News from Amsterdam


To the front page

11/1 Jurists want to stay in Oudemanhuispoort

8/2 Mayor’s portrait

8/2 Websites for social cohesion

7/2 Spreading tourism proceeds with difficulty

7/2 GroenLinks on districts: Be a man

6/2 Zuideramstel opens new office on Sabbath

5/2 The truth about integration

4/2 Wilders has little support on Amsterdam

3/2 Elite involved in neighbourhood

2/2 Johnnie Walker avoids taxes in Amsterdam

1/2 Rotterdam to tinker with district councils as well

31/1 Wooden rowing boats to disappear from Amstel

31/1 ZeeburgTV launched

27/1 Privacy activists to mess up loyalty card system

27/1 A few were still coughing, but that was an act

27/1 Chrisis in de Baarsjes

26/1 Youth have positive view of districts

24/1 Action groups call for Carmel and Jaffa boycott

24/1 PvdA members dismiss plan for districts

23/1 KLM takes on crisis with new uniform

23/1 District office not squatted

21/1 Merge districts

20/1 Closing squat bar Vrankrijk not necessary

20/1 Cleaners welcome new Schiphol director

18/1 Palestine at the Jewish Historical Museum

18/1 What is the right size for a district?

17/1 PvdA Oost against fewer districts

16/1 Committee: 7 districts by 2010

15/1 Soldiers may attend Afghanistan debate after all

15/1 Bait bike leads to arrest

14/1 Youth for Christ to republish vacancies

13/1 Paintings of the Zuidas

13/1 New Youth for Christ contoversy

11/1 Social cohesion initiative raises eyebrows

10/1 Fewer districts in 2010

10/1 Zuidas: People feel that we are losers

9/1 Fun on the ice - but not for all

9/1 Supermarket coupon fraud thwarted

9/1 I Amsterdam must remain exclusive

8/1 Use term Apartheid in every discussion

8/1 No city kiosk in Amsterdam yet

7/1 Snow

7/1 Fatima Elatik to run Zeeburg

7/1 Municipal managers to return to shop floor

4/1 Police: take photo of strange people

3/1 Gaza protest criticises politicians

1/1 Thousands to protest against attacks on Gaza

1/1 Mustapha Laboui leaves district council

 

2008 Archive

2007 Archive

2006 Archive

2005 Archive

 

 

 

 

Social cohesion initiative raises eyebrows

11 January 2009 – The Zuideramstel District is going to enlist the local elite to set up community initiatives. The PvdA wants to know why community organisations and council members have not been involved.

On Monday, the district will install a Social Cohesion Think Tank, consisting of twelve successful residents. Members include journalists Anet Bleich (de Volkskrant) and Rick Nieman (RTL Nieuws), Director Joël Cahen of the Jewish Historical Museum and a number of academics, students and consultants.

Council member Daniel García Soto of coalition party PvdA was ‘highly surprised’ by the initiative and has filed written questions. He wants to know why council members were not involved in the plans. He also wants to know what the think tank will add to the community organisations that are already active in the district.

The first Social Cohesion Think Tank was set up in Oost as an answer to the polarisation following the murder of film maker Theo van Gogh. In 2007, think tanks were set up in de Baarsjes, Osdorp, Slotervaart and Zeeburg. At this moment, think tanks are being set up in Noord, Zuideramstel and Zuidoost. They are part of the city’s programme to deal with radicalisation, which consists of a mix of social welfare and repressive measures.

The role of the think tanks is to promote well-intended community initiatives to be funded by the district, with names such as ‘cup of coffee in the neighbourhood’, ‘multicultural cooking’, ‘greet on the street’, ‘come and play with us’ and ‘the wishing tree’.

The strategy to circumvent existing networks sometimes meets with resistance. In de Baarsjes, the PvdA questioned the think tank, which would offer nothing new. In Zuidoost, OZO said that active residents were unaware of the think tank.

Image: Alderman Henk Boes of Zuideramstel planting a tree with children of the Anne Frank School. Photo Zuideramstel District.

 

Want to receive News from Amsterdam? Click here

This is the old website. Please find new content here