Our Mission
Based in Geneva, ILA works closely with its sister organization, Artistic Freedom Initiative (AFI), to protect and promote freedom of artistic expression worldwide.
AFI was founded on the notion that artists are uniquely situated to positively and powerfully effect change, provided their voices can be heard.
As artists are increasingly censored, imprisoned, restricted from moving freely across borders, tortured, or even killed, it is more critical than ever that we safeguard the right to artistic freedom and zealously champion the courageous artists who exercise it.
TO THIS END…
ILA provides legal and resettlement assistance to artists and cultural workers facing persecution and censorship, leads advocacy and strategic litigation efforts globally, and advances professional opportunities for artists and cultural workers at risk.
Management
سنجے سیٹھی
Sanjay Sethi is the Executive Director of Initiative pour la Liberté Artistique (ILA). With over two decades of experience at the intersection of international human rights, immigration law, and nonprofit leadership, he has built and led initiatives focused on protecting vulnerable populations and expanding legal pathways to safety for artists and cultural workers at risk.
Sanjay is also co-founder and managing partner of Sethi & Mazaheri, an immigration and asylum law firm with offices in the United States and Geneva. Through his legal practice, Sanjay has represented individuals facing persecution and complex cross-border legal challenges, and has developed particular expertise in protection-based immigration frameworks. In parallel, he has served as an Adjunct Associate Professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, where he teaches on human rights in Central and Eastern Europe.
Sanjay holds a Master’s degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, as well as a Master of International Affairs from Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs. He earned his undergraduate degree from Northwestern University. His academic and professional work reflects a sustained engagement with the role of artistic expression within human rights systems, bridging legal practice, policy development, and cultural advocacy at the international level.
Irene Pavesi
Irene is a researcher and analyst specializing in human rights, cultural governance, and freedom of artistic expression. With over 15 years of experience in international NGOs and research institutes, she has led global efforts on violence prevention.
Before joining this organization, Dr. Pavesi earned a PhD in Criminology and an MS in Applied Social Sciences from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan. Dr Pavesi also holds a BS in Sociology from Università Bicocca in Milan.
Jonathan Leu
Jonathan is a specialist in project management, partnerships, events, and strategy, with a rich career spanning the arts, sports, culture, and sustainability. Curious and committed, he enjoys building bridges between sectors and initiating collective dynamics where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
His academic credentials include a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Lausanne, a postgraduate degree in Cultural Management from the Haute École de Musique in Geneva, and studies in Cultural Industries and Globalization at the National University of Singapore. He also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management from the Johan Cruyff Institute and a Master’s degree in Sustainability from the University of Lausanne.
Jennifer Laourou
Jennifer leads the development of ILA’s advocacy campaigns for artistic freedom. Her work supports the organization’s engagement with bodies such as the United Nations Human Rights Council, UNESCO, and European Union institutions.
Prior to joining ILA, Jennifer earned a master’s degree in human rights from the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. The program combines human rights theory and practice with the arts, which aligns perfectly with ILA’s mission.
Foundation Board
Divya D. Khosla
Divya D. Khosla served as a U.S. Diplomat for nearly two decades, leading foreign policy and multilateral negotiations on humanitarian crises, human rights, war crimes and atrocities, energy policy, and countering violent extremism. She was the Director for Global Development and Human Rights at the White House (2021-23), Chief of the Energy and International Organizations departments at the Department of State, and served on the U.S. Delegations to the UN in Geneva and NY, covering the Human Rights Council and Security Council.
Divya is the Chief Executive Officer for the SDK Foundation focused on supporting and incubating ventures dedicated to safeguarding human rights, artistic freedom, and democracy, and chenhancing women and girls’ health and sports. She is the Co-Founder and Board Member for the Artistic Freedom Initiative (NY) and its sister organization, ILA (Geneva)–organizations dedicated to safeguarding artists at risk of persecution and censorship through probono legal and resettlement services, policy negotiations, and strategic litigation.
Divya holds degrees from Middlebury College, London School of Economics, and Columbia University and professional certification from Harvard, MIT, Oxford, and Salzburg Law School.
Kami Naglik
Kami Naglik is an independent art advisor with over 15 years of experience. She advises collectors, family offices, foundations, and organisations on building and managing museum-quality art collections, as well as on cultural strategy, governance, philanthropy, and legacy planning. Alongside, Kami is part of the founding team of Kodex SA, a fintech company with applications across the art world, luxury, and other private asset industries.
Her career spans leading institutions including Sotheby’s, Christie’s, Tate, and the Royal Academy of Arts, where she worked closely with (U)HNW families, major donors, trustees, and senior leadership. She has expertise in estate strategy and curating landmark collections such as Rostropovich–Vishnevskaya, Berkeley, Hutchinson, and Howard Hodgkin. At Tate, she oversaw acquisitions for the national art collection and led international institutional partnerships. At the Royal Academy of Arts, she developed global patron networks and spearheaded innovative philanthropic initiatives.
She currently serves as a Trustee and Patron of several leading cultural institutions, including the AI21C Foundation, Haus der Kunst (Munich), Turner Contemporary (Margate), The Line (London), Watermill Center (New York), and Tate (London). Kami holds MAs in Art History and Linguistics, as well as an Executive MSc in Social Business & Entrepreneurship from the London School of Economics (LSE).
Nathalie Chuard
Born and raised in Lausanne, Nathalie Chuard studied Arts and Political Science in Switzerland and Russia. In 2000, she started her career at the Swiss NGO Terre des hommes and took on a variety of postings abroad, including in Afghanistan, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Madagascar, and the Middle East.
She joined the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs in 2005 and, as a Swiss diplomat, held several positions, including Deputy Head of the Human Rights Section in Bern and Political Coordinator at the Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations in New York.
From 2018, she headed the Middle East and North Africa Division (Humanitarian Aid) of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. From 2020 to 2023, she served as Ambassador of Switzerland to Bangladesh before joining DCAF in March 2023. She is the first woman to be appointed Director of the organization.
A native French speaker, she is also fluent in German, English, and Russian. She has long been engaged at the intersection of art and human rights, advocating for inclusive access to culture since her first internship at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco.
Sabrina Fares
Sabrina Fares Camp is a business development executive, board member and impact investor working at the intersection of investment, culture and social impact. In her current role at NewOak, she helps shape strategic growth in the family office and investment space. Previously, she spent over a decade at the United Nations, serving as a bridge between policymakers and the private sector, particularly the tech industry, and coordinating the first UN AI for Good Summit. An expert in economic development, Sabrina has shaped public policies that foster entrepreneurship and vibrant business ecosystems in emerging markets, particularly in Africa.
Deeply committed to the arts, she helps connect artists from emerging countries to the global art scene through her advisory work with Satellites of Art. As a certified coach, she has also supported senior human rights defenders in self-care and sustainable activism in collaboration with the Martin Ennals Foundation. Sabrina serves on the board of French bank Crédit Agricole des Savoie and co-founded the food company Mezze & Co in France and Switzerland.
Sabrina brings a distinctive perspective at the intersection of geopolitics, capital and culture with the strong belief that art, when supported by innovative ecosystems and thoughtful resources, can be a powerful catalyst for more open and resilient societies.
Advisory Board
Tamar Guttmann
Tamar Guttmann is an entrepreneur, impact producer, and advisor based in Amsterdam, working at the intersection of arts and social impact.
She is the Founder and Executive Director of Cue Collective, a non-profit and platform that amplifies global musical talent through audiovisual series and develops music projects that drive social and environmental change.
She has worked on a number of award-winning film productions including serving as Executive Impact Producer on the Academy Award and BAFTA-nominated documentary Black Box Diaries.
Tamar is a Board Member of Creative Capital, a leading U.S. grantmaking institution for artists. Her broader leadership includes roles as Netherlands Ambassador for NEXUS Global, and co-lead of the Coalition for Impact Storytelling working group.
Tamar holds degrees from NYU (Tisch School of the Arts and Stern School of Business) and USC.