{"id":27066,"date":"2025-11-26T13:58:59","date_gmt":"2025-11-26T13:58:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/justiceandpeace.nl\/?post_type=story&p=27066"},"modified":"2025-11-26T14:25:45","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T14:25:45","slug":"from-thesis-to-tangible-change-rachels-story-of-impact-through-research","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/justiceandpeace.nl\/en\/stories\/from-thesis-to-tangible-change-rachels-story-of-impact-through-research\/","title":{"rendered":"Rachel"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Rachel Hierholzer joined the Hague Changemakers: Impact Through Research trajectory \u2013 part of the Move 4 Human Rights initiative \u2013 to explore how academic research can be transformed into social impact. Drawing on her background in Conflict Studies and Human Rights, she worked with others to challenge dominant narratives around migration and amplify underrepresented voices.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rachel Hierholzer (24) holds a master\u2019s degree in Conflict Studies and Human Rights from Utrecht University. With a passion for social justice and a critical eye on how migration is framed in public discourse, she found a natural next step in joining The Hague Changemakers: Impact Through Research \u2013 a trajectory organised by Justice & Peace as part of the Move 4 Human Rights initiative (MDT). \u201cI wrote my thesis on migration and the media,\u201d Rachel shared. \u201cI was looking at European-based news articles and how they represent migrants, and how that ties into exclusionary EU migration policies. That\u2019s why I was drawn to this programme. It offered a way to take those questions beyond the academic setting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rachel describes herself as empathetic and conscious, guided by a deep awareness of how her actions affect others. That sense of social responsibility, combined with a creative mindset, led her to seek work that moves ideas into action \u2013 something the trajectory offered. \u201cAcademic research is important, but it can feel abstract and disconnected,\u201d she explained. \u201cI wanted to do something more tangible \u2013 something that results in real impact, where you can see the outcome.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The Hague Changemakers – Intercultural Dialogue Training (2025)<\/p><\/div>\n

Learning through collaboration
\n<\/strong>From the beginning, Rachel appreciated the transparent and respectful structure of the programme. She described the balance of workload and expectations as realistic and empowering, which allowed her and her team to fully engage in the co-creative process without feeling overburdened. \u201cIt was never just about sitting behind a desk to write a paper,\u201d she said. \u201cWe interacted with other people, collaborated, created. That process made the work more meaningful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all care about the cause, but it\u2019s different when you actually speak with people who are directly affected. It grounds your work and gives it depth and perspective.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

One of the most valuable aspects of the experience, according to Rachel, was connecting with people with lived experience \u2013 newcomers whose voices are too often absent in the very debates that concern them. \u201cWe all care about the cause,\u201d Rachel said, \u201cbut it\u2019s different when you actually speak with people who are directly affected. It grounds your work and gives it depth and perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n

The interviews her team conducted highlighted a common concern: misrepresentation in mainstream media. Many participants felt their identities were flattened to harmful stereotypes or reduced to narratives of victimhood. \u201cThey told us, \u2018We\u2019re not being accurately represented.\u2019 That was pivotal \u2013 it shifted our project. Instead of doing an in-person event, we focused on showcasing real stories and promoting media literacy.\u201d<\/p>\n

From misrepresentation to media literacy
\n<\/strong>Rachel\u2019s group centred their project on the media portrayal of migrants and refugees in the Netherlands. Their goal? To unpack and challenge the dominant narratives by sharing lived experiences and equipping people with tools to read media more critically.<\/p>\n

\u201cMigrants are students, workers, mothers, artists. They have lives and identities that go beyond the headlines.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cYes, there are negative portrayals \u2013 but what\u2019s the alternative? What stories are not being told?\u201d Rachel asked. \u201cMigrants are students, workers, mothers, artists. They have lives and identities that go beyond the headlines.\u201d<\/p>\n

They curated resources, collaborated with migrant-led media platforms, and designed accessible guides for media literacy, inviting readers to pause, question, and look beyond sensationalism. \u201cEven someone who isn\u2019t informed in this field can start asking critical questions. That\u2019s where change begins,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Challenges and shifts
\n<\/strong>The journey wasn\u2019t without challenges. One of the key organisations they initially partnered with dropped out unexpectedly, forcing the group to pivot and refocus their approach mid-way through the process. \u201cWe had to rethink our next steps quickly,\u201d Rachel recalled. \u201cLuckily, we got to work with Dare to Be Grey, who we met through the programme, and explore how polarisation plays out in media. So in the end, it actually deepened our project.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another challenge was resisting the pull of academic habits. \u201cMost of us had academic backgrounds, so we defaulted to doing research like we were writing a paper,\u201d she said. \u201cEventually, we realised we needed to approach it differently. More hands-on, more grounded in community impact.\u201d<\/p>\n

This, Rachel noted, was a key learning moment. She encourages future participants to define their project direction earlier in the process, to leave more time for implementation and creativity.<\/p>\n

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The Hague Changemakers – Polarization training (2025)<\/p><\/div>\n

Looking ahead<\/strong>
\nRachel remains passionate about shifting narratives through media. She hopes to work on larger-scale storytelling platforms that highlight diverse voices and challenge dominant frames. \u201cThere are so many exciting media initiatives out there \u2013 migrant-led magazines, platforms focussed on social justice, beautiful design-led storytelling,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s the space I want to be in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though she recognises that changing mainstream media will take time, Rachel remains hopeful. \u201cIt\u2019s a long road. The big platforms won\u2019t change overnight. But I believe smaller, community-led media outlets can lead the way \u2013 and social media offers a space to amplify alternative stories.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you want to do something meaningful and community-based without needing to commit full-time, The Hague Changemakers is a great place to start.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Why the Hague Changemakers?
\n<\/strong>Rachel wholeheartedly recommends the trajectory to others. \u201cIt\u2019s flexible, accessible, and actually impactful,\u201d she said. \u201cIf you want to do something meaningful and community-based without needing to commit full-time, The Hague Changemakers is a great place to start.\u201d<\/p>\n

More than just a project, the experience helped her grow \u2013 both professionally and personally. \u201cIt shifted my mindset from research for research\u2019s sake, to research with real-world impact,\u201d she concluded. \u201cAnd that\u2019s something I\u2019ll carry with me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

\n Read more about Move 4 Human Rights <\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

turning research into tangible impact<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"story_category":[892],"class_list":["post-27066","story","type-story","status-publish","hentry","story_category-move-4-human-rights"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nRachel - Justice & Peace Netherlands<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/justiceandpeace.nl\/en\/stories\/from-thesis-to-tangible-change-rachels-story-of-impact-through-research\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Rachel - Justice & Peace Netherlands\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"turning research into tangible impact\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/justiceandpeace.nl\/en\/stories\/from-thesis-to-tangible-change-rachels-story-of-impact-through-research\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Justice & Peace Netherlands\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/JusticeandPeaceNL\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-26T14:25:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/justiceandpeace.nl\\\/en\\\/stories\\\/from-thesis-to-tangible-change-rachels-story-of-impact-through-research\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/justiceandpeace.nl\\\/en\\\/stories\\\/from-thesis-to-tangible-change-rachels-story-of-impact-through-research\\\/\",\"name\":\"Rachel - 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