The Youth Initiative Committee (YIC) was established in 2011 in an effort to contribute to youth’s sexual health and sexual rights through a fuller participation of youth in World Association for Sexual Health (WAS) governance, policies and activities. It was proposed and developed by a 22-year old Mexican Psychology student, Antón Castellanos Usigli, mentored by Esther Corona.
Members 2017-2021
Co-Chairs: Antón Castellanos Usigli (United States) & Stefano Eleuteri (Italy)
Members:
Kazuko Fukuda (Japan)
Masayoshi Yanagida (Japan)
Inês Tavares (Portugal)
Members Bio
Antón Castellanos Usigli
Antón Castellanos Usigli, MPH, is the Director of Prevention Programs at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY, where he manages all HIV/STI prevention services. He is a Member of the Global Advisory Board for Sexual Health and Wellbeing and sits on the Editorial Advisory Board of the American Journal of Sexuality Education. Antón has a Master of Public Health from Columbia University in New York City and has been a speaker in Congresses across 12 countries.
Stefano Eleuteri
Stefano Eleuteri, PhD, is a Psychologist, Psychotherapist, Sexual Counsellor, and PhD in Social, Developmental Psychology and Educational Research. Member of the Advisory Commitee of the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS). Since 2010, he works as a private consultant in the field of sex therapy and sexual education. Research Fellow at Sapienza University of Rome, he carries out his research activity in collaboration with the Institute of Clinical Sexology of Rome. He teaches different aspects of sexuality in different higher education courses for nurses and medical doctors at Sapienza University of Rome and in private institutes.
Inês Tavares
Inês Tavares has received a MSc in Clinical and Health Psychology from the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Porto. She is a PhD student in Psychology at the Research Group in Human Sexuality (SexLab) at the University of Porto. She is interested in developing scientifically based education and clinical programs that can mobilize scientific knowledge to the public, as to get it in the hands of the people who need it most.
Kazuko Fukuda
Kazuko Fukuda, is an Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Activist from Japan. After studying in Sweden for one year as an exchange student, I realized the lack of SRHR services in Japan, so I started an SRHR advocacy project called ‘#nandenaino project (why don’t we have?).’ Since then, I have worked on SRHR in Japan as a writer, lecturer, advocate and a president of the project. From September 2019, I take master degree in Sweden majoring in Public Health.
Masayoshi Yanagida
Masayoshi Yanagida born in 1983 in Tokyo, Japan. While university period majored in Sociology and wrote the graduation thesis whose theme was Peer Activity Facilitation skills for adult supporters. On the other hand, acted as a Secretary General of U-COM (Youth Committee of Japan Family Planning Association). After graduation, stared working at some companies for some years and stared NPO Teens-Support to run a drop-in center in the very city side of Shibuya, Tokyo in 2009. Same year, established own organization Link-R. Throughout lectures, workshops and articles, spreading knowledge on SRHR issues.
