Supervisory Board
Shawn Kohl
Shawn, born in the United States of America in 1974, serves as the Director for the European Anti-Trafficking Program at the International Justice Mission. The program has reach into six countries combatting human trafficking against the vulnerable and marginalized.
Previously, as National Director for Uganda from 2015-2019, Shawn oversaw all programs and offices in Uganda. Shawn led teams to combat violence against women and children and worked to transform Uganda’s criminal justice system to ensure the protection of law for vulnerable widows and orphans overseeing. Shawn served as Field Office Director for IJM Kenya from 2011-2014. Shawn first joined IJM in September of 2009 as Deputy Director for IJM Cambodia combatting the cross-border and domestic commercial sexual exploitation of children.
Before joining IJM, Shawn served for five years as a litigation and child rights lawyer with the regional firm of Spicer, Flynn & Rudstrom PLLC in Nashville, Tennessee. He became a partner with the firm in 2009. Previously, Shawn served two years in the United States Peace Corps in Senegal. Shawn holds a B.A. in Politics from the University of Dallas and a J.D. from the Nashville School of Law.
Shawn also serves on the Scientific Committee for the Fondazione Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice. He is a licensed attorney in the US and has served as lecturer at Tangaza, East Africa Catholic University. Shawn is married and the father of four.
Martin Santiváñez
Dr. Martín Santiváñez Vivanco, born in 1977 in Peru, is a distinguished legal scholar and Vice-Chancellor for Latin America at UNIR, representing the PROEDUCA group, which oversees six universities, various foundations, and schools across Europe, the USA, Latin America, and Africa. PROEDUCA, a leader in online and virtual education with over eighty thousand students, is committed to social projects in Peru, aiming to enhance vulnerable populations‘ lives through quality global virtual education.
Dr. Santiváñez Vivanco also was the Dean of the Faculty of Law and International Relations at Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola. He holds a Ph.D. in Law from the University of Navarra, Spain. His academic achievements include a Visiting Fellowship at The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies – SAIS, Johns Hopkins University, and post-doctoral research at the Navarra Center for International Development. A recipient of multiple awards, including the Carolina Foundation Leadership Scholarship, he is a Corresponding Member of the Royal Academy of Moral and Political Sciences of Spain and contributes to renowned publications and advisory roles in political analysis and public management in Spain and Latin America. Dr. Santivanez is full Member of the Peruvian Academy of Political Sciences and holds a Postgraduate degree in National Defense and Geostrategy from CAEN, Peru. He serves as Deputy Director of Nueva Revista de Política, Cultura y Arte in Spain, contributing as a columnist to leading newspapers across Latin America and Spain.
Martijn van Helvert
Martijn van Helvert, born in The Netherlands in 1978, is owner and managing partner of a Public Affairs Office in The Hague and Berlin. His business helps companies, NGO’s, governments and embassies in their lobby towards The Hague, Berlin and Brussels. He is member of the national board of SME (Small Medium Enterprises) association in the Netherlands and is the president of the SME-association in his Province Limburg.
Martijn was for more than 25 years active in politics, local, regional, and national. As a member of the Dutch National Parliament, he was spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, Defense and the Persecuted Christians. As a Member of Parliament, he found a majority to install a Dutch Special Envoy Freedom of Religion and Belief, who still is active.
Martijn is married to his wife in Yvonne and they have 3 children. The couple lives in the center of the small town of Sittard, only 1 kilometer from the German border and 4 kilometers from the Belgian border. Therefore, he understands very well why it is important to make cross-border alignments. At Utrecht University, Martijn studied History of Antiquity and Ancient Culture. He likes to travel with his family, but also enjoys to read or play soccer, to run and to do some kickboxing.
In the Supervisory Board of the ICLN he is focused on supporting Christiaan in fundraising for the ICLN. So if you get a letter about money, it probably comes from Martijn.