Dafina Savic has an academic background in political science with a focus on international relations and comparative politics from McGill University. She has more than 10 years of experience in international relations, human rights and public affairs. Her work draws on local and international knowledge in the areas of human rights, immigration, social impact and minority rights. She has initiated dozens of successful national and international mobilization campaigns on various issues, as well as developing programs, projects, and digital educational tools on human rights and genocide prevention for various public contexts across Canada.
In 2013, Dafina founded Romanipe, a Not-for-Profit organization based in Montreal, Canada, whose main mission is to defend the human rights and dignity of Romani populations in Canada and worldwide. The organization recently led the efforts which resulted in the recognition of the Romani Genocide by the Canadian Government in 2020 and contributed to the elimination of Bill C-31 in 2019. In her capacity as the organization’s Executive Director and Founder, she has contributed and developed international initiatives seeking to secure rights for Roma refugees in Canada and advance the human rights situation of Roma globally. She is also an expert Delegate for the Canadian Delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) where she advises the government on human rights and Holocaust education.
In 2016, Dafina was the recipient of the Young Quebecers Leading the Way Award for her leadership and work on human rights issues. In 2018, she co-founded Uena Agency, the first social impact agency of its kind in Quebec, specialized in inclusive governance, public and community relations. The agency has worked with various institutions and industries to make them better citizens by formulating and improving strategies and approaches. Dafina also regularly contributes recommendations on human rights mechanisms to the United Nations.