Our Board of Trustees (BoT) has a new member! Danny Hoekzema, founder of New Paradigm, a non-profit law firm using the power of law to create a more sustainable and fair future, joined us as the new secretary of our BoT. We spoke to him about his journey from a corporate environment to New Paradigm, using law for social justice, being an ecofeminist parent and his aspirations at WECF!
With a large smile and can-do attitude, Danny Hoekzema introduced himself by enthusiastically holding up various books on feminism that he loves. A lawyer, father and husband, Danny aspires to change how lawyers do law- away from financial gain towards social and environmental solutions.
With a background in digital, data protection and AI law, Danny obtained his master’s in law and technology (LLM) from Tilburg University and a post-graduate specialisation in Privacy & Data Protection from Grotius Academy. After his academic excellences, Danny worked for several years as a lawyer- for De Roos Advocaten and The Dutch Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations (Rijksoverheid). Despite gaining a lot of knowledge on data and digital services, Danny felt that he wanted to do more, particularly when reflecting on his role as a lawyer, and the birth of his first daughter:
“So, I started with a regular journey of a lawyer- where you make loads of money. But I realised very soon that does not make you happy. For example, you’re still drinking wine regardless of your financial status, but its only more expensive. The money does not contribute to your personal growth, happiness or to society. That’s when I realised, I needed to find something else. Moreover, when my daughter was born, I wanted to contribute to her future- making the world a better plan. So, the best I can do is ensure her future, and that we live in a safe society”
Upon these two life events, Danny decided to leave his life as a corporate lawyer and start New Paradigm– a law firm for social and environmental good.
New Paradigm
A not-for-profit law firm with a mission, helping organisations accelerate in their transition to a sustainable economy, where economic, environmental and social interests are in balance.
That is how the New Paradigm website describes itself on their home page. Their team, filled with a group of academics, consultants, data specialists, NGOS and lawyers, is building a network to look at societal challenges in a multidisciplinary and holistic way. As opposed to other law firms, they believe in capped salaries to limit excess, promote cooperation and participation and invest their profits into charities and socio-environmental initiatives, such as Recht voor Klimaat (Right for the Climate) , a collective of environmental lawyers and legal experts working to combat climate change, where Danny acts as founder and chair.
When asked about the core philosophy behind New Paradigm, Danny said the following:
“Lawyers tend to have powerful jobs. We are generally smart people with a lot of money and privileges, but our services are used for the interests of a small number of powerful people. So, I am very passionate about how we can rather use these privileges and services to improve society. In other words- re-thinking the role that lawyers SHOULD play in society”.
In other words, Danny’s vision is for law to contribute to society.
Danny on ecofeminism, system change & WECF
What does ecofeminism and system change mean to Danny? Removing the barriers to address systems of power and inequities. Seeing himself in a position of power, Danny finds its critical to address global challenges by talking to the people working on, and experiencing them, directly.
However, to make long-lasting impact, Danny acknowledged the importance of system change, highlighting the need to “change the game, rather than the players”. He wants to support marginalised groups to have access to critical decision-making spaces and solution creation. In his belief, system change is about arriving at a world where anybody can have the opportunity to participate in societal decision making, rather than being handpicked from the crowd as a diversity hire.
And this is also why Danny is excited about WECF. After an invitation by Aniek Moonen, WECF’s very own co-chair from our Board of Trustees, Danny quickly realised WECF was working on similar topics and networks as he already was, and therefore knew he wanted to get involved.
What does Danny find appealing about WECF? He values our approach as an NGO in navigating global power dynamics, such as climate injustices and colonial legacies between the global north and south, and our broad, complex network.
“I want to break out of my own bubble and be more globally connected to people and their challenges. I think WECF does a great job and finding, amplifying and supporting people and organisations working on global solutions and I want to be a part of this”.
Since October 2024, Danny has therefore joined as our new secretary. Inspired by the book ‘Radical Justice’ by Nani Jansen, he believes his own role will be to use his expertise on strategic litigation for social justice to foster conversations and spaces between powerful people and changemakers towards a better society. At WECF, Danny hopes he can have the following impact:
“I realised that the political environment WECF is working in now is tense, with budget cuts in the Netherlands to increasing radical right politics. I really hope for my position on the BoT to support WECF in navigating these harsh political winds and continue their resilience in the future”.
What gives Danny joy and hope for the future?
His daughter. Throughout the whole conversation, Danny kept referring to the inspiration that becoming a parent had on his feminist approach to the world. Proudly showing his copy of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s book, Dear Iljeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions, a feminist parenting book, Danny highlighted the impact feminism has had in his approach to raising his child, and to the work he does and wants to do.
Welcome to WECF and our Board of Trustees, Danny!