Is growing income inequality really the result of cold wars turned hot? Or is it really the age-old war between the classes, between the 1 and 99 percent? And if so, what does that reveal about our seemingly stable democracy?

How does the Indo-Dutch colonial history affect the contemporary relationship between Indonesia and the Netherlands? How does it make itself felt in private and public spaces? And are Indonesian young adults waiting for an apology from the Netherlands after 77 years of independence?

From 6 August to 2 September, Willem Jansen, program coordinator at IofC The Netherlands, visited Initiatives of Change Indonesia. This visit aimed to strengthen the connection and friendship between the two teams, with a focus on IofC Indonesia’s contribution to the international Trustbuilding Program (TPB). How does this team build trust between groups? And who is on the receiving end of their trustbuilding efforts?

On July 8 2022, friends and family said their goodbyes to Wilhelmina Johanna ter Kulve-van Os, also known as Joty or Ibu Joty, during a well-attended memorial service in the Kievietkerk in Wassenaar in the Netherlands.

We got the opportunity to reach new heights with the Sustainability Game … literally and figuratively! We did not have to think twice about this special request: well supplied with bottled water, healthy snacks, and sunscreen, we drove into the splendid mountains of Caux.

It was an eventful year for sustainability and Initiatives of Change The Netherlands (IofC NL). Last year we launched the sustainability initiative Go Green!. which we kickstarted with the Sustainability Week at InHolland and The Hague University of Applied Sciences.* Throughout 2021 up until now, we have organized other fun and sustainability-focused activities, such as a visit to a Floating Farm in Rotterdam and a green inspiration day with local initiatives in The Hague.

On 6 May, Initiatives of Change The Netherlands (IofC NL) organized a vegan cooking workshop as part of Go Green!, in collaboration with students Health and Nutrition. Koppert Cress and the National Youth Council were also present.

In these times of renewed interest in colonial history, I feel inspired and encouraged to analyze these experiences. What does it mean for me to be a woman of color in Dutch society? How do my experiences relate to the history of indentured servitude, from which the term ‘coolie’ (low-wage laborer) originates?

If Putin had aimed to undermine Europe’s unity with his unprovoked attack on Ukraine, then he seems unsuccessful so far. If we believed after Brexit that a strong and unified Europe was a thing of the past, then it is now time to reconsider that belief.

Tracing a human rights culture in The Hague