OtherWise Co-creating Knowledge For Change
Annual report 2015
‘‘OtherWise aims to connect science and society by facilitating learning experiences in the fields of Agroecology and the right to a liveable environment. By giving a voice to civil society organisations and supporting alternative ways of thinking, we aim to democratise knowledge and empower people to move to a more environmentally and socially just world.’’
Foreword With our new board freshly started, as one of our first activities in 2016 we address the evaluation and assessment of the past year. Doing so, we learned all about the activities organized through and under the umbrella of our contemporary themes: Democratising Knowledge, Agro-ecology and Food Sovereignty, and Right to a Liveable Environment (Chapters 2-4). We would like to shed some light on our successful first Spotlight Activity in 2015: The Mansholt Theatre Play, which was highly appreciated by the participants (Chapter 5). Our themes are highly relevant and appealing to students of Wageningen University. We want to build upon that for the organization as a whole. So besides the evaluation reports and other administration tasks that have to be covered by an organisation, we have started the internal discussion on our funding and the OtherWise identity as an organisation. Two highly intertwined issues, which we feel we have to address individually, though in parallel processes, due to our current financial situation, covered in Chapter 6. Tasks in the board have been divided and goals are set for the coming year. The first internal policy day is planned for February. For the Christmas mailing two possibilities for new ways of getting funded were already implemented within two weeks. The coordinators continue coordinating and organising the activities and activating our networks from the interesting junction or ‘HUB’ that OtherWise is. Last years’ board recognized the necessity for more board capacity, as well as hands on capacity, and managed to gather an extended and highly motivated board of nine to meet the challenges for 2016: extended third party funding to be able to execute our ambitious plans and clear OtherWise identity in line with, and appealing to, a new generation of students. Looking back with the former chair Fiona Morris and former interim chair Tracey O’Connor, the reflection of an engaging year comes to mind. Following a highly inclusive process, a new and transparent Community Structure evolved into a new Organisation Structure based on co-creation and co-ownership. Fiona together with Dhian Sioe Lie as Treasurer were indispensable in restructuring the foundation of OtherWise at a time when change was needed for a healthy future. We are lucky to have Dhian Sioe still on board. There may have been a lot of change, but it also brought valuable new insights, learning and vigour. The composition of the new board can be considered one of the achievements of 2015 and also reflects the attractiveness of OtherWise for students. The agreements reached on the community structure in a highly inclusive process to get there, and the growth of the OtherWise Community and strengthening of these concepts as part of the OtherWise’s world view, including new voices which added to OtherWise over the year of 2015 including Wendy, Marta, Leonardo, Jildou, Karen, Niki, Suzanna, Alberto, Titis, Katja, Angela, Siebe van der Geijn, and other iWeek volunteers, interns, project assistants, and advisors. Thank you for being part of our Community! We could not have executed our activities and our plans without the valuable partnerships OtherWise holds with our fellow partners Boerengroep and RUW, and with many (grass roots) organisations in our extensive international network. More on our Partnerships and Community is to be found in Chapter 7. Also we could not have done the work we do without the funding and facilitation from Wageningen University. We would like to thank our partners and main sponsor for their vital contributions and aim to continue to develop OtherWise as the HUB it has become within the Wageningen ecology.
Excursion to CSA De Nieuwe Ronde, Wageningen
Contents Annual Report Foreword
3
Chapter 1 - OtherWise in 2015
6
Chapter 2 - Agro-ecology and Food Sovereignty
8
Chapter 3 - Right to a Liveable Environment
12
Chapter 4 - Democratising Knowledge
14
Chapter 5 - Spotlight - Mansholt Theatre Play
18
Chapter 6 - Finances
20
Chapter 7 - Partnerships and Community
22
Chapter 1 OtherWise in 2015
OtherWise is a small but global thinking NGO associated with Wageningen University. Like the University, we aim to discuss and improve the quality of life. OtherWise believes that a sustainable livelihood for all can be achieved through creating coalitions, networks and dialogue. Our education and research activities are therefore characterised by an interest for social justice, international cooperation, sustainability, and democratising knowledge & research. As a learning & knowledge organisation we encourage and facilitate students and other stakeholders to develop and use knowledge towards a more environmentally and socially just world. OtherWise aims to empower students to discuss and learn about social change, democratising knowledge and sustainability. We nurture empowerment by creating learning experiences both within and outside Wageningen UR, by giving a platform to alternative voices, and by holding a space for critical thinking. At OtherWise we promote awareness of choices by highlighting views or methods which challenge the dominant ways of thinking or doing, and help students get inspired by, and engage in, promising people-driven initiatives.
FUNDERS WUR
OtherWise Community
ADVICE COUNCIL Experts, resources, buddy’s
COMMUNITY BOARD
Identity & strategy Legal resp.|Finance Safeguard common ground
OFFICE TEAM Students/Coörd. Initiating- execut. activities Student-volunteers especially recruited for activities
MANAGEMENT TEAM Coörd. Program & projects Annual Workplan Recruiting|coaching PARTNERS Chair-groups WUR RMP-international NGO’s
Although OtherWise had a challenging year - organisationally and financially - the team was able to carry out most of the public activities as described in the ‘Work plan 2015’. Organisation wise, we did not manage to achieve our aims to strengthening our Research Mediation Program as yet. Our coordinators are all highly motivated to take this up further in 2016. Financially, we encountered a lack of structural third party funding and sponsorships which led to a lack of co-funding to execute the planned activities with the CAS funding. Further losses were prevented by organising the activities with minimal budgets. For the coming year funding and identity of OtherWise will therefore be the main focus points. Main changes of 2015 OtherWise employed two new coordinators; in March Jildou Friso followed up Leonardo van den Berg as the coordinator of Agro-ecology and Food Sovereignty, and in June Karen Witsenburg was appointed as the successor of Wendy Dimitriadi, who left to live abroad, in the Democratising Knowledge program. In summer our chair Fiona Morris passed on the role of Chair after two years of working specifically to help evaluate and strengthen the organisation. Longtime volunteer, Tracey O’Connor, was invited to succeed Fiona as interim to help maximise the continuity as more board-members were joining, following up on the critical tasks of developing the new community structure, and the recruitment of the new and extended board equipped to take up the challenges for 2016. The new board is composed of 5 students, 2 re-cent graduates and 2 professionals; Annet Moerman, Louise van der Stok, Stefan Schuller, Carien Meppelink, Suzanna van der Meer, Jolien den Hartog, Jurre Zwart, Dhian Sioe Lie and Maaike Riemersma de Feyter. Highlights of 2015 Our first Spotlight Activity - The Mansholt Theatre Play and Debate - was one of the biggest events of the year. On our initiative we made it possible for the Jan Vos foundation to perform their theatre play in Wageningen. Over 1.000 WUR-staff members, alumni, (international) students, farmers and citizens have enjoyed the award-winning-play about Sicco Mansholt. This event was co-created in partnership with Studium Generale, the KLV Wageningen Alumni Network, and the WUR-department of alumni relations & funds. Another highlight this yeas was the film festival Mining Sacred Worlds in October; with guest speakers, documentaries and facilitated discussions that reflected on the mining boom currently threatening the environment, and people. It highlighted the impacts on indigenous peoples ‘sacred places, their ways of living, seeing and caring for the world. The festival was closed successfully by screening the documentary Huicholes: The Last Peyote Guardians for a full house in MovieW. Another example is the iWeek: a three day event full of interactive seminars. The excursion to the Community Garden was especially inspiring; to see how ideas about a sustainable world are put into practice, right here on our campus. The Food4All festival focused on our food system, and celebrated best practices with fabulous guest speaker Mark Shepard, a sold-out movie night at the MovieW, and a tasty food waste dinner at the final evening. Challenges for 2016 In 2016 we will focus our efforts on strengthening our reputation among student and our Research Mediation Program. Our coordinators are all highly motivated to take up the RMP, and have already established new partner contacts for the Research Mediation Program. The coming year a new identity (and logo) will be developed as a result of the discussions on the need to distinguish OtherWise from the emerging new critical student organisations. Our themes are still relevant and appealing to the students of Wageningen UR. We want to build upon that for the whole organisation. Financially we have face some serious challenges due to lacking structural third party sponsorship. Luckily the new board that was composed in December last year is seems however highly motivated and equipped to tackle the challenges of the coming year!
Chapter 2 Agro-ecology and Food Sovereignty
Agro-ecology and food sovereignty are about questioning the dominant ways of production and consumption, giving voice to people on the ground, learning about alternatives, and getting inspired by, and engaging in, promising people-driven initiatives. The Agro-ecology programme aims to co-create knowledge, support the struggles of people on the ground and share inspiring practices that have emerged from the grassroots. In 2015, we offered students educational opportunities to complement their courses at the WUR: gaining practical farming and permaculture experience during the FEI, joining excursions to local farms with the Grassroots Science series. Additionally, the FEI was an excellent opportunity to connect with students from all over the world. Similarly, students had the opportunity to connect with international female activists from Asia and Africa during the African dinner preceding a Grassroots Science guest lecture. Networking opportunities and access to international speakers were provided at the Bodem Anders conference, which OtherWise co-organised with the Voedsel Anders Network, an investment which will result in another Voedsel Anders conference in 2016, right here on campus in Wageningen. And finally, we motivated students to become activists in their own right during the training weekend in June.
Bodem Anders conference
19-20 March
OtherWise was involved in the organisation of this event through the former coordinator Agro-ecology: Leonardo van den Berg. Having just taken over as coordinator, Jildou Friso joined the conference as participant, for networking purposes. The event consisted of field visits on Thursday, a movie night on Thursday evening, and a conference day with keynote speakers and workshops on Friday. OtherWise was represented by a stand at the conference day in Den Bosch, where information was provided to other participants. Additionally, OtherWise contributed to the content and organisation of the programme, debates and workshops. At the conference we recruited new subscribers for our newsletter, and connected with Dr John Liu about his newest project setting up an ecological training centre in Jordan, for purposes of creating a new partnership for our RMP programme.
Grassroots Science: TTIP debate 15 April A debate on the TTIP proposal and its consequences for Dutch farmers, with a panel of professionals including representatives of DDB/NMV, NAV, NVV and LTO. The debate was facilitated by Hannie van Geel from Via Campesina. Part of the content was the presentation of a LEI report, discussion of possible consequences for our climate, and exploring alternatives. The event was organised with Boerengroep, RUW, and Guus Geurts (consultant globalization, agriculture and environment), and attended by about 80 people, mainly Wageningen students.
Food chains documentary & debate 23 April Screening of the documentary ‘Food Chains’, about the fight of Florida farm workers (CIW) through their ingenious Fair Food Program. Afterwards we were joined by a senior activist who supports the CIW campaign aimed at Ahold in the Netherlands, to get them to sign the Fair Food Program. Also attending were Keimpe van der Heide, representing the Dutch Arable Farmers Union (NAV), and Wim Baltussen, representing an agricultural trade union (FNV). The debate was facilitated by Dr. Jessica Duncan, assistant professor at Rural Sociology Wageningen. The evening was co-organised by OtherWise, Boerengroep, RUW and Dirk Roep from Rural Sociology Wageningen. The event was attended by over 60 people, and was mentioned in the Resource issue of April.
Filmmaking workshop 25th May, 10th August In cooperation with Boerengroep and Toekomstboeren, a workshop was organised to offer volunteers of our foundations and participants of the Farm Experience Internship (FEI) the opportunity to improve their filmmaking skills. It was felt that this would greatly benefit our promotional activities of the FEI, but also other future events, by improving the quality of video material. This workshop was followed by a workshop on editing, during the final week of the FEI. Participants were very enthusiastic, and the plan is to incorporate these workshops into the FEI programme for next year.
Agro-ecology training weekend 5-7 June FIAN, ILEIA, OtherWise, TNI, Toekomstboeren and the Wageningen University Rural Sociology Chair group worked together to organise this training, called ‘Activating for Food Sovereignty: from our Daily Lives to Global Change’; an inspiring exchange on alternatives to our current food system. The training weekend took place on the organic farm Buitenverwachting near Leiden, where we offered a varied program with interactive discussions, workshops and practical exercises on the farm, and reflections on our current food system, traditional roles of producers and consumers and barriers to food sovereignty. Various guest speakers shared their knowledge and experiences, such as Martha Robbins (TNI), Jessica Duncan (WUR), Joop de Koeijer (Zeeuwse Vlegel). 25 Students participated, mainly coming from Wageningen University, but also some from The Hague and Amsterdam, given the WUR students wider networking opportunities.
Farm Experience Internship (FEI)
20 July – 14 August
The FEI this summer was a great success! Twenty-four participants of different nationalities and study backgrounds enjoyed lectures, workshops and excursions connected to the topic of sustainable food production. Around twenty speakers of different expertise came to Wageningen to share their knowledge with the participants. After learning about permaculture, food sovereignty, seeds, IPR, agriculture policies and other related topics, all the participants spent two weeks on a farm in the Netherlands to experience farmers’ work and lifestyle – this year, 17 farmers welcomed the participants in their homes. Finally, the students came back together to share, analyse and reflect on their experience. The FEI was organised by Boerengroep and OtherWise, with support of many others, such as the chair group Rural Sociology Wageningen.
Use of herbs in livestock as a green solution to reduce antibiotics use - series September OtherWise Wageningen, Boerengroep and Stichting RUW joined forces on a series of Grassroots Science events in September. The first event was a movie night on September 7th, where the documentary ‘Farm for the Future’ was screened. The second an excursion to the Veld & Beek farm in Wageningen. The third a guest lecture with Katrien ‘t Hooft, from Dutch Farm Experience. The fourth was an organised visit to the symposium ‘Green solutions for reducing antibiotics’ on October 1st.
Film Festival on Tour Wageningen
September
OtherWise teamed up with FIAN Netherlands, ILEIA and Toekomstboeren to participate in the Food Film Festival, organised by the Youth Food Movement, which visited Wageningen in September. We screened Seeds of Sovereignty, with a short introduction by OtherWise on the motivation for a critical movie, and the current issues concerning GMO and seed legislation. Over 60 people attended the screening.
Grassroots Science series: Women and activism
5 November
Stichting OtherWise, Boerengroep, RUW Foundation and ILEIA collaborated on this Grassroots Science event: a panel discussion with eight leading female activists from Senegal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Malaysia and Philippines. The guest speakers were global campaigners who are participating in diverse global campaigns to push through women’s agenda in agriculture. The discussion was facilitated by Edith van Walsum, director of ILEIA, who stimulated exchange with members of the audience. The event took place at the Leeuwenborgh, and was preceded by an African dinner, where the panellists and students ate side by side, which gave them the opportunity to connect. The second event of this series was the screening of a documentary on activists in LA, fighting to save their community garden.
Food4All Festival
23-26 November
The fourth edition of the Food4All festival was a great success! There were movies, there was food, there were great guest speakers, and most important of all, there were many visitors who joined us in our journey through Agro-ecology, food sovereignty and the right to food. On opening night the MovieW theatre in Wageningen was packed: extra seats were brought in to accommodate all visitors coming to see ‘Inhabit: A Permaculture Perspective’. Fiona Morris of Atelier Rabbit was present to discuss the concept of permaculture and answer questions from the audience. On Tuesday, another full house for Mark Shepards lecture about techniques and experiences for combining agriculture and nature. Wednesday we had a panel of visiting guest speakers on the topic of water and Agro-ecology, at the Spot, Orion. We finished off with a great evening at THUIS, where over 40 guests dined on wasted food, collected and prepared by an amazing team of volunteers from Foodsharing Wageningen and Humble Harvest! The festival is organised by OtherWise, together with FIAN Netherlands, ILEIA, RUW Foundation and Toekomstboeren. This year’s developments included a new and fresh logo, a facebook page and brand-new website: food4all.nu.
Hans Huibers (ZLTO) at Bodem Anders. Photo: Egle Draugelyte
Chapter 3 Right to a Liveable
Environment
The program ‘Right to a Liveable Environment’ promotes people’s fundamental human right to live and generate sustainable livelihoods in a healthy, ecologically balanced and socially just environment. By organizing activities and bringing different views together (academic, grassroots, indigenous etc.) the programme aims to critically reflect on issues affecting this right of people in order to provide better understanding for the community of Wageningen University of causes, consequences, politics and dynamics taking place behind these issues. In 2015 the activities had the main focus on natural resources use and control, with a special attention given to the “resources curse” phenomenon, which refers to the paradox that countries with abundant natural resources tend to have worse environmental and socioeconomic outcomes than countries with fewer natural resources. The events organized within the theme were investigating what is beyond extractivists’ projects (e.g. large-scale mining projects) in terms of their impacts on people, the environment and human rights.
Reflections on Activism and Extractive Industries
4 March
This event existed of a debate and expert lunch meeting. The debate provided critical insights for WUR students, staff and public into the controversy of extractive industries that are often associated with the actions and methods used by the industry such as land grabbing, water pollution, neocolonialism or an unfair distribution of revenues. In the guest speakers were Nancy Fuentes León and Tudor Bradatan and Roxana Pencea. Nancy Fuentes León spoke about the impacts of gold mining in Cajamarca, Peru and Tudor Bradatan and Roxana Pencea explained the situation and activism on gold mining in Romania. The public debate was facilitated by Gerard Verschoor and the panel discussion joined by Elisabet Rasch (Sociology of Development and Change, WUR). During the expert lunch meeting the guest speakers (Nancy Fuentes León and Tudor Bradatan and Roxana Pencea) exchanged knowledge with researchers and students around extractives considering gold mining and its consequences for involved communities. It was quite successful as around 25 experts including MSc and PhD students of WUR attended. The event was hosted by Elisabet Rasch (Sociology of Development and Change, WUR).
Lecture: Peace talks in Colombia 11 March The Peace talks are taking place between the Colombian government and the guerrilla FARC-EP in Cuba. After 50 years of conflict, many Colombians have been victims of the armed conflict. In two years of this process, both delegations have been speaking about agrarian reform, political rights, illicit crops and reparation of victims. The lecture given by Lilia Solano, gave valuable insights into the process of Peace talks for about 30 students and lecturers. Lilia Solano is a Human rights defender, University teacher, Representative of the “Frente amplio por la paz” and founder and director of the Human rights, peace and conflict observatory “Alfredo Correa de Andreis” in Bogotá.
Meeting: Becoming a human rights volunteer
25 March
As a follow up event on the Peace talks, this meeting was organised to inform and mobilize students and WUR staff members supporting peace building actions about the international accompaniment strategy. The speaker of the meeting was Laura Lorenzi, representative of International Action for Peace (IAP), an international accompaniment organisation in Catalunya, Spain. Its mission is to protect and support social justice organisations in Colombia with high level of vulnerability, these social justice organisations have rejected armed violence, protect human rights, defend their lands and territories and build roads towards worthy and socially just development. Due to unforeseen changes in the flight of the guest speaker, the date of the meeting had to be changed at last minute, which then resulted in low attandence rate.
Film Festival: Mining Sacred Worlds
5-8 October
The four-day film festival Mining Sacred Worlds with invited guest speakers and facilitated discussions took place in Movie-W in Wageningen and was partly sponsored by Wageningen University Fund- Broadening Horizons. The event was visited by around 160 people (incl. volunteers) in total. The topics of the guest speakers` presentations and the documentaries evolved around the mining boom currently threatening the environment, people and communities around the world. It highlighted the impacts on indigenous peoples’ sacred places and their ways of living, seeing and caring for the world we all inhabit today. The documentaries shown where: “Profit and Loss”, introduction and debate by Mirjam Koedoot (Green innovator), “Islands of Sanctuary”, introduction and debate by Elisabet Rasch (Sociology of Development and Change, WUR), “Pilgrims and Tourists” introduction and debate by Gerard Verschoor (Sociology of Development and Change, WUR), “Huicholes the last Peyote Guardians”, introduction and debate by Oscar Reyna (Sociology of Development and Change, WUR). The lively discussions with the audience on the first three evenings were facilitated by Bas Verschuuren (coordinator for Sacred Natural Sites Initiative and PhD candidate Sociology of Development and Change, WUR).
Chapter 4 Democratising
Knowledge
Democratising Knowledge is about acknowledging that building knowledge is an interactive process that bridges the gap between science and society. Important questions include “Whose knowledge counts?” and “How can knowledge creation empower poor people?” This reflects the current one way direction of research; the transfer of knowledge from expert to “beneficiary”, thereby denying the knowledge within society. This trend has been perpetuated by the barriers around academic knowledge. Democratising Knowledge stands for research that includes the voice of all important persons in agenda setting, problem definition and the identification of solutions. The main components are consisting of opportunities for Wageningen Students, and in specific cases also for students from other Dutch Universities, to gain experience in participatory research, in contact and dialogue with nonacademic audiences, and to be engaged in communicative and practical events that prepare them for their profession.
Lecture: Have CBR research practices made a difference in outcomes?
28 April
Presentation of Community Based Research (CBR) practices by renowned Canadian CBR-researcher Mr Khan Rahi. There are several Community Based Research (CBR) networks actively engaging everyday citizens and communities in research, universities and civil society relationships. The presentation included a sample of concrete cases to illustrate key CBR principles, within a lessons-learned, and demonstrated how CBR practices have unfolded across disciplines.
Global Guests Spring The Global Guest programme provides a platform for international students from Wageningen UR to give guest lectures and workshops at secondary schools with the aim of providing these students with first-hand knowledge from the field across a range of topics. In the spring of 2015, two schools hosted the talks: Pantarijn in Wageningen (10 lectures) and Johannes Fontanus College in Barneveld (2 lectures) The presentations were well received by teachers and students and the schools showed interest in hosting more talks in 2016. This year the student guest speakers received presentation skills training by Marloes Harkema, who teaches the course Presentation Skills at Wageningen University. All Global Guest speakers were required to attend the 2 evenings for this training.
The iWeek
7-9 July
The iWeek consists of interactive workshops and activities with a focus on participatory, multidisciplinary methods of sharing knowledge and just research. The iWeek gives students the opportunity to co-create an agenda of learning and experimenting with topics that are not part of the official curriculum, but a valuable addition to their studies. The iWeek 2015 was a 3-day event full of interactive seminars touching upon a wide range of academic and practical topics about interactive methods for social change filled with workshops, lectures, case-studies and brainstorms on interactive methods and community participation. Every day about 35 students participated, and there where about 6 speakers per day.
Event: TTIP evening
19 Nov. and 3 Dec.
Two events were organized to satisfy the need for more information about the ‘Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership’ TTIP . We organized the events together with Citizen initiative “Wageningen TTIP free” and Student initiative “New University Wageningen”. During the first evening knowledge was shared from diverse fields of expertise: Burghard Ilge (democracy, the environment, agriculture and legal-system), Phil Macnaghten (regulating GMO’s in the US vs. EU) and Niek Koning (market regulation, safeguarding food security). Afterwards the citizen initiative Wageningen TTIP free was launched and signed by many. The second evening was a reaction to the Tegenlicht broadcast TTIP: het recht van de sterkste. Guus Geurts (TTIP expert and activist lobbying against TTIP) explained the state of affairs of TTIP. Hereafter Anne-Marie Mineur (Euro parliamentarian) was interviewed and gave insight in the in-transparency and secrecy of the TTIP negotiations. This was followed by an interview with Lot van Baaren (FNV labour union), explaining what TTIP could mean for the availability of ‘real’ jobs. The audience was diverse, including students, municipality council members and local entrepreneurs.
TheatreWise TheatreWise is the theatre group of OtherWise. This international theatre group consists of around 5-10 young people. TheatreWise participates as part of OtherWise activities such as the iWeek and in local festivals, and also aims at offering theatre workshops to the public. The group specialised in ‘Play Back’ theatre. To improve the level of the group, in 2015 we had a structured learning-program all through the year. For five times in 2015, we received training
from a professional Play Back teacher Edgard Geurink. In 2015 we had four successful events; at the Winter AID, during iWeek, during the AID and at the festival “Het Circus” in Den Haag . During the year, many of the core people of the group left Wageningen. In the last months of the year, we were therefore left with only three actors. As none of the three actors could take up a leading role in the group and in recruiting new people, this led to the end of TheatreWise at the end of 2015.
The Research Mediation Programme The Research Mediation Programme aims to give students the opportunity to directly engage in research projects with NGOs or with academic research teams. OtherWise aims to bridge the gap between society and science and give students the opportunity to be of value to Civil Society during their studies. In 2015 OtherWise offered three internship/ thesis research projects for MSc students in the Dutch Caribbean; one in Saba and two in Curaçao. These internship projects both in Curaçao and in Saba have been initiated by local organisations with the aim to improve public health and empower local communities to have access to better quality food resources. In these projects 13 MSc students expressed their interests, of which finally we successfully matched up two students with the local grassroots organization “Eetbare Schooltuin in Curaçao” to do their academic internships on the island. The results of the two research directly contributed to the project as they have been used as basis for fund-raising activities, and decision-making. Furthermore, the findings also provide valuable technical, agricultural, environmental, managerial, stakeholder and financial recommendations for the initiators to achieve a sustainable and enduring project. In September, a start was made towards OtherWise and Karen Witsenburg as co-author being included in new academic NWO funded research. Laurens Bakker, a researcher from the University of Amsterdam included OtherWise as a partner organisation in a WOTRO proposal, submitted to NWO. The final decision on funding is not yet made. At the end of 2015 negotiations between 2 NGOs have started for more structural RMP placements. First negotiations with VSO have started; the plan is to link up with them in order to have students placed in ongoing research. The second organisation is the Professional Alliance for Development (PADet) in Ethiopia. We hope to offer internships in these organisations in 2016.
Lorenzo Locci and Rosa Meijers, two MSc students on RMP in Curacao. Photo provided by: Lorenzo Locci
Chapter 5 Spotlight - Mansholt Theatre Play
The new program called ‘Spotlight’ aims pay attention to issues and theme’s in the actuality. The spotlight program aims to enable students with great ideas and/or questions to reach a wider audience. When an issue is brought forward by a student (or a NGO/local expert/community sponsored by a student or OtherWise staff) the OtherWise coordinators will offer guidance. However, the student(s) and parties involved, have the leading role and the projects should be mostly self-managed with the resources OtheWise can provide. We see developing this framework as a creative way to increase our capacity for essential new voices to be heard, and allow small communities and local international NGOs to build networks with students who will be the scientists, consultants, and decision-makers of tomorrow. It is probably not a coincidence that the first event within the new Spotlight program of OtherWise - that is meant to pay attention to issues and theme’s in the actuality - was the Mansholt Theatre Event. On our initiative we made it possible for the Jan Vos foundation to perform their theatre play in Wageningen at the WUR-Plant Sciences Farm five times (from 10-13 September). More than 1.000 WUR-staff members, alumni, (international) students, farmers and citizens have enjoyed this award-winning-play. From 1958 on Sicco Mansholt was the first EEG-commissioner on European Agriculture and founder of the first open market within the EU. Driven by the long history of food shortage in Europe and the poor living circumstances of the meanly small farmers in all countries, he restructured the food production system. As such Mansholt was also the founder of large-scale intensive agriculture. For his work he received an honorary doctorate from Wageningen University. The more dramatic it was that at the end of his professional career he became fully aware of the perverse consequences of his policy. Also then he was a remarkable person and example for us all as he was taking responsibility and started campaigning against his own former policy and believes. The theatre play highlights his life as a personal drama on several layers. Not only from a historical point of view but surely for our (international) students it also had an educational value on how to deal with moral-professional and -private issues in their career. After the play, one visitor called it a universal drama of people. We are grateful to have organized and co-created this inspiring event in partnership with Studium Generale, the KLV Wageningen Alumni Network, and the WUR-department of alumni relations & funds. The last three partners made a substantial 46% student-discount possible on the entrance fee. We are also thankful to the RABO-bank for their financial support to make real-time English translation possible during the theatre play in order to accommodate the fast growing international student population at Wageningen University.
Chapter 6 Finances
This accounting year of 2015 we close the books with a deficit. On cash basis it amounts to € 6.737,89, which is nearly twice as much as in the year 2014. The equity capital has decreased rapidly, as was foreseen under the existing circumstances. After the development of the internal organization was completed last year, a new (student-) board was installed including a special funding committee. Our main challenge for 2016 is to make the last step towards a sustainable OtherWise: finding a second structural source of funds to complement the Wageningen University funding. As for the income of 2015 compared to the previous year, we did not receive the regular contribution of the Global Guests program from the WU-Education department (the ‘Bèta Steunpunt’-budget). In addition, the iWeek revenues dropped this year, mostly due to a lower number of participants. The application of the CAS-subsidy (Committee Activity Support) on the activities of 2014 however was fully granted. As for the expenditures, we see that structural costs are increasing yearly (salaries, insurances etc.) in relation to the structural funding from Wageningen University: this gap amounts €6.500,- in 2015. On the other hand, the expenses on activities were substantially smaller in 2015 compared to the year before. Less activities could organised due to the turnover of our staff members. The activities were organised with a minimal budget, lacking extra funds. The CAS subsidizes each activity only to a maximum of 50% of the costs. The mechanism is that the more activities we organize, the more extra third party funding we need. Next to that a particular new problem has arisen. The recently updated version of the CAS-rules by the WUR-board (version 2015) expects us to sell entrance tickets or find other sources of income for our student-public-activities. We were however able to organise the large Mansholt Theatre Play and Debate without out-of-pocket costs, thanks to an extensive time investment of our board members and thanks to our partners Studium Generale, the KLV Wageningen Alumni Network, and the WUR-department of alumni relations & funds. For the international students and WUR-staff a special English ticker-translation above the stage had been arranged and was sponsored by the Rabobank. Following you will find the accounting overview of 2015 and the balance of income and expenditures. Ultimo 2015 the foundation can still dispose of an equity capital of €8.000,-. It has to be regarded as the minimal buffer for our exploitation of the year 2016.
Description WUR - yearly allowance CAS (subsidy activities 2014) Third party assignment Global Guests sub-total
Ticket sales - Grassroot Science
Sub-total
iWeek - participants
Sub-total
Sub-total Total
Revenue
Description € 42,856.00 Employee costs € 2,323.97 Administration costs € 1,200.00 Community costs € 46,379.97 sub-total
PROGRAM AGRO-ECOLOGY & FOOD SOVEREIGNITY € 47.95 Grassroot Science Food4 all film festival Agro-ecology training weekend Bodem Anders Conference Filmsworkshop FEI Future Farmer knowledge initiative € 47.95 Sub-total PROGRAM DEMOCRATISING KNOWLEDGE € 494 iWeek Global Guests Lecture: CBR € 494 Sub-total PROGRAM RIGHT to a LIVEABE ENVIRONMENT Reflections on Activism and Extractive Industries Peace talks in Colombia Film Festival: Mining Sacred Worlds - Sub-total € 46 921.92 Total
Expenditures € 49,218.63 € 1,690.89 € 77.71 € 50,987.23
€ 278.14 € 46.97 € 12.10 € 269.96 € 59.60 € 61.70 € 728.47
€ 651.76 € 681.00 € 134.40 € 1,467.16
€ 180.15 € 20.80 € 276.00 € 476.95 € 53 659.81
Chapter 7 Partnerships and
Community
The OtherWise staff, board, interns, program assistants, volunteers, are always in contact with our broader environment which we like to refer to as the OtherWise Community. This Community consists of international students and grassroots organizations who know where and when to find us, of the workshop trainers, the lecturers, Wageningen University chair groups and every one involved in one way or another with OtherWises’ activities and thus becoming part of our community based interaction. We provide and receive food for thought on a daily basis. The input of all is vital and contemporary. The OtherWise Community exists of many of which some can only be described here. Partners In the fields of human rights and social justice within the programme Right to a Liveable Environment, OtherWise works together with lecturers, and PhD students of the Sociology of Development and Change chair group of Wageningen University; Catapa, a Belgian, volunteer-based organization that works on sustainable development with a special focus on mining in Latin-America; Foundation RUW and Boerengroep, the other critical student-based organization of Wageningen University that is also active on the field of sustainability, and many others. During the iWeek, OtherWise partnered for example with BothENDS, Dutch Farm Experience, Alterra (WUR), GIS department WUR, Agromisa, Creative Community Garden, ILEIA, Working group Food Sovereignty, WIN and the Louis Bolk Institute. We were sponsored by (mainly donations in kind): Lazuur Food Community, Ekoboerderij de Lingehof, De Vlijt, Itaka, Le Perron, de Hoge Born, all Wageningen or regionally based SME with a idealistic approach. Community Again this year the Otherwise community grew and included new voices, which added to Otherwise over the year. Many people carried out many special and interesting projects. To name just a few examples: Julius Christian Adiatma for Reflections on Activism and Extractive Industries: Stories from Romania, Peru and Beyond, Peace talks in Colombia and the iWeek; Titis Apdini for the iWeek; Anne Carl who helped us with our graphics and for Community Supported Agriculture; Angela Anastasiou for our theme Right to a Liveable Environment; Katja Kuivanen, also for Right to a Liveable Environment; Annet Moerman who is our hero in handbooks and the website, and who made a professional Communication Plan, supported the iWeek and the budgeting; GaÍlle Feur, AE -collecting inspiring stories of Dutch dairy farmers for a newly emerging group called Toekomstboeren; Suzanna van der Meer who was pivotal in organising the TTIP events and Alberto Serra for the iWeek. We keep in touch via personal contact, via our LinkedIn group, Facebook and Twitter and via our Newsletter which has at the moment a coverage of a 1.400 mail addresses. Plans are being developed to install a Advisory Board as a counterpart for board and coordinators to be able to structurally reflect on our vision, mission and strategy and to be able to reach out to even more relevant stakeholders.
Alberto Serra, volunteering during iWeek
OtherWise Co-creating Knowledge For Change
Stichting OtherWise Generaal Foulkesweg 37 6703 BL Wageningen Tel: 0317 48 31 48 Email: OtherWise@wur.nl Website: www.st-OtherWise.org