Author Archives: admin

Stadsgesprekken Woonagenda 2025

Hoe wonen we in 2025? Wat voor huizen moeten erbij gebouwd worden en hoe gaan we die gebruiken? De Amsterdamse wethouder Laurens Ivens houdt in november een serie stadsgesprekken over de Woonagenda van onze hoofdstad in 2025. Pieter-Bas is er een van de tafelvoorzitters.

Meepraten? Dat kan op 15, 22 en 29 november om 19.00 uur in Pakhuis Wilhelmina, Piet Heinkade 179, Amsterdam.

Een vergeten kampgeschiedenis

Nog voor een Nederlander in een Jappenkamp verdween, werd iedereen in Nederlands-Indië met ook maar een druppel Japans bloed opgepakt, als vee in het ruim van een schip gepropt en naar een kamp in Australië gestuurd. Een overtocht waarbij onder dubieuze omstandigheden zelfs doden vielen.

Huh?

Dat dacht ik ook. Daarom wil ik samen met Davy Meangkom op zoek gaan naar zijn schrijnende familiegeschiedenis. Zijn familie werd na een gruwelijke overtocht jarenlang in een kamp in Australië gestopt.

Na de oorlog moesten alle Indische Japanners naar Japan, een verwoest land waar de meesten van hen nog nooit waren geweest. Daar wachtte opnieuw een kamp, ditmaal speciaal voor vreemde Japanners.

In Tokio woont Haru, de hoogbejaarde oudtante van Davy. Zij kan deze vrijwel onbekende oorlogsgeschiedenis nog in het Nederlands navertellen. Om deze geschiedenis vast te leggen, wil ik  met uw hulp zo snel mogelijk afreizen naar Japan.

Wat ga ik maken?

Het doel is om de geschiedenis van de Indische Japanners te vertellen in een aantal artikelen en een radiodocumentaire. Onderweg zal ik het maken van beeld zeker ook niet vergeten. Dat alles om u als donateur een presentatie met veel exclusief materiaal te bezorgen. U zult daar een zogenaamde ‘Audio-driven visual’ te zien krijgen, een met beeld verrijkte versie van de radiodocumentaire.

Het bedrag dat ik via voor de kunst hoop op te halen zal ik gebruiken voor de beeldmontage, de reis, het verblijf, de huur van apparatuur en om verdere research naar dit verhaal te doen.

Steun dit project via Voor de Kunst en ik ben u eeuwig dankbaar!

Référendum aux Pays-Bas : NON

Pourquoi les Néerlandais ont-ils dit NON ? Sophie van Leeuwen, correspondante pour France 24, explique la grande victoire des eurosceptiques lors du referendum au Pays-Bas, le 6 avril 2016, sur le traité entre l’Union européenne et l’Ukraine.

Référendum aux Pays-Bas : NON

Sophie legt de Franstalige wereld het NEE uit van de Nederlanders. Hieronder een van haar bijdrages voor de Franse zender France 24, na het referendum over het verdrag tussen de Europese Unie en Oekraïne op 6 april 2016.

Dutch referendum : NO

Sophie van Leeuwen, correspondent for France 24 in the Netherlands, explains the big NO of the Dutch eurosceptics on 6 April 2016. The Dutch rejected a EU-Ukraine treaty in a thrilling referendum.

Ja, u ziet het goed!

Ja, u ziet het goed. Dit is onze eigen Sophie die haar debuut maakt op de Franse televisie bij France 24. Sophie maakt de laatste maanden stormachtig carrière in de Franstalige media met dank aan Bea en WA. De filmpjes zijn helaas niet meer online te zien, u moet het doen met de foto!

Johnson Sirleaf: I’ll not fire my sons

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the president of Liberia, is a beloved leader around the globe. She received the Nobel Peace Prize 2011. Yet, in her own country she’s been accused of nepotism. I was on hand for an exclusive Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the president of Liberia, is a beloved leader around the globe. She received the Nobel Peace Prize 2011. Yet, in her own country she’s been accused of nepotism. I was on hand for an exclusive interview.

 

Three of your sons have been appointed to high government positions. How do you explain this?

“We have a country that has a very low capacity. Some of our institutions – the ones that have to carry out the important reforms for the transformation of our country – simply do not have the capabilities. They also sometimes lack the sufficient integrity to be able to do what is right.”

“We have to place certain people close to us in positions to carry out our mandate of reform at the level of competence and honesty that is needed.”

“Nepotism is putting somebody who is a relative in a position for which they don’t have the qualifications, integrity or competence. There are times when you have to hire relatives, even when it’s a temporary measure, to achieve your objectives.”

You’ve accused former Liberian president William Tolbert of nepotism because he put his relatives in powerful positions. Do you think they were competent?

“Oh absolutely they were competent. Look, I’ve been criticized now too. But meeting your objectives at the end of the day is what counts most.”

So you will not fire your sons? To show that you are a hero of anti-corruption?

“No, I will not. There is a mandate and there’s a job to be done. When that job and mandate is done, perhaps they’ll move on to other things.”

Government officials in Liberia sometimes earn up to 10,000 dollars a month. Is there anything you can do about that?

“We have to recruit Liberians of certain professional skills and experience to certain strategic posts. If we do not pay them well, we will not be able to recruit them. We actually pay foreigners on our technical assistance programme much more than that.”

“If a Liberian is qualified and competitive and if we want to get them, we’ve got to do that. Those Liberians getting positions and getting high salaries are strong, experienced managers, recruited from corporations abroad. Their skills are desperately needed to build our country. Liberians should not criticise those who come home with the right skills to rebuild their country. We need them at home.”

How will you gain trust in Liberia?

“I have trust in Liberia. I’m not talking about the noisy minority – that’s just all part of transformation. I’m talking about a
satisfied majority who I meet in rural areas and who are pleased that their lives have changed, their incomes have increased and they’re getting better services.

“We accept the criticism and the comments. We also accept the adulation and the praise. That’s part of moving ahead in a democratic society where all rights are respected and protected. Liberia is making progress and the majority of the Liberians and the international community is quite aware and recognizes that.”

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf visited the Netherlands to receive an Honorary Doctorate Degree at Tilburg University on 9 November.“>interview.

 

Three of your sons have been appointed to high government positions. How do you explain this?

“We have a country that has a very low capacity. Some of our institutions – the ones that have to carry out the important reforms for the transformation of our country – simply do not have the capabilities. They also sometimes lack the sufficient integrity to be able to do what is right.”

“We have to place certain people close to us in positions to carry out our mandate of reform at the level of competence and honesty that is needed.”

“Nepotism is putting somebody who is a relative in a position for which they don’t have the qualifications, integrity or competence. There are times when you have to hire relatives, even when it’s a temporary measure, to achieve your objectives.”

You’ve accused former Liberian president William Tolbert of nepotism because he put his relatives in powerful positions. Do you think they were competent?

“Oh absolutely they were competent. Look, I’ve been criticized now too. But meeting your objectives at the end of the day is what counts most.”

So you will not fire your sons? To show that you are a hero of anti-corruption?

“No, I will not. There is a mandate and there’s a job to be done. When that job and mandate is done, perhaps they’ll move on to other things.”

Government officials in Liberia sometimes earn up to 10,000 dollars a month. Is there anything you can do about that?

“We have to recruit Liberians of certain professional skills and experience to certain strategic posts. If we do not pay them well, we will not be able to recruit them. We actually pay foreigners on our technical assistance programme much more than that.”

“If a Liberian is qualified and competitive and if we want to get them, we’ve got to do that. Those Liberians getting positions and getting high salaries are strong, experienced managers, recruited from corporations abroad. Their skills are desperately needed to build our country. Liberians should not criticise those who come home with the right skills to rebuild their country. We need them at home.”

How will you gain trust in Liberia?

“I have trust in Liberia. I’m not talking about the noisy minority – that’s just all part of transformation. I’m talking about a
satisfied majority who I meet in rural areas and who are pleased that their lives have changed, their incomes have increased and they’re getting better services.

“We accept the criticism and the comments. We also accept the adulation and the praise. That’s part of moving ahead in a democratic society where all rights are respected and protected. Liberia is making progress and the majority of the Liberians and the international community is quite aware and recognizes that.”

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf visited the Netherlands to receive an Honorary Doctorate Degree at Tilburg University on 9 November.