Political intransparency continues in Maastricht-Hasselt lightrail plan

By Jurgen Vlaar For more than a decade, the city council of Maastricht has been discussing the lightrail connection with the Belgian city of Hasselt. This week, during the council meeting of June 2nd, it became clear that most information surrounding this project the costs was still kept secret for the public. Meanwhile the struggles with working partners from outside the countries continue. The so … Continue reading Political intransparency continues in Maastricht-Hasselt lightrail plan

Radical switch

By Naomi ‘t Hart A certain event, such as the current pandemic or a death, can lead to a fundamental change in a person’s being. But even just being confronted with systemic injustice, can push a person to radically change their life around. Three young people on what caused them to change their way of life.  Aisha  The twenty-year-old Aisha* grew up in Saudi Arabia … Continue reading Radical switch

“Once out, you are forgotten,” the Dutch in Canada voice their annoyance in voting from abroad

Austin Devaraj, Sage Bankasingh March. 18, 2021 TORONTO – As Dutch citizens took to the polls this week, which have been spread apart intentionally into multiple days, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, expatriates are looking to voice their concerns about voting in the motherland. Dutch residents in Canada who hold citizenship in the Netherlands note complexities in communication present to them while trying to vote. … Continue reading “Once out, you are forgotten,” the Dutch in Canada voice their annoyance in voting from abroad

Stephanie Bennett (GroenLinks): “My career as a healthcare psychologist can be of good use in the House of Representatives,”

By Gaby van Genderen Number 18 on GroenLinks’s candidates’ list for this week’s elections is Stephanie Bennett from Groningen. She was born in 1986 in a village called Heerde in The Netherlands, Stephanie is the daughter of an African American father and a Dutch mother. She left Heerde to study Psychology in Groningen. As of right now, she is a member of the provincial council … Continue reading Stephanie Bennett (GroenLinks): “My career as a healthcare psychologist can be of good use in the House of Representatives,”

“This is what uncle Ho did”

by Simon den Balvert 27 October 2020 From post-colonial struggles to the battles to reunify Vietnam, North Vietnamese artists were key in taking the messages of Ho Chi Minh to the front of the battle and to the population of both North and South Vietnam. The Vietnamese propaganda posters were cheap and very effective. Even today, when you walk around Hanoi you see small shops … Continue reading “This is what uncle Ho did”

Abkhazia: A forgotten conflict

Ghost towns, bombed houses: The frozen conflict in the South Caucasus region Abkhazia is almost forgotten. It’s time to remember it, to find a possible solution. But is that even possible? Can the corona pandemic bring a change?  A podcast by Lea Dillmann Abkhazia, known as the favorite holiday spot of former Russian dictator Josef Stalin, located northeast at the black sea along the Russian border. … Continue reading Abkhazia: A forgotten conflict

Rage against the most persistent of pandemics

Just when the corona crisis slowed down, we were brutally reminded of the other ‘pandemic’ that has raged across the world for over 400 years. Indeed COVID-19 does not see race, status or sexual orientation. However, the pandemic has demonstrated the fatality of inequality. The overwhelmingly black deaths of New York serve as irrefutable evidence that systematic racism is so deeply embedded in our societies, that it didn’t even slip from a colourblind virus.  Continue reading Rage against the most persistent of pandemics

Finnish Government’s hands tied due to rigid legislation

The country’s inflexible legislation poses unexpected obstacles for the Finnish government to deal with the coronavirus outbreak as swiftly as perhaps desired. Already when the confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Finland were shy of 400, the government took firm measures to close all schools, universities, gyms, libraries and other public buildings. It seemed as though the Finnish government was going to tackle the outbreak with … Continue reading Finnish Government’s hands tied due to rigid legislation

Political campaigning: online vs offline

The online-possibilities are endless and many companies, NGO’s and other organisations make good use of it. Political campaigning is a special segment in that area; is online campaigning going to be the future? Will the hard-working volunteers who are flyering on the street completely disappear? Text by Lisanne van ‘t Riet Social media is a big part of life in the western world, and more … Continue reading Political campaigning: online vs offline