Dutch organisations, Feature articles, posted June 28th, 2006

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Together with a group of 18 enthusiastic international volunteers and trainees, Denise Maas, coordinator of Mondiaal Centrum Maastricht, works on various projects to integrate foreigners of every origin (or “allochtonen” as the Dutch say) into Dutch society and to bring them into contact with local people (or “autochtonen”).

“It has not always been like this,” Denise says. Still as recently as ten years ago, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs mainly supported projects that would focus on sustainable development and fair trade in developing countries.

At that time Mondiaal Centrum was involved for instance in setting up schools in Nicaragua within the frame of the twinning project between Maastricht and the Nicaraguan city of Rama. But “in the last couple of years a shift of focus has been noticeable”, Denise explains.

The responsibilities for the execution of development policy have now been transferred from national to regional level. This means that nowadays Mondiaal Centrum receives subsidies from the city of Maastricht and no longer from the Ministry in The Hague.

Together with councillor Jacques Costongs and local non-governmental organisations (NGO’s), Mondiaal Centrum aims to raise consciousness about the immigration situation within the Netherlands and especially in Maastricht. This does not mean that sustainable development is off the agenda. Since world leaders have established the Millennium Development Goals to cut down poverty and improve living conditions in developing countries, there is an even bigger need to connect local issues with global issues.

The Maastricht city council having requested local organisations to work together, Mondiaal Centrum now plays a leading role in coordinating the various groups. This cooperation also helps to prevent organisations from unknowingly working on the same projects.

Newcomers in Maastricht
“Mondiaal Centrum organises a large variety of activities for newcomers in Maastricht”, Denise enthusiastically reports.

A big event is the “Welcome in Maastricht” festival that will take place on 2 September 2006 at Plein 1992 near Centre Céramique. Every newcomer is invited to enjoy world music and attend the millennium market where NGO’s and independent organisations will get a chance to present themselves to the public. One of the many interesting features of the day is a fashion show that will unite Moroccan traditional clothing with designs by students of the Maastricht Academy of Fine Arts. The programme of activities will include salsa and tango workshops and a special basketball match between famous Maastricht citizens and representatives of several local NGO’s. To make everybody feel at home, art has been chosen as a unifying topic. There will be an art market where artists from many nations will exhibit their work.

Walking down Memory Lane by German artist Carmen Gräbener, Atelier Mondiale

That art can work as a vehicle to promote universal values has been proven by another project at Mondiaal Centrum which started about ten years ago. The Atelier Mondiale is an art library where anyone can borrow paintings or sculptures made by international and in many cases non-Western artists. Against a small contribution borrowers can take home the chosen piece of art for a three month period (which can be extended up to another three month period). Contributions can also serve as instalments for a later purchase. The Atelier Mondiale catalogue currently features about 50 artists and the project usually generates great interest.

Wanted: volunteers
But Denise Maas also has worries. The library is open from Mondays to Thursdays from 12 am till 4 pm but it takes a lot of work to find new artists and customers. Since many of the steady volunteers are busy preparing projects, the current number of volunteers is not sufficient for the art library to grow. There is a strong need for new volunteers willing to help organise exhibits and guide visitors through the centre.

The group of volunteers working at Mondiaal Centrum is very diverse. There is for instance Saice, an Afghani refugee who works at Atelier Mondiale together with Pim, a Dutch trainee from Hogeschool Zuyd. They spend between two to ten hours a week in Mondiaal Centrum’s historic building in the city centre. Like the other volunteers from Morocco, Kenya, Rwanda, Poland and Suriname they say that they “enjoy working for Mondiaal Centrum because of its warm, familiar atmosphere where everybody feels appreciated.”

Volunteers are also needed for the preparation of the International Women’s Day 2007 which is organised in cooperation with the association “8 maart Comité”. The Women’s Day is celebrated every year to emphasise the achievements of women’s rights movements and draw attention to problems that women still encounter in modern society.

Last year’s “The world in Maastricht” party at Grand Theatre-Café La Bonbonnière was a big success and many volunteers are already working on its next edition.

 

Interested in joining Mondiaal Centrum?
The centre is located at Cortenstraat 4, close to Onze Lieve Vrouwenplein. Call for an appointment (+31) 043-3260881 or send an email to mondiaalcentrum@home.nl

By Antje Ritter
Photographs: Stuart Woodburn

Antje Ritter has studied Arts and Culture at the University of Maastricht and now works for Clerical Medical in Maastricht. She volunteered for Atelier Mondiale eight years ago.

 

Medina by German artist Carmen Gräbener, Atelier Mondiale

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