On January 30, 2025, more than 130 representatives of The Hague peace and justice community gathered for the annual Peace and Justice Reception, hosted by the Municipality of The Hague and the Hague Humanity Hub.
The evening was opened by Humanity Hub director Jill Wilkinson, highlighting the strength and evolution of The Hague’s ecosystem, not only including NGOs or international organizations but also social enterprises, academia, activists, artists, and other changemakers. She recognised the community is facing a very difficult time ahead, stressing the need for resilience, creativity, and mutual support, with The Hague Humanity Hub offering support in fostering connections, trust and collective action.
Jill also welcomed Joke Brandt as the new chair of the supervisory board, who reminded us of the importance of cooperation with respect for diverse perspectives in solving global problems and making a difference in people’s lives.
Jan van Zanen, Mayor of The Hague, also spoke reminding us that it’s not just the presence of many diverse organisations that makes The Hague the city of peace and justice, but it is the interaction and collaboration that leads to real innovation and impact.
The keynote speech of the evening was delivered by Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini, Founder and Executive Director of the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN)
In her powerful speech, Sanam reflected on the urgent challenges facing our world today—rising authoritarianism, polarization, and a growing empathy deficit.
Framing the conversation through Persian poetry, she highlighted the interconnected nature of global crises and the critical role of peacebuilders in navigating them, with emphasis on the need for solidarity, humility, and action, urging practitioners to apply lessons from international peace efforts to their own communities, and finally reminding us that the solutions we seek lie within ourselves.
You can find Sanam’s speech in the video below.
The Peace and Justice Reception is also the opportunity to introduce new members of the peace and justice ecosystem: this year, we were happy to showcase:
- CIVIC – Civilians in Conflict, represented by Hajer Naili, Director of Communications,
- Article 19, represented by Laura Kunzendorf, Business Development Officer
- Giving Tuesday, represented by Chris Worman, Chief Strategy Officer
