From fear to love

What would I do if I was Rutte or Hoekstra? What would they do if they were Italian or Spanish ministers or a member of the European Commission?

This pandemic makes me realise what I have, and I start appreciating the little things in life.

...During our small gatherings we laughed, ate and sang Taizé songs, bringing forth all sorts of nostalgic memories.

a field waiting for what is to come

The first week after our ‘intelligent lockdown’ I was in action mode, as if it were a sprint. A marathon, maybe. Now I think this isn’t even a marathon. It is a new road and nobody knows where it will lead to.

A new era is in front of us. What will it be? What can be my part in it?

Climate change is a reality that is knocking on our front door. And although many people rise up asking for awareness, others want to take concrete and tangible action and have no clue how to do that. Kirsten van Reisen asked herself this question as well and found a way to contribute. She decided to work to restore a highly degraded piece of land in Spain as part of a team of volunteers at the first project of Ecosystem Restoration Camps (ERC). On May 29, she shared her experiences at the center of Initiatives of Change Netherlands together with ERCs director Pieter van der Gaag.

More than a hundred scholars contributed to a recently published book with the rather intriguing title Wereldgeschiedenis van Nederland - A world history of the Netherlands. In over 750 pages they describe Dutch history, starting with the Neanderthal man 70.000 years ago.

One of the chapters in the book is about the Oxford Group. The author, Peter van Dam, a lecturer of Dutch history at the University of Amsterdam, says that “the history of the Oxford Group is not a footnote. It is essential for understanding The Netherlands in the twentieth century”. He writes about the success of an “undogmatic renewal movement”. It broke through existing barriers and connected people who would not normally meet.

Asia Plateau, the Centre for Initiatives of Change in India, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2018. As well as running national and international conferences and training programmes, Asia Plateau has roots in rural India. The work of Grampari, IofC’s rural development and ecology programme, sustains livelihoods and strengthens the resilience of the communities surrounding Asia Plateau. Run by a dedicated team, it is part of a global Initiatives of Change vision for 'land, lives and peace’. These photographs celebrate Asia Plateau's engagement at local level with issues of global significance.