Secretariat & Board
We work with a network of advocates and experts across Africa.
Leadership & Network of Advocates
Terralex is led by a team of seasoned advocates, policy experts, and governance professionals who bring both academic depth and practical credibility.
From pioneering climate litigation research to steering pan-African legal networks, managing donor-compliant finances, and shaping compelling narratives, the team provides donors with confidence that investments will translate into measurable impact, strong governance, and lasting influence across Africa.
Yasmine Luhandjula
Advisory – Climate Litigation
Brings deep climate litigation scholarship, giving Terralex intellectual credibility and grounding advocacy in rigorous research. Yasmine is a law lecturer at the University of Pretoria specializing in international law, international environmental law, and human rights law.
Donald Deya
Advisory
Longstanding leader in African legal networks, unlocking high-level access and legitimacy across the continent. He is the CEO of the Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU). He litigates extensively at the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the East African Court of Justice.
Liliane Umubyeyi
Advisory
Co-founder and Co-director of the African Futures Action Lab, working at the intersection of activism, research, and policy to advance racial justice and recognition of Africa’s colonial legacies. Her experience shapes her views on decolonizing development policy and justice systems.
Dr. Felix Dube
Advisory
Senior Lecturer in the Department of Public Law, Faculty of Law, University of Venda. He teaches environmental law and administrative law. His research interests lie in administrative law, human rights and environmental law. He is also an assistant editor for the Journal of Law, Society and Development.
James Gondi
Executive Director
His leadership ensures Terralex has both the intellectual authority and regional networks to influence climate and ecological justice. James signals credible governance, strategic reach, and the ability to deliver measurable impact at scale.
Iqbal Basant
Policy
Leads the strategic development and implementation of ecological reparations and advocacy policies, advancing climate justice and accountability across Africa.
Bibiana Elman
Finance
An accomplished finance professional with extensive experience in NGOs and community organizations. She brings strong financial governance and strategic oversight, ensuring compliance, transparency, and accountability
Marilyn Adel
HR & Legal
Skilled in HR and legal compliance in international NGOs, including Oxfam, reducing donor risk by ensuring Terralex meets international standards on safeguarding, contracts, and ethical practice.
Irene Githua
Communications
Communications strategist with proven ability to craft narratives people care about; turning complex advocacy into compelling impact stories and visibility.
TerrAlex Africa is a Pan-African advocacy and litigation initiative. We use the law to confront ecological injustice, drive treaty enforcement, and demand reparations for communities most affected by climate change. We seek to use Third World Approaches to International Law (TWAIL), Pan-African ecopolitics, and the Ubuntu philosophy, among other African-based instruments, to navigate the terrain of global ecopolitics, climate negotiations, finance & norm setting.