Lynn Zebeda

Lynn Zebeda is a member of the Worldconnectors Board and is co-founder of Dr. Monk. She also holds various positions as an adviser on sustainability and international cooperation, for instance for De Groene Zaak.

Professional background
Previously Lynn worked at Better Future as consultant for sustainable leadership, social entrepreneurship and innovation, mainly in African countries. Lynn also worked as head of communications at True Price Foundation. She holds an MA degree in International Political Economy and Development from the Institute of Social Studies. Lynn participated in the BKB Academy from 2010 to 2011 and was a board member at the Night of the Tips from 2006 to 2010.

Personal motto
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Jos van Gennip

Jos van Gennip is one of the intiators of Wordconnectors and currently fulfills the role of President of the thinktank Socires.

Professional background
Jos van Gennip was President of the NCDO Board until December 2011 and is a former member of the Worldconnectors Steering Group. From 1997 until 2007 he was member of the First Chamber in the Netherlands on behalf of the Dutch Christian-democratic People’s Party (CDA), where he worked on issues regarding Foreign Affairs, Defense, European Cooperation and International Development. He was also director of the Scientific Institute of CDA from 1991 till 1999, and has fulfilled the role of Deputy Director-General of international cooperation at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Herman Mulder

Herman Mulder is currently Chairman of the True Price Foundation (focusing on EP&L, SP&L and true pricing), member of the Board of the NCP-NL (OECD Guidelines for MNE’s), the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the International Institute of Governance & Leadership (IIGL), as well as being a member of the TEEB Advisory Board (The Economics of Ecosystems & Biodiversity). He is also a member of the jury of Dutch Sustainable Supply Chain Award (since 2007), an Ambassador of the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) and advisor to the Natural Capital Coalition (NCC).

Professional background

A former Director-General, Head of Group Risk Management at ABN AMRO Bank (1998-2006) and Head of Global Structured Finance (1995-1998), Herman Mulder was the initiator of the Equator Principles (2002/2003: the first voluntary, global sector code on environmental and social issues for the financial sector). He is a frequent speaker, lecturer and author on sustainable finance issues. Herman Mulder is a Knight in the Order of Oranje-Nassau.

His personal motto
I am MaD (Making a Difference).

Alide Roerink

Alide Roerink is actively involved in the global initiative Earth Charter, as a member of the Earth Charter International Council. In the Netherlands she coordinates the netword of Earth Charter Nederland and she is the co-founder, together with Ruud Lubbers, of the initiative Earth Charter Vrienden. In her former position at NCDO Alide mediated various consultations of civil society parties regarding important UN summits; she, for instance, coordinated the Dutch Platform Rio +20.  Alide is boardmember of the gender platform WO=MEN and of ILEIA and is involved as Bisonteur Honorair at the BISONTE Foundation.

Professional background
Her former position at NCDO was ‘Interational Advisor’ from 2000 to 2013, here she initiated and coordinated the Worldconnector Round Tables (2006-2013). In the nineties she coordinated the Vrouwenberaad Ontwikkelingssamenwerking, a network of professionals on gender and development. Alide studied Anthropology & Women and Development at the Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen and the Institute of Social Studies (ISS).

Personal motto
We are part of one Earth Community with one common destiny.

Rindert de Groot

Rindert de Groot is director of Empowerplant, a company which specializes in concepts around knowledge and education, storytelling and debating. He has been member of the worldconnectors since it was founded. He is also a research associate of Studio Zeitgeist.

Topics that are of concern to Rindert are the knowledge society, sustainable culture and global change. From the conviction that people gain experience throughout their lives, inside and outside the walls of schools and organizations, Rindert de Groot develops innovative concepts to reinforce this. He does so, for instance, by starting an educative dialogue between citizens and policy and by recreating international policymaking for a diverse public.

Rindert de Groot was Youth Delegate to the UN and initiated UNISCA, the United Nations International Student Conference of Amsterdam, an academic simulation of the United Nations which is still being organized by the University of Amsterdam. Rindert is still internationally active and works from a large network.

Personal motto
Don’t go for far-fetched ideals, but set yourself ambitious goals and change them along the way.

Jan Pronk

The UN Conference on Environment and Development in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro was considered by many as a clarion call. The Cold War had ended, and henceforth, the global focus would be on combating poverty linked to environmental protection. I had the privilege of attending that conference and was impressed by the renewed enthusiasm, both among politicians and the youth.

New initiatives were emerging everywhere, and one of them was the drafting of the Earth Charter, a groundbreaking and inspiring document outlining principles to guide our actions as citizens of the Earth.

I was tangentially involved in the Earth Charter initiative, first in my roles as Minister for Development Cooperation and Minister for the Environment, and later when I had the opportunity to teach at the University for Peace in Costa Rica, where the office of Earth Charter International is located. Ruud Lubbers was the driving force behind the Charter, both internationally and in the Netherlands. When he passed away, I wholeheartedly took over the chairmanship of Earth Charter Netherlands, not only as one of his former friends and comrades but also as a friend of Earth Charter Netherlands.

See Jan Pronk’s contributions to the dialogue series in collaboration with the Worldconnectors on Climate Action (July 7, 2020) and on Migration and Refugees (Migratie en Vluchtelingen) (March 9, 2021). A compelling podcast from Earth Charter International features a conversation between director Mirian Vilela and Jan Pronk discussing his key moments in the UN and international politics, available here (podcast van Earth Charter International). A series of three podcasts about Jan Pronk’s political ideals and positive actions was released in September 2021 by the Correspondent. You can listen to it here (hier te beluisteren.)