Talia Pedersen is a young mom and peacebuilder from Canada, currently based in The Netherlands, where she is pursuing an MA in Religion, Conflict, and Globalization. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Intercultural Peacebuilding and brings both academic training and lived experience into her work—showing up with empathy, curiosity, and a steady commitment to building bridges. Her interests sit at the crossroads of religion, identity, conflict, and community life, with a clear focus on what helps people move from misunderstanding to relationship.

As a religious person herself, Talia is especially interested in the ways faith can become a source of connection rather than division. Her work centers on interfaith engagement as a practical peacebuilding approach: creating spaces where people can speak honestly, listen deeply, and discover shared values without erasing difference. She is particularly drawn to dialogue that leads to real-world cooperation—where conversation is not just “talk,” but a starting point for trust, solidarity, and action. Her MA program supports this direction by training students to critically analyze how religion can shape both conflict and peace, and how globalization changes the way communities navigate belief, belonging, and public life

Alfie Lamb holds a BSc in Philosophy and Politics from the University of Bristol, where his research explored how gentrification reshapes culture and community cohesion in urban environments. He is particularly interested in the “human” costs of redevelopment—what happens to local identity, informal support networks, and a neighbourhood’s sense of belonging when rising rents and changing land use push long-term residents and community spaces out. This work has led him to think critically about who cities are designed for, and how policy and investment decisions can either strengthen community life or quietly erode it.

Building on these questions, Alfie is drawn to alternative models of land ownership and stewardship that prioritise people over profit. He is interested in approaches that treat land as a shared foundation for housing, livelihoods, and collective wellbeing—rather than purely as a financial asset. Since graduating, Alfie has also spent time studying permaculture and mythology. In permaculture, he has explored practical, place-based ways of designing for resilience and reciprocity; in mythology, he has examined stories across cultures to trace a shared, perennial language of human experience. Together, these interests reflect a deep commitment to cultural renewal—finding grounded, imaginative ways for communities to thrive, care for their environments, and build futures rooted in meaning as well as material security.