Global Voices » Percy Balemans

Global Voices in Dutch Looks Back on 2011

Percy Balemans — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:00:05 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Global Voices in 2011.

While the year 2012 is already well on its way, the translators of Global Voices in Dutch look back on 2011. Which posts stood out and what makes Global Voices so special?

Marjolein Snippe writes:

A while ago I had been translating a short documentary on the Belo Monte hydroelectric power plant and the arguments of indigenous people opposing it. Then I saw this report on Global Voices. I was glad the issue is still receiving attention and that the (mainly) indigenous people opposing it are getting their voices heard in Brazilian courtrooms, by the Brazilian government and by worldwide sympathisers and supporters.

I was very much touched by an article about Syria I translated back in March. All the personal stories and deep worries made the impact the struggles had on the people living there so much more visible and “tangible” than most official newspaper reports!

Mieke Tulp writes:

Being asked which GV posts from last year made an impression, it seems inevitable to come up with something about the Arabic Spring. One article that struck me was a report about day-to-day life on Tahrir Square. It focussed on the positive attitude and feelings among the protesters. Little Utopia amidst explosive surroundings

Another story from an Arab country that touched me was the arrest of Razan Ghazzawi. The article was translated into virtually every language Global Voices covers, and rightfully so. She was released on 18 December.

Something that had an absolutely negative impact on me: Troy Davis’ death. He was executed in September. I do not know what to say about it. It should not have happened.

And an interesting story about children who have to work. In Bolivia the working children formed unions to ensure better wages and working conditions. It is a story about strong children who work and go to school and are determined to create a better future for themselves.

Percy Balemans writes:

Last year I translated a lot of stories about the Arab Spring, a subject that was also covered extensively by regular media. But they mainly showed images of huge crowds. This is why I was touched by the story about Egyptian Nadia El Awady who took her 73-year old father to Tahrir Square. What a wonderful way to get a taste of the atmosphere and to read how a 73-year old experiences it all!

I also enjoyed translating the article “African Women Striving to be Heads of State“. A perfect example of the kind of subject you won't read about in regular media, but which is covered by Global Voices.

Saskia Bliemer writes:

I found “North Korea Threatens to Disclose Recordings of Talks with South“, written by Lee Yoo Eun, very interesting to translate. Though we have seen lots of images from North Korea on the news lately, the country remains a mystery to me. The good thing about Global Voices is that you can read the opinions of the local population, making it possible to get a more complete idea of the situation.

A huge thank you to all Global Voices in Dutch translators [nl] for their contributions in 2011! Would you like to contribute as well? Contact us.

This post is part of our special coverage Global Voices in 2011.

Netherlands: Dutch-Iranian woman executed in Iran

Percy Balemans — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 19:54:40 +0000

Zahra Bahrami

According to Dutch and international news media, Dutch-Iranian Zahra Bahrami has been executed in Iran after having been found guilty of drug-related crimes and sentenced to death on 2 January. She was arrested on 27 December 2009 when she reportedly attended an anti-government demonstration during a visit to Tehran.

The Campaign to Free Political Prisoners in Iran wrote a letter to the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs [en] in September 2010 urging them to make demands to Iran for her release. Amnesty International's Dutch section also took up Bahrami's cause [nl] under strong suspicion that Bahrami never received a fair trial. This morning, they reported the news of her execution on Twitter:

Nederlands-Iraanse Zahra Bahrami in Iran geëxecuteerd door ophanging (via @nrc) #doodstraf #bahrami nrc.nl/nieuws/2011/01…

Dutch-Iranian Zahra Bahrami executed in Iran by hanging (via [Dutch newspaper] @nrc) #deathpenalty #bahrami

Dutch Twitter users reacted to the news.

@voetvaeg writes [nl]:

SCHOKKEND: ondertussen heeft Iran de Nederlandse Zahra #Bahrami geëxecuteerd door ophanging! http://bit.ly/hKpnc5

SHOCKING: meanwhile Iran has executed Dutch Zahra #Bahrami by hanging! http://bit.ly/hKpnc5

Some people, like @VrolijkRechts, wanted to do more than just tweet [nl] about it:

Beste mensen. Hoe laat zijn jullie bij de Iraanse ambassade om jullie te laten horen? Of blijven wij boos twitteren? #Zahra #Bahrami

Come on everyone, what time shall we meet at the Iranian embassy to raise our voices? Or will we just post angry tweets about it? #Zahra #Bahrami

Others, such as @bobbraak, called on the Dutch government to take action [nl]:

vanmiddag om 17:00 uur gaat er vlucht naar tehran. Uri, die kan de iraanse ambassadeur mooi nog halen! #bahrami

There's a flight to Tehran at 5pm today. Uri [first name of Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs], the Iranian ambassador still has plenty of time to catch it! #bahrami

@Leon_Bosma puts things into perspective [nl]:

Veel verontwaardiging over #Bahrami. Zonder af te willen doen, wat maakt één staatsmoord zo belangrijk versus bv. de ruim 30 in #Egypte?

A lot of indignation about #Bahrami. Without taking anything away from this case, what makes one state murder this important compared to more than 30 in #Egypt?

@BartNijman is skeptical [nl] about the case:

Als op drugsdelicten in Iran de doodstraf staat, waarom zou voor een Iraans-Nederlandse dan wat anders moeten gelden? #bahrami #iran

If drugs-related crimes are a capital offence in Iran, then why shouldn't this apply to an Iranian-Dutch woman? #bahrami #iran

The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran posted a reaction from Bahrami's lawyer [en]:

I am shocked. I was absolutely not informed about this. They should have informed her lawyer of the execution, but I had no idea. I don’t know what to say. Just that I am shocked.

On Saturday afternoon, Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant reported [nl] that the Iranian ambassador in the Netherlands has confirmed that Bahrami has indeed been executed, upon which the Netherlands immediately froze all ties with Iran. The Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, Uri Rosenthal, calls the case “a scandal, committed by a barbarian regime”.

Twitter hashtag: #bahrami

Netherlands: Two women arrested at World Cup for promoting wrong beer

Percy Balemans — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 01:43:14 +0000

Two Dutch women working for Netherlands beer company Bavaria were arrested for promoting a beer that is not an official World Cup sponsor during the World Cup Netherlands-Denmark match in South Africa on Monday. The women were part of a group of about 30 models wearing orange dresses, the so-called “Dutch Dress”, which are also sold as part of a gift pack by the Dutch beer brand (you can see many photos on the Bavaria flickr page).

A screen shot of a Twitter account to 'Free the Babes'

All the women were ejected from the stadium during the match on Monday. The two Dutch women, who were considered the “leaders” of the campaign, were arrested early Wednesday morning and charged with merchandising offenses. They were released on a 10,000 Rand (around 1000 Euro) bail on Wednesday afternoon; and their case will be heard on 22 June. According to several news reports, they risk a six-month prison sentence for violating a law that prohibits unauthorised marketing activities in or near the World Cup stadiums.

The Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxime Verhagen, commented on the case [nl] on his Twitter feed in reply to questions by Dutch Twitter users:

NL ambassade heeft Z-A om opheldering gevraagd, celstraf vanwege het dragen van oranje jurkjes is onzinnig @willemboele

The Dutch embassy has demanded an explanation from SA, a prison sentence for wearing an orange dress is absurd @willemboele

He also suggested that FIFA battle it out in court [nl]:

Als FIFA een probleem heeft met oranje jurkjes kunnen ze dat juridisch uitvechten met het bedrijf, arrestatie is buiten proportie @edwinv73

If FIFA has a problem with orange dresses, they can battle it out in court with the company, arresting people is out of proportion @edwinv73

Twitter user @edwinv73 replied [nl]:

@MaximeVerhagen het is wel goed voor de economie. Bavaria gaat wel nu wereld veroveren. Succes met het vrij krijgen

@MaximeVerhagen on the other hand, it's good for the economy. Bavaria will now conquer the world. Good luck with getting them out

Some Twitter users, such as @SportKnowhowXL, ridiculed [nl] the whole situation:

Op verzoek van hoofdsponsor Hyundai heeft de #fifa besloten dat de Japanse ster Keisuke Honda niet meer aan het #wk2010 mag meedoen #bavaria

At the request of main sponsor Hyundai #fifa has decided that Japanese star Keisuke Honda is no longer allowed to participate in the #worldcup2010 #bavaria

A special Twitter account has been set up to support the women and to post the latest news about their case: @freethebabes [nl].

Netherlands: Twitter campaign against violation of privacy

Percy Balemans — Fri, 14 May 2010 15:31:13 +0000

Dutch internet users have started a campaign on Twitter (@telegraafboycot) to boycott the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf [nl] after it violated the privacy of the sole survivor of the plane crash in Tripoli by interviewing the little boy by phone. The hashtag is #telegraafboycot.

Netherlands: Reaction to US general's gay theory of Srebrenica

Percy Balemans — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:17:26 +0000

Dutch foreign minister, Maxime Verhagen tweeted [nl] in reaction to a claim by a retired US general that “gay soldiers contributed to the Bosnian massacre” in Srebrenica in 1995: “Extremely weird statement about Srebrenica. I fear this has more to do with the discussion in the US about homosexuality in the army.”

Netherlands: Sven Kramer's golden race on Twitter

Percy Balemans — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 05:41:06 +0000

For the Dutch, the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver started with a very important race: the men's 5000 metres speed skating. The whole country (and the rest of the speed skating world) expected Dutch favourite Sven Kramer [nl] to win the gold, but the question was: would Kramer be able to deal with this immense pressure?

Dutch celebrities and fellow (Olympic) speed skaters tweeted before, during and after the race.

Dutch speed skater Erben Wennemars, Sven's friend and team mate, was confident in the afternoon:

Vandaag wordt het GOUD!!

Today we're going to win the GOLD!!

And he assured everyone that Sven was ready:

met sven ontbeten. hij is er helemaal klaar voor.

just had breakfast with sven. he's all ready for it.

Even American speed skater Shani Davis, Kramer's opponent in this race, found time to tweet:

Just finished pre-race warmup. I feel really good…crowd is totally energized…this is going to be some FUN (even if Sven kicks my butt).

Dutch actor Antonie Kamerling shared his excitement about the race, keeping people updated. Before the race, he tweeted:

wat een druk voor Kramer. favoriet en als 1e rijden van de favorieten. word toch een beetje zenuwachtig. gelukkig vallen bijna nooit bij 5 k

the pressure on Kramer is enormous. he's the favourite and the first to race of all the favourites. I'm getting a bit nervous now. fortunately, nobody hardly ever falls during the 5k

He wondered what was going through Sven's head:

kon je nu maar in de hoofden kijken van Kramer, Fabris en de Jong. over een paar jaar kan dat gewoon

I wish you could see into the heads of Kramer, Fabris and De Jong. in another few years that will certainly be possible

After Sven's race he wrote:

djeezus wat spannend…. hij ging echt wel kapot leek het.

Jezus, that was exciting…. looks like he really gave everything.

Then the waiting started. First, Korean speed skater Lee was racing Dutch skater De Jong:

shit dacht nog heel even dat die Koreaan eroverheen sprintte. eikel. dat kunnen we niet hebben

shit, for a moment there I thought this Korean was going to beat him. idiot. we can't have that

Would Italian Fabris be able to beat his time:

shit ik word gek, die Fabris zal toch niet…????

shit I'm going mad, this Fabris is not going to…????

And then finally, the relief:

ja hoor het is gelukt!!!!!!!!!

yes he did it!!!!!!!!!

Dutch actress Halina Reijn had to perform in a play during the evening and logged on afterwards, trying to find out what had happened:

Wie heeft er gewonnen met schaatsen?

Who won in speed skating?

And quickly switched on the TV when she realised the race wasn't finished yet:

Ok sorry voor mijn domme vraag…zit voor de tv nu! Sven…

Ok sorry about my stupid question…am watching TV now! Sven…

Dutch sports journalist Wilfried de Jong [nl] had just arrived at the airport in New York and had to resort to the internet:

hier in aankomsthal luisteren naar radio 1. Nederlanders met oren bij mijn laptop.

here in arrivals hall, listening to radio 1. Other Dutch people are eagerly listening to my laptop.

When Sven Kramer finally did win the gold, there was lots of praise. Erben Wennemars wrote:

ben intens blij voor Sven Kramer… gefeliciteerd!

am over the moon for Sven Kramer… congratulations!

His opponent, Shani Davis, wrote:

I'm really happy for Sven. That crowd, it's still going thru me…very exciting feeling. Time to switch gears, get ready for the sprint.

American speed skater Chad Hedrick, who unsuccesfully tried to defend his Olympic title on the 5k in the last race, wrote:

Congrats to Sven today- great race! You are very deserving!

Dutch speed skater and team mate Mark Tuitert [nl], who will be participating in the men's 1000 and 1500 metres, wrote:

Repect voor Sven, hij flikt het en dat is absoluut niet altijd vanzelfsprekend!

Respect for Sven, he did it and that is something you absolutely cannot take for granted!

Team mate Ronald Mulder [nl], who will be participating in the men's 500 metres, wrote:

Supermooie 5km gezien! Sven met 16miljoen NL'ers op zijn rug de dikverdiende gouden plak! Respect

Watched a super great 5k! Sven won his well-earned gold medal with 16 million Dutch people on his back! Respect

Team mate Annette Gerritsen [nl], who will be participating in the ladies' 500, 1000 and 1500 metres, wrote:

Wat een prachtige 1e dag. Wat onzettend knap van Sven.

What a beautiful first day. An incredible achievement by Sven.

Dutch coach Ingrid Paul [nl], currently coaching the Canadian speed skating team, stressed how incredible Sven's performance was:

Ik zei net verdiende winnaar,maar dit is meer dan verdiend,de superfavoriet en super hard geknokt en gereden,niets laten liggen! Super Sven!

I just said he deserved to win, but this is more than deserved, the super favourite and he put up a super fight and a super race, he gave it his all! Super Sven!

Norwegian speed skater Øystein Grødum had even learned Dutch to congratulate Sven and expressed his disappointment over fellow countryman Håvard Bøkko's fourth place:

felicitaties SVEN…. GOUD.. sorry with 4th for @havardbokko

congratulations SVEN…. GOLD.. sorry with 4th for @havardbokko

Sven Kramer himself hasn't been spotted on Twitter yet. He'd better concentrate on speed skating, since he has a few more medal chances.

Picture and thumbnail taken from Sven Kramer's website

Netherlands: Miep Gies, Woman Who Helped Anne Frank, Dies at 100

Percy Balemans — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 04:56:57 +0000

Miep Gies and husband Jan next to the bookcase that hid the Secret Annex, around 1988

Miep Gies, the last surviving member of a group that helped Anne Frank and her Jewish family evade capture in the Netherlands during WWII, passed away on January 12 at the age of 100, reports the BBC.

Anne Frank's Diary remains one of the most famous personal records of the Holocaust. It was Gies who saved Anne Frank's diary when their secret hiding place was betrayed and the family was deported to concentration camps.

The BBC cited Miep Gies' website as its source:

Miep Gies deceased
On Monday evening, January 11, Miep Gies deceased after a short illness. She has become 100 years.

Dutch media also reported the news, but slower. The broadcaster NOS [nl] cited the BBC as its source for the story more than an hour later.

On Twitter, people were confused. Jetteke69 [nl] posted:

Op Wikipedia wordt gezegd dat Miep Gies is overleden. Heeft iemand daar al een bron voor? #miepgies

On Wikipedia, it says that Miep Gies has died. Does anyone have a source for this yet? #miepgies

hood1409 [nl] says:

waarom weten ze het in t buitenland eerder dan hier #miepgies

why did they hear about it abroad before we did #miepgies

Not everyone in the Netherlands seems to know who Miep Gies is. RicksRommelhok [nl] writes:

..Miep Gies….nooooit van gehoord… #gemistefeiten

..Miep Gies….never heard of her… #missedfacts

But Miep Gies has definitely gained international fame and respect, as this series of tweets by NathanWurtzel from the US shows:

Tweet 1: I'm trying to find words worthy of Miep Gies. I don't know if I can do it.

Tweet 2: I can't possibly imagine what Occupied Europe was like. I can't possibly imagine what living in constant fear of capture is like.

Tweet 3: Miep Gies didn't have to do anything. She was a clerk at Otto Frank's spice company, but could have simply gone along to get along.

Tweet 4: The penalty for helping hide Jews was anything from 6 months in a labor camp to being shot on the spot. No one got away “unpunished.”

Tweet 5: Gies already was threatened with deportation by Nazis for refusing to join a Nazi women's association,

Tweet 6: In addition to running food to the Franks and the other refugees at incredible personal risk, Miep Gies also saved Anne's diary.

Tweet 7: When asked about her heroic efforts, she said she merely stood in a long line of Dutch people who did what she did…or more.

Tweet 8: How do you say thank you to Miep Gies?

Tweet 9: It seems so inadequate.

Tweet 10: I think the only way to thank Miep Gies is to take our own place in the line she spoke of; each of us doing what we can.

Edited: The website of the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam has published a special section on Miep Gies, including a condolence register.

Photo and thumbnail from Miep Gies' website

Netherlands: Too young to sail the world alone at 13?

Percy Balemans — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:24:38 +0000

Laura Dekker from the Netherlands is 13 years-old and wants to sail around the world alone to break a world record. On her website [nl] she introduces herself as, “The youngest solo sailor in the world.” Her parents support her plan, but the Dutch Child Welfare Council have taken legal action to stop her.

A Dutch sailing website, Zeilen, discusses the consequences of her trip in an article dedicated to the issue [nl].

Het is in Nederland uniek dat een kind van deze leeftijd alleen de wereld intrekt. Dat komt door onze Leerplichtwet. Van vijf tot zestien jaar moet iedereen naar school. Van zestien tot achttien jaar mag je alleen van school mits je een diploma hebt. Laura is dertien en dus leerplichtig.

It is unique in the Netherlands that a child of this age sets forth into the world on her own. This is because of the Dutch compulsory education law. From the age of five, until the age of sixteen, every child has to attend school. From the age of sixteen, until the age of eighteen, you are only allowed to leave school if you have a diploma. Laura is thirteen years old and therefore she still must go to school.

Laura's parents have applied for permission to have Laura take lessons via a distance learning programme for Dutch-speaking children who live abroad with their parents called Wereldschool ('World school'). However, permission has not been granted, since Laura would have to teach herself, and the lesson plans of the school are intended to be taught by the parents.

Meanwhile, the Child Welfare Council has taken legal action for Laura to be made a ward of court, to prevent her parents for allowing her to go on the trip and thus violating the compulsory education law.

In a comment on the Zeilen website article, reader Johan de Vries, supports Laura:

… Ik moet denken aan Laura Dekker, dat dertienjarig leeftijdgenootje dat rond de wereld wil zeilen maar de kans loopt tegengehouden te worden door de instanties, onderwerp is van gesprek en discussie, en van de media alle aandacht krijgt … Laura Dekker die al meer van de wereld gezien heeft dan menigeen … Laura Dekker die al heeft laten zien dat zij zeilen kan als de beste … Laura Dekker die al meer voor elkaar heeft gekregen dan vele van haar leeftijdgenootjes … Laura, mijn zegen heb je, maak je dromen waar en leef ze uit! En ik blijf je volgen, en als je straks weer aankomt zeil ik je misschien wel tegemoet voor een warm onthaal …

… It reminds me of Laura Dekker, the 13-year-old who wants to sail around the world, but may be stopped by the authorities, who is a topic of conversation and discussion and gets plenty of media attention … Laura Dekker, who has seen more of the world than many of us … Laura Dekker, who has already proven that she can sail like the best of them … Laura Dekker, who has already achieved more than many children her age … Laura, you have my blessing, fulfil your dreams and live them! And I will continue to follow you, and when you return, I may just sail out to meet you to give you a warm welcome …

Another commenter, Luuk Jansen, says Laura is not just any 13-year-old:

Ik denk niet dat je Laura met een ‘doorsnee' kind van 13 kunt vergelijken. Als ik in de Zeilen haar artikel lees over haar eerste oversteek naar Engeland krijg ik het idee dat ze goed weet waar ze mee bezig is.

I don't think you can compare Laura with just any 13-year-old. When I read her article in Zeilen magazine about her first crossing to England, I get the impression that she knows very well what she is doing.

Diane, another reader, thinks Laura should be stopped:

Ik ben blij dat de rechter en kinderbescherming zich hiermee bemoeit. Het is naar mijn mening echt totaal onverantwoord om een 13 jarig kind twee jaar lang alleen de zee op te sturen. Ze zal vast fantastisch kunnen zeilen. Maar wat gaat dit voor invloed hebben op haar sociale en geestelijke ontwikkeling? […]
Ik kan er niet bij dat haar ouders hier toestemming voor geven.. Wat mij betreft is haar laten gaan inderdaad een vorm van kindermishandeling en ik vind het niet vreemd dat de kinderbescherming zich daarmee bemoeit. Het hele leerplicht gedoe.. daar gaat het natuurlijk eigenlijk niet om, het is een manier om haar rechterlijk tegen te houden en te behoeden voor de echte gevaren.

I am glad the court and the Child Welfare Council have taken up this case. I really think it is totally irresponsible to send a 13-year-old child to sea on her own for two years. I'm sure she's a great sailor. But how will this influence her social and mental development? […]
I can't understand that her parents are allowing her to do this.. In my opinion, letting her go is indeed a form of child abuse and I don't think it's strange that the Child Welfare Council has interfered. All this talk about compulsory education.. of course that's not really the issue, it's just a way for the court to stop her and to protect her from the real dangers.

Peter Peters thinks Laura is being blinded by the record she would set as the youngest person to sail around the world:

Wat mij betreft is haar vader in een soort tunnelvisie terechtgekomen. Laura ook, maar dat kun je een kind van 13 niet kwalijk nemen. Heel deze commotie ontstaat omdat ze PERSE NU deze reis wil maken. Maar ik denk dat de wereld er over 5 jaar ook nog wel is en dan kan ze deze reis ook maken. Dan heeft ze 1. haar diploma, 2. meer levenswijsheid, 3. alle vrijheden die ze maar wil. De reden dat alles nu moet is het mediaspectakel dat een record heet, maar als het Laura's passie en droom is, dan moet zo'n record er naar mijn idee niet toe doen. Dus ik zeg, verwezenlijk je droom! Maar doe het over 5 jaar…

If you ask me, her father is stuck in some kind of tunnel vision. So is Laura, but you cannot blame a 13-year-old kid for that. All this commotion is caused by the fact that she INSISTS on making this trip NOW. But the world will still be out there in 5 years' time and then she can still make this trip. By then, she will 1. have finished school, 2. have more worldly wisdom, 3. have all the freedom she wants. The reason she has to do it now, is the media tumult surrounding the record, but if this is Laura's passion and dream, I don't think a record should be important. So I say, fulfill your dream! But do it in 5 years' time…

Bloggers in the Netherlands are commenting on the case as well. aanbevolen [nl] writes:

Merkwaardig vind ik het dat haar ouders haar plan goedkeuren. Volgens hen kan Laura zo goed zeilen dat ze zeker in staat is haar tocht te voltooien. Op Laura's website staat dat ze bijvoorbeeld al naar Engeland (!) is gevaren. Dat is een hele prestatie, maar of je dan ook al meteen de hele wereld over kunt zeilen…

I think it's remarkable that her parents approve of her plan. They say that Laura is such a good sailor that she is definitely able to complete her trip. On her website, for example, Laura writes that she has already sailed to England (!) before. That is quite an achievement, but whether that means you're ready to sail around the whole world…

Maxim, an 18-year-old student blogger on Scholieren.com, has written a post entitled “Let Laura go!” [nl]:

Ik hoop en neem aan dat Laura en haar ouders zelf het beste weten wat goed voor haar is, gewoon omdat zij het beste weten wie Laura is. We kunnen beter een voorbeeld nemen aan haar moed en ambitie om haar droom te verwezenlijken. En tja, wie weet komt ze na een paar maanden alweer terug omdat het haar niet is gelukt. Ook daar zal ze van leren. In ieder geval, laat Laura maar gaan! We zullen hoe dan ook nog van haar horen…

I hope and assume that Laura and her parents know best what is good for her, simply because they know best who Laura is. We had better see her as an example of courage and ambition to fulfil her dream. She may well be back again in a few months because she didn't make it. She will learn from that as well. In any case, let Laura go! We will hear from her either way…

Some people find it more difficult to make up their mind about the issue.

Ed commented on an article on Zeilersblog [nl]:

Bij gebrek aan krant en TV vernam ik ‘pas’ Maandag Laura’s voorgenomen avontuur. ’s avonds heb ik gelijk via haar site gemaild en en verteld dat ik de onderneming niet zag zitten. Vijf dagen later, na veel lezen en googelen over de reis de route en het meisje moet ik mijn mening herzien.
Gisteren heb ik haar andermaal gemaild en mijn bewondering uitgesproken. Ook mijn excuses gemaakt voor de eerder verzonden mail. De Nederlandse hokjesgeest is er voor de gemiddelde mens. De mens die zelf niet durft en angstvallig houvast zoekt aan de opgelegde regeltjes. Ik hoor daar ook bij, vandaar dat ik eerder ernstig negatief gestemd was. Laura en haar familie passen niet in een hokje. Sommige mensen zijn u eenmaal te groot om daar in te passen. […]
Laura, volg je hart, en laat je niet beïnvloeden door ons, het klootjesvolk!

With no access to a newspaper or TV I didn't hear about Laura's intended adventure until Monday. Monday evening I emailed her via her website and told her that I didn't think her trip was a very good idea. Five days later, after having read and googled a lot about her trip, her itinerary and the girl, I have to change my mind.
Yesterday I sent her another email in which I expressed my admiration. I also apologised for my previous email. The Dutch narrow-mindedness is for average people. People who do not have the courage themselves and anxiously hold on to imposed rules. I am one of them, which is why I strongly disagreed before. Laura and her family cannot be pigeon-holed. Some people are simply too big for a pigeon-hole. […]
Laura, follow your heart and don't let yourself be influenced by us, the masses!

Laura's case has attracted the attention of the international media as well: the BBC, the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Company), German magazine Der Spiegel [de] and Spanish newspaper Publico [es], have all published articles about her.

Photo and thumbnail from Laura's website

Netherlands: 80th birthday of Anne Frank

Percy Balemans — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 15:30:13 +0000

The website of the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam commemorates the 80th birthday of Anne Frank by listing activities in the Netherlands and around the world which are organised to mark the occasion.

Netherlands: Dutch minister tweets about Afghanistan summit

Percy Balemans — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 12:18:09 +0000

Maxime Verhagen

During the recent Afghanistan summit in The Hague, Dutch readers could read updates and direct responses to questions about the summit on Twitter. The updates were posted by Maxime Verhagen, the Dutch Mininster of Foreign Affairs, who hosted the summit. Mr Verhagen is an avid Twitter user.

The day before the summit, Mr Verhagen posted updates about participants to the summit arriving at the airport. He also included a couple of pictures:

4:49 PM Mar 30th: Op weg naar het vliegveld van Rotterdam om gasten voor de conferentie te verwelkomen.

On my way to Rotterdam airport to welcome guests to the conference.

5:28 PM Mar 30th: President Karzai geland, klaar bij de rode loper http://twitpic.com/2luvf

President Karzai has landed, I'm waiting for him on the red carpet http://twitpic.com/2luvf

8:52 PM Mar 31th: Secretary of State Clinton begroeten http://twitpic.com/2mr64

Welcoming Secretary of State Clinton http://twitpic.com/2mr64

He also took the time to respond to questions. @jellekaat asked:

5:36 PM Mar 30th: @MaximeVerhagen gaat u elke gast persoonlijk ontvangen op het vliegveld?

@MaximeVerhagen will you welcome every guest personally at the airport?

7:14 PM Mar 30th: @jellekaat Nee dat zou ondoenlijk zijn, alleen de hoofdgasten president Karzai en dadelijk secretaris-generaal van de VN Ban Ki-Moon.

@jellekaat No, that would be impossible, just the main guests, president Karzai and in a few minutes UN secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon.

@paulhottinga was worried about the inconveniences for the general public caused by the security measures surrounding the summit:

1:52 PM Mar 30th: @MaximeVerhagen hoe gaat het met de voorbereidingen? Was er geen mogelijkheid de delegaties in te vliegen ipv verkeersinfarct die dreigt?

@MaximeVerhagen how are the preparations coming along? Wasn't it possible to have the delegations fly in to prevent the imminent traffic problems?

7:40 PM Mar 30th: @paulhottinga We doen ons best om de overlast binnen de perken te houden en de gasten toch veilig te kunnen ontvangen.

@paulhottinga We are trying our best to limit the inconvenience as much as possible while still being able to receive our guests safely

@Bartdejong86 wondered why president Obama wasn't attending the summit:

1:34 PM Mar 30th: @MaximeVerhagen ik was benieuwd waarom Obama niet bij de top aanwezig is. afgelopen week was hij veel in het nieuws m.b.t. Afghanistan

@MaximeVerhagen I'm curious why Obama isn't attending the summit. Last week he was in the news a lot with regards to Afghanistan

7:43 PM Mar 30th: @Bartdejong86 Het is een conferentie voor ministers van BZ, daarom komt secretary of state Clinton.

@Bartdejong86 This is a conference for Ministers of Foreign Affairs, which is why secretary of state Clinton is attending.

On the next day, the day of the summit, Mr Verhagen still managed to find the time to post updates:

12:07 PM Mar 31st: Conferentie toegesproken: naar een nieuw contract tussen de internationale gemeenschap en Afghanistan http://tinyurl.com/cadky6

Addressed the conference: on to a new contract between the international community and Afghanistan http://tinyurl.com/cadky6

12:14 PM Mar 31st: Goede toespraken en bijdragen van collega's, er is nieuwe energie voelbaar in de zaal over Afghanistan.

Excellent speeches and contributions from colleagues, a new energy about Afghanistan is tangible in the room.

1:50 PM Mar 31st: Ochtendsessie afgesloten http://twitpic.com/2mwp5 Nu lunchen, onderussen gaan we door met de discussie.

Morning session finished http://twitpic.com/2mwp5 Time for lunch now, while we continue the discussion.

3:12 PM Mar 31st: Beginnen aan een hele serie 1 op 1 gesprekken, eerst met mijn Pakistaanse, meteen daarna met mijn Russische collega.

Starting a whole series of 1-on-1 talks, first with my Pakistani, then with my Russian colleague.

5:51 PM Mar 31st: Conferentie afgesloten, deelnemers bedankt, deze voor het familieplakboek http://twitpic.com/2n4o3 Nu de persconferentie.

Conference is finished, have thanked the participants, a picture for the family scrapbook http://twitpic.com/2n4o3 Next: the press conference.

9:35 PM Mar 31st: Vandaag helaas geen tijd gehad om te reageren op vragen, heel veel dank voor alle twittersteun.

Have had no time today to respond to questions unfortunately, many thanks for all your Twitter support.

According to his latest Twitter updates, Mr Verhagen is now in Strasbourg for the 60th anniversary NATO summit:

Apr 3rd: Op weg naar Straatsburg voor de NAVO top van vanavond en morgen.

On my way to Strasbourg for the NATO summit this evening and tomorrow.

Apr 4th: NAVO top ter gelegenheid van 60 jarig bestaan. - http://mobypicture.com/?tk7qgi

60th anniversary NATO summit - http://mobypicture.com/?tk7qgi