Leander Heblich

My name is Leander, and I am from Germany. Having obtained a bachelor’s degree in social sciences with a major in Politics & Government from Sciences Po in France, I appreciate interdisciplinarity. Among various academic interests, I focus on children’s rights, education for global justice, the role of mental health for peacebuilding, questions of language and belonging, social constructions of childhoods, as well as reparative justice and (de)coloniality in African-European relations.
Following my involvement with Root Foundation, a Rwandan NGO that supports children and their families in Kigali, I have developed a particular interest in the social, cultural, linguistic, historical, political, and environmental contexts of Rwanda and the African Great Lakes region. As I continue to be part of the NGO’s German partner association, Root Foundation Germany e.V., I gain experience in transnational civil society cooperation, which I constantly reflect on in light of my studies as well.
​Despite my ongoing critical engagement with “development”-related debates, I am conscious of expanding my understanding of diverse social aspects relevant to the region beyond widespread, conventional framings of “development”. EIMAS offers an inviting opportunity to do so. Above all, it enables me to connect with and learn from fellow young people from diverse backgrounds. This is crucial to me – personally, but also in recognition of the global interconnectedness of social issues and historical dependencies.