to function optimally.

Ignacio ESTEBAN AVENDAÑO

Contact Ignacio

EMAIL: ignacio.esteban.avendano@gmail.com

ADDITIONAL CONTACT: +34 629730901 @ignacio_52

About Me

I am 28 years old and I am active lawyer specialised in digital law (data protection, AI, social media, cybersecurity and IT) working at a law firm in Madrid, Spain. I was born and raised in the beautiful city of Madrid, city that you all have had now the chance to know as it is the city hosting the European Congress 2023. Although, (un)fortunately I have lived and worked most of my life in my home city, I love travelling and have always felt a European citizen. I learnt about JEF in 2015 attending a Model of the European Union organised in my university. I joined without hesitating and have been involved in JEF ever since. In JEF Spain I have held board executive positions at both regional and national level in Spain between 2016 and 2022 including President of JEF Spain (2018-2019) and international officer of JEF Spain (2019-2020). Since 2022 I hold no office in JEF although I have continued to actively work within JEF as a member.

Motivation for the position

The Arbitration Board is a aimed at settling conflicts within JEF members, sections, and bodies as well as interpreting the Statues and other statutory rules of JEF. In this regard, I have always heard that the main characteristics of a good arbitration board member are a long involvement in JEF and a sound knowledge of legal principles. I am motivated to continue working for JEF from the different perspective of the Arbitration Board and, if elected, I will be happy to contribute to the discussions in the arbitration board and offer all my knowledge and expertise obtained from more than 8 years in JEF and from working in the legal sector.

Knut André SANDE

Contact Knut

EMAIL: knut.andre.sande@jef.eu

ADDITIONAL CONTACT: +47 413 25 676

Dear Friends of Europe,

My name is Knut, I recently turned 27 years old, and I have been a JEFer for more than ten years. I am Norwegian, and have held positions in JEF on a local, regional, national, and European level. For the moment I am studying law at the University of Oslo, and I am graduating next year. I work at the Norwegian Data Protection Authority.

For the past two years I have been an Executive Board Member of JEF Europe. It’s been a blast, but there is a time for everything, and now it’s time to step down. Two weeks ago, I was elected Vice-President of the European Movement in Norway. Getting Norway into the EU will be my main priority in the years to come. (Let me know if you want to contribute!)

Nevertheless, I do care a lot about JEF, and I want to contribute more. Therefore, I am running for the Arbitration Board. I believe that the experience I have gained in JEF since 2013 will be a major asset in such a position. Soon to be a jurist, I do also have considerable knowledge about legal principles.

It is important to me that the Arbitration Board acts with integrity, fairness, and transparency. The Arbitration Board must be a trusted institution that can prevent and resolve conflicts. The aim is a safer environment for all JEFers and a well-operated and stable organisation.

Please let me know if you have any questions related to my background or my candidacy.

Looking forward to seeing you all in Madrid!

Mariasophia FALCONE

Contact Mariasophia

EMAIL: mariasophia.falcone@jef.eu

About Me

I’ve been a JEFer for 9 years and I’ve worked locally, nationally, and at the European level. Currently, I'm the director of eurobull.it.

Motivation for the position

I am running for the position of a member of the Arbitration Board because I am deeply committed to fair and transparent practices within the organization. If elected, I would like to contribute with my experience and dedication to ensure that the Arbitration Board effectively addresses issues efficiently and constructively.