Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi
Humanitarian Action in the Mediterranean: Quo Vadis?
Biographies
Davide De Bernardin
A 29-year-old, Italian national from Venice, Davide De Bernardin has been MOAS’ Project Coordinator since
January 2015. He earned his Bachelor in International and Diplomatic Relations at the University of Trieste, Italy,
in 2008 with a thesis on Iran’s strategic relations. In 2010, he achieved an M.A. in International Logistics and
Transports Planning at the IUAV University in Venice and finally, in 2011, an M.A. in International and Diplomatic
Relations with a thesis on Piracy and Maritime Security.
Before moving to Malta, he worked in Tel Aviv, Brussels and Trieste in business development, logistics, sourcing
and procurement. In mid-2014 he moved to Emergency Logistics, did advanced training in Brussels with RedRUK
and worked on a self-sustained project to improve logistics and security in operational theatres.
For MOAS, he coordinates relations with some of MOAS’ international partners, while managing the operations’
logistics, procurement and recruiting of SAR personnel.
Dr Neil Falzon
Neil established the human rights NGO ‘aditus foundation’ in 2011. As the organisation’s Director, he is
responsible for its overall management, and is also actively involved in most of its projects and activities. He
represents the organisation in its external relations, including through an extensive media presence nationally and
internationally. Within aditus, Neil is Project Manager for the FRANET Team. He is one of Malta’s Coordinators of
the European Legal Network on Asylum (ELENA), and a member of the Academic network for legal studies on
immigration & asylum in Europe (Odysseus Network). In 2014, he was awarded an LGBTI Community Award for
his work in advancing LGBTI rights in Malta, and in 2015, Neil was elected to the Board of the European Council
for Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) to represent the Mediterranean Region. He is currently Head of Secretariat of the
Platform of Human Rights Organisations in Malta (PHROM).
Neil earned his law degree in 2001, at a time when he headed Amnesty International’s Malta branch. He then
successfully completed his Mediterranean Masters in Human Rights and Democratisation in 2004, writing his
dissertation on the positive duty of States to prevent human rights violations. Between 2005 and 2009, Neil
headed the Malta office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), focusing on building
UNHCR’s Malta presence, engaging in heavy advocacy efforts with the Maltese authorities, supporting NGOs and
promoting a rights-based discourse and approach to migration and asylum.
Neil lectures at the University of Malta: International Human Rights Law, Human Rights for Social Workers, and
Regional Systems and Instruments of Human Rights Protection.
He researched and drafted several technical reports, including on the interception at sea of refugees and
migrants and the ‘Left to die boat’ for the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly, gender
identity and marriage equality for the Malta Gay Rights Movement.
Dr Derek Lutterbeck
Derek Lutterbeck is currently Deputy Director and Holder of the Swiss Chair at the Mediterranean Academy of
Diplomatic Studies in Malta (MEDAC). He has also worked as a consultant for several major research projects of
the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), the European Union Agency for Fundamental
Rights (FRA), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the Geneva Centre for Democratic
Control of Armed Forces (DCAF). Derek Lutterbeck holds a Masters and PhD in Political Science from the Graduate
Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, as well as a Masters Degree in Law from the
University of Zürich. In recent years, his research has focused mainly on security and migration-related issues in
the Mediterranean region. His recent publications have appeared in journals such as Mediterranean Politics,
Mediterranean Quarterly, Armed Forces and Society, the Journal of North African Studies, the European Journal of
International Relations, Contemporary Security Policy, European Security, and Cooperation and Conflict.
Col Clinton O’Neill
Col Clinton O’Neill was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) having previously
served in the Armed Forces of Malta for a period of two years as an Assistant Air Traffic Controller and Sergeant
Pilot. In the course of his military career, Col O’Neill held different positions. He served as a military pilot flying
fixed wing aircraft. He filled both command and staff appointments. As an area of expertise he specialises in
air/maritime operations and Search and Rescue. Following a number of years as an operational pilot Col O’Neill
was appointed as Staff Officer Operations and later Air and Maritime Operations within the Operations Branch at
Headquarters. Subsequently he was appointed Officer Commanding Operations Squadron within Air Wing and
later on Commanding Officer. Col O’Neill is now serving as Colonel Operations and is in charge of the Operations
Branch within Headquarters AFM.
NOHA
The Network on Humanitarian Action (NOHA) is an international association of universities that aims to enhance
professionalism in humanitarian action through education & training, research & publications and projects. As a
network of academic institutions, NOHA brings a university ethos to the existing humanitarian principles that
govern humanitarian action.
NOHA is a growing network of 12 European member universities and 5 global partner universities from different
continents. The institutions share a commitment to humanitarian action and cooperate in joint educational and
training programmes, research and projects.
NOHA believes that humanitarian action must be an effective and ethical expression of human solidarity. This
should be achieved by joining efforts through a professional and ethical management of humanitarian action by
policy makers, managers, and humanitarian workers. NOHA is driven by the challenge to keep pace with the
changes and complexities in and of the sector. It is guided by a strong vision on how education can effectively
contribute to relieve the suffering of populations affected by crises and disasters.
Central to its growth and evolution was a core set of principles that places NOHA in a space equally shared by
universities and humanitarian organisations; these are values such as academic rigor, shared learning, respect for
peer institutions, and humility together with the humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality, independence,
and humanity.
For more information, please visit www.nohanet.org.
Wednesday 11th May 2016 from 9am till 2pm @ The University Residence Conference Hall in Robert Mifsud
Bonnici Street, Lija. This event is brought to you by NOHA, with the support of The European Commission.
With the support of: