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
Detailed agenda 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, the Embassy of the Republic of Guatemala to the Netherlands, the City of Mechelen, the 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.
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:
H.E. Ana Cristina Rodríguez Pineda - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Guatemala to the Netherlands
Alderman Abdraham Labsir, 7th Alderman of the City of Mechelen, Belgium
Manon Olsthoorn, Policy Coordinator Rule of Law & Inclusive Governance, Department for Stabilization and Humanitarian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Netherlands
Sarah Rattray, Co-Director Governance Rule of Law and Peacebuilding Hub, UNDP
Rob Schuurmans, Deputy Director for International Affairs, Municipality of The Hague
Yeno Suzan Lemi, Locally Led Development Advisor, South Sudan office, Cordaid
Themba Mahleka, Associate Director at Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies (moderator)
See more on the Hague Justice Week here.