Soraya Pessino is the Technical Director of the Integrando Horizontes program in Brazil, where she leads humanitarian assistance operations in the cities of Boa Vista, Pacaraima, Manaus, and Porto Alegre. She holds a masters degree in cross-cultural integration from the Universidade Federal da Bahia – UFBA, where she conducted research on social integration and creative economy, resulting in a published book on Amazon in 2020. She also has a bachelors degree in public management from the Universidade do Estado da Bahia – UNEB and in international relations from the FIB/Centro Universitário Estácio.
Pessino has more than 20 years of professional experience, of which 10 were dedicated to international and instituional consulting for local governments; six years teaching and coordinating university courses; and five years developing international cooperaton activities through project management for the Rede Ibero-Americana de Cidades (CIDEU) and the Agência Espanhola de Operações.
In 2018, she started focusing on migration, working with local organizations and the UN, in support of refugees. Her experience led to an invitation to the role of General Manager of International Strategic Relations of the Ministério da Cidadania of the Brazilian government, where she facilitated efforts with various local and international organizations.
