Peter Akkerman

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Professional background

Peter Akkerman (1993) is one of the authors of the National Environmental Program (NMP). He has a background in diplomacy and security issues. After starting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he transitioned to sustainability. While peace and security are important, a livable Earth is the prerequisite. Addressing biodiversity loss, the climate crisis and environmental pollution are the challenges of our time, and Peter is passionately committed to tackling them. Peter enjoys working with young people and is the founder of the Youth Environmental Council, chairman of the foundation Bos dat van zichzelf is, and the creator of Serendipity, an app for green cities (under development). He is also one of the organizers of the Symposium 50 Years of environmental policy (2021), the National Environmental Day 2022 – Limits to Growth – and the National Environmental Day 2023 on planetary justice. Additionally, Peter is a creative thinker with thousands of ideas, a lover of good conversations, a networker, a history enthusiast, and an animal lover with a deep appreciation for nature.

Personal motto

He who does not dare does not win.

Lavinia Warnars

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Lavinia is the founder of Ego2Eco Enterprises, based on the Ego2Eco principle “every person and being is Equal.”

Personal Motto:

Ego2Eco

Koos de Bruijn

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Professional Background

Koos de Bruijn works at Partos, the industry association for development cooperation, with over 100 member organizations. As the advocacy manager, he coordinates the lobbying activities of the Dutch development sector with and on behalf of them. This includes advocating for a comprehensive Dutch development policy and budget and ensuring that the rest of Dutch policy does not negatively impact developing countries (policy coherence for development). The SDGs, to which the Netherlands committed in 2015, serve as guiding principles for these efforts. Koos was a co-initiator and leader of the widely endorsed call by civil society organizations and businesses for a Sustainable Coalition Agreement in 2017. He represents Partos in the steering committee of SDG Netherlands.

Previously, Koos led social campaigns on tax justice (Tax Justice Netherlands) and debt relief for developing countries (Jubilee Netherlands).

Koos studied International Relations in Groningen. In addition to his work at Partos, Koos has been a council member in the Utrechtse Heuvelrug municipality since 2022. He is also a board member of his children’s school.

Ceacilia van Peski

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Professional background 

Caecilia Johanna van Peski holds an MSc degree in Educational & Cultural Psychology from Tilburg University (2001), an MA degree in Civil-Military Interaction from the German Military Staff College in Hamburg (2021), and a Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) in Border Security and Management for Senior Leadership from the OSCE Border Management College in Dushanbe, Tajikistan (2021). She is a Commander in the Royal Netherlands Navy, Military Veteran and an authority in the field of Security & Defense, Civil-Military Interaction, Democratisation & Elections and Justice & Equality whose achievements have received national and international recognition. Recipient of the ‘Ambassador for Peace’ Award granted by the Universal Peace Federation (2010), she is regarded as being among the most influential women of her generation in the Netherlands – listed as one of the ‘Viva’ top 400 (2009) and among the top 100 of ‘Opzij’ (2010). October 2010, she was appointed UN Special Representative for her country, addressing the 65th United Nations General Assembly in New York with her statement ‘Deepening Democracy’. She has worked for (inter-)governmental, multilateral organizations, amongst which the Netherlands Foreign Office, the United Nations (UNDP, DPKO), the European Union (EEAS), the European Commission (EIDHR), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE/ODIHR), NATO, and DCAF-ISSAT Geneva.

Personal motto

Partnership for Peace and Prosperity!

Henkjan Laats

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Henkjan is the director of Cross Cultural Bridges, an organization that transfers and exchanges practical and knowledge-based transitions contributing to “Good Living”: biocentric knowledge and practice based on the Andes-Amazon concept of “Sumaq Kausay.”

Professional Background

Henkjan holds a master’s degree in Tropical Cultural Engineering, specializing in philosophy, and a Ph.D. in conflict transformation. With 25 years of experience, he has collaborated with indigenous organizations in Nepal, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Peru, and Bolivia. Henkjan also serves as an expert in holistic science at the UN organization Harmony with Nature, working on issues such as agro-ecology, conflict transformation, the commons, inclusive integration, land and water issues, and crisis management with youth, indigenous peoples, artists, producers, and immigrants.

Personal Motto

I am because We are, as part of Nature.

Geerte Rietveld

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Professional Background

I have a passion for capturing the human experience and love to show how diverse yet incredibly universal it is. I notice the little things that allow photographs and films to tell stories. I have worked for Médecins Sans Frontières and the International Committee of the Red Cross, for whom I created and edited audiovisual content. I believe that visual communications are essential for humanitarian missions since they have the power to set issues straight, raise awareness as well as voices, provide funds and allow war- and disaster-affected populations to take control of their own stories and lives. In June 2021, I graduated from my MA in Cultural Anthropology with a documentary film and photography exhibition focusing on the Transport Nomad. I explored the clash between the nomadic existence of transport workers and the normalisation of a sedentary lifestyle in today’s capitalist societies. Photos as well as a film from that project are available on this website, here. In addition, I hold a MSc in International Humanitarian Action. I love travelling, walking and running. In 2023, I walked the Camino de Compostela to Santiago and learnt to scuba dive.

Personal Motto

“I have never done that before, so I think I should definitely be able to do it.” – Pippi Longstocking

Jamilah Sherally

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Professional background

Jamilah is a specialist in International Healthcare and Tropical Medicine. After her specialization, she worked with various international organizations in Nigeria, Mali, on the Thai-Burmese border, and Lesbos. Currently, she is pursuing her master’s degree in International Health and working at the Municipal Health Service (GGD), serving as the chair of the Green Muslims Foundation, a columnist for the Dutch Journal of Medicine, and involved in various research projects. Jamilah is passionate about addressing inequalities, particularly in healthcare, and has a special interest in the target audience of asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, and refugees.

Personal motto

Give each other the benefit of the doubt.

Rosa van Driel

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Professional background

Rosa works as an advocacy officer at CARE Netherlands, focusing on ambitious and fair international climate policies. Before joining CARE, Rosa worked at the Max van der Stoel Foundation, the international think tank of the PvdA (Dutch Labour Party), where she advocated for a coherent Dutch approach to the Sustainable Development Goals. In this capacity, she was also involved in SDG Spotlight Netherlands. Rosa studied political science at Radboud University in Nijmegen and later pursued a master’s degree in Human Rights and international Politics at the University of Glasgow

Aniek Moonen

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Professional Background

Aniek Moonen has been the chairperson of the Young Climate Movement since October 2021. As the chairperson of the Young Climate Movement, Moonen represents over 100,000 Dutch young people in the climate debate.

Personal Motto

“I have never done it before, so I think I can do it.” – Pippi Longstocking

Gerrien Anbeek

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Professional background

Gerrien’s contribution to the SDG goals of gender equality, poverty reduction and innovation shows through her board position at the VVAO, an association for higher educated women that promotes empowerment, and as a member of the committee Broad Welfare of VNO-NCW. Her entire working life has been in international business; as a trainee at Rabobank, global director and expat at KPMG Consulting, and associate director at EY.  As an interim director at global corporates, she supervises leadership development, digital transformation of HR and cultural changes in organizations. Gerrien has been a non-executive director on foundations and social enterprises in the charitable and semi-public sector for over 10 years.

Personal motto 

“A good compromise is one where everybody makes a contribution.” – Angela Merkel