The Board of Directors of ECA Global is composed of professionals, advocates, and survivors of clerical abuse, who together bring invaluable expertise and lived experience to the heart of the organization. Their diverse backgrounds in human rights, social justice, community engagement, and organizational development ensure that ECA Global remains deeply rooted in the realities faced by survivors while advancing systemic change.
By integrating the voices of victims and survivors directly into its leadership, the Board guarantees that the organization’s work is guided not only by professional knowledge but also by first-hand perspectives of those most affected. This unique composition strengthens ECA Global’s commitment to integrity, transparency, and accountability, while shaping strategies that foster healing, justice, and meaningful transformation.
GEMMA HICKEY (they/them) | CANADA
Born of the pristine shores of Newfoundland and Labrador, Gemma Hickey has emerged as a transformative force in Canada’s legal and cultural evolution. A fearless trailblazer and multi-award-winning international author and advocate, they have fought relentlessly for the rights of women, 2SLGBTQI+ communities, people living with HIV and AIDS, at-risk youth, and survivors of religious institutional abuse.
Their bold leadership helped shape two of the most significant human rights milestones in Canadian history: the 2005 legalization of same-sex marriage and the 2017 recognition of gender-neutral identification. In defiance of societal norms and bureaucratic limitations, Gemma became the first Canadian to receive both a non-binary birth certificate and a gender-neutral passport, shattering barriers by travelling to countries that had yet to recognize non-binary identities and opening the gates for others to follow.
Gemma’s gender journey is powerfully captured in the renowned documentary Just Be Gemma (Walsh Productions, 2017), co-produced by CBC and The Documentary Channel. Screened at festivals across Canada, the film premiered internationally in Japan where it sparked vital national conversations about gender diversity in a country where non-binary identities had previously gone unacknowledged. More than a documentary, Just Be Gemma continues to inspire global audiences, most recently at a screening in Perugia, Italy, serving as both a catalyst for change and a beacon of courage for those forging their own paths to authenticity.
A sought-after global speaker, Gemma has delivered compelling lectures in prestigious diplomatic and academic settings, from embassies in Tokyo, Geneva, The Hague, Rome, Milan, and the Vatican to the University of Tokyo and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. Their presentations have inspired dialogue, influenced academic curricula, and driven cultural transformation. With an academic background in Comparative Religions and Gender Studies, Gemma brings a sharp intersectional feminist lens to systemic inequality, illuminating the deep interconnections between identity, power, and institutional injustice.
With numerous publications to their name, their acclaimed memoir, Almost Feral (Breakwater Books, 2019), has earned multiple prestigious awards and solidified their voice as a literary force in Canada and beyond. As a rising filmmaker, Gemma continues to spotlight social injustices, producing documentaries that challenge systems and center marginalized voices.
A tireless advocate for survivors of clergy abuse, they founded both the Pathways Foundation in Newfoundland and Labrador and ACTS Canada to provide support and visibility for those affected. As President of the Board of Directors for ECA, Gemma’s international impact continues to grow. In 2023, they were honoured with the Governor General’s Award, one of Canada’s highest civilian distinctions, for their outstanding humanitarian work.
A survivor of clergy abuse and conversion therapy, Gemma channels personal trauma into public action, transforming pain into purpose. Their life’s work is a testament to resilience, justice, and the unwavering belief in a world where no one is left behind.
TIMOTHY LAW | USA
Timothy Law is the co-founder of Ending Clergy Abuse and an attorney in Seattle, Washington, USA. He is a Catholic, and in 2014, he became active at the local level to confront his archdiocese on the issue of clergy abuse. In 2015, he met Barbara Blaine, founder of SNAP, and was introduced to the national and international dimensions of clergy abuse in the Catholic Church. In 2017, Barbara Blaine, Tim and others conceived what became ECA in Geneva, Switzerland in 2018. ECA is an international association of survivors and advocates from 20+ countries and 6 continents whose mission is to compel the Vatican/Roman Catholic Church to protect children from clergy abuse and to promote justice for survivors. ECA played an important role in Rome at the 2019 Pope’s Summit on Clergy Abuse coordinating the voices of the international survivor/activists before the bishops and the world press promoting Zero Tolerance as an universal law of the Church.
MATTHIAS KATSCH | GERMANY
A philosopher and management trainer, Matthias professionally contributed for many years to his clients’ success through interdisciplinary thinking and business experience gained mainly in the ITC and service industry, delivering trainings and consultancy focused on change. Born in Berlin, he lived, worked, studied in Santiago de Chile, Munich, St. Gallen, Berkeley and Taipei.
… and Matthias as a child was victim of sexual abuse by two Jesuit priests in a catholic school in 1977. In January 2010 he started to speak out about what occurred to him and many other boys at the famous Canisius Kolleg in Berlin; this disclosure marked the starting point of a dramatic process of revelation about sexual child abuse within educational institutions and in families in Germany.
As spokesperson and managing director of ECKIGER TISCH, an association of victims of child sexual abuse in the context of the catholic church co-founded by him, he has been since present in the media calling for inquiry, help and compensation to the victims.
He participated in the German Round table about child abuse (RTKM 2010/2011) and was member of the advisory board for the Independent Representative for the issues of child abuse (UBSKM) installed by the German federal government. From 2015 to 2019 he was member of the first Council of Victims-Survivors (Betroffenenrat) by appointment through a panel of the German Bundestag.
Since 2019 he serves as a member of the Independent inquiry into child sexual abuse (Aufarbeitungskommission).
Inspired by the example of Barbara Blaine, he is one of the founding members of ECA.
EVELYN KORKMAZ | CANADA
Evelyn Korkmaz is an international advocate for survivors of the Indian Residential School system and is committed to revealing Canada’s hidden Indigenous history through her personal knowledge and lived experiences of those impacted by the country’s federal residential school policies. Evelyn provides valuable insights during this period of government promises of truth and reconciliation.
SERGIO SALINAS | ARGENTINA
Fundador, ex vicepresidente de Xumek por 8 años (asociacion para la promoción y protección de derechos humanos en Argentina). Representante legal en casos de grandes violaciones a los derechos humanos: violencia institucional, lesa humanidad, abusos sexuales, entre otros, siendo representativo el conocido caso Provolo de víctimas sordas.
Lawyer. Faculty of Law, National University of Cuyo (2005). Master in Criminal Law and Criminal Sciences from Pompeu Fabra University and University of Barcelona, Spain (2006). DEA (Advanced Studies Diploma – Master) in Criminal Law from Pompeu Fabra University, Spain (2008). PhD candidate in Criminal Law and Criminal Sciences at Pompeu Fabra University, Spain. Diploma in Human Rights and Epistemology at the National University of Cuyo (2004). Member of IUSCRIM (2015) Member of XUMEK, Association for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (2006) Head Professor of Practical Works of the Chair of Introduction to Criminal Law. Faculty of Law, University of Congress (2015) Assistant Professor of Criminal Law (General Part). Faculty of Law, University of Congress (2017). Adjunct Professor of Habilitation II (Criminal Professional Practice). Faculty of Law, University of Congress (2016). Associate Professor of Criminal Law, Special Part. Faculty of Law, University of Congress (2020). Adjunct Professor of Human Rights and Guarantees. Faculty of Law, University of Congress (2019). Former Academic Secretary of the Master’s Degree in Criminal Law and Criminal Sciences. Faculty of Law, National University of Cuyo (2011). Lecturer and thesis jury in different postgraduate courses of academic units: Universidad de Mendoza, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Universidad del Aconcagua. Part-time Senior Researcher in the Research Project “Institutional Violence: towards the implementation of prevention policies in Argentina”, (2015- 2019). Researcher at the Faculty of Law, University of Congreso (2019).
LAVADO | SALINAS | LECOUR & Asociados
Estudio Jurídico Mendoza
DESARROLLO: STOIKO STUDIO
JANET AGUTI | UGANDA
Janet Aguti is a Ugandan social worker and Life Coach. As one of the first employees of Uganda’s first online emergency sex education platform and through managing a project for increased access to Sexual and Reproductive Health in Ugandan refugee camps, Janet has extensive experience in supporting youth to overcome personal challenges and traumatic experiences.As a survivor of sexual abuse herself, she transformed her own difficult experiences into founding a social enterprise called ‘Totya Platform’, specializing in helping victims of sexual violence to speak about their experiences while receiving emotional care and self-help tools. A mobile platform offers anonymous support via a hotline, while local self-help groups enable users to share experiences and support each other.
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