On May 20, Dik Bol gave a presentation in The Hague about the Connect Healthy Rivers project at the conference The Impact of YOU(th) on Global Challenges at the International Institute for Social Studies of Erasmus University. It was organized with the NICC Foundation (Netherlands International Cooperation Collection), a volunteer organization hosted by the ISS. The NICC Foundation collects material on Dutch international cooperation and, based on its physical and digital collections and other sources, creates timelines on various topics (global citizenship; water; food and agriculture; gender; fair trade; etc.) and also on countries (including Mozambique, Bangladesh, and others in the works). The timelines are accessible via www.stichtingnicc.nl under timelines. The meeting on May 20 marked the start of a new NICC Youth timeline regarding the roles of youth in international solidarity and cooperation, targeting young people here and there, but also as activists for a better world.
A central question was: how do young generations, both past and present, contribute to a more sustainable and inclusive world? During the meeting, a retrospective look was taken at the Dutch history of international solidarity, awareness, and development cooperation, in which young people often played a key role. At the same time, a forward-looking perspective was taken regarding the opportunities and challenges of today, such as climate change, biodiversity, poverty, inequality, food security, and human rights. In an open and energetic atmosphere, participants engaged in dialogue about the role of youth as leaders of the future.
Dik Bol presented the Connect Healthy Rivers project. “In this project, we encourage young people from Haarlem and Mutare to commit to sustainable water management. Because without water, there is no future,” stated Dik.
The keynote speaker was Jurriaan Middelhoff from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who serves as the Youth Ambassador for the Netherlands. He explained why young people in many countries receive a high level of education, yet there is subsequently no work for them, which leads to frustration. He advocated for fostering good cooperation between education and the business community and outlined how young people can be encouraged to set up their own projects or create jobs.
Jan Pronk sat on a panel together with a young person and Liana Hoornweg, Director of Partos, and emphasized that the focus will primarily have to be on systemic change. Liana announced that Partos intends to pay more attention to young people.
The event brought together students, young professionals, experts, and former change-makers—people of various ages—to exchange stories, ideas, and experiences regarding global challenges and collaboration at different levels.
