Amsterdam Headquarters
George Weiss, Founder and Director
George Weiss founded Radio Benevolencija Humanitarian Tools Foundation in 2002. As a result of his work for La Benevolencija Sarajevo in the early 1990s, he was inspired to set up media projects that would teach people to resist manipulation to violence, and to promote a solidarity pact between victims of hate violence. The project has gained international acclaim for its unique combination of applied psychology with education-entertainment techniques.
In addition to running Radio Benevolencija, Weiss is also head of Metropolitan Pictures, a documentary production company based in Amsterdam. In the 1980s, he produced three feature films and was responsible for the worldwide distribution of blockbuster films such as Dances with Wolves, Henry V, and Driving Miss Daisy. Since then, he has produced more than 20 international documentaries. Originally from Austria, Weiss holds a BA in Communications and Media from the State University of New York.
Anneke van Hoek, academic coordinator
Anneke van Hoek got a degree in criminology from the VU University Amsterdam. From 1988 to 2005, she worked as a manager, senior researcher and consultant on criminality and safety issues for an independent research group in Amsterdam. She also worked for the national victim support organization. She started her own media production and consultancy firm in 1995 and co-founded Radio Benevolencija in 2002. Van Hoek specializes in Media for Social Change and works as project coordinator for Rwandan Reconciliation Radio, a project she co-developed for Radio Benevolencija.
Robin Brinster, TV Consultant
A native of Seattle, Robin Brinster has worked as a film distributor and sales agent for more than 20 years. In 1999, she established Illumina Films, which distributes film and TV programs to all the major international broadcasting companies. At Radio Benevolencija, Brinster offers her TV industry expertise to consult on the organization's developing projects in regions around Africa as well as in former Yugoslavia.
Andrew Maggiore, Translator, Editor and Multimedia Consultant
Born in Boston, Andrew R. Maggiore graduated from Boston University
with degrees in French Language and Literature (B.A.) and Film and
Television Studies (B.S.). He subsequently moved to the Netherlands in
1999 and obtained a Master's degree in film theory from the University
of Amsterdam. Maggiore has worked for years in film production, and
aside from his activities as a language and localization consultant, he
leads seminars on American behavioral patterns, culture, politics,
economy and language for businesspeople being transferred to the United
States.