Swaan van Iterson studied social and political sciences at the University of Amsterdam. She wrote her thesis on the identification of highly educated students in Hungary with the radical right Jobbik party. Most narratives paint a picture of a faceless crowd of ‘societal losers' who vote for the radical right. However, her research demonstrates that this image is not representative and fails to grasp the active mentality of these students. By elaborating on the Hungarian context, the research helps to clarify key differences between radical-right movements and ideologies in Western and Eastern Europe.
Swaan made the documentary All for Hungary on the same topic and regularly writes for various media about socio-political developments in Hungary.
Khaled Diab is an award-winning journalist, blogger and writer who has been based in Tunis, Jerusalem, Brussels, Geneva and Cairo. Khaled also gives talks and is regularly interviewed by the print and audiovisual media.
Khaled Diab is the author of two books: Islam for the Politically Incorrect (2017) and Intimate Enemies: Living with Israelis and Palestinians in the Holy Land.
In 2014, the Anna Lindh Foundation awarded Khaled its Mediterranean Journalist Award in the press category. This website, The Chronikler, won the 2012 Best of the Blogs (BOBs) for the best English-language blog. Khaled was longlisted for the Orwell journalism prize in 2020.
In addition, Khaled works as acting communications manager for the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), an NGO based in Brussels.
He has also worked as a communications consultant to intergovernmental organisations, such as the EU and the UN, as well as civil society.
Khaled lives with his beautiful and brilliant wife, Katleen, who works in humanitarian aid. The foursome is completed by the minis: Iskander, their playful, smart, charming, sociable and adorable son, and Sky, their playful, charming, mischievous and footballing cat.
Egyptian by birth, Khaled's life has been divided between the Middle East and Europe. He grew up in Egypt and the UK, and has lived in Belgium, on and off, since 2001. He holds dual Egyptian-Belgian nationality.
