Team

Marieke Ridder

External Advisor/Interim Director
Marieke has an extensive record of national and international experience as senior and executive level.

Sebastiaan van der Zwaan

Director
Sebastiaan has a background in international law, particularly human rights, and is particularly interested in local, innovative ways of creating social change. He is convinced that human rights and equal opportunities can only be achieved at the local level. Therefore, it is important to create and sustain inclusive, sustainable and creative cities and local communities.

Manja de Graaff

Communications & Fundraising Coordinator
After completing her Latin American Studies in Leiden, Manja left to Mexico where she was born, with the aim of realizing her dream of working with Latin American human rights organizations and social movements. Through fundraising, she had the opportunity to work with various Mexican human rights organizations and collectives. Back in the city where she grew up – The Hague – she continues this work at Justice & Peace, where she will have the opportunity to work with local change makers from around the world and a passionate team. In her spare time, Manja loves jogging and reading Latin American literature.

Isidora Ovalle

Fundraising Officer
Isidora Ovalle is a Fundraising Officer at Justice & Peace, driven by the vision of creating genuinely welcoming cities and communities. With a commitment to placing justice at the heart of her work, Isidora aims to support changemakers by amplifying their voices and recognizing their impact. Her path in human rights has taken her across Latin America and Europe, reinforcing her belief in the power of advocacy. With a background in program management, fundraising, and research, she brings a deep understanding of community challenges to her role. Outside of work, Isidora enjoys discovering new places, savoring delicious food, and expressing her creativity through music, podcasts, and drawing.

Maral Khajeh

Human rights defenders & Security Programme Coordinator
Human rights defenders worldwide are daily finding ways to strive for peace, call for justice, and build better societies for the next generation. With a dream of growing a global network of safe spaces for human rights defenders, Maral leads the organization’s efforts to protect and empower them. A peace advocate and a storyteller, she is well-equipped with international experience and a fifteen-year-long expertise as a lawyer. She believes in finding space for laughter, beauty, and love even in the toughest situations. Her other passions include film and theatre, and pistachio ice-cream.

Eli Berghuis

Human rights defenders & Security Programme Officer
Inspired by everyone who challenges the status quo, Eli aims to strengthen the capacity and resources of human rights defenders so that they can continue their crucial work within their communities. Her studies and extensive volunteering and campaigning background contribute to her expertise in gender and environmental rights. Eli finds solace in the pages of books that explore themes of decolonialism, gender, and nature, while she also enjoys expressing her creativity through various crafty hobbies, from jewellery making to crocheting and painting

Daniel Shynn

Human rights defenders & Security Programme Officer
Daniel’s ambition is to advocate for freedom of speech and cultivate spaces where individuals and communities feel empowered to express themselves without fear. His background in history, human rights, and democratization, along with an insatiable curiosity for solutions, led him into the human rights field and continues to drive and inspire his work with human rights defenders. Beyond his dedication to human rights, Daniel becomes lost within the pages of a good book and maintains an active lifestyle through various sports activities.

Marinah Rahmat

Communications Officer – Human Rights Defenders & Security
Motivated by the powerful stories of resilient changemakers, Marinah seeks to amplify the voices of those at the frontlines of change, contribute to creating sustainable safer spaces for human rights defenders, and expand her expertise in digital security. Coming from a legal background, she was intrigued by the organization’s work in human rights artivism and storytelling for justice. While her tech-savvy nature keeps her abreast of new technology and its security implications, she also indulges in non-fiction reads relating to geopolitics and world history and adventures in The Hague’s second-hand bookstores and milkshake spots.

Kirsten de Mik

Migration & Human rights Programme Coordinator
Inspired by hopeful examples of solidarity, Kirsten became committed to advocating for a humane and fair refugee policy. Her knowledge of the intersection between human rights, social (in)equality, migration, and identity took shape throughout her studies in cultural anthropology and work experiences in the educational and policy field. Together with the team, she is building a growing network of allies to advocate for and implement safe and legal pathways for refugees. If she is not busy working on new plans for the programme, you will probably find her in a bookstore trying to find the newest addition to the collection or enjoying some good company and tasty food on a terrace..

Olga van den Berg

Migration & Human rights Programme Officer
Olga van den Berg is driven by the belief that inclusive, rights-based and humane asylum reception start at the local level. With experience ranging from frontline migrant reception work to EU-level policy development, and two Migration Masters she has spent her career at the intersection of policy, research and practice. At Justice & Peace, Olga is motivated by the opportunities she sees at the local level. She believes that cities and communities play a crucial role in creating welcoming societies and more just migration systems. By bringing citizens and newcomers together in the Samen Hier program, she hopes to help translate the values of solidarity and human rights into meaningful action. Outside of work, Olga loves running and hiking in the mountains and is always on the lookout for a great restaurant.

Rita Afsane

Migration & Human rights Programme Officer
Rita is guided by a strong faith in community, and by the idea that through connection we lay the foundation for a safer future. With a background in cultural anthropology, conflict studies, grassroots organizing, and youth work, they move easily between analysis and practice. Their commitment to human rights and social (in)equity led them to advocate alongside marginalized communities. Grounded in intersectionality, Rita focuses on equipping youth with the knowledge, tools, and critical mindset needed to shape conversations and action around migration and just asylum systems. When the workday ends, Rita finds joy in reading books about relationships, decoloniality, and gender, and in planning their next trip that will take them to the beach or into the mountains.

Marjolijn Lampe

Communications Advisor
Empowering changemakers comes with reaching, involving, and connecting diverse audiences locally and worldwide. Communication is crucial for this and it is in the heart of Justice & Peace. Marjolijn’s mission is to keep developing and innovating the organization’s brands, channels, stories, and tools where needed. Having worked in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors, she found communications, events, networking, and creativity to be the red threats in her career and decided to dedicate all her experiences and learnings to the promotion of human rights. A source of inspiration and joy for her is to collaborate with passionate and driven changemakers. Her other passions include yoga and meditation.

Maranke de Krieger

Office Manager & Communications support
After working for several companies and NGOs, Maranke joined the Justice & Peace team. On top of the regular tasks of an office manager, Maranke takes care of online communication and graphic design. Besides her work, Maranke loves travelling with her family, playing music with her band, reading books and streaming series and movies.

Erik van der Harst

Accountant
Erik works for Justice & Peace since 2020. Before he has worked for Mensen met een Missie.