Annie Lovisetto
When Annie Lovisetto received an email from her Public International Law lecturer at the University of Galway about the STAND Changemakers Academy, she was in the midst of a demanding academic year. What caught her attention wasn't just the programme's purpose. It was the sense of creativity and connection it promised.
Art, Activism, and a Room Lit by Candles: Annie's Changemakers Story
When Annie Lovisetto received an email from her Public International Law lecturer at the University of Galway about the STAND Changemakers Academy, she was in the midst of a demanding academic year. What caught her attention wasn't just the programme's purpose. It was the sense of creativity and connection it promised.
"It seemed like a really fun and proactive thing to get involved with during a stressful academic year," Annie recalls. "I really liked the aesthetic, and the focus that was placed on networking with other young changemakers."
That decision would mark the beginning of a journey that reshaped how Annie sees activism, self-expression, and what it means to build community across difference.
"It seemed like a really fun and proactive thing to get involved with during a stressful academic year. I really liked the aesthetic, and the focus that was placed on networking with other young changemakers."
That decision would mark the beginning of a journey that reshaped how Annie sees activism, self-expression, and what it means to build community across difference.
A Space Unlike Any Other
For Annie, the most powerful part of the Changemakers Academy was the space it created for reflection and genuine dialogue. Not the kind that stays on the surface, but the kind that asks something of you.
"My favourite thing was sharing and discussing my inner belief system and moral values with strangers. Creating a space for people to express the essence of their person from the very first day brought a level of raw connection and empowerment that I have not experienced before."
STAND facilitators hosted what they called a "non-talent show." The room was dimly lit with candles and fairy lights. Participants sat in a circle and shared poetry, dance, music, and everything in between. When the facilitators asked who would like to begin, a participant named Arzou, a refugee from Afghanistan, raised her hand and started to dance to a traditional Afghan song.
"As we all clapped and cheered her on, I was struck with a deep sense of sadness," Annie remembers. "In Afghanistan, she risked being arrested, beaten or killed for dancing.
"In that moment I realised how important art and self-expression is for a human being, how powerful it can make someone feel, and how it should be preserved and protected as much as any other need."
It is the kind of moment that doesn't leave you. And for Annie, it didn't.
From Inspiration to Action
After completing the Changemakers Academy in 2024, Annie's path took shape with unusual clarity and speed. She accepted a nine-month Advocacy Internship at Nasc, the Migrant and Refugee Rights Centre. This summer, she will complete an intensive Search and Rescue course and volunteer aboard a SAR vessel in the Mediterranean. In the autumn, she begins a two-year Master's in Migration and Diaspora Studies at SOAS University of London.
Her connection with STAND didn't end at graduation. She has remained a present and generous part of the alumni community, contributing a published piece titled A Guide for Budding and Seasoned Activists to the Tell Me About Hope project, joining the alumni panel working to build lasting networks among STAND graduates, and recently serving as toastmaster for the 2025 Changemakers Academy Ceremony.
"It was both an honour and a privilege to be invited back to host the showcase," she says.
A Message to Future Changemakers
When asked what she would say to someone considering the programme, Annie doesn't hesitate:
"DO IT. It will change your outlook on life and how you advocate for issues you are passionate about. It will connect you with inspiring and kind people, and it will renew your hope for the future. I cannot express how grateful I am to have had the experience."
Ready to find your own moment?
Find out more about the STAND Changemakers Academy and apply today.
