Meet the Team

HELEN WINTER, CO-FOUNDER & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, MEDIATOR & TRAINER

Helen is the CEO of R3SOLUTE and an avid certified mediator, conflict resolution trainer and lawyer. She previously worked as a mediator with L.A. Superior Court and consultant with OnDeckMediation where her expertise included anti-discrimination law. In addition, her experience includes working with the United Nations Office of the Ombudsman and Mediation Services where she analyzed and addressed systemic issues within the organization. Helen holds a law degree with a focus on International Public Law and Human Rights Law from Heidelberg University, and LL.M. with a specialization in Dispute Resolution from Pepperdine’s Straus Institute. In her mediation practice, Helen mostly deals with intercultural disputes. She is also pursuing a Ph.D. program in Alternative Dispute Resolution at European University, as part of which she is currently doing a research fellowship at the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School. Her research focuses on R3SOLUTE’s work establishing peer mediation mechanisms in refugee communities and neighborhoods. She recently co-published this article on psychosocial peer mediation as a sustainable method for conflict prevention among refugee communities. Besides her managing role, Helen loves giving peer mediation workshops and facilitates intercultural dialogue sessions at R3SOLUTE. 

SEBASTIAN F. WINTER, CO-FOUNDER, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER

Sebastian is a globally educated physician-scientist, social entrepreneur, and health policy analyst. Before co-founding R3SOLUTE and launching the M3NTAWARE program in 2017, he conducted policy work at the Division of Health Systems & Public Health at WHO Europe and, later, the Division of Science Policy & Capacity Building at UNESCO Headquarters. A practicing physician-scientist at Charité and the Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), his work includes clinical neurology, academic research, policy design, mental health literacy training, and public speaking. Sebastian received a B.Sc. (1st Hons) in Neuroscience from King’s College London (’13) and went on to earn his M.D. (with Distinction) from Charité University Hospital Berlin (’20). A current Ph.D. candidate, Sebastian is pursuing joint research at both Charité and the Massachusetts General Hospital at Harvard Medical School.

Muhamad Naana, CHIEF OUTREACH OFFICER, TRAINER & SHAREHOLDER

Muhamad comes from Syria and is currently obtaining a Bachelor degree in the fields of law and politics in Berlin. In addition, to his contributions as a journalist, he has been to Greece several times, being involved with work in a major refugee camp. Muhamad has extensively advocated for the topic of refugee rights and is actively promoting a peaceful togetherness between different cultures. He works at R3SLOUTE because he believes in the idea of coexistence between different cultures.  R3SLOUTE offers many workshops to achieve this goal and to helps refugees understand the new culture of the host country. His work as a trainer and cultural facilitator at R3SOLUTE gives him the opportunity to help refugees directly, to explain the concepts of the workshop in their native language and to promote intercultural communication between his co-trainers and the workshop participants.

KHULOUD ASFOUR, CHIEF OPERATING & FUNDRAISING OFFICER

Khuloud received her bachelor’s degree in humanities with a specialization in English Literature in Jordan and completed a commercial education and further qualifications as an integration coach and trainer in Germany, where she found a second home since 2002. She has several years of professional experience in various international organisations and institutions, and has also worked on a voluntary basis in different social organisations for 15 years. Most recently, she has worked as a coordinator for two projects in the field of migration and women empowerment as well as freelance trainer /lecturer for political and adult education. Khuloud is mother to three children and speaks Arabic, German and English. She is excited to join the team of R3SOLUTE to support the organization in developing plans for new social projects, implementing these and expanding its network.

RASHIN REJAEI MARDAKHI, Mediator and Trainer

Rashin is an avid certified mediator and works in MediationsZentrum e.V. Berlin as a mediator on a
voluntary basis. In addition to that Rashin works as a German/Farsi translator with refugees in
different social projects on a voluntary basis since 2016. Her experience in HeldenAkademie project
to train teenagers & refugees as arbitrator makes her special for us in R3solute. Rashin received her
bachelor’s degree in English/Farsi Translation in Iran. Before Rashin moved to Germany in 2005, she
used to cooperate with different Newspapers in Iran as a translator. She also worked at the
DeutscheWelle in Bonn as a Journalist & translator in her first years in Germany. She works now in a
big international company, where she also trains refugee trainees & is a volunteer social worker &
mediator. As a person of color Rashin focuses on intercultural conflicts, but she is also active in family
mediation.

JUDITH HUBER, Mediator and Trainer

Judith is currently working as Project Coordinator with the German Red Cross in a Community Centre in Berlin-Marzahn, focusing on the integration of refugees into the neighborhood. She studied Intercultural Conflict Management at Alice Salomon Hochschule in Berlin for her master’s degree and took part in a one-year long training to become an Intercultural Mediator. Judith is passionate about languages and speaks Arabic and Turkish. She has been engaged with refugee communites in multiple projects in the past, including working in refugee shelters in Berlin and being active in community centres for refugees in Istanbul, Turkey. Judith completed her undergraduate studies in Politics and International Relations in Aberdeen, Scotland.

MARIE STOPPERKA,
MEDIATOR AND SOCIAL PEDAGOGUE

Her main occupation has been working with young refugees in youth welfare since 2015. Marie also has knowledge in trauma pedagogy. Her studies in educational science and her experience with children and teenagers make her a contact person for R3solut’s younger target group.

In addition to her work as a team lead in youth welfare and as a trainer at R3solut, Marie works independently and supports (binational) couples and families in their processes of growth and change. 

JULIE GABRIELSEN, Mediator and Trainer

Julie Gabrielsen has a B.Sc. in social work from Oslo Metropolitan University, with specialization in child welfare in a minority perspective. During her studies, she was an intern in the largest Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration office, working with issues surrounding unemployment and administering social and economic benefits. She is currently obtaining her M.A. in Intercultural Conflict Management at Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences. During her time in Germany, Julie has worked in an NGO in Berlin and Potsdam, that reinforces social-, political-, and empowerment work in Refugee shelters. Moreover, she has worked as a coordinator for a Red Cross women’s language center in Norway, where she was responsible for project planning, volunteer management, social environmental work, and communications.

Abeer Ali, Musical Pedagogue

 She is an Egyptian theatre maker, actress, singer and storyteller, who studied theatre in Egypt and took part of many acting, storytelling and dancing workshops,  performed in many theatre festivals all over  the world, she has been doing theatre since 18 years and got many acting prizes, as, the best actress 2nd roll in national theatre festival of Egypt, she is a former member of alternative theatre troupe in Alexandria , a former member of Elwarsha theatre troupe in Cairo, Egypt, she has worked with Theaterwerkstatt Hannover in Germany2017-2018, she is based now in Berlin ,a founder of HeschekBeschek project for music, theatre and storytelling, Music für alle Projekt, part of multiplex ensemble at theatre Expedition metropolis, young mind lap project and musikmacher project in Berlin.

Dulce Gamino, Intercultural Trainer

Dulce is originally from Mexico and holds a Master’s degree in Intercultural Conflict Management from the Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences in Berlin. She has been living in Berlin since 2011 and is involved in various self-empowerment, diversity, and community projects. Her work goal is to empower adults and children in the „new“ sociocultural environment and support them on a psychosocial level during the complex experience of migration and flight. It is especially important for her that workshops be mindful of understanding migration grief and identity crisis, as well as coping with stress from daily life obstacles, culture shock, fear of acculturation, or multiple discrimination and racism experience. By reflecting on these complex scenarios in the lives of people developing themselves in a multicultural society, we strengthen people’s sense of belonging and understanding of different ways and perspectives of life. In her workshops with children, she seeks that through different artistic tools and games they can express their needs and concerns, before and after their migration or flight experiences. Thanks to her work at R3SOLUTE and the Berlin State Center for Civic Education, she hopes to contribute to a more just, inclusive, and multicultural society. 

Florian Minzlaff, Mediator and Trainer

Florian is a certified mediator and conflict resolution trainer. He holds a master’s degree in Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation from Trinity College Dublin. Before returning to Berlin in 2018, he has worked in Lebanon, Northern Ireland and Canada. In addition to his work as trainer for R3SOLUTE, he also works in the food business where he often deals with workplace disputes. Most recently, he is pivoting towards the topics of change management and transformation processes. The goal in his mediation and training practice is creating safe space for people to be vulnerable in and be listened to. Florian is also a certified facilitator for Dialogue for Peaceful Change and speaks German, English and Italian. 

Robin Wilms, M3NTAWARE Lead & Trainer

Robin holds a M.Sc. (Cum Laude) in Psychology and is currently in training to become a psychotherapist for cognitive behavioral therapy (Psychotherapeutenausbildung – Verhaltenstherapie). Since 2019, he worked in different psychiatric hospitals, carrying out psychotherapy in individual and group settings. Since 2022, he treats clients in an office for psychotherapy in Berlin.
Besides his psychotherapeutic work, Robin joined the team of R3SOLUTE, volunteering as a Co-Lead for M3NTAWARE – the mental health awareness Programm within R3SOLUTE. Using his expertise in psychopathology and the treatment of mental disorders he co-constructs the curriculum of M3NTAWARE and carries out workshops in refugee shelters on mental health education.

Ebtesam A.Saleh, M3NTAWARE Trainer

Currently enrolled as a Doctoral Researcher in the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin. Ebtesam is a DAAD Scholar “Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst” she has a master’s degree in clinical pharmacy from the University of Jordan and specializes in drugs abuse and addiction among low-income communities and displaced populations. She has several publications in the peer-reviewed journal regarding substance use among refugees’ drugs abuse in Yemen and Jordan as well. Besides her academic and scientific work, she joined the team of R3SOLUTE as a trainer in addiction and mental health; her native Arabic language makes it easier to provide workshops for refugees from the same cultural and linguistic background. She is excited to be on the R3SOLUTE team as a trainer and as a volunteer in relevant tasks.

Heike Arzapalo, M3NTAWARE Trainer

Heike is a cultural anthropologist at heart. Academically she holds degrees in International Affairs and Humanism and is a certified PTSD Counselor and Pedagogist. Studying and understanding migration from a macro and an endogenous perspective has been at the core of her career. As an American Citizen with Mexican roots born in Germany, Heike has navigated herself through the specificities, the melting point, and the clash of cultures all her life. In 2017 she initiated the Psychological Crisis Task Force to help foreign traumatized victims and their families with the Earthquake that hit Mexico City. In 2020 she founded Trauma help as an initiative to help children and young adults overcome the effects of Trauma when resettling to Germany. She works both with refugees and experts, in school settings, educational institutions, and refugee camps and is working with R3SOLUTE since 2021. Having additionally studied Film in NY and been close to the world of contemporary art has helped her achieve a great mix of science and creativity in her work. Currently, she is also developing an initiative to introduce trauma-sensitive education in Berlin’s schools.