Who we are
MIRCURY consist of a dedicated team that supports the vision of developing new and creative ways of approaching international conflicts. Our team is a diverse collective, with members originating from different parts of Europe and encompassing a wide range of backgrounds, ages, genders, and professional experiences across various continents. Our strength lies in our multidisciplinary approach to conflict resolution, which draws upon our unique perspectives to foster innovative solutions. By embracing our diversity, we create an inclusive environment that nurtures collaboration and enables us to make a tangible impact in promoting peace and understanding.
Patrick de Vries
Board Member & Co-Executive Director
Patrick is a diplomat and a professional in conflict resolution and a former lawyer. He has practiced law in the private sector for several years and conducted international diplomatic negotiations in various capacities, most notably during his assignments in Washington, Beijing, Brussels, Kabul, and the Middle East. Patrick is fascinated by and committed to bridging mindsets of people in violent conflict in different international and cultural settings. He aspires facilitating a roundtable with multiple perspectives that participate equally in conversations. From a young age on, Patrick has traveled across the world. He believes in the value of diversity, distinct views, and listening. Patrick loves to be active; he used to be a competitive football player and he enjoys reading historic novels.
Vasilis is an international executive, business entrepreneur and former ambassador of Cyprus to the United Arab Emirates with 20 years experience in diplomacy. A strong advocate of the multidisciplinary approach to the resolution of current and future societal, political and economic problems, Basil is a proponent of sustainability and innovation both in concept and in application. In between his diverse endeavours and responsibilities, Vasilis strives to find time to continue to learn how to draw and write comics, hoping one day to contribute meaningfully to a graphic novel. In the meantime, he does find time to cook, but never follows a recipe.
Board Member & Co-Executive Director
Vasilis Polemitis
Assi Korhonen
Finnish native Assi Korhonen mastered in Religion, Conflict and Globalization at the University of Groningen, and decided to make the Netherlands her home base. While writing her thesis on the effects of Japanese martial arts on micro-level conflict transformation and peacebuilding, Assi joined MIRCURY initially as an intern to help the start-up process. She is passionate about understanding how people of different cultural backgrounds react to conflict and create peace.
What Assi may lack in experience, she compensates with the ability to transform complex ideas into simple, tangible outputs. With a mix of Finnish sensitivity and Dutch honesty, Assi has a way of making more experienced colleagues listen to her ideas. When she is not working, Assi loves to practice kendo and travel to places she has never been before.
Program Officer
Marleen Boersma
Program Officer
Marleen Boersma is completing her master’s degree in Religion, Conflict, and Globalization, which she is pursuing in her hometown of Groningen, the Netherlands. Driven by a firm belief in the transformative potential of dignity, empathy, and creativity to bridge divides, Marleen’s academic journey has been dedicated to exploring the intricacies of religious conflicts, the challenges of irreconcilable ideas, and the pursuits of more constructive modes of collaboration.
At MIRCURY, Marleen has played an active role in the development of the organization’s multidisciplinary approach, contributing to the establishment of a strong academic background. Looking ahead, she aspires to use her people skills to keep pushing boundaries and think creatively about cultivating change. Outside of her academic pursuits, Marleen is an enthusiastic boulderer, and, when the Dutch weather allows it, windsurfer.
Dilyara Indzheva
Intern
Dilyara is a double-degree student at Erasmus University, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, pursuing both Communication & Media and Philosophy of Science.
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Motivated by a deep commitment to fostering a society characterized by inclusivity and trust, she is dedicated to making meaningful contributions towards the advancement of individuals across all facets of life.
Thomas is currently pursuing his Master's degree in International Relations & Political Science at the Geneva Graduate Institute after having completed his interdisciplinary Bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts & Sciences from Utrecht University in the Netherlands.
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He is driven by his desire to foster a more peaceful and prosperous world, and he firmly believes in the power of empathy and respect to drive positive change on a global scale.
Intern
Thomas Plomp
Lejla Hamzakadić
Intern
Lejla Hamzakadic holds a bachelor's degree in English Language and Literature, with a minor in International Relations from the International University of Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Lejla is passionate about languages, sociolinguistics and the overall impact language has on the international community, especially in regards to peace. She believes that language and communication are at the core of peaceful coexistence and tolerance.