Peter (he/him) is a trainer, co-founder of Stroomversnellers, and enjoys brainstorming about winning campaigns, building movements, creating new organizations and coalitions, leveraging social media, or designing effective protest events.

Peter has over 25 years of experience in campaigns against construction projects, fossil fuels, and deforestation. “My drive is to show people that, with good organization and smart strategies, even the most powerful opponents can be defeated.” Peter works as an organizer at Milieudefensie.

Harriët (she/her) provides training, facilitates processes, and mediates conflicts. She specializes in training on conflict mediation, media, storytelling, and emotions. Alongside her academic work on climate justice, eco-fascism, climate racism, violence, and green colonialism, she regularly speaks and writes about these topics for outlets like Hard//Hoofd and Jacobin NL.

“Activism is my way of expressing gratitude for the beautiful existence I’ve been granted on this earth. Taking action together is an experience of hope and collective power that I wish for everyone.”

Robin (they/them) has been active in the climate movement since 2018, focusing on activist well-being: “How can we continue to take action sustainably and with respect for our own boundaries?”

Robin enjoys thinking about care (both interpersonal and organizational), decision-making processes, conflict, and dismantling hierarchies.

Bob (he/him) is a trainer, co-founder of Stroomversnellers, and has been active throughout his life in various social movements as an activist, organizer, and nowadays mainly as a trainer and facilitator. He has fought in campaigns against racism and for a living wage and a livable planet for everyone. Because we are only free when everyone is free.

He has years of experience in political organizations with volunteers (Doorbraak) as well as in NGOs with full-time staff (FNV, Milieudefensie).

Bob co-founded Stroomversnellers because movements need to learn faster to win a world where we all want to live.

Joanna has been active for many years in the anti-racism movement, where she contributes in various ways. She regularly takes to the streets and helps organize protests for different social issues. She is often asked to manage the safety of large protests.

Joanna started giving training sessions because she believes it’s important to strengthen movements and groups by sharing knowledge and experience. “You don’t have to reinvent the wheel!” Joanna frequently trains groups on resilience against online hate, using her experiences from the anti-racism movement to ensure that new generations of activists are not silenced by hatemongers.

To relax from her activist lifestyle, Joanna enjoys watching true-crime documentaries while knitting or embroidering.

Edwin (he/him) has been active in the climate movement in the Netherlands for about 10 years. He has gained extensive experience organizing grassroots campaigns and actions with groups like Fossielvrij NL and Code Rood.

“In recent years, I’ve participated in various organizing and campaign training programs with organizations like 350.org, NEON, and Ulex, which have helped me grow as a trainer. I love showing how systemic change works in practice through workshops or training, and giving activists the right tools to effectively tackle abuse of power. That’s how we work towards a fairer world, because as Naomi Klein says: ‘To change everything, we need everyone.’ You don’t learn these skills in school, which is why training organizations like Stroomversnellers are so important.”

Herman (he/him) is currently mainly involved in activism for refugee rights and against climate change, nuclear weapons, and the arms trade. He has also lived for many years in housing collectives with an inspiring mix of idealists, refugees, and formerly homeless people. He has conducted research on housing collectives in the Netherlands.

With a background in music therapy, Herman has skills in managing group dynamics, which he uses to help groups rediscover and harness their collective power.

Katrien (she/her) is an all-round trainer for Stroomversnellers and has had a passion for social movements from a young age. Her commitment to a more sustainable and just world began in the environmental movement and during her support for undocumented refugees. “As a young environmental activist in Belgium, I was fortunate to receive a lot of training from experienced people, because you don’t learn how to take action in school!”

Katrien started as a trainer in the 2000s with the Belgian organization Vredesactie, where she prepared hundreds of people for mass civil disobedience actions against nuclear weapons. In the Netherlands, she worked as a union organizer, supported migrant workers, and helped establish urban agriculture projects.

Anne (she/her) is a communications specialist with a passion for social change and (radical) activism. Her activism is particularly reflected in her work with MiGreat. Open borders, decolonization, migration, and anti-racism are themes she frequently engages with. At Stroomversnellers, she works on social media, the website, the newsletter, and other communication-related matters.

In her moments of rest, she enjoys (vegan) cooking, running, reading, and watching simple drama shows.

Jelle (he/him) is a strategist, campaigner, and trainer with over a decade of experience in various social movements, NGOs, and radical political parties. As a trainer, he can help develop a movement strategy, design effective campaigns and actions, conduct a power analysis of the field you’re active in, and create an authentic media strategy based on your group’s values.

“I believe the most powerful systems can be brought to their knees when ordinary people unite: ‘All major social changes have been achieved through collective resistance. Time to take to the streets!’”