The Hague Peace Projects was founded in 2014 by four human rights professionals who were worried by a quick succession of new conflicts emerging globally at the time: Syria, Yemen, Central African Republic, Ukraine, and Libya. At the same time, many unsolved conflicts continued to take the lives of innocent people in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Congo, and many other places.

Having worked intensively with refugees and human rights defenders who had come to the Netherlands from conflict areas, we recognized in them a powerful catalyst for social change. However, there was no infrastructure for these activists who had become victims of conflict and oppression to continue their work for peace and justice. Rarely did they get involved in the established human rights and development efforts. Considering this omission as an enormous waste of wisdom and experience, we decided that a new organization needed to be created in order to provide them with the opportunity to continue their work from within their diaspora communities.

Ever since, our organization has been growing and flourishing, attracting hundreds of activists and volunteers to spend their energy on resolving conflicts and defending human rights and democracy worldwide.

We believe that it is only through a concerted effort by an inclusive civil society, that real political, social, and environmental transformation can be achieved.

Our goal is to make peace, human rights, and social justice a reality for all. We serve as a platform for human rights defenders who are the voice of change, and the first line of defence against injustice in communities across the globe. Since 2014, we have been a safe and brave space for human rights defenders, activists, and peace-builders from conflict areas and dictatorial regimes around the world to come together, to receive support, and to become empowered to continue their pursuit of peace and justice.

Core Principles

The Hague Peace Projects is strongly committed to the values of:

• Non-Violence
• Inclusion
• Human Dignity
• Human Rights
• Transparency
• Sustainable Development Goals

Strategy

  Empowerment

We are a support platform for human rights defenders and peace advocates. We provide resources, counseling, capacity building, tools, networking and collaborations, classes, and a safe and brave space for dialogue and human rights enterprise.

  Education and Awareness

Our grassroot experience is essential to our educational programs in schools and universities. We raise awareness of human rights challenges and violent conflicts through our events, and our campaigns and publications in social media, magazines, and journals.

  Activism

We encourage and assist in non-violent activism and conflict resolution. This includes peaceful protest, lobbying, dialogue, intercultural and interfaith conferences, campaigning, and problem-solving with technology.

The statutory objective of The Hague Peace Projects is to encourage and support human rights defenders whose work promoting human rights and social issues are crucial to the lives and well-being of all people. The Hague Peace Projects invests in social changemakers as powerful catalysts for conflict resolution, peace building, and positive change in communities around the world.

Objectives

The Hague Peace Projects is non profit-orientated and focussed on the public benefit.

1.1 The objectives of The Hague Peace Projects (HPP) are supporting human rights defenders in and outside the Netherlands, and to do all that is connected therewith or may be conducive thereto, all to be interpreted in the broadest sense.
1.2 The HPP aims to pursue its objectives by, amongst others:
(a) raising funds from, amongst others, individual donors, organisations, and foundations which may only be used towards the objectives of the HPP;
(b) deploying resources from funds raised in and outside the Netherlands;
(c) performing due diligence on human rights defenders (to be) supported by the HPP;
(d) to accept testamentary dispositions with the benefit of inventory, and
(e) the use of all other legal means that can promote the objectives of the Foundation.
1.3 Making a profit is not part of the objectives of the Foundation.

Assets

The Hague Peace Projects has no assets in the sense of liquidity. All funds and income are used to realize the objectives of The Hague Peace Projects.

2.1 The HPP’s assets may include:
(a) subsidies and other contributions;
(b) donations, testamentary dispositions or bequests;
(c) other acquisitions and benefits.
2.2 The HPP may only accept testamentary dispositions with the benefit of inventory.
2.3 The assets of the HPP will serve to attain the objects of the Foundation.
2.4 The Foundation will not retain more assets than in the opinion of the Management Board is reasonably necessary to guarantee the continuity of the Foundation’s work in pursuit of its objectives as referred to in article 1.1.
2.5 No person or entity (other than the Foundation itself) can dispose of the assets of the Foundation as if they were that other person’s own assets.
2.6 The Foundation aims to be a public benefit institution (algemeen nut beogende instelling) as referred to in article 5b of the Dutch General Act on National Taxes (Algemene wet inzake rijksbelastingen), as amended from time to time, or any legislation by which it has been replaced and aims to be ranked as such by the Dutch tax authorities.

Finance

The revenues of the HPP are mainly generated by:
Donations / Subsidies / Grants

Expected expenses are:
Office rent / Operational costs / Travel expenses / Peace Projects

All capital resources received by The Hague Peace Projects are used to help achieve its statutory objectives, with a 10% (ten percent) provision on donations and grants to cover the expenses and running costs of the Foundation.

Remuneration policy

The Hague Peace Projects has no paid employees. It does though have the ambition to build a sustainable remuneration policy that will reward human rights work and allow for this in the future. All work is currently performed by volunteers who receive no remuneration, salary, or financial compensation for their work, except for the reimbursement of travel and other expenses incurred.

To achieve our goals and obtain funds, The Hague Peace Projects undertakes the following activities:

– performing events (peace projects, campaigns, education, trainings);
– encouraging donations;
– applying for grants/subsidies;
– performing all further actions which are related to our goals in the widest sense or which may be conducive thereto.

The years ahead…

We are hopeful that the coming years will see our peace and human rights initiatives grow and increase in their much needed impact.

We are especially excited to present our Changemakers Program to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg 2022. This initiative to improve the sustainability of human rights work embraces a growing global call for a culture shift from economic growth, to sustainabilty and well-being for all. The Hague Peace Projects aspires to play a positive and constructive role in this transition.

  The Changemakers Program

In the summer of 2022, the World Forum for Democracy (WFD) held a global call for NGOs to submit their proposals to combat democratic backsliding. From over 400 applications, our Changemakers Program has been selected to be presented to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, in November 2022.

This is a unique opportunity for the tried and tested services of this program to be scaled up and improve the efficacy and sustainability of human rights work around the world.

Click here for more information about the Changemakers Program.

  Communications and Social Media Training for Human Rights Defenders

As part of the Changemakers Program, we will continue to develop and improve our HRD communications training which provides valuable tools and skills for Changemakers to safely and effectively pursue their human rights work.

Click here for more information about the training.

  Peace Projects

The Hague Peace Projects will continue to support grassroot initiatives and peace projects that spawn from the human rights activities of human rights defenders, and diaspora communities in The Netherlands.

Over the coming years, The Hague Peace Projects will focus on improving and scaling-up its support for human rights. In the light of the Changemakers Program, we will also be focusing on improving the sustainability of human rights work in an environment that offers increasingly greater risks and less reward for pursuing this critical work.

The Hague Hacks

Technology and human rights solutions, forthcoming from The Hague Hacks Festival or otherwise, will continue to be explored and supported in their suitability for development.

Name:
The Hague Peace Projects

RSIN: 854106236
KvK: 60891726
IBAN: NL39TRIO 0197 9213 37

Address:
The Hague Peace Projects
Paviljoensgracht 20
2512 BP, The Hague
The Netherlands

Email:
info@thehaguepeace.org

Board of Directors:
Secretary: de Jonge, Jakob Hendrik
Board Member: Bwira Kyahi, Sylvestre
Treasurer: Leegwater, Margaretha Elizabeth

The Hague Peace Projects Board members are not remunerated in their capacity as board member. Board members are only jointly authorized and decisions are taken based on a majority of votes.