COMMITTEE OF RECOMMENDATION

Our Committee of Recommendation

We are grateful to be supported by a group of dedicated individuals who believe in our approach to helping the most vulnerable.
Our Committee of Recommendation comprises leaders from various sectors, including government, media, and science, who share our vision of a world where everyone has a chance at a dignified life.

Their support helps us amplify the voices of the people we serve and strengthens our network,

allowing us to reach more people in need.

Boris Dittrich

Boris Dittrich is a lawyer who lives in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and Berlin, Germany. He was born in 1955. After working as a litigation lawyer in Amsterdam, he became a judge in Alkmaar. In 1994 he was elected as member of the national parliament in the Netherlands.

In 2007 he became advocacy director in the LGBT rights program at Human Rights Watch in New York and continued his work from Berlin, Germany since 2013. In 2019 he was elected as senator in the Dutch Senate where he is the first deputy-speaker. He is an author of 13 books, mostly thrillers and novels.

Catherine Keyl 

Catherine Keyl was a daily talk show host in the Netherlands for 15 years. She is now a columnist for the Netherlands’ largest newspaper, The Telegraph, and is frequently invited as a guest on television talk shows. She also served on the Board of Philanthropy Connections Foundation for many years.

Kees Rade

Kees Rade worked for many years as a Dutch diplomat, with postings in New York and Kenya, before becoming Dutch ambassador in Nicaragua and Brazil. He also held different functions at headquarters, including heading the multilateral department and the department in charge of climate, water, food and energy. He ended his career as ambassador in Bangkok, also covering Cambodia and Laos. After his retirement, he founded Diplomats Without Borders, an NGO providing the services of former senior diplomats in the areas of conflict resolution, diplomatic training and the promotion of diplomacy.

André Kuipers

André Kuipers is the first Dutchman with two space missions to his name. He spent a grand total of 204 days in space on board  the International Space Station (ISS). As flight engineer, he performed many diverse tasks including scientific experiments, and vital maintenance and repair work. Since his return to Earth in July 2012, André has inspired large groups of people young and old with his space talks promoting Dutch and European activities in space. As ambassador of the Earth, he is committed to increasing awareness, understanding of conservation work, the power of teamwork, and urges people to be careful about the way we treat our magnificent yet fragile planet and its inhabitants.

Harm Edens 

Harm Edens has worked in media for more than 40 years, spanning radio, television, and podcasts. In addition, he writes books and columns and moderates conferences on sustainability and related subjects. 

He worked as a scenarist and sitcom writer for over 23 years. He then began hosting the Dutch version of the satire-on-the-news-show: Have I Got News For You (Dit Was Het Nieuws), and 30 years later, the programme is still going. 

At the same time, he became an ambassador for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), later for Justdiggit, and five years ago for the Jane Goodall Institute. He devotes a great deal of his time to working with others to help create a better world. Since October 2025, he has been touring Dutch theatres with a climate lecture series, aiming to explain that footprints must be reduced and that climate justice requires action. 

Many years ago, Sallo was the floor manager of Dit Was Het Nieuws. They have been friends ever since. When Sallo moved to Thailand, they stayed in touch, and it is especially meaningful to Harm to see that they are both working towards a better future for everyone. 

While the Committee does not bear legal responsibility for the organisation's policies, their support underscores the reliability of Philanthropy Connections within society. We are grateful for their commitment and trust.

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