By Roy Lie Atjam. The Hague, Friday 7 December 2018, the Kenyan Ambassador in the Netherlands H.E. Mr. Lawrence Lenayapa. CBS, hosted a festive reception for international guests, Head of Missions, Dutch partners, civil society and Kenyan nationals, at the Hotel Crowne Plaza to celebrate Jamhuri Day 2018 in advance. Not even the rain could stop the 250 or so guests from attended the mid-day reception which included Kenyan dishes, music and live performances of the Kenyan- and Dutch national anthems rendered by Kenyan singer and entertainer Ms. Wendy Kimani.

An extract of Ambassador LENAYAPA’s Jamhuri Day remarks is hereto attached. “I am pleased to welcome you all to Kenya’s 55^th National Day celebrations, “Jamhuri Day”, which is celebrated on 12^th December of every year. This is a day of great significance to Kenyans because as we gained our Independence, there was promised hope and aspiration for the country; that we shall take our rightful place in the community of States and contribute to the development of mankind. Being my first National day celebrations in the Netherlands, allow me to express my sincere appreciation to the Dutch Government authorities, the diplomatic corps as well as the International Organisations and the entire business fraternity for the warm welcome accorded to me and my family since our arrival in August.

As we reflect as a Nation on this important occasion, we appreciate the fast-changing global environment that may be defined by increased uncertainty and lack of adherence to the norms that have driven international relations. Conscious of the need for Nations to step up and take up leadership at a global stage, Kenya has not shied away from this task at the regional, continental and even global stage. Kenya has been called upon to provide, not just thought leadership, but demonstrative influence across many issues including peace, security and governance, environmental sustainability and the blue economy, technology and innovation.

Last month, Kenya hosted the high level Global Blue Economy Conference. The very important Conference afforded the opportunity to conduct advanced discussions on the two important pillars of the Blue Economy. These are: sustainability, climate change and controlling pollution on the one hand; and production, accelerated economic growth, jobs and poverty alleviation on the other. The deliberations from this important meeting concluded on the possibility of States being able to deliver real solutions and better results for people and the planet towards building an ocean economy.

  My presence in the Netherlands comes at an exciting time particularly for our relations which continue to get stronger both at the multilateral and bilateral levels. At the bilateral level, the relations which date back to 1964 is particularly evident from the business actually taking place between the two countries. Kenya seeks to further maximise on the opportunities available through the Aid-to-Trade policy of the Netherlands by actively seeking out Dutch investors for direct investments or to work through public private partnerships (PPP). Opportunities for investment abound particularly on the Government’s Big Four Agenda, namely Food security, Universal Healthcare, decent Housing and Manufacturing. These agenda speak to the human security, that is, ensuring that we do not leave any of our people, especially the vulnerable and weak behind.   It also seeks to guarantee the freedom from indignity and vulnerability caused by the lack of the basic needs and services: food, shelter, good health, jobs and empowerment. As such there are various projects available for implementation towards this cause. As Kenya remains open for business, investors can take advantage of the country’s fully liberalised economy. The country ranked 61 on the 2017/18 World Bank ease of doing business index, which was up 19 places from 2016/17. This can be attributed largely to the focus on the growth and increased competitiveness of domestic companies, and the attraction of local and foreign investors to invest capital and expertise into the economy. It is worth noting too that the realisation of our aspirations for growth is tied to stability within Kenya and our region. This is the reason why Kenya remains focused on the pursuit of peace and security in our region, particularly through multilateral fora. As part of this engagement, Kenya is seeking a seat in the UN Security Council for the period 2021-2022 at the elections to be held during the 74^th Session of United Nations General Assembly, in New York, in 2020. Kenya has twice served as a Non-Permanent member of the UNSC in 1973-1974 and 1997–1998. Before I conclude, I take the opportunity to welcome each of you in this room to consider Kenya as your next tourism destination. Kenya is a melting pot with an endless array of activities with a variety of holidays available, including: beach, Wildlife Safari, Culture, Landscapes, Adventure, Sports, Heritage and many others. Most of all however, you will experience the warm and friendly Kenyan people. I would like to thank our partners who have gone a long way in ensuring this event is a success, including Starbucks, who are here to let you taste some Kenyan coffee; Decofresh, Sian Roses and United Selections who have provided the fresh cut Kenyan Roses, (please ensure you leave with a bouquet); and Ms. Anne Parkimain, who has prepared the Kenyan cuisine that we will shortly invite you to enjoy. I would also like to thank all members of my staff at the Embassy, who have given me the best support since my arrival . I value the warmth, alliance and hard work displayed by everyone. With these few remarks, I would like to convey my best wishes to you all during this festive season and a prosperous New Year! I thank you all for your kind attention and I invite you to a toast. ———————— Photography is a courtesy of the Embassy of Kenya.     https://photos.app.goo.gl/wasMkAVGgc3R1L8J9                            

Blockade, Bangladesh documentary. Among the audience H.E. Sheikh Mohammed Belal, Ambassador of Bangladesh. 26 November 2018, The Hague: Only a week before the month of Victory, Embassy of Bangladesh in the Hague organized screening of a liberation war documentary on 25 November 2018. A full house attended the screening of ‘Blockade’ based on true story. ‘Blockade’ documentary is the story of nonviolent protest to stop the shipment of arms from the US to Pakistan during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. Blockade tells the story of how a group of American and Bengali activists protested against the U.S. government’s military and economic support for Pakistan during the war by staging a non-violent blockade of Pakistani ships in East Coast ports. Drawing upon rare archival images of the protests and direct interviews with key activists, Blockade offers a powerful reminder of the lengths that ordinary people around the world went to in order to stop the genocide in Bangladesh. Encouraged by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s historic 7^th March speech, when people of Bangladesh orchestrated their protests, the Western media gradually came to know of the horror unleash by the Pakistani forces. Bangladeshi IT expert, based in New Jersey, Mr. Arif Yousuf directed and produced the documentary. This documentary is the winner of 2017 The World’s Independent Film Festival (TWIFF) award, San Francisco, California in the category of documentary. The film follows the story of the Philadelphia resident peace activists Richard K. Taylor, Phyllis Taylor, Sally Willoughby; UPenn Professors Dr. Klaus Krippendorff, Dr. Charles Khan and Bengali expatriates then living in Philadelphia area Dr. Sultana Alam, Dr. Monayem Chowdhury, Mozharul Hoque et al. Their non-violent activism eventually forced some of those ships to return empty. Amidst the denial of the US government, they come up with an idea to create public/media awareness by a symbolic blockade with canoes and dinghies in front of the oceangoing ships that were being used for supplying arms to Pakistan. The groups successfully organize non-violent protests and generate a huge national media interest on the matter. The activists then go on to influence other groups and make a substantial impact on public opinion in US and overseas. Through interviews, archival TV footage and photographs, the film weaves in historical accounts of the genocide in Bangladesh, the misguided US foreign policy towards Pakistan at that time, and the common man’s protest against injustice.

After screening the documentary of 85 minutes, director Mr. Arif Yousuf was connected with the audience via Skype, he shared his experiences of making the documentary and mentioned that it took more than 8 years to make this documentary film. He is also interested in making few more documentary films not only on incidents of liberation war but also on ongoing development spree of Bangladesh. The enthusiastic audience inquired about further details of the film and expressed their interest to make arrangement of screening this documentary in other pertinent gatherings and if required they would support in making of such documentary films. The local journalists stated that they would promote the documentary film ‘Blockade’ in their channel and facilitate in taking part in relevant film festivals. H.E. Ambassador Sheikh Mohammed Belal congratulated the director for his successful making of the documentary and thanked him for sharing his film with the Embassy for screening. On the eve of the month of victory, Ambassador Belal paid tribute to the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Martyrs and Freedom Fighters of 1971. Referring to how Bangladesh Prime Minister,  know as ‘Mother of Humanity’, recalled Bangladesh people own sufferings during Pakistan preoccupation, when Bangladesh  opened the door for displaced people of Myanmar i.e. over a million Rohingya in Bangladesh. He urged Bangladesh nationals to come forward from their respective position to promote Bangladesh’s achievement to the international community. The audience expressed their satisfaction for organizing the screening of documentary film which surely enhanced their knowledge about Bangladesh liberation war. ————— Photography by the Embassy of Bangladesh in The Hague.

Major General John Wood (US Air Force), Air Commodore Jez Attridge (UK RAF) and Major General Luc de Rancourt (French Air Force). By Guido Lanfranchi At the end of October, the Air Forces of the United States, United Kingdom, and France conducted the Trilateral Air Force Exercise “Point Blank” in the United Kingdom. The exercise, the first of its kind with France on board, focused on interoperability among different assets and high state of readiness. About 50 aircraft involved, including the F-35B from the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force, the French Air Force’s Rafale, and the US Air Force’s F-15, and two key words: interoperability and readiness. This was the Trilateral Air Force Exercise in a nutshell, as described by Major General John Wood (US Air Force), Air Commodore Jez Attridge (UK RAF) and Major General Luc de Rancourt (French Air Force), during a press conference on the eve of the exercise. The United States, the United Kingdom, and France have been historic allies, including in the military domain, and “the links between our three Air Forces are very tight” – Maj. Gen. de Rancourt said. While bilateral exercises are not anything new within the framework of NATO, the 2018 edition of Point Blank featured for the first time the presence of the French – Maj. Gen. Wood noted with satisfaction – as well as the integration of 5^th generation platforms.

The exercise allowed to test the integration of 4^th generation and 5^th generation platforms, bringing forward the work started in previous exercises. As Air Comm. Attridge put it, the two platforms should complement each other, leveraging their respective strengths to support each other’s capabilities. The overall focuses of the exercise – Maj Gen. Wood outlined – were air interdiction, offensive counter-air, personnel recovery and dissimilar air combat maneuvering. In a quickly changing world, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France continue to strengthen their cooperation in the military domain, with two major aims: being able to work together, and to do it fast. Visual material at: https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/PointBlank        

By Roy Lie Atjam. The Hague, Marriott Hotel 23 November 2018- Mrs. Joy Uwanziga who lives and works in The Hague as an expatriate (you might know her as the Consular Affairs Assistant of the Embassy of Rwanda) has launched her second book entitled ‘The Incredible Ways Of Parenting You Always Wanted To Know’. Her well-received first book, “Manners In Rwanda “ is about basic Knowledge of Rwandan Culture, Customs, and Kinyarwanda Language. The book has been among the first 100 bestsellers on Amazon (Africa Department) since 2015, three months after its publication till now.

In fact, the incredible ways of parenting is a self-help guide/handbook to parents, guardians and readers of the world. The book is a product of her extensive research and her personal experience as a mother. T he book allows readers to learn from the experts and to equip themselves with the scenarios that can be harrowing for new parents or to the ones who need further learning support. Guest of honour at the book launching was Professor Jan Pronk.

Prof. Pronk addressed the gathering. So did book reviewer Ms. Johanne Bade, Susan Chaffin and book reviewer Ms. Michelle Oliel. The animated evening was in the capable hands of MC Mr. Richard Hilly. There was live music by pianist Hans Steijger and dance performances.

A group of Ambassadors graced the event by their presence. Furthermore, the Rwandan diaspora was well represented as were many friends of Joy Uwanziga as well as friends of Rwanda. MC Richard Hilly ‘s closing remark was followed by music, food, drinks and Networking.

Purchase your copy at, https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-incredible-ways-of-parenting-joy-nzamwita-uwanziga/1129481819?ean=9780999591574  

                            By  Roy Lie Atjam. Leiden, 15 November 2018, the Ambassador of Egypt in the Netherlands. H.E. Mr. Amgad Abdel Ghafar organized a diplomatic reception in connection with the opening of the exhibition Gods of Egypt. The National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden served as a backdrop. The Museum houses a fabulous collection of artefacts from ancient Egypt. According to a report, the Gods of Egypt exhibition includes 500 artefacts collected in cooperation with the Louvre, Allard Pierson and Vienna museum. The exhibition coincides with the 200th anniversary of the National Museum of Antiquities establishment. Gods of Egypt is a very impressive exhibition.  It proves how enormous the influence of the gods has been on the daily life of the ordinary ancient Egyptians. The following gods were venerated; the god of the heavens, the god of the moon, the stars, the earth and god of the house. Gods of Egypt is also the fifth high-profile exhibitions in Leiden. The others were that of   Petra, Carthage, Queens of the Nile, and Nineve in 2017. Ambassador Ghafar commenced by welcoming, Madame Barbera Wolfensberger, Director-General of Culture and Media at the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science Dr Win Weijland Director National Museum of Antiquities. Mr Maarten Raven, fellow Ambassadors and friends of Egypt. Prof. Dr Maarten Raven delivered a vivid introduction on Gods of Egypt. What is more, Ambassador Ghafar referred to the remarks made by the Greek historian Herodotus upon visiting Egypt around 450 B.C. Herodotus exclaimed “nowhere are there so many marvels in the world”. He then added, still talking about the Egyptians “they have existed ever since men existed upon the earth.”  Ambassador Ghafar continued// these Statements by Herodotus, nearly 2500 years ago, reflect clearly he Western fascination with ancient Egypt in all aspects of its history, culture and daily life. Indeed, current and future generation of Egyptians, are immensely grateful to our ancestors, who left us such wealth of wonders that still contributes and enriches human heritage today. However, we could not have appreciated these marvels without the dedication of countless Egyptologists, curators of museums and even amateur archeologists, from different parts of the world. Indeed, we owe them a debt of gratitude for their efforts and zeal. In this regard, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to Dr. Wim Wijlend, and Mr. Maarten Raven and their respective teams, for their relentless efforts to ensure the launch of this unique exhibition, and for having hosted around than 18 other exhibitions in this museum since 1995.  Allow me also, to seize this opportunity to pay homage to a distinguished curator and Egyptologist Mr. Maarten Raven, who contributed a great deal to this museum and Egyptology. His achievements were best highlighted in Dr. Eim Weijland’s speech, that left no stone unturned for anyone to elaborate further. I wish you Mr. Raven the very best in all your future endeavors. Ladies and Gentlemen, Without a doubt history lessons, Modern literature and Cinema have popularized many aspect of life in Ancient Egypt, to the masses. Suffice to mention Ancient Egypt, and it will conjure images of mummies, pyramids, Pharaohs, Queens, tombs, lost treasures, legends of Gods and Goddesses …etc. Yet, many aspects of religion with many Gods and Goddesses in that era, are relatively unknown. The role of mythology in Ancient Egypt is a case and point. Hence, I hope this special exhibition launched today, is of particular significance in providing these insights. In a universe made out of men and women, Gods and Goddesses, ancient  Egyptians have reflected the progressiveness of the society since they set the very first examples in history of emancipation, and progressive rights, especially pertaining to gender equality and strong presence of female deities that possessed powers and were revered as much as their male counterparts in ancient Egypt, not to mention having temples erected in their honors. Enough to mention Hathour; Goddess of love and motherhood, or Isis who was venerated in the Greek and Roman cultures as well. Not surprisingly therefore, that the Goddess representing Justice is a female deity “Maa’t”, who still have her name and symbol “the feather” depicted on none other than the very entrance of the Peace Palace; International Court of Justice. Religion played a significant role in Ancient Egypt and influenced nearly every aspect of the life of the Egyptians. Testimony to this are the monuments left relating to afterlife and worship of Gods. Egypt left a wealth of traceable evidence of its religious beliefs evident in monuments designated for the afterworld, as well as statues and temples for its revered Gods and Goddesses. We are witnesses to the Ancient Egyptian tombs, mortuary temples, mummies, funerary furniture, yet not their palaces! Even great Kings, like Cheops for instance, left nothing but a great tomb; a great pyramid that is considered one of the seven wonders of both ancient and modern world, yet no trace of his palace to be found as one would expect! I look back with gratitude to my ancestors for having founded such a unique culture and civilization that is celebrated all around the world. In this context, I am also very grateful to the Rijksmuseum for the exerted efforts in continuing to organize such exhibition since their foundation in 1818, in addition to its permanent Egyptian collection. Before I conclude, I would like to seize this opportunity to reveal to you the good news that partial opening of the new Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) will take place in the first quarter of 2019. Expected to be a great global museum and one of the largest museums in the world, it will be home to 100.000 artifacts from Egypt’s prehistoric times till Greek and Roman periods, making it the largest in the world dedicated to Egyptology. Hence, it is going to witness for the first time the display of all Tutankhamen’s artifacts gathered in one place which amounts to more than 5000 pieces, in addition to the statue of King Ramsses II. 87 royal statues will adorn its grand staircase as well as large architectural elements, like statues of Kings Khafre, Akhenaton. As it is rather hard to capture in words what the artifacts of this exhibition could express out loud about the grandeur of the Egyptian civilization, I come to wrap up my speech giving time to be taken away in a more depth journey sailing across the richness of the monuments this exhibition has to offer// end quote. Ambassador Amgad Abdel Ghafar, thanked the Dutch government, the Leiden National Museum of Antiquities and all who contributed in making this exhibition possible. The exhibition is expected to run until March 2019. ————— Photography by National Museum of Antiquities        

On 29 November 2018, the Embassy of Hungary presented a “Pálinka Masterclass”at the Hungarian Corner restaurant in The Hague. Kristian Kielmayer, Chairman of the National Pálinka of Excellence Programme presented a special selection of the Hungarian pálinkas, and the distinguished guests discovered the unique taste of apricot, blackcurrant, elderberry, grape, plum, apple and sour cherry pálinka. The event was organized for Dutch experts and gastronomic journalists and opened by Ambassador Kocsis. The distinctive pálinkas were offered by seven Hungarian distilleries: 1 Csepp, Brill, Csalló, Schiszler, Tarpa, Várda, Zsindelyes. After the tasting, traditional Hungarian goulash and strudel were served to guests.

By Nane Paraiso. On Friday 12th of October, Sonia Meijer was invited to speak at the graduation ceremony for International Baccalaureate students at Comenius College in Capelleaan den IJssel. Last year ex Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende was the key-note speaker, this year in the light of diversity, Comenius College decided to invite a charismatic and inspirational person from the Corps Diplomatic. It was a special evening since the students graduated with the highest marks in the Netherlands. The evening started with a dinner for parents, graduates and teachers. Immediately after, the graduates had to wear their beautiful caps and gowns with a royal blue tassel. The valedictorian Evan Pridmore (a Canadian / American native) who currently studies art history in the UK brought us back to memory lane and with self-deprecating humour reminisced the joy and hardships of the International Baccalaureate programme. After some giggles and melancholic reflective thoughts the master of ceremony announced the Honoray Consul of El Salvador as key-note speaker. Ms. Sonia Meijer began her speech by telling the freshly graduated students “how honoured” she was in taking part of the celebration. The auditorium was filled by emotions when she disclosed on her own life story and career path in the diplomatic world moving from El Salvador to Brasil, Uruguay and of course the Netherlands. In addition Ms. Meijer commended the parents and teachers for their hard work in developing and raising adolescents into global citizens who aspire to travel the world whilst expanding their horizon. Moreover her motto and the message she conveyed that one needs “to dream big dreams” was extremely inspiring for the entire audience. Not only did she shed a light on the challenges one might face in life but also elaborated on the fact that traveling is quintessential to one’s life journey; “sometimes you’ll gain more knowledge through intercultural relationships than from plain knowledge in books.” The poignant, heart-warming, motivational and benevolent speech ended on a positive note that when we embark on a new journey we’ll explore the world and view it from different perspectives. Perhaps some students would choose a career in the diplomatic world and if they aspire this, by working hard and with an open mind, these dreams could become reality. After a musical intermezzo by other talented IB-students, teachers and tutors gave their speech. In general, Comenius College and especially the IB-programme fosters knowledgeable, inquisitive, balanced, risk-taking, caring and open minded people in order to create a better and more peaceful world. ————– The author is a IB Diploma Programme teacher and golf teacher.