THE HAGUE JUSTICE WEEK: Peace Through People-Centered Justice: Renewing the Promise of Peace and Justice Beyond the Courtroom
Location: The Hague Humanity Hub - Fluwelen Burgwal 58, 2511 CJ Den Haag, Netherlands
Date: Friday, November 20, 2026
Time: 15.00-16.30 CET | 9.00 - 10.30 ET
Light refreshments will be served
For virtual participation, join here
Overview
During this year's Hague Justice Week, Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies is delighted to host, together with the Government of the Netherlands, Embassy of the Republic of Guatemala to the Netherlands, Municipality of the Hague, Cordaid, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the event: Peace Through People-Centered Justice: Renewing the Promise of Peace and Justice Beyond the Courtroom.
International efforts to advance peace and justice have often been focused on strengthening institutions, negotiating new legal frameworks and preventing and resolving conflict. Yet for most people, peace and justice are experienced much closer to home: in whether they feel safe in their neighborhood, whether disputes can be resolved fairly, and whether they can access services when they need it.
People-centered justice and violence prevention offer complementary ways of responding to these challenges. Both begin with people's experiences and recognize that lasting peace depends not only on responding to violence or resolving disputes once they escalate, but also on addressing the underlying problems that affect people's safety, dignity and ability to resolve problems peacefully.
Bridging the gap between global commitments and local realities is central to the work of Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies, hosted by NYU's Center on International Cooperation. Through initiatives such as Peace in Our Cities (PiOC) and the Justice Action Coalition (JAC), Pathfinders brings together governments, cities, and partners to advance complementary approaches to violence prevention and people-centered justice. While PiOC promotes locally led, evidence-based strategies to reduce urban violence and strengthen community safety, the JAC works to advance accessible, people-centered justice that responds to everyday legal needs and builds trust in institutions. Together, these initiatives seek to connect actors, experiences, and approaches across local, national, and global levels, contributing to more peaceful, just, and inclusive societies.
The session will explore the connections between people’s everyday experiences of justice and safety, and how unresolved justice needs, exclusion, and lack of trust can contribute to grievances and violence. Drawing on practical experiences from cities and communities, it will highlight the role of local governments and locally led approaches in advancing people-centered justice, violence prevention, inclusion, trust, and social cohesion.
The discussion will also consider how these experiences can inform national and international policy and identify practical lessons for strengthening the relationship between peace, justice, and the rule of law from the local level upward.
Speakers:
(forthcoming)
See more on the Hague Justice Week here.