CoolCharity - Maarten Schäfer

COOLCHARITY

BY COOLUNLIMITED

COOLCHARITY

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Abu Bakr

26.000 gezichten If all goes well, his neighbours will soon be calling him

Abby would like to study. “First learn fluent Dutch, and

Abby Bakker and this good-looking black man will be a Dutchman. Because that is what he would like, to belong

then study economics, or something with computers.” But because Abu Bakr earns money through his part-time

here.

painting job, he is not eligible for all sorts of welfare provisions. He wants to learn the language properly, but he is

Abu Bakr is from Sudan. After his parents and sisters were

not allowed to go to the regional training centre because

killed during the civil war, he and his brother fled, both in different directions. He never found his brother again.

there is no accommodation for him in Amstelveen and no work in Medemblik. He saves and saves to be able to finance his studies. He eats baked beans every day. “Baked

In Sudan he was an accountant. Upon arrival in Holland he

beans are good.”

was placed in an asylum seekers’ centre and volunteered as a painter and handyman in an old people’s home. In

Sometimes he feels sad, when he thinks of his family. But

June  it was time to celebrate: Abu Bakr was allowed to stay. He got a paid job as a painter in a different old

he is determined to build up a life here. For six years he longed for his residence permit and now that it has come,

people’s home in Amstelveen. Here he met people and made friends. But after obtaining his residence permit,

life here seems to be full of obstacles. “And still,” says Abu Bakr, “I am very grateful to Holland.”

he had to leave the asylum seekers’ centre and the authorities offered him accommodation in Medemblik.

Hanneke Groenteman

How was he meant to get to work in Amstelveen on time?

Initially, Abby lived in a tiny room in the top of a dreary, down-at-heel flat block. The kitchen and bathroom were down the hall and the building was filled with stale cooking smells. He paid more than €  rent for the space in Medemblik and much more for the hovel which he rented illegally in Amstelveen – all because he didn’t want to lose his job. Luckily, he has now found a room that is a bit better and nearer to his work.

www.26000gezichten.nl

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50|50

Together we’re one

“People on the street are just like us,” argues Mark, , the

idea of compiling a special soup cookbook.” The book’s

coordinator of the Amsterdam Salvation Army Soup Bus. “The only difference is that they have been unlucky or hurt in some way.” Three evenings a week, Mark makes sure

layout is a blend of  different cookery and photography styles. It was developed by Les Patrons Cuisiniers ( Dutch top chefs) in collaboration with the Photographers

that the Soup Bus drives through the capital and reaches around  homeless people. “We distribute the most basic human needs: food, drink and love. But it is not all sorrow and misery, we also have a chat with them and joke around.”

Association of the Netherlands ( photographers) who all worked free of charge to complete the project.

With thanks to Mark Voorneveld and Harry Puts for contributions to the text

For the past  years, , litres of soup and ,, litres of coffee are distributed every year. The Soup Bus also does a weekly round in Rotterdam and Zwolle to provide the homeless there with coffee, rolls, soup and blankets. And to lend a sympathetic ear. “The clients are diverse – from elderly alcoholics to lost backpackers; some of them claim they are on their way to work. Good for them! As long as they keep dreaming their dreams, they keep their spirits up.”

www.5050world.com

Living together, sharing together The Soup Bus is a good example of a project that is supported by |, a brand that was introduced by the Salvation Army in . “As the advertising agency for the Salvation Army, we were looking for new ways of reaching a broader and younger audience,” explains Harry Puts of Only, the brain behind |. “For instance, young people communicate a lot through clothing. This is how the | brand was developed in , with | fashion as its first product. That’s what’s great about |: that you have a new way of telling the Salvation Army story and showing that if you do things together and share things together, you will get a better, nicer society.” | fashion Harry explains that | fashion uses parts of discarded clothing items from Salvation Army containers to create new clothes. No two designs are ever identical: “Among  million kilos of clothes a year, you are bound to find something. Put the upper part of a pair of trousers and a curtain together and you have a new skirt. It just goes to show that even really old stuff, even mailbags, can be turned into new clothes. The clothes are assembled by young people working in a sheltered workshop.” | soup After | fashion for young people and kids, and a range of accessories, | soup was introduced. “Besides clothes, the Salvation Army of course has a strong connection with soup,” Harry comments. “Their roots lie in soup, as they distribute litres and litres of soup every day to the homeless. In a way you could see soup as a splendid metaphor for neighbourly love. That’s how we developed the

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Amnesty International

‘Peace is just as sweet as it can be.’

Wata Modad lives in Liberia, a country that has been ravished by terrible civil war. During years of fighting between

The campaign continued in Liberia. In October , on the eve of the elections, over , demonstrators took to

the government and rebel forces, rape was widespread and systematic. Women who resisted were killed: “You do or die.” After the conflict ended, sexual violence was still

the streets of the capital Monrovia, many of them wearing the trademark Pinkpop/Amnesty hats. The demonstration ended with a manifestation during which the ,

rampant. Perpetrators, both old and new, were not held accountable and existing laws failed to stop violence against women.

signatures that were collected at Pinkpop were handed over to a delegation of politicians. That same week, a radio report made at Pinkpop, in which thousands of visitors chanted “Vote Against Rape!”, was repeatedly

Wata Modad is a symbol of the struggle against sexual

aired on  Liberian radio stations.

violence in her country. She runs a network of rehabilitation centres for victims, which offer material support, trauma counselling and training. “I have been working

The campaign proved successful. In December, new legislation was introduced. It was a big step forward. The

with victims for more than ten years now,” she says, “but every story still defies my imagination. Our activities help

new law broadened the definition of rape and denied bail to anyone charged with raping a minor. The law also

women to regain control over their lives.” Amnesty

increased sentences for the most serious offences,

International invited Wata to the Netherlands to support the campaign “Vote Against Rape!”, which Amnesty

allowing life imprisonment to be imposed for the rape of a minor and for gang rape. In June , the first life

launched together with the Association of Female Lawyers

sentence was pronounced against a man who raped a

in Liberia (AFELL). Together with AFELL, Amnesty appealed to Liberian political parties participating in the 

child. According to AFELL, the support of Amnesty International and the Dutch public which raised its voice

elections to end impunity for rape and other forms of sexual violence.

against rape, was very important and motivating.

At the Dutch music festival Pinkpop, where Amnesty was

With thanks to Wata Modad, Executive Director of the Women and Children Rehabilitation Resource Centre

campaigning, Wata Modad stressed that new legislation was long overdue. “In Liberia, rape is not a serious offence.

People don’t think of it as a crime, especially during the

www.amnesty.nl

war. But the wave of rape in Liberia is so high, that it must be placed on the electoral agenda. After the elections, it should be considered a serious offence.”

The festival at Pinkpop was designed to encourage AFELL and people like Wata Modad in Liberia. “We will carry this message back to Liberia,” Wata said. “We will try to convince the Liberians that peace is just as sweet as it can be.”

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AMREF

After the lost generation

It is with genuine pride that Gladys welcomes visitors to

Gladys knows that her grandchildren have more opportu-

her new home. Through her living room window one can

nities than she had as a little girl. The children today are

still see the remains of her mud hut, which is crumbling in

aware of the AIDS threat, they have more chance of com-

a nearby field. She is delighted with her new home, as she

pleting primary school, they have clean water and they

no longer had the energy to maintain the small hut. Like many other elderly women in the village, Gladys, , has

have learnt about good hygiene. Today, there is also professional staff who can help put their lives on the right

lost her husband and her sons. Her only surviving child is

track: teachers at school, instructors for professional

a daughter who has eight children. But thanks to AMREF

training and healthcare workers in the clinics. “They have

(African Medical and Research Foundation), all her grand-

more chance than we did of finding a job and escaping

children have a bright future ahead of them. “There is an increasing awareness about the AIDS threat, the children

poverty,” says Gladys. “They are the living proof that there is a future for our people in Luweero.”

can go to school, there is clean drinking water, we have learnt a lot about healthy nutrition and there is medical care if we need it.”

Jacqueline Lampe, Director AMREF Flying Doctors Nederland

In Butuntumula in the Luweero region of Central Uganda, AMREF is not just working on healthcare issues, but also on housing, water and food production. There is a strange

www.amref.nl

atmosphere in Butuntumula. As a visitor, Jacqueline Lampe does not immediately understand why people are friendly and hospitable and everyone seems to be working hard. Then, after some time, it becomes clear there are hardly any adults! Most children are being cared for by their grandparents. More than a third of the children in Luweero live with their grandparents because their parents have died of HIV/AIDS. Just like elsewhere in Africa, these orphans have to turn to their extended families, who are often stretched to the limit. As the grandparents are unable to cope with the full burden of childcare, certain family tasks need to be taken over by the community – and that includes the international community.

AMREF’s Aids Orphans Project helps the elderly care for children. AMREF gives these children a future by providing healthy food, clean water, safety, education and healthcare.

And it encourages local authorities, schools and other organisations to pursue the same goals.

As Samuel Semuyaba, the chairman of the Butuntumula town council, comments: “We need so many things. To really achieve something, we have to bring everyone together and abandon the fragmented approach. There is no point in offering children schooling, if they are going fall ill by drinking polluted water.”

Despite the fact that Gladys has seen the generation of her children disappear almost entirely, she is enthusiastic about the improvements in the last few years. Since , AMREF has built  modern primary schools with large classrooms, homes for teachers and rainwater cisterns.

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Boomfeestdag

“The first National Tree Day was celebrated in Apeldoorn

2007:50 years of National Tree Day

on  April  with more than , children. Almost 

Anonymous message: “On the occasion of the ‘Trees for Life Day’ last November, I was allowed to plant a tree for

years later, , children in  towns in the

my beloved wife Ans in the Queen Wilhelmina Forest with

Netherlands participated in the event.  will mark

my three children. It was an overwhelming day with many

the th anniversary of Holland’s National Tree Day, an occasion that will be celebrated on a large scale, because

emotions. Many, many tears were shed and it felt so incredibly good. Ans died of breast cancer. We miss her every

Holland’s school age children have over this period

day and that is not always easy to understand for ‘the

planted more than  million trees, which has contributed

outsider’. Here in the forest we were with fellow-sufferers,

to making the country green and healthy. As the oldest

together without knowing each other, without even

institution in the world for nature education for children, we have developed a rich tradition which we want to

speaking to each other, but there was an atmosphere of equality and shared sorrow. Wonderful! We see this day as

perpetrate in future in collaboration with the town

a milestone in our further life. We have planted a tree, a

councils and of course the children.

In the Jubilee Year we also hope to be able to celebrate the

‘Tree for Life’, to perpetrate the warmth of a loved one.”

Second European Tree Day. It would be a follow-up to the European Tree Day we organised in May  in the European Commission building in Brussels in the presence of all the ministers of agriculture and forestry of the member states. We want to stimulate all these countries to work with their youth towards a green, healthy world through the planting of trees.”

Peter J. Derksen, director of National Tree Day Association After the planting of the trees on Tree Day, the children often hang a tree wish in their tree. Thus Aniek recently also hung a tree wish in her tree: “Our tree is our hero That is the only thing that counts.

They give us paper,

www.boomfeestdag.nl

And also joy.

They give us life NEVER again let the trees go!”

A very different sort of Tree Day… “The tree connects rain and wind the world with the clouds in order to transmit our greeting through its branches upwards where they, so dearly beloved by us, populate the kingdom of heaven.”

The above poem can be found at the memorial in the Queen Wilhelmina Forest in Dronten: a memorial forest that was created on the initiative of the National Tree Day Foundation in collaboration with KWF-Kankerbestrijding (the Dutch anti-cancer campaign organisation) and the Staatsbosbeheer (Forestry Commission). At this spot relatives of deceased cancer patients can plant a “Tree for Life” and have their name engraved on glass panels.

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Campus Nieuw West

ICT kidZZ Academy

Campus Nieuw West’s ICT KidZZ Academy gives kids with a difficult home situation in Amsterdam Nieuw West a helping hand. Every Wednesday afternoon, a group of children learn computer skills with coaches from KPN, Nuon and Getronics PinkRoccade. The programme lasts three years: it starts with kids of twelve years old and runs until the second year of secondary school. Coaches focus on the internet, the hardware and software of the computer and homework supervision. The project started with four pupils two years ago, today  pupils from five schools are participating. Betty Kooij, the deputy headmaster of primary school De Globe says: “The ICT KidZZ Academy has a great effect on kids. The quality of their work is much higher, the children are more confident and their classmates see them as real whiz-kids.”

Hans Hoeksema (KPN), one of the coaches, comments: “Bringing twelve-year-old children in contact with professionals who want to further their development for three years gives them an immense extra stimulus to make plans for the future, finish school and get their diplomas.

Working with other professionals, I coach kids in the

www.campusnieuwwest.nl

second year of the ICT KidZZ Academy. It’s a group of four, two girls and two boys. They like having fun and chat a lot. They’ve made a newspaper and are now learning how computers work, by taking an old PC apart and putting it back together again with functioning programmes. If you offer kids interesting subjects and a good environment, they are keen to get to work.”

Coach Coen Cornelissen (Nuon) talks a lot to the children about what they have experienced and how it’s going at school. “The topics come flying at me: one minute I’m drawing a map of the Middle East to explain how close Syria is to Turkey, the next minute I am explaining how the female cycle works, which brings about a mixture of giggles and interest. It’s a great experience: it’s fun to teach and touching to see how much trust the children give you. Beforehand I would never have thought it would affect me so much.”

Director Frans Duynstee (Nuon) is also enthusiastic about the ICT KidZZ Academy. “Our company wants to make a conscious contribution to long-term social welfare, that’s one of the reasons we are participating wholeheartedly in the Campus Nieuw West projects. But also because it’s just great fun. Staff feel involved and get to know a new target group; they may be future clients or fellow workers.”

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Marapha

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CAVERI

Sharing love in India

When I went to India in , my youngest daughter, who

After extensive medical tests it has become clear that

is always interested in children, noticed a group of orphans playing in the street. They invited us to their

Marapha’s brain is so damaged that the impulses from his brain no longer reach his organs and that he will not sur-

orphanage where we played and sang with the children.

vive.

The orphanage was in a very bad state.

Ganga Hoogendoorn Back in the Netherlands, I was able to collect money, partly because I head a yoga centre and have many contacts.

This was the beginning of the Caveri Foundation. The foundation has taken the children’s home in Whitefield, near Bangalore, entirely under its care. It allows children from the slums and from poor families to go to school. It also distributes food in the slums of several villages.

The Caveri Foundation is based on the idea that all fear can be transformed into love.

The conditions in the children’s home have improved immensely, also through renovations to the building. The home is run by Joseph and Juanthy, two volunteers who spare no effort to give the children what they need, regardless of whether they are disabled or not.

Marapha was brought to the orphanage when he was twoand-a-half years old. He had been used as an attraction to earn money when he was a baby and was tossed into the air by a monkey. When it appeared that Marapha had a neck injury, he was disowned by his parents. This was how he ended up with Joseph and Juanthy. A doctor advised them against taking the child because he was in such a bad state. He couldn’t walk and looked like a one-year-old baby. Marapha was so afraid that he couldn’t bear to be alone for even a moment. During the first three months, Juanthy kept him with her all the time. Now, two years on, Marapha is the life and soul of the orphanage. He is helpless, lies around on the floor, but he is also beaming and everyone adores him.

www.caveri.nl

Despite the fact that the orphanage has to make do with very limited means, it is an example of love. The house is always cheerful and welcoming and the children look healthy. The exchange that takes place here and the love that it brings, is the energy that comes back to everyone who is connected to it. Collecting money for this orphanage is a contribution to the love that is so openly shared and given there.

At first Caveri seemed to be about supporting an orphanage through money, but it has proven to be an example of the way that love works. Giving and receiving is one and the same energy. There is no single donor and no single recipient. Where love is shared, all is one. This can never be expressed in money.

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Day of Dialogue

Good ideas for Amsterdam

• The contact between foreigners and Dutch people is

• Call all Amsterdammers Amsterdammers.

important. Work is the best, but it is difficult to achieve results immediately. But existing organisations can take

• Make it clear that you can only tackle convictions, also

initiatives, organise activities, like sport, dialogue or sha-

extreme ones, with other convictions, because doing

ring a meal. A matching centre can also be good.

comes after thinking.

• Schools should involve parents by organising dialogues, but also by making them aware and letting them partici-

• Keep explaining why we believe, think or do something and if you don’t know, find out.

pate in the multicultural society. => I met someone who didn’t listen to others, but only

• Claim the space, also in the media, to be able to tell your story; not only results and the like.

pointed to what they did wrong.

• Perpetuate the dialogue and ritualise being an => I am happy that the majority had good intentions, wanted to understand each other and bring about

Amsterdammer.

change and that gives hope.

• Ritualisation, celebrations, and yes to parties in the town centre.

Tsige

*)

Anno • Judging people based on behaviour and not on looks, origins, etc.

..

• Fighting poverty, that will solve many frustrations!

These notes were made by Amsterdammers during their

• Also more youth centres/facilities, in all parts of

dialogue with fellow townsmen at one of the  tables during the first Day of Dialogue ( December )

Amsterdam, accessible, intercultural!

around the theme “Living and working in Amsterdam”.

• More parties! (neighbourhood), getting to know each other through that.

• Neighbourhood activities => mixing cultures in all neighbourhoods.

• No elitist neighbourhoods (i.e. rich vs. poor): mixing expensive and cheap housing everywhere. Prevent ghettoforming, no American situations!

www.amsterdamdialoog.nl

• Anti-bullying education at schools, work etc.

Eef • Respect.

• The society of cultures must change, so getting to know someone first is better than judging immediately.

• And if someone of Moroccan or Turkish origin has done something, it is only that person, and not all of them. Not all Moroccans and Turks are like that.

• More peace.

Imane

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Dance4Life

STOP AIDS NOW! in collaboration with WPF presents: dance4Life

The sound of  drums bursts through the Cape Town gym. The youngest boys and girls start moving to the rhythm, break-dance, freestyle. Cool airs become childlike grins, stiff poses turn to fluent movements. Drummer Mark Dodsworth throws in some yells: “Take res-pons-abil-ity-for-life!” and “Condomise don’t compromise”.

Accompanied by the drums, the rhythmical response echoes through the space.

Next there is role-playing: how to say “no”, how to respond to violence, how to stick to your principles. In a short video, the South African Bridget openly admits she has AIDS. There is a shocked silence, even though she is one of the  million cases in Southern Africa. But she dares to admit it, which often entails instant expulsion from the village community. In this atmosphere of secrecy and shame, mothers with AIDS often continue to breastfeed, because for them the thought of the neighbours finding out is even worse than infecting their own child.

Silence and taboos can be real killers, literally. As can inertia.

During DanceLife’s school project in South Africa, a boy is asked what he would do if his mother came home and

www.dance4life.nl

announced that she had AIDS. “Me?” the boys exclaims nervously. It is as though he really cannot imagine such a situation, even though there are , new cases of HIV infection a day in South Africa and a number of those are likely to occur in his township. “I would leave her,” he says as though stating the obvious. Silence.

A much younger boy, in the back of the classroom, raises his hand. Softly he starts to speak, but with every word he seems to become more emotional. “Who brought you into this world? Who fed you? Who would give her life for you? Your mother! If she is strong enough to openly tell you she has AIDS, then it is your turn to be there for her!” First there is a tense silence, then a huge wave of applause surges through the classroom. Spine-chilling.

Children and young people are perfectly capable of informing each other, especially since they often already know the facts. They are even growing tired of the endless line of teachers, preachers and other finger-wagging adults.

The question is whether young people get enough opportunity to break down the silence and the taboos, and whether they really support each other. How can one create a climate in which young people around the world will take control in the fight against a virus that affects , other young people every day?

This text was compiled with the help of a facilitator at the DanceLife school project in Cape Town.

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Karen Sanderse with her daughter by the rice section in the Albert Heijn branch where she always shops.

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Fair Trade Original

Change global shopping habits

“As a teenager I often went to the Wereldwinkel (Third World Shop) in Bergen op Zoom where I bought Fair Trade Original products. Today, I still sometimes go to the Fair Trade Shop in my neighbourhood. It’s actually because of my sister, she’s much more conscious of development problems. I sometimes still buy presents for her or for my mum there. I like to choose practical things, that you can use in the kitchen for instance, or music. I wouldn’t be so tempted to buy trinkets like statuettes, I would rather bring things like that back as a souvenir.

Personally, I am especially interested in food products on sale in my supermarket because it’s so easy. I always go to the same supermarket, so I am dependent on what’s on sale there. Unfortunately, the range of Fair Trade Original products in my branch is limited. I recently received a pepper grinder as a present from someone. We use it a lot; it would be great if it was also on sale at my supermarket.

And if the Fair Trade chocolate confetti is put on sale here, I am immediately switching brands.

I do believe that you can contribute to a better world through your purchasing behaviour. As long as more people start doing it. That is why I find the introduction of the products in the supermarket such a positive step.

The new packaging also helps I think, it is in any case very recognisable. And that is the way to reach consumers like myself. Because if they catch my eye, I am definitely willing to try them. And if it’s good, the price doesn’t really matter

www.fairtrade.nl

to me.

I have travelled in developing countries several times and was confronted with the way people live and work. That’s also why the story of the rice or cacao farmer who wants to reap greater returns from his efforts appeals to me. But I also find it important that the local organisation becomes more professional, because I know that getting those products here is quite complex. And I want to be sure that the farmers’ profits don’t go to the export organisation.

That has to be addressed. After all, I can’t really go to get the cacao from the farmer myself.

I really hope that the chocolate confetti will be in the shop soon, as I eat it every day. And otherwise I just need to be patient. We are moving soon, so that offers new chances.

I’m not going to make a detour for it, but I will definitely keep my eyes open for Fair Trade Original products.”

Karen Sanderse, Fair Trade Original consumer in Amsterdam

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de Bocht

“Giving lost ambitions a chance”

Krisje Hunfeld () and Judith Martens () are self-conscious,

haunt my dreams. But honestly, it isn’t all sorrow here. We

clever and ambitious; their young lives are on track, which

have our laughs too – both between colleagues and with

is just as well, as they both work for a women’s shelter.

Every day, they are looking for ways to change their

clients!”

clients’ lives for the better. Hunfeld works as an ambulato-

This piece was compiled at the Bocht, an organisation for

ry caseworker and individual care coordinator and

women's shelters and the tackling of domestic violence.

Martens is a project coordinator for Social Activation.

In their work, they encounter women and girls with problems on a daily basis: either a pregnant girl of , or a women who is being abused by her husband. Sometimes it is an immigrant teenager who is being threatened with honour killing or a welfare mother who can’t cope with raising her three children on her own. For security reasons these women regularly spend short or longer periods in (emergency)shelters; they also often receive help in their own living environment. In the conversation they have upon admission, the women discuss what they need to get themselves back on track. As a caseworker, Hunfled then makes every effort to make it happen. “It’s not always easy. Their backpacks are often already pretty full of misery, and every step in the right direction is a success,” she says.

Growing stronger As a project coordinator for Social Activation, Martens focuses on what comes next: making the women stronger, so that they have less chance of getting into trouble again.

“We always work together with them to look for ways of giving lost ambitions a new chance. This means that we encourage the teen mum to finish school and offer the welfare mother a course that will make raising her three children easier. And then you see that these women, who at first often doubt their abilities, become proud of them-

www.debocht.nl

selves. It’s nice to see how enthusiastic clients become and how much they change for the better.

This approach appeals to both professionals. “We don’t like to just put a plaster on the wound and only focus on the women’s problems. It is more productive to look at what the women can do. That makes them stronger and less vulnerable. And it makes it less likely that they will run into trouble again. But still, these women often have a disadvantage they can’t make up for, because of the unfortunate circumstances they grew up and/or live in.”

Laughing It is demanding to have to cope with so much misery on a daily basis. “We are indeed dealing with the least pleasant side of society,” says Hunfeld. “But one gets used to things and you learn to put things in perspective. One has to. The worst is when there are children involved.” Martens adds: “While I’m quite good at letting go, those kids tend to

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Free Voice

Kids News in Surinam

On  October  we started the Tien Minuten Jeugdjournaal, a ten-minute children’s news programme.

Together with nine other colleagues, Carolyn and Kevin make three children’s news bulletins a week. All staff is

We broadcast three times a week on the STVS and ABC channels. A milestone! In Surinam there was no programme like this and with this project we have joined the few

trained in workshops that are organised by The Back Lot in collaboration with the NOS Jeugdjournaal training course for journalists and cameramen. Besides journalism tuition,

countries in the world who broadcast a news bulletin specially for children. It gives children an own voice. We immediately seized upon the offer that Free Voice gave

the training includes learning about cameras, sound, light and editing.

us to develop this project.

In the long term, our dream is to broadcast five days a week. We’re working on it.

It’s the beginning of the week for Tien Minuten. We make news for children between the ages of  and . The idea of Free Voice to set up a special news and current affairs

Hannah Draaibaar, chief editor Tien Minuten Journaal

programme for kids in developing countries is a real winner. The idea works: a survey carried out by the production company, The Back Lot, shows that  per cent of the target group watches the news bulletins two to three times a week. The Amsterdam-based channel AT also broadcasts the programme. Feedback shows that it is very much appreciated, not just within the Surinam community, but far beyond.

Collaborator Kevin Headley goes out every day to make features. One topic moved him in particular: a portrait of Kevin Fernald.

www.freevoice.nl

“Last year Kevin Fernald was chosen as the most promising sportsman of the year . I wanted to make a feature about him and his sport Tae Kwondo. Together with my colleague, we followed him for an afternoon.

What was great about the item was that his father Ivan Fernald, an ex-Tae Kwondo champion, is his coach. The piece also clearly showed how much he admires his father and wants to follow in his footsteps. It was very touching, because in Surinam you rarely see fathers doing things with their kids.”

Carolyn has presented the Tien Minuten Jeugdjournaal from the very beginning. For her, a day of broadcasting looks like this: “Wednesday morning. There’s great activity in the newsroom. Most items have already been shot, but the texts still need to be written and the images need to be edited.

It’s already ten o’clock. I must hurry, I quickly record an item, tell the editor that she can start editing and go off to the hairdresser. Luckily I am no longer nervous when I present. As long as I prepare properly, the recording goes well. In the studio I read over the texts again. Often a few sentences change at the last minute. Before we start, I remind myself to simply tell the stories. Within ten minutes it’s on tape.”

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FunCare 4 Kids

Being a carefree kid for a day

“I have been working as a volunteer at FunCareKids for two years now, organising Fun Days for children who have a (chronically) ill or disabled family member. These children are healthy, and from a young age they are asked help out with household chores. Compared to other children of the same age, they have more responsibilities.

When they can attend a Fun Day, the gratitude is very apparent. Both the children and the parents are really enthusiastic. It makes me realise that by giving just a little bit of my time and experience, I can really make a difference.

“It’s wonderful to be able to contribute to a child’s happiness. The smiles on the kids’ faces after a day of fun and games give me a great feeling of satisfaction. When I see my nephew Tim playing, I know exactly what I want to give to the children who come to the Fun Days: the chance to enjoy themselves without having to worry about the situation back home.

Of course all kinds of things need to be taken care to prepare a Fun Day. First one has to find a location and draw up a programme that is suitable for the age group.

It’s different every time. I’ve organised a Circus Day, a Sailing Day and a Harry Potter Day. The Circus Day is held every year, and at the end of the day the children perform real circus acts. The Harry Potter Day was set entirely in the atmosphere of the first book; they even played a game of Quidditch. These are just some of the theme days we organise for different age groups.

“We often work with associations and companies, which makes it very important to keep up those relationships.

We now organise five Fun Days a year and entertain between  and  kids a day.”

www.FunCare4Kids.org

Rob Karman Project Manager and volunteer at FunCareKids

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Heifer

With this cow we can dream again

“We live in an old house,” says Kristo Nushi, a member of the Heifer farmers group in Mertish, Albania. “I have three sons. One of them is married and lives with his wife and children. My other sons live with us. There is such high unemployment; no one in our family has a job with a regular income.

“We received a cow from Heifer, and she gives us milk and a reliable income. She’s a fantastic acquisition; thanks to her we are never hungry anymore. This cow also feeds us mentally. Before we joined this project, we never talked about our options. It has helped us re-find our lust for life and our life. Today my family and I see that we have a future.

With this cow we can once again dream about a better life for our children.”

“Now I can look after my family.”

Koli Ciko lives with his wife and five children in Mertish.

“My family has suffered a lot,” he says. “We have five children and they need healthy meals every day. But my wife and I had no income and couldn’t buy food for them. My wife has been sick for years and she was recently operated. I needed money to buy medicine and healthy food for her. Thanks to our cow, I can now look after my wife and children.”

“A wedding dress for my daughter!”

When the Dhima family received a Heifer cow, their greatest wish came true. The family lives in a building that was used as a local storage space during the communist regime. “We spent our whole life in poverty,” says Mrs. Lili Dhima. “There is no work, no income and that makes it very tough to raise three children. In this country, prices are high and I couldn’t afford clothes and school books for my three daughters.

“Now I can give my daughter a wedding dress, and that has always been one of her dreams. But the cow brings more than just money. She gives fresh milk for my children Merisa, Erieta and Julieta. And there is enough milk left over to sell to others. Thanks to the cow we can now afford a more comfortable home and pay the school fees for our children. The cow gives us the power to overcome poverty and gives us hope for a better future.”

www.heifer.nl

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Kindertelefoon

“Hello, the Kindertelefoon speaking...”

This is a sentence I have used many times when picking up the phone. Since I started working as a volunteer for the Kindertelefoon, a children’s helpline, two years ago, I have had many phone and chat conversations with children between the ages of  and .

I started working here because I think it is really good that

Many people say it must be really tough to work at the

there is an organisation which children can turn to if they

Kindertelefoon. But I actually don’t think so. Of course, I sometimes have difficult conversations, but I have learnt

are worried, a place where people take children seriously and look at a child’s perception of things. Our society is very individualistic and everyone is constantly busy. At the

to let them go. And I am also happy if a child who phones

Kindertelefoon we take time to listen to the children and to help them find a solution.

feeling that this work contributes to children’s well-being.

in distress, hangs up with a sense of relief. It gives me the

Carolien Gravemaker, volunteer During an intensive training course I learnt how to have conversations with children and acquired the necessary skills. There are many facets to this. You think you see the problem and immediately want to start solving it, but often there is more to it. Every child experiences a

www.kindertelefoon.nl

problem in a different way. By showing the children that they can do something themselves, you also build their confidence.

I have many different kinds of conversations and it is nice when a child hangs up with a feeling of relief. But sometimes it’s difficult. Bullying is a big problem for instance.

Children hope that I have a solution. I wish it were that simple. Often they’ve already tried many things: they’ve told their parents, but the parents say they should just bully back. Not all children are able to do this. They’ve told the teacher, who talks to the bully or bullies, and makes them talk to each other, but outside school it only gets worse. At their wit’s end, the children then phone the Kindertelefoon. As a member of staff, you don’t want to disappoint them, but you also know that you can’t make it stop.

So what can you offer at such a time? By showing compassion and by identifying the children’s feelings, they feel understood in a way that they often don’t elsewhere.

It’s also important to give compliments. As soon as I do that, I can hear them cheer up a bit. I give the children confidence and let them know that they count. Some children are just happy to get their story of their chest, others want solutions to reduce the bullying. First I let the child think about what he or she would want to do and whether this is possible. If he or she doesn’t seem to get anywhere, I offer some possibilities. Children are always free to determine what they feel most comfortable with.

At the end of the conversation, I compliment the children with all the things they have come up with.

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Het Limburgs Landschap

After the party

I walk back towards the “Vorstengraf” on the “de Hamert” estate. The panorama near the Pikmeeuwenwater is one

This morning, I first talked to a group of German students about town and country planning in the Netherlands.

of my favourite spots. It is peaceful and the ideal place to

Gradually people in other parts of Europe are realising

recover after a day of intense concentration.

that measures need to be taken to give the economics and ecology equal weight, and the role of a private organisation

Our th anniversary celebrations have just ended and

like ours sparks interest abroad.

now several groups of professionals want to see our work.

Today we had students from a German university and representatives from the agricultural sector.

Afterwards I head for a meeting and excursion with a group of agricultural leaders. Part of the agricultural lands that are being made available in the region will be turned

It’s hard to imagine now, but just one generation ago this wildlife area was in danger of being developed. The previous owner had died and the heirs auctioned the vast area

into nature reserves, and farmers often regard the activities of Het Limburgs Landschap with concern. This is why it is important to be informed about everyone’s intentions.

of forests, moors and pools. Our foundation tried to buy it, but a group of German farmers offered more. Het Limburgs Landschap successfully lodged a complaint

Farmers are going through difficult times because of economic developments. It is good to see that even this group understands that a place like de Hamert should not be

against their development plans. The “useless” piece of land was again put up for sale and after lengthy negoti-

lost. Having nature close by is not a threat, but an opportunity. Every time I see this landscape, I am more convinced of the importance of our work.

ations our foundation was able to secure the estate bit by bit. Now it is part of the National Park de Maasduinen in North Limburg.

Securing wildlife areas through purchase and clever management is the main task of Stichting het Limburgs Landschap (Foundation the Limburg Landscape). Since a group of worried Limburgers founded the organisation in ,  nature reserves with a total surface area of , hectares have been secured, showing that much has been

Oh, and that Vorstengraf I mentioned is a more than ,-year-old, entirely intact burial mound. This makes it even more exciting: for , years no one has known what things look like in there. Speaking of long term.

Edmond Staal, staff member external relations, Stichting het Limburgs Landschap

achieved in those  years. The protection of nature has in the meantime been integrated into government policy.

This means that developers are confronted with limitations in certain places, which sometimes leads to aggravation on their part. At such times, communication about long-term interests is very important.

www.limburgslandschap.nl

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Yanar Mohammed

Daily life of women in Iraq.

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Mama Cash

A Mama Cash project in Iraq

”With the war in Iraq, police protection has weakened,

In spite of this, Yanar continues her struggle. "Together

making women even more vulnerable. The new constitution turns women into second-class citizens,” says women’s activist Yanar Mohammed. Despite the unstable situation

with the OWFI I am continuing to fight against the politics in Iraq. It is absolutely unacceptable that the discrimination and repression of women is being tolerated and kept

in Iraq, Yanar left Canada where she had spent many years, and returned to her homeland on her own, without her husband and son. There she created the Organisation of Women's Freedom in Iraq (OWFI), a radical movement of progressive women and men who fight for the em-

in place in our country. Thanks to new financing from Mama Cash, we are going to launch a radio and television station, so that we can disseminate our message to an even larger group. I don’t see myself in politics. I prefer going out in the streets to talk to people and change their

powerment and protection of women.

mentality.”

"A friend from Baghdad told me on the phone that homes were being looted. Everybody felt un-safe, danger lurked on every street corner. Women were being kidnapped, abused and raped, while their husbands were out fighting at the front. “You have to come, Yanar,” he said. “In Canada, I had remained an active participant in demonstrations, but I felt I had to go back to influence and change the situation on the ground.”

Interview with thanks to Annie Pijnenborg.

OWFI's newsletter Al-Mousawat and other OWFI activities were made possible thanks to a Mama Cash subsidy. Mama Cash has supported OWFI since its foundation.

“OWFI offers shelter to women who have to escape honour killings or domestic violence. So far, we have set up two Women’s Shelters, where we can offer them protection and shelter. So far we have saved  women.

I am convinced that they would no longer be alive if they had not taken refuge with us.”

OWFI works to empower women. “We provide training to women’s activists to teach them how to motivate other women to stand up for their rights. Many women in Iraq are very religious and they often have the feeling that their religion, politics and the economic situation are against them. OWFI aims to make women more assertive.

We also organise conferences and demonstrations and we publish the Al-Mousawat (Equality) newspaper.”

www.mamacash.org

Yanar has become a role model for many women. How does she deal with that? “I have often placed myself in the spotlights, because I realise that I need the media to bring certain topics in the public eye. I see the fact that I have become an example for many women as a step towards the goal I want to reach. Unfortunately, past threats mean that I currently have to walk the streets with a bodyguard."

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Marokko Fonds

Strengthening ties between Morocco and Holland

“When Dutch Moroccans go to Morocco for holidays or a

Another example is a centre for street children in

family visit they are often confronted with the country’s

Casablanca. Volunteers from the organisation collect the

problems and the dark sides of Morocco: poverty, social inequalities, slums, street children. Harrowing situations,

children from the street and provide them with shelter

which many of them would like to do something about,” says Ila Kasem, a Dutch Moroccan who came to Holland at

on their future, so that they will be able to take part in society. “These are great initiatives, and there are so many

the age of three when his father came to work here.

of them in Morocco. We want to make the connection

and education. This gives the children a chance to work

between these organisations and Dutch Moroccans and “People would like to do something about the inequalities, but back in Holland it is often difficult to do anything.

Not because people don’t want to, but simply because

other Dutch people who want to contribute somehow.

Through our fund we can structurally support the positive initiatives in Morocco from Holland.”

they don’t know where to start.” Kasem and three other Dutch Moroccans decided to do something about this by creating a fund to fight poverty in Morocco.

“We started in  and immediately encountered great

“My parents brought money to Morocco, but only to

want to volunteer for the fund or who want to do a study placement on a project in Morocco. That is one of our goals

the family. That’s how it worked with first generation immigrants. Things are slowly changing with the second and third generation. They still feel a connection to their country of origin, but they are also seeking other approaches, new ways of doing something for Morocco. We are

enthusiasm, especially among young Dutch Moroccans.

Every week we receive applications from young people who

as wel: we don’t want to just provide financial support to Moroccan charities, we also want to be platform for exchange of knowledge and experience. More than anything, it is that great involvement of young people here

less bound to the close family circle than the first generation was.”

that is very positive, it has a lot of potential. They want to do something constructive, they are proud of Morocco, and

In , the year in which Morocco and the Netherlands

that’s great. Because Morocco is not only a country with problems, it is also a country full of beautiful and good things.

celebrated  years of relations, the Morocco Fund came into being. “We wanted to create a non-religious organisation, a transparent fund that was operated from the Netherlands and that would allow Dutch Moroccans and anyone else who has a connection to Morocco to do something for the country.”

The Morocco Fund fights poverty and promotes sustainable development throughout Morocco. The focal points are education, healthcare, equal rights, clean drinking water, culture and sport. Children, disabled people and people living in rural environments are specifically targeted by the projects which the fund supports.

“Those are the groups that are worst affected by poverty and social exclusion. Thus in  we are supporting a home for mentally disabled children in Berkane in northern Morocco. It is shocking to see how few facilities there are for the disabled in Morocco: waiting lists for these kinds of projects are huge. This home provides  children with the care and attention they need.”

www.marokkofonds.nl

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Monkey Business

Save the orang-utan and the tropical rainforest

“Did you know that the genes of the orang-utan and the

“From the beginning, I felt very involved with Monkey

human are for  percent identical?” says Chris Zegers, the

Business. It’s a nice organisation, with a pioneer mentality.

ambassador of the Stichting Monkey Business, which campaigns to preserve the habitat of the endangered

It’s a group of creative, dedicated people who enthusias-

orang-utan. “Maybe that’s why I feel so attracted to these

positive attitude appeals to me. Contributing to a better world and at the same time having a nice time, is an ideal

beautiful, playful and tremendously strong animals.”

tically work together towards a cause they believe in. This

combination for reaching out to young people. That’s When did he discover that he really wanted to help these

why it doesn’t cost me any energy to work for Monkey

threatened animals? “I was standing in the rainforest in Borneo, where I had come to film orang-utans, and I was

Business; on the contrary, it gives me energy.”

surrounded by a large open space that had once been overgrown with tropical greenery. It was so confrontational to see this in reality instead of on TV. I had travelled across the world and even here, in this natural environment, it wasn’t possible to let the orang-utan live in the wild.

It really affected me.”

This is why, when Chris was asked to become an ambassador for the Stichting Monkey Business three years ago, he immediately accepted. “I consider myself lucky that I can travel a lot and that I see beautiful places as part of my job.

In Borneo I realised that if we don’t do anything, we soon won’t be able to enjoy the beauty of nature anymore.”

Every day, two football fields worth of tropical rainforest are cut down in Sumatra to create oil palm tree plantations.

The palm oil that is extracted from the trees is used in countless food and cosmetic products. The orang-utan is rapidly losing his habitat through the felling of trees. If this continues at the same rate, there will be no tropical rainforest left in ten years and the orang-utan will be extinct.

“Sometimes it can be discouraging, but that doesn’t get you anywhere. I believe in having a positive attitude!”

That is why Monkey Business organises parties, at which they raise awareness and raise funds for the orang-utan.

“There is always a special atmosphere at these events, because so many great people, famous bands and DJs are willing to work selflessly and for free to make it a good party to protect the orang-utan.”

With the money it collects, Monkey Business supports the

www.saveme.nl

Sumatran Conservation Programme (SOCP). The organisation offers shelter to orang-utans who have been driven from their habitat, abused in the illegal animal trade or whose parents have been killed. The animals are placed in a rehabilitation programme after which they are released in a protected nature reserve in the south of Sumatra.

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NOTS

Enterprising development aid

Founded by two experienced Dutch entrepreneurs in , NOTS approaches development aid from a business point of view by encouraging and supporting small business development and educational projects in developing countries.

NOTS stands for “Not One the Same”, embodying the organisation’s vision of development aid and the funding of projects: every individual and every problem is different and therefore no single solution can be the same. Both the investors and the recipients of support have different aspirations and different needs, and NOTS therefore aims to cater to these individual requirements on a case-by-case basis.

NOTS invests in business and education projects in Argentina, Bolivia, Kenya, Ghana and India. Examples of projects that benefit from NOTS support include a shelter for street children in Hyderabad in India, a business training programme for HIV-infected women in Kenya and a local radio station in Bolivia that provides farmers with

“NOTS is like a facilitator that helps business people invest in development in an entrepreneurial manner,” explains NOTS co-founder, Bart Hartman. “Depending on their needs, we identify suitable investments for them. This can vary from a large investment in a business – almost like ‘adopting’ a business – to smaller investments in a micro-credit fund. Some people don’t want to just invest money, they are also keen to invest time; to go on location and work on a certain project. In this case, we can put them in touch with local projects and companies. And some entrepreneurs from the developed world are keen to produce a limited edition of one of their products, with a percentage of the revenues going to a NOTS project.”

A recent example of this form of investment was the production of designer watches that are now for sale on a dedicated website, www.notswatches.com. With  euros of the sale going to a NOTS project, buyers visiting the website can select not just the model and design of their watch, but also the project they want their  euros to go to.

information on the market prices of their crops and other data that can increase their productivity.

NOTS forms direct and personal connections between investors – as NOTS sponsors are known – and projects.

Investors can pick and choose the project they want to support. Through quarterly updates, investors are

By giving people in the developing world the means and skills to become productive members of their community, NOTS in the long term aims to enable them to become self-sufficient and independent of donations.

With thanks to Bart Hartman, a co-founder of NOTS

informed about the evolution of their projects and the way their money is being spent.

www.nots.nl

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‘More than once they tried to kill me. I am not a soldier.

I am not a criminal.

"My struggle for press freedom in Liberia nearly cost me my life several times. I was imprisoned; I was shot and I am a journalist.’ our office was set on fire. But I nevertheless returned to

oneMen

my home country. The decision was difficult. But I just had to come back; there is so much to be done still.”

After living in exile in the Netherlands for eight years, oneMen pioneer Tom Kamara successfully launched

www.onemen.org

the paper version of the only independent Liberian newspaper, the New Democrat, on  March . In the last few years, security fears meant the paper only published its news reports on the internet. The paper’s objective news reporting wasn’t to the liking of the Taylor regime.

Ex-president Taylor prevented journalists from doing their work and drove them to flee the country.

“Being back in Liberia is completely different than I had imagined. It was a shock to find that my country was so badly devastated. The capital doesn’t even have basic facilities, like paved roads and electricity. In such circumstances it is a huge challenge to publish a newspaper. My aim is to make the New Democrat play a leading role in the transition to democracy in Liberia. During the elections last year, we published extra editions.

I am pleased that there is hope for restoration in my country.

Press freedom has been re-established, in theory in any case, because it is striking that the New Democrat is the only paper that makes use of this newly acquired freedom.

All the other papers are connected to politicians and are far from objective. There is a great need for reliable information, also in the rural areas, where people are cut off from the news sources. That’s why we make sure that our paper is also distributed outside the capital.

Despite the fragile beginnings of peace, I am still often scared. If you write the truth in Africa, you get into trouble.

I have already been threatened several times. In the evenings after work, I go home as quickly as I can. There are still many Taylor henchmen around, who are not too pleased with my critical pen. Some people say I am mad and believe that I am risking my life. But thanks to the support of many, I find the force to carry on.”

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Orange Babies

Giving mothers new hope

When I think back to it, I get a warm feeling inside – the atmosphere that day was so special… I was working in a small hospital in Soweto and we were expecting our first visit from Baba Sylla, John Kattenberg and Stef Bakker from Orange Babies. Luckily they were just as nervous as

How can you forget something like that? It’s impossible.

The simple question of why anyone should have to endure such grief, leaves you feeling paralysed and helpless. So much has changed now, and today we can

we were.

help mothers. And besides medicine, there is something else that helps you survive: hope. Hope generates the energy to fight. I have found the courage to make some-

The small hospital ward was crowded; that morning more mothers with HIV had come in to give birth. I told them

thing of my life, probably because there are still so many women who can’t say the same.

that a Dutch group was coming and that they worked in fashion. I didn’t know exactly what they did, but we organised a surprise fashion show. I had given the women beautifully coloured slings and drawn red hearts on their round bellies. Our guests really got the show of their lives.

Florence Ngobeni works at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto. She gives counselling and lectures on HIV and AIDS around the world. In  she lost her daughter to the illness with which she has to live every day.

Up till today, those women are still so grateful because they received medicine to save their babies. If you are infected and use the medicine during pregnancy, there is a big chance that the child will be born healthy. But until then, there had been no money to pay for medicine.

But the AIDS problem cannot be solved simply through medicine that stops babies from getting infected. It is a much broader problem that is deep-rooted in society, in South Africa’s social norms and in the way people believe they should treat each other. One day a woman came into the hospital. She had been kicked and beaten, her back was black and blue. That’s what happens when you tell your family you have HIV: you are disowned.

When you see that, you consider yourself lucky, though I haven’t been spared myself. My dearest wish was to see my daughter grow up. When I was pregnant with her nine years ago, I suddenly fell ill and had to be rushed to hospital. That’s where they told me I had AIDS. The doctor talked to me about HIV and AIDS for hours on end, but all I was interested in was my child. At the time there was no artificial breast milk yet, and I asked the doctor whether I should stop breast-feeding. But he said I might as well carry on, because it was too late anyway. I continued to breast-feed because otherwise my baby would have gone hungry. But I also knew I was killing my baby.

www.orangebabies.com

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PAZ-Holandesa

Improving healthcare in Peru

“In  I bought an e-ticket to Peru – a few clicks that

Sometimes I don’t understand those armchair philo-

were to change my life, though I could never have guessed

sophers who maintain that development aid doesn’t

to what extent. I found the country fascinating and at the

make a difference. People say it’s just a drop in the ocean,

same time the poverty made a deep impression on me. I was particularly struck by the number of children with unt-

but every drop is a drop, and many drops make a sea. We have operated more than , children in Peru.

reated harelips. Apparently in Peru many children have birth defects such as harelips, spina bifida (split spine) or

And we haven’t reached our goal yet. The next step is the

clubfeet. There is a variety of reasons for the

realisation of a long-held dream to create our own chil-

prevalence of these defects, including genetic factors and social circumstances such as large families and unbalan-

dren’s revalidation hospital. This would offer a sustainable

ced diets.

equipped to train local doctors and nurses ourselves, increase the number of operations and offer even better

If you are born with a harelip in Holland, it isn’t problem

care. Thanks to the , square metres of land donated

from a medical point of view, as everyone is insured.

Sufferers are operated and receive aftercare if necessary.

by the town of Paucarpata this dream is now being turned into reality.

In a country like Peru things are different. More than  per cent of the population is not insured.

Marjan van Mourik

solution for coming generations, as we would be better

In the past six years I have often thought: what have I embarked on? The prejudices in the Netherlands and the difficult situation in Peru can really affect your motivation.

But when I see the joy in the eyes of the children after they have been operated, or when I hear that they are going back to school, I know why I am doing this.

www.pazholandesa.nl

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Peace One Day I'm tired; I got to bed at am. As I shut my eyes, I can still see the camera flashes and hear the cries of the press.

Images of last night collide with those of the last six years, of when I began my journey. Yesterday we held the premiere, in America, of Peace One Day, the documentary that drove the world to create a Peace Day with a fixed calendar date. The work of countless incredible volunteers over these years has paid off and I am travelling around the world with the film to promote awareness of the day. Angelina Jolie and Jonny Lee Miller were there to announce their backing of the project and it worked.

They've helped forge relationships for the next stage of my journey - a new film, about continuing to raise awareness of Peace Day -  September.

It's great that so many celebrities want to use their status to help raise awareness of Peace Day, but I also recognise how many people helped me over the past few years, who

When I originally conceived of this day I wanted it to be an opportunity for ceasefire, and I'm working hard to help make that a reality for the next year's Peace Day. As Secretary-General Kofi Annan said to me "Individuals can make a difference and if each of us does our bit, collectively we can make a major contribution."

What a great message.

Jeremy Gilley, Founder, Peace One Day

www.peaceoneday.org

stay anonymous but are vital to Peace One Day's success.

It's a wonderful feeling that we all share the same dream.

It's now .am and I'm on my way to UN HQ for this year's Peace Day ceremony. Once through security, I stroll down the walkway towards the peace garden. It's a beautiful day, blue sky, still and yet strange. The last time I did this was  September . I had arrived early for the ceremony planned for that morning in which Secretary General Kofi Annan was to ring the peace bell and announce the creation of a United Nations' day of global ceasefire and non-violence, fixed in the calendar as  September annually – Peace Day. But that never happened. The planes hit and the proceedings were cancelled.

This year feels like a cycle completed. I'm standing beside Michael Douglas and a small group of others as Secretary General Kofi Annan begins his speech. I think about the journey that brought Peace Day into existence… What happened on  September  only strengthened my belief in how much we need this day and it made me even more determined to make sure that the day works.

This year Kofi Annan did ring the bell for Peace Day: a day of global unity, of intercultural cooperation, a day where we celebrate our common desire for a more peaceful world. It seems obvious to me that the time has come for the world to be united. Global unity is only possible when we all become a part of a move towards such a vision and  September is the starting point. What will it eventually create? We have no idea. But one thing is certain, it is constructive, empowering and a step forward towards a united world.

Furthermore, this day has immense practical applications.

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Ronald Mc Donald Kinderfonds The Ronald McDonald Kinderfonds offers support to families who have a sick or disabled child. Today there

Ronald McDonald House: A home away from home

are  Ronald McDonald Houses in the Netherlands – three of which are under development – where families with ill children can come and stay. Other Kinderfonds projects give sick or disabled children a chance to play, do

Warmth

sports or go on holiday with their parents. The Kosten

By now Kimberly is “clean”. “It was wonderful when

family from Goes, Zeeland looks back on a stay in the

Kimberly was declared cancer free. But we knew that it

Ronald McDonald House Rotterdam.

was not over yet. The medicine, the chemotherapy and radiotherapy have long-lasting after-effects. It’s still like a

In , Eric and Miranda’s daughter Kimberly Kosten ()

little time bomb she has to live with. Our life has changed

was diagnosed with a very aggressive brain tumour. It was

a lot through Kimberly’s illness. You live in constant fear.

the beginning of a difficult time for the family. From one

We try to spend as much time as possible with the children now. It’s reassuring to know that we will never

day to the next, your daughter is transformed from a cheery, playful little girl to a critically ill child who is fighting for her life. “As a mother you feel something is wrong,” says Miranda Kosten. Eric continues: “In the end we

need to leave our daughter alone. If she ends up in hospital again, we know that we can find a warm home near Kimberly: the Ronald McDonald House.”

learnt that Kimberly had a tumour behind her cerebellum.

It was a slap in the face for us. Our world fell apart for a moment. Never in my life have I felt so much fear.”

“It took seven heavy chemo treatments and  radiotherapy treatments to save Kimberly’s life,” remembers Miranda. “It’s surprising how cheerful and energetic Kimberly still was during much of it. Things were looking really bad for her. We were so happy when it became clear that the chemotherapy was having an effect.”

Ray of hope During Kimberly’s hospitalisation, the Kosten family stayed in the Ronald McDonald House Rotterdam for more than nine months. Eric comments: “I’ll never forget how we walked into the Rotterdam House for the first time, dazed by all the emotions. The way the volunteers welcomed us was amazing. At that moment the Ronald McDonald House was the only ray of hope in our lives. Over time it has really become our second home.” Miranda adds: “The home’s management and the volunteers were an enormous support to us. You don’t have to explain anything.

They understand the situation you are in.”

“The Ronald McDonald House is really important when your child is ill and far from home,” Eric says. “It was our saviour. I don’t think we would have gotten through it otherwise. Your whole life is affected: your relationship, taking care of our son Ricardo, keeping the house clean.

Now we could still have a more or less normal family life in spite of everything. Thanks to our stay in the Ronald McDonald House we got through this difficult period.”

www.kinderfonds.nl

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SKK

Fighting for workers rights

Created in the Netherlands in , the Clean Clothes Campaign aims to improve working conditions in the garment and sportswear industries around the world and

At the same time, there is still a lot to be done. “We hear reports of improvements, but it is very difficult to verify these claims. There is a lack of transparency in the chain

increase awareness of labour laws and the work environment.

The campaign is supported by many thousands of individuals and hundreds of organisations in nine countries. Over

of production which means that work from the large factories is now often outsourced to illegal sweatshops with terrible work conditions,” explains Jeroen Merk, working at the Dutch secretariat of the Clean Clothes Campaign.

the years, it has generated widespread public awareness about the poor working conditions in the garment industry

“Still, if you compare the situation today to how it was

and the role of multinational companies in perpetuating these situations. Consumers today are increasingly con-

ten years ago, you can definitely see improvements, especially with the larger brands like Nike, PUMA and

cerned about fair trade and decent working conditions for employees in the fashion industry.

adidas. The fact that they have joined the Fair Labour Association and that they are involved in discussions with

The campaign works on different levels. It reaches out to

unions, means that it is easier to effect change. They have realised that consultation with workers can also benefit

consumers and informs them about the poor working conditions in clothing and sportswear factories around the world. Through campaigns, debates and publications,

their company.

consumers are encouraged to voice their concern to

about the poor work conditions in sweatshops in coun-

companies and governments by writing letters.

tries like Indonesia and Mexico. When people start massi-

In the countries where production takes place, the Clean

vely writing letters and emails to a company like PUMA, it has an effect. Thanks to anti-sweatshop campaigns, many

Clothes Campaign has built up relations with a range of unions and NGOs that provide information about working conditions. Together they discuss strategies to improve conditions with the help of workers’ unions. The campaign also puts pressure on companies to respect the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) labour

“Among the general public too, there is more awareness

consumers today want to know that their clothes are produced under decent conditions. To them it is just as important as the price and quality of a product.”

Thanks to Jeroen Merk, Dutch secretariat of the Clean Clothes Campaign

conventions.

The combination of letter-writing and lobbying has over the years delivered results. Major sports brands such as adidas, Nike, Reebok and PUMA have now signed codes of conduct which specify the maximum number of work hours and give workers the right to set up unions and workers’ collectives to defend their rights. The multinationals have also joined the Fair Labour Association, a multi-stakeholder initiative that aims to develop a more systematic approach to code implementation, monitoring and verification. ILO reports also show that child labour has decreased and that safety standards have improved in many factories.

www.schonekleren.nl

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Seva Network Foundation

“I have become a skilled worker”

My name is Anita Tete. I am from a small village called

“Now I can finally use a computer”

Bhijadhi in the state of Jharkhand, India. I am the eldest of seven children and when I was , my father, who was the breadwinner of the family, got tuberculosis and I had to

“I was so happy when I heard there would be a cyber café

start working to support my family. I left for Mumbai in search of employment. Through a friend I found a job as a domestic worker, which I did for three years. I worked from : am until : pm, washing clothes, cooking and cleaning the house.

During this time, I heard that Vandana Public Welfare Foundation was conducting counselling and motivating

and a library here. When it actually happened, I immediately registered as a volunteer. Together with some other girls I work in the library two days a week and we meet a lot of people. I really like it. I also followed a course and now I can finally use a computer. I know how to put texts in a word-processing programme, how to save, copy and so on. Soon there will be follow-up courses and I will definitely join. We’re all so happy with the cyber café and the library which were set up thanks to Seva. I feel I spend my

sessions on how to become a para teacher. I attended this

free time usefully and pleasantly. Usefully, because I have learned so many new skills effortlessly. I’ve also noticed

programme and immediately enrolled with them to attend the teacher training course. It was nine-month

that I have an easier at time at school. The whole idea of ‘learning’ suddenly doesn’t seem so daunting. I used to

course, where I learnt mathematics, Hindi, English, community health care and vocational training courses. After

find it a nuisance. Now there seems to be nothing to it.”

completing the course, I got a job as a para teacher and

Sharla Gahar, first-grade advanced elementary education

now I earn  rupees ( euros) a month. From being a domestic worker, I have become a skilled worker. Back

in Uitkijk, Suriname Sharla is a volunteer in the library at the Educational

home, my family’s situation has also improved. I sincerely thank Vandana Public Welfare Foundation and Seva

Centre “de Uitkijk”. On  April  a pilot project was launched here with the help of Seva to buy furniture and

Network Foundation for their support. Without their help,

computers, and to set up a cyber café.

this wouldn’t have happened to me.

“In the end we will see that the direct relationship between people and groups of people has better results, not just in terms of development and poverty reduction, but especially in terms of human dignity. People prefer to live in poverty than to be treated without dignity. Seva fights poverty without harming people’s dignity.”

Anil Ramdas, journalist, director of De Balie and member of the Seva recommending committee

www.sevanetwork.net

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STOP AIDS NOW!

United in the fight against AIDS

Dutch photographer Adriaan Backer, , is travelling around the world with a single mission: to reveal the true face of the silent assassin, AIDS, and to break down the taboos and silence surrounding the HIV virus. Many of his photos were made in Hillbrow, a neighbourhood that is considered to be the “cesspit of Africa”.

This is where the poorest of the poor live: the unemployed, refugees from other parts of Africa, drug and alcohol addicts and countless AIDS orphans who have no relatives anymore and who have come to Johannesburg in search of help or a job. They are met by gangsters, who force both boys and girls into prostitution. The child prostitutes get many clients because with its many hotels Hillbrow is one of the most important stopover points for South Africans when they are travelling. The consequence is that the children get HIV/AIDS and subsequently infect thousands of travellers, who in turn spread the virus throughout the country. Adriaan’s camera tells the story of the children, but also of the hopeful initiatives surrounding them.

Every evening, the Twilight Children shelter opens its doors for street children. In their “bakkie” – the South African term for pick-up truck – staff drive around to distribute food and , condoms a month, while at the same time talking to traumatised children.

www.stopaidsnow.nl

In her tiny home, Oma Morphese looks after  children of AIDS patients. Morphese has taken the children in because she does not want them to end up on the streets and fall into the hands of the prostitution criminals. But if you knock on Oma Morphese’s door late at night, there is a big chance the door will not be opened, because there are  matrasses blocking the front door.

STOP AIDS NOW! helps Oma Morphese, Twilight Children and many other AIDS projects in developing countries through counselling, the support of AIDS orphans, caring for the sick, providing affordable medication or the development of a vaccine. AIDS needs to be fought on all fronts, because it is rapidly turning into the greatest disaster that has ever threatened the global community.

With thanks to Adriaan Backer

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VSO

“I am learning to really listen again!”

“I had expected that I would need more time to adapt

Someone once told me that you get to know your own

when I arrived in Kenya, but it wasn’t so bad. As I work for Yacht, a recruitment agency for professional temps, I am used to being the ‘new kid on the block’, and living up

culture best by experiencing another culture. It’s the same when it comes to yourself and your attitude to life. At home I have a comfortable social network. Here I’m on my

to expectations. The diversity of projects and organisations I work with, and the different levels at which I interact, mean that I quickly feel at home within an

own. I’m getting to know a different side of myself, because the people here demand different skills and behaviour from me than at home. I believe everyone can benefit

organisation. It’s the same here.

from taking a step back for a while, and looking at themselves and their culture from a distance. It makes me conscious of my strengths and weaknesses.

My role is to advise the directors of the Eldoret Diocese about the future of their orthopaedic workshop. The Diocese offers housing to disabled children in a number of

I am glad that I decided to do this and would recommend

small care homes. Their orthopaedic workshop is the only productive and well-organised workshop in the whole

it to others. It’s really cool to share my knowledge and experience with people in a less developed country. It’s

region. They make mobility aids such as crutches, wheelchairs and artificial legs. Originally these were only meant

great to discuss different insights and show people different ways of thinking and acting. They learn from me, but

for the children in the homes, but today they are also used by other people with a disability. The Diocese wants the

I learn just as much from them. And it’s also really nice to work in another country for a while and see your own way

workshop to become self-sufficient. They can develop the

of working from a different perspective.

capacity but they can’t raise the prices because the customers can’t afford to pay more. That means that the work-

Elwin Wolters, interim professional at Yacht, working in

shop needs to raise funds or find donors. An interesting period!

Kenya for half a year with the international development organisation VSO. Yacht is part of Randstad Holding nv.

Randstad Holding has a partnership with VSO since 

I am learning to listen again, especially to the things that are said –and not said– between the lines. Communication is very important and it is interesting to experience how subtle it can be. Here I really have to be alert when people are talking. I have to take the time to first talk about personal things and only then talk about business. Things like that are also useful back home. By building up more personal relationships with colleagues, it is easier to obtain results later on.

www.vso.nl www.randstad.com/vso

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WTF

“I said to him:‘Daddy, I love you.

I’ll see you in heaven.’

And then she was on her own.

Viktorija, , was born in a small Kosovan village of  inhabitants. Eleven years ago during the war, the village was attacked. Only  villagers survived. Viktorija witnessed the bloody killings and saw her father, mother and two brothers, but also her neighbours and many playmates being murdered. She never found her best friend Barbara again. Her father was the only one she spoke to before he died.

Viktorija is one of the schoolchildren who benefited from Anica Kos’ trauma training programme. When she told her story in bits and pieces to her teacher, it became clear that it was the first time she had talked about it. Since then Viktorija hasn’t really changed: she is still an earnest girl. But her stepsister Renata knows that Viktorija no longer wakes up screaming in the middle of the night.

New faith in life and in the people around her have banished her fears, nightmares and depressions. Viktorija

Viktorija still lives in Kosovo. She is one of the many children who experienced the horrors of the Balkan war.

can dream again, of a future without war.

Driven away from her home and with no family, she was able to survive with the help of a former neighbour. But

Viktorija is not on her own. Around the world there are millions of girls, boys and adults who are traumatised by

surviving is not the same as living. Viktorija suffered from the delayed effects of the traumatising events she witnes-

the violence of war and terror, for example in Congo, Afghanistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Beslan and East-

sed. As time went by, she was increasingly affected by

Timor. That is why the War Trauma Foundation enables aid

severe panic attacks and depression. She hardly dared going to sleep because she had nightmares, gruesome

in the treatment of these traumatised victims of war, terror and organised violenced. Anywhere in the world.

images from the past that haunted her sleep and caused her to wake up screaming. Viktorija needed psychological help to learn to live again.

Child psychologist Dr. Anica Mikus Kos has devoted herself entirely to children like Viktorija. She is the driving force behind a local aid organisation in Slovenia. With professional and financial support from the War Trauma Foundation, she has launched a training programme, which allowed for the psychological counseling of thousands of traumatised schoolchildren in Bosnia and Kosovo.

Since its creation  teachers have been trained to recognise trauma and provide basic help. Through schools around , children and teenagers, and nearly , adults have received help.

As a Jew, Anica Kos was herself a victim of persecution as a young girl during WWII. Writing in a publication that was produced with the War Trauma Foundation as a result of the project and that is today used for trauma care in various conflict zones, she says: “My life experiences have shaped my views on what can be done to empower children affected by wars and social adversities, and what can be done to stimulate the healing process. As school is

www.wartrauma.nl

central in a child’s life and also the most important space outside the family home, I have concentrated mainly on that environment. All involved can benefit: children, families and teachers.”

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StichtingTegenZinloosGeweld

“To whoever feels concerned…”

“Are you also fed up with this pointless violence? I am starting a campaign! A campaign for life. Yesterday I created a foundation dedicated to the fight against violence and the blurring of moral standards, both mental and physical, on the street and at home, on a national and international level.”

These were the opening lines of my first press release on behalf of the Stichting TegenZinloosGeweld (Foundation AgainstPointlessViolence). I launched the foundation on a gut feeling on  September  after the death of Meindert Tjoelker from Leeuwarden. On his stag night (of all nights!) four men beat him up so badly that he died of the injuries. All he had done was ask his attackers to leave a couple of bikes alone. Police officer Kees Bangma called upon the nation to observe a one-minute silence, a sign of respect that was massively observed throughout the country. But for me it wasn’t enough; I believe that when it comes to aggression and violence, there should be better and more substantial communication. Communication that can elicit a change in mentalities, raise awareness and thus bring about a change in behaviour.

That is why I created the StichtingTegenZinloosGeweld, a foundation that identifies with a positive symbol: the ladybird. It is a symbol of love and tenderness, a symbol against aggression and violence. It brings luck and sometimes, who knows, change.

The more people rally around this symbol, the louder our voice becomes. More and more people are following the example of others, are being inspired, and each individual tries to contribute in his own way to build a society with less bullying, aggression and violence.

Let everyone hear that it will no longer be tolerated. The victims will hear us and know that they are not on their own. I believe that the solution for aggression and violence lies in prevention and education. The continued goaloriented initiatives are designed to bring about a structural change in mentalities, so that the children of today will in future not have to file past the latest victim and think that aggression and violence are normal and that they should be taken for granted.

Sweet song Hi sweet little creature Sweet little ladybird Come sit on my hand Walk around and feel free Go from hand to hand Hi sweet little creature Sweet little ladybird You stand for love and happiness For wishes and for existence And if you want to go again Fly away.. or I will blow you away Be free wherever you are I think you are beautiful, I think you are sweet Show off your dots, your red wings You are against pointless violence My little creature, my little friend, my hero You help, for all those in sorrow You give hope, you represent more Show yourself, again... and again Hi sweet little creature Sweet little ladybird Come sit on my hand Walk around and feel free Go from hand to hand You give a signal, a clear message Stop aggression and violence Sweet little ladybird You are my hero I think you are beautiful, I think you are sweet Show off your dots, your red wings You are against pointless violence My little creature, my little friend, my hero You help, for all those in sorrow You give hope, you represent more Show yourself….

I think you are beautiful, I think you are sweet Show off your dots, your red wings You are against pointless violence My little creature, my little friend, my hero You help, for all those in sorrow You give hope, you represent more Show yourself, again... and again

Bart Wisbrun

Hi sweet little creature Sweet little ladybird Come sit on my hand Walk around and feel free Go from hand to hand

Initiator Landelijke StichtingTegenZinloosGeweld (National Foundation AgainstPointlessViolence)

Hi little ladybird Go from hand to land

www.zinloosgeweld.nl

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Z-Magazine

Making new contacts all the time

Z vendor Frank Gaby “I started selling Z two months ago.

I do it to support myself, as I don’t get anything from the council. I spent  years working for Unilever at a perfume company. When I left, I even got a gold watch for my hard work. But the government changed the policy for “witte illegalen” (illegal immigrants who have worked for six consecutive years in the Netherlands) and that is why I’m now waiting for the legal verdict. I am originally from Ghana and they want me to go back there. I am  years old and when I turn  I will be allowed to come back to collect my pension. But I don’t want to go to Ghana, I don’t have anything there anymore. In the meantime, I am earning some money through the sales of the homeless paper which allows me to support myself. I also meet new people through it. Customers are really nice to me, they even sometimes buy me some food. I am all the time making new contacts.”

Z vendor Maurice “I started selling the homeless paper two years ago. Before that I was begging in front of shops because I had lost my job. I was fired after a merger between ZAO and Agis; according to the judge it was my own fault. It meant I couldn’t pay my rent anymore and I ended up in the street. The people who first saw me begging, are happy that I am now selling the paper, as I used to get police fines for begging. I sell the paper by the Albert Heijn on the Overtoom and I usually manage to sell about  papers a week. I work an average of six days a week, and can organise my own time. Old friends who see me now say that I am much more cheerful and happy.”

Z vendor Harald “For me, selling the homeless newspaper was a way of surviving. I started in  when the paper

www.zmagazine.nl

had only just been founded. I am from Germany.

Relational problems and the fact that I was declared unfit to do my job made me come to Holland. I thought I would be able to find work here, in the flower bulb industry… unfortunately, I didn’t. In the beginning it was tough, people didn’t know the paper yet. I heard that some people thought that the vendors were Jehovah’s Witnesses, and vendors had to explain that they were homeless and couldn’t get a job. Now everyone knows. Many customers buy the paper to help me, I have lots of nice customers who are concerned about me. I have lived on the street, slept under bridges, in a tent and sometimes in small rooms if I could afford them. After a while, I was able to buy myself a caravan. Now I’m engaged and I’ve moved in with my girlfriend Ada. We are happy together and we can live off her pension and the money I make from the sales of the newspaper.”

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Ripley, a shepherd cross looking for a new home

Streek-Dierentehuis Leiden ‘Stevenshage’

So there you are... after four years of loyalty to your owner, you all of a sudden find yourself tied to a fence.

And there you were thinking it was going to be a nice walk along the Valkenburgsemeer.

It’s lovely weather; ideal for a nice, long, relaxing walk to

Ripley would like to introduce herself

forget all the worries about the little ones. Your owner picks up the leash in the hallway and that can only mean one thing: walkies! Great!

It turns out to be a short walk though, that ends quite differently than expected. You are tied to a fence and what does your owner do? He walks off without looking back

I am a real shepherd by nature. I am active and eager to learn. I bark at most other dogs but when I am off the lead I really love playing with them. If I do, then I chase them away by barking. As the people at the shelter don’t

and leaves you behind in total bewilderment and despair.

know whether I get along with children, they prefer to place me in a family with older children.

Which kind owner with a lot of time and an active life will

This can’t be true! Your puppies still need love and care!

And what about your breast milk? Against the odds, you keep quietly hoping your master will come back, but it is

give me a good life?

Oh, and if you phone, ask for Ripley. That’s my new name!

starting to take really long.... It’s raining, you feel a cold chill running through your body. You look around in the hope that you will spot someone who can take you home.

Is there no one at all who wants to take care of you?

Oh thank God, someone is coming. He unties you and brings you to the animal shelter. Thankfully someone has their heart in the right place.

In the animal shelter they take good care of you. You are so incredibly sweet that it’s not difficult for the carers and volunteers to fall in love with you within seconds. You try to make the best of it and come to terms with your great sadness by getting lots of cuddles from the carers at the shelter. To thank them, you dutifully bring back the tennis balls every time they are thrown in the park and you totally adapt to the daily routine of the shelter.

But you still can’t understand why that last walk with your owner had to end the way it did. The people at the shelter weren’t really surprised, unfortunately they are used to it.

Now they all hope there will soon be a new owner who will have thought about whether he can offer a dog a good life, who will take you as you are and who will never abandon you again.

www.dierenasielleiden.nl

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Love in the City

Because every added smile counts

Love in the City believes in drops in the ocean.

In small and large initiatives to heat the city.

Because every added smile counts.

Every added kiss.

Every friendly gesture.

Joining in is as easy as can be.

Try to smile once in a while, try to give a kiss once in a while, Let that someone with two errands go ahead at the supermarket.

Because Love in the City says: ”Give your finger, and someone may want your hand.

But if you don’t give a finger, you will die lonely.”

So give.

Generously.

Sprinkle your love around.

And just wait and see what you get in return.

You’ve got nothing to loose, and love to gain.

The idea for “Love in the City” came about after a series of debates for  to -year-olds in the Paradiso concert

A few times a year, Love in the City offers programmes: some are serious, others are playful; some bring a smile

venue in . With every topic that was brought up, it became clear that the emphasis lies on the individual and

to your face, others elicit melancholy. The format varies: public gatherings in Paradiso with lectures, literature and

the self. Are you expanding your mind? Broadening your horizons? And living your dreams with all the choices on

music, art in the city, small events with actors and thematic projects by design students. As Love in the City is a plat-

offer in today’s world? It was also the time of the great “norms and values” discussion, a hardening of attitudes

form for artists, they interpret the brief in a personal way.

Love has many facets, and the way in which city dwellers treat each other is a theme that affects people directly.

and, after  September, the growing gap between the country’s Muslim and non-Muslim population.

People often ask us: “Is there more love in Amsterdam It became clear that the profusion of choice is not a guarantee for happiness. Because it puts people under pressure – “I don’t know what I want” – and makes them greedy – “I want friends, relationships, work, travel, hobbies, and I want them all to be really brilliant, really far away and really special!” Is seems that you mean to others is much less important. This excessive individualism inspired us to organise a series of programmes about how we relate to one another in today’s urban culture.

Instituut Liefde in de Stad (Institute Love in the City) is a research project that explores how people deal with each other in an urban context. Using a creative and original approach that is unhindered by policy interests, it seeks to positively influence people’s attitudes towards each other through art and culture. Visual artists, marketing strategists, poets, writers, musicians and scientists provide the institute with innovative research.

today?” We think yes. A little bit. A little bit that counts.

And here we refer to Norman Lear, the film producer and political activist who created “All in the Family”: “I had a grandfather. One day when I was nine or ten years old, I was chucking pebbles into a lake. They bounced on the water. He said: ‘Every time you throw a stone, the water level rises.’ So I took a huge stone, threw it in and looked at the shoreline to see the water rise. ‘No,’ said my grandfather, ‘you can’t see it and you can’t prove it, but a scientist can. You will never see it, the only thing you will see are the ripples. You must remember this,’ he said, ‘because it is important.’”

Lisa, Babs, Saar and Liza

www.liefdeindestad.nl

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Fonds Gehandicaptensport

From healthy baby to professional hand-biker

At the age of , Cefas Bouman () is hit by a car while

For him, sport means “the ability to be able to operate in

cycling across a junction. He damages his knee and breaks his thigh-bone in several places. Cefas was left with a

fitness, safety and health”. “If you want to live well and

walking disability after the accident and has since then

without a disability, movement offers chances to achieve

been dependent on his wheelchair.

goals. Whatever your level, your confidence gets an enormous boost.”

sensibly, movement is essential. For people with and

After the accident, Cefas soon picked up sports again. “The revalidation centre encouraged me to keep on practicing

“During a disability sports day, hundreds of sportsmen

sports. Sport helps during the revalidation period and allows you to achieve results, which builds confidence.” It

and -women with a physical, mental or sensory disability

was Cefas’ father who had the idea of developing a hand-

“throwing a straight left”, one of the participants exclaimed that her “straight left” was on vacation. Through

bike. Hand-biking is a combination of wheelchair racing and cycling, using the arms to cycle on a kind of reclining bicycle.

Cefas had such a talent for hand-biking that by  he was part of the national team. “Sport allows me to achieve

took part in a boxing training. During the exercise

the paralysis of her left hand, she wasn’t able to do the exercise, but she was perfectly capable of throwing a good straight right. With humour this all falls into place and sport helps you to come to terms with your disability.”

high-level results and it makes me feel that my disability doesn’t interfere in my daily life. I also can show others what can be achieved with a disability.”

Living a healthy life is important for everyone, also for disabled people. Sport contributes to healthy living and makes you feel fit. This has positive effects, both in physical and social terms. “Since I started exercising, I have a lot more energy. Just look at where sport brought me.

Who would ever have imagined that I would be going for gold in the Paralympic Games in Beijing in . My positive attitude, enthusiasm and the many donations have brought me to where I am now!”

Fit for life!

Arnold Vanderlyde (), Olympic boxing champion and ambassador of the Fonds Gehandicaptensport says: “There were six of us at home, three brothers and two sisters. My older brother was born with a deformity in his back, feet and hand. From the first moment he had to fight, not just physically because of a serious operation

www.fondsgehandicaptensport.nl

and the brace he had to wear, but also mentally to come to terms with his disability. Sport had always played a substantial role in our family. It gave my brother exactly the right framework and gave him confidence. It certainly contributed to making him the person he is today.”

Through this experience, but also by looking around in his surroundings, Arnold has become devoted to disability sport which he feels closely connected to.

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