Listen to the positive Stories of Purpose from The Hague, also known as the international city of Peace and Justice about how to create a better, safer, more peaceful world together.
Interview with Roberto González from the Human Rights Foundation
This week, Tom is speaking to Roberto González, Chief Advocacy Officer from the Human Rights Foundation about a very special prize which celebrates the work of human rights lawyers working in countries under authoritarian rule.
On October 15th, the international human rights community will gather in The Hague to celebrate the work of Iranian lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, who is the recipient of the Thulani Maseko Justice Prize 2026.
This is the fourth edition of the Prize, which was created by the Human Rights Foundation (https://hrf.org/) in partnership with the Thulani Maseko Foundation.
The Prize honours the memory of Thulani Maseko, who was assassinated in his home country of Eswatini in 2023. Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland) is a small kingdom in Southern Africa, and is one of the last 'absolute monarchies' in the world. Its King, Mswati III, has been in power for more than 40 years, and his regime is widely believed to have orchestrated the assassination.
Both Nasrin and Thulani epitomise the work done 'behind the scenes' by legal professionals - who often find themselves in even greater danger than the public figures they are representing.
Find out more about Nasrin's work - and the Thulani Maseko Justice Prize - at https://hrf.org/latest/announcing-the-2026-thulani-maseko-justice-prize-laureate/
Stories of Purpose is produced by The City of the Hague, and the Hague and Partners. Visit the website at https://thehague.com/newsroom/en for more news about some of the amazing organizations working in the international city of Peace and Justice.
Theme music: Dreams by the Sea by Black Rhomb.
4 Sept 2026
Interview with Sanam Naraghi Anderlini from ICAN
Today, Tom is speaking to Sanam Naraghi Anderlini from the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN).
ICAN's mission is to bring prominence to people that live and work in conflict zones, and to amplify voices that are rarely heard in the West. In particular it works with women's groups who are operating at the front line - often in extremely dangerous circumstances - and makes sure the world hears their stories.
It calls these groups 'Peacebuilders'.
From September 29 - October 1 2026, ICAN celebrates its 20th anniversary by bringing together women from all over the world to The Hague for the Women, Peace, and Security Forum. Titled 'Security Reimagined', this year's forum promises to be the largest in the organisation's history, and includes a day of events at the city's famous Peace Palace.
To find out more about the Forum, visit: https://icanpeacework.org/security-reimagined-icans-11th-annual-forum/
Stories of Purpose is produced by The City of the Hague, and the Hague and Partners. Visit the website at https://thehague.com/newsroom/en for more news about some of the amazing organizations working in the international city of Peace and Justice.
Theme music: Dreams by the Sea by Black Rhomb.
12 May 2026
Interview with the ICJ Judicial Fellowship
In this episode, Tom speaks to Nickolas Eburne and Karin Arana Chacón - two of the current cohort of Judicial Fellows at the International Court of Justice.
2026 is a double anniversary year for the ICJ. It is 80 years since the first hearing held by the Court - but it is also 25 years since the founding of the Judicial Fellowship programme. In that time, more than 250 top legal students have been given the opportunity to work closely with the 15 judges of the ICJ - working on hugely consequential international cases. Each Fellow spends a year at the court - and former students are an eclectic mix of academics, authors and international arbitration experts - including the international Human Rights lawyer Amal Clooney.
Now, the Fellowship has launched an Alumni Association so that former Fellows can come together in The Hague and reminisce about their experiences.
Stories of Purpose is produced by The City of the Hague, and the Hague and Partners. Visit the website at www.storiesofpurpose.thehague.com for more news about some of the amazing organizations working in the international city of Peace and Justice.
Theme music: Dreams by the Sea by Black Rhomb.
24 Feb 2026
Interview with Lilian Knippenberg - CISO of The Hague
Lilian Knippenberg has been Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for the Municipality of The Hague since July 2025, and it is her job to ensure its citizens are kept safe from digital threats. CISO is a role that didn't really exist a decade ago, but as the threat levels increase, it has become a critical part of the City's IT framework.
In this episode, Tom talks to Lilian about the challenges the city faces - and how events like Hack The Hague can help encourage young people to get involved in ethical hacking.
Stories of Purpose is produced by The City of the Hague, and the Hague and Partners. Visit the website at www.storiesofpurpose.thehague.com for more news about some of the amazing organizations working in the international city of Peace and Justice.
Theme music: Dreams by the Sea by Black Rhomb.
9 Feb 2026
Interview with Maarten Roelfs from Office EU
On Stories of Purpose, we share the latest news from the international City of Peace and Justice.
In this episode, Tom is joined by Maarten Roelfs, a Dutch tech entrepreneur who is co-Founder of Office EU.
Many European organizations are currently over-reliant on workspaces and software office suites provided by massive US firms like Microsoft and Google. This means they cannot protect their data sovereignity from tough US legislation such as the CLOUD Act - which compels tech companies to share data from overseas companies in criminal investigations.
Maarten and his colleagues developed Office EU to be an alternative productivity platform that is 100% European owned and runs entirely on European infrastructure. It provides all the same tools such as documents, spreadsheets, and presentations - but uses open source technology to ensure complete transparency for users.
Visit for Office EU (https://office.eu/) for more information
Stories of Purpose is produced by The City of the Hague, and the Hague and Partners. Visit the website at www.storiesofpurpose.thehague.com for more news about some of the amazing organizations working in the international city of Peace and Justice.
Theme music: Dreams by the Sea by Black Rhomb.
3 Feb 2026
Interview with Jonas Brøg from Firestarters
On Stories of Purpose, we share the latest news from the international City of Peace and Justice.
In this episode, Tom chats to Jonas Brøg - co-Founder of Firestarters Foundation, a new programme to support disadvantaged young people in The Hague.
There are currently more than 14,000 kids in city who don't regularly attend school, and Jonas and his team run sessions at Hart Beach in Scheveningen to try and help some of them to 'find their fire'.
Jonas is a former session musician who has toured with some of the biggest bands on the planet, but if it wasn't for his own 'firestarter' moment when he was a teenager - it might have all been so different…
Find out about Firestarters at https://firestarters-schev.nl/
Stories of Purpose is produced by The City of the Hague, and the Hague and Partners. Visit the website at www.storiesofpurpose.thehague.com for more news about some of the amazing organizations working in the international city of Peace and Justice.
Theme music: Dreams by the Sea by Black Rhomb.
28 Jan 2026
Interview with Naomi Hija from EviSafe
On Stories of Purpose, we share the latest news from the international city of peace and justice.
In this episode, Tom visits the Humanity Hub in the city to speak to Naomi Hija. Naomi is the co-Founder of a unique app called EviSafe, which is designed to help victims of domestic violence.
Only one in ten victims of domestic or sexual violence reports an incident, largely due to stigma and a fear of not being believed. EviSafe (https://evisafe.nl/#home)is helping overcome these persistent barriers by documenting abuse in real time, encouraging more victims to come forward in the knowledge they have the evidence to back up their cases.
You can download the EviSafe app for free right now from Google Playstore, or by visiting the EviSafe website at Evisafe.com (http://evisafe.com)
Stories of Purpose is produced by The City of the Hague, and the Hague and Partners. Visit the website at www.storiesofpurpose.thehague.com for more news about some of the amazing organizations working in the international city of Peace and Justice.
Theme music: Dreams by the Sea by Black Rhomb.
21 Jan 2026
Interview with Max Koffi from Equal Trade Alliance
On Stories of Purpose, we share the latest news from the international city of peace and justice.
In this episode, Tom visits speaks to Max Koffi from the Equal Trade Alliance (ETA). ETA is a non-profit organization based in The Hague which was established to promote equal redistribution of wealth along the value chains of African raw materials and natural resources.
One of its current campaigns is Chocolate Tastes Better - where a team in Ghana is gathering testimonials from cocoa farmers to help show young people in the West how unfair the current system is.
Sign the petition to help get a fair deal for Ghanaian farmers at https://equaltradeglobal.org/
Stories of Purpose is produced by The City of the Hague, and the Hague and Partners. Visit the website at www.storiesofpurpose.thehague.com for more news about some of the amazing organizations working in the international city of Peace and Justice.
Theme music: Dreams by the Sea by Black Rhomb.
14 Jan 2026
Interview with Museon-Omniversum: U2Two Concerts at the 'Dutch Dome'!
On Stories of Purpose, we share the latest news from the international city of peace and justice.
In this episode, Tom visits the famous Museon-Omniversum Dome, which is in the middle of a successful run of performances by the U2 tribute band U2Two.
The show replicates U2's residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas, giving fans from the Netherlands the chance to witness the same visual extravaganza at a fraction of the cost. The Dome is the perfect venue for a show like this with its 360 degree screen and immersive theatrical experience. The visuals took more than a year to create, with the Dome team assisted by students from around The Hague.
In this interview Tom speaks to Nancy Zomer, Managing Director at Museon-Omniversum, and Alexandra Van Der Zee, Programme Director for the Dome.
For more information about future shows, visit: https://www.museon-omniversum.nl/en
Stories of Purpose is produced by The City of the Hague, and the Hague and Partners. Visit the website at www.storiesofpurpose.thehague.com for more news about some of the amazing organizations working in the international city of Peace and Justice.
Theme music: Dreams by the Sea by Black Rhomb.
12 Dec 2025
Interview with Hugues Derème from BOIP
On Stories of Purpose, we share the latest news from the international city of peace and justice.
In this episode, Tom is in The Hague to meet Hugues Derème from the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (BOIP).
This year marks the centenary of The Hague System - which is an international collaboration to help organizations protect their designs in countries all over the world. From Heineken's famous green bottles to the Swiss Army Knife, The Hague System goes beyond patent and trademark to ensure unique designs are free from imitation.
Visit the Benelux Office for International Property at https://www.boip.int/ (https://www.boip.int/).
Stories of Purpose is produced by The City of the Hague, and the Hague and Partners. Visit the website at www.storiesofpurpose.thehague.com for more news about some of the amazing organizations working in the international city of Peace and Justice.
Theme music: Dreams by the Sea by Black Rhomb.
3 Sept 2025
Interview with Pablo Briggs from DMEC
On Stories of Purpose, we share the latest news from the international city of peace and justice.
In this episode, we are talking to Pablo Briggs from DMEC.
DMEC is based in The Hague and specialises in offshore renewable energy solutions such as wind, wave and offshore solar power. But with mounting political and budget challenges, the pressure is on to drive public awareness around the Blue Economy and keep the momentum going in this vital area of research.
Visit the DMEC website (https://dmec.eu/).
Find out more about DIOMEDEO.
Join young energy professionals at The Hague Energized - quarterly meetings hosted by DMEC and other energy organizations based in the city.
Stories of Purpose is produced by The City of the Hague, and the Hague and Partners. Visit the website at www.storiesofpurpose.thehague.com for more news about some of the amazing organizations working in the international city of Peace and Justice.
Theme music: Dreams by the Sea by Black Rhomb.
25 Jul 2025
Interview with Aris Molenaar - European Seaweed Association
On Stories of Purpose, we share the latest news from the international city of peace and justice.
In this episode, we are talking to Aris Molenaar from the European Seaweed Association.
Seaweed has an extraordinary number of applications across diverse industries and sectors. From hybrid meat and fish products to packaging, textiles, paint, wood - even crop protection - seaweed has the potential to reduce global carbon emissions, improve our diets, and create new jobs.
This year saw Europe’s first ever commercial-scale seaweed harvest at North Sea Farm 1 - a purpose-built facility located in a field of wind turbines just off the coast of the Netherlands, near The Hague. The project was coordinated by North Sea Farmers and the European Seaweed Association - and part-funded by Amazon’s Right Now climate fund.
To find out more, visit the European Seaweed Association website.
Stories of Purpose is produced by The City of the Hague, and the Hague and Partners. Visit the website at www.storiesofpurpose.thehague.com for more news about some of the amazing organizations working in the international city of Peace and Justice.
Theme music: Dreams by the Sea by Black Rhomb.
20 Jun 2025
Interview with Carine van Bentum from SeaSEC
Carine van Bentum of SeaSEC discusses the organization's mission to protect critical undersea infrastructure in the North and Baltic Seas in response to increasing security threats, in an interview.
19 Jun 2025
Interview with Iran Academia
Sajad Sepehri and Hani Mojta from Iran Academia discuss establishing an alternative university in the Netherlands to provide uncensored knowledge to young Iranians, in this interview.
7 May 2025
Interview with Nara Moripen from PAL
Nara Moripen, co-founder of PAL, discusses her experiences with palliative care and how the Netherlands leads a digital revolution in the field in an interview on Stories of Purpose.
Who has been a guest on Stories of Purpose - The Hague & Partners
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Carine van Bentum
Sajad Sepehri
Hani Mojta
Nara Moripen
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 14 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
16
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
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