Meet the secretariat

The Friends of the Earth International Secretariat supports and strengthens a global network of environmental activist groups and its international campaigns for an environmentally and socially just and sustainable world.

secretariat photo 2012

The small Friends of the Earth International Secretariat based in The Netherlands supports the network's campaigns and other activities through fundraising, campaign coordination, workshops, translations, electronic communications, information collection and dissemination, database maintenance and publications. The work of the international secretariat depends heavily upon volunteers.

	Dave Hirsch joined in April 2012 as the International Coordinator. He previously lived in Washington DC, where he worked for Friends of the Earth United States. He held several different positions for the organization and was most recently its Managing Director. He has also served as a member of Friends of the Earth International's Executive Committee and on its Membership Development Team. He has a degree in political communication and a masters degree in political management.
	Wieke Wagenaar joined in May 2000 and is the Finance and Personnel Manager. She previously coordinated the international secretariat of an NGO that focused on academic freedom and the right to education. She studied Economics and Philosophy for a few years but eventually graduated in English language and literature in Amsterdam. Wieke is Dutch and has one son.
	Nina Ascoly is our International Programs Facilitator. Prior to joining FOEI in May 2010, she was a coordinator at the Clean Clothes Campaign International Secretariat. Nina has degrees in journalism, political science and women and development. She lives in Amsterdam with her partner and daughter.
	Erick Burke is the International Membership Development Coordinator. Most recently, he was the Grants Manager for Global Greengrants Fund. He has degrees in Philosophy and Political Science. Erick is originally from Wyoming, USA and has 3 children.
	A political scientist by training (University of Amsterdam, York University, Canada), Maarten van den Berg is FOEI's Communications Coordinator. Before he joined FoEI in January 2012, Maarten developed and directed communication and knowledge management strategies for a variety of organizations, most recently as Head of Knowledge and Communication of the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy. After work, Maarten loves to cook and share in the care of his son Titus.
	Elise Le Guil is the International Program and Membership Assistant. She has a masters in cultural project management and has worked at various places in the Netherlands. For the last 3.5 years she worked with the program team at Mama Cash, an international women's fund. She is originally from Bretagne in France and has two sons.
	Joukje Kolff is the Technical Support Facilitator. She helps to enable features and implement changes on our websites, as well as facilitating internal communication between member groups. Previously she has worked for Friends of the Earth Netherlands. In the distant past, while living in London, she taught dance notation and wrote books on the subject. She is Dutch, has two children and practices yoga.
	Niccoló Sarno joined as Media Coordinator in July 2002. A former journalist educated in Rome, he specialises in communications and North-South issues. Previously, he worked at Greenpeace and IPS Third World news agency. Niccoló has one son.
	Marta Zogbi is our Project Officer. Originally from the wine producing region of Mendoza in Argentina, Marta has a masters degree in both Law and Social Arts and wrote her thesis on the causes of the Argentinian political economic crisis. She has 2 children.
	Grace Nijbroek is the Bookkeeper. She joined FoEI in august 2006. She was born in Suriname, and graduated in Cultural Anthropology, but pursued a career in financial work. In the past (90's) she worked in Africa for 7 years, in The Gambia and in Malawi. Grace has a daughter and since march 2010 a son.
	Prior to joining FoEI as our Resource Mobilisation Coordinator in 2009, Paige Shipman coordinated the workers' human rights project of the Clean Clothes Campaign and directed the communications, legislative and electoral program of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin. She graduated from Cornell University, has a masters degree in US History and lives in Amsterdam with her husband and 2 children.
	Pauline Vincenten is a little bit of everything: FoEI’s receptionist, secretary and office coordinator. Prior to joining FoEI in July 2011, she organised scientific conferences at Leiden University. She also works at an organic deli and volunteers at the sexual diversity division of the Dutch Green Left party. She has masters degrees in Political Sciences and Gender and Ethnicity Studies and lives in Amsterdam with her girlfriend.
	Loreto de Amunátegui joined us as the Events Coordinator in July 2011. Previously she was coordinating an International Film and contemporary art Festival in Madrid. Originally from Spain, she has a masters degree in Cultural Management. Loreto moved to Amsterdam in January 2011, where she lives with her partner.
	Denis Burke joined Friends of the Earth International in July 2012 as the Web & E-Communications Editor. Previously he worked in advocacy and communications on issues relating to HIV and development. He is originally from Dublin, Ireland.
volunteers We rely on the generous support of volunteers who give up their time to help keep the secretariat running smoothly, assisting with communications, web, information requests, and much more.
	Fatema Baheranwala is an Indian living in the Netherlands and volunteers for Friends of the Earth in her spare time. In 2011 she completed a Masters degree in Environment and Resource Management at Vrije University, Amsterdam. She enjoys painting, yoga and music.
	Peter Wilton is a volunteer for the information request team and the membership team since August 2011. At the same time he has decided to go back to uni and is currently studying for a degree in politics, philosophy and economics (PPE). He enjoys reading, photography and music.
	Larissa van Hunen joined Friends of the Earth as a volunteer for the Information Request Team in June 2012. She studied Communication Management at the Institute for Higher European Studies (IHES) where she graduated in 2001. After that she worked in different roles in a variety of big commercial companies as well as non profit organisations. In 2003 she did a volunteer project in an indigenous reserve in Costa Rica. She lives in Amsterdam with her husband and daughter.

Meet the secretariat

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