By Eugene Matos De Lara and Amelia Baxter.
Agricultural liberalization can have nefarious effects on the poorest countries. More powerful states use liberalization processes to gain concessions from weaker states without lowering their own domestic protections. Agricultural trade in some developing countries should be strongly regulated and in turn, diminish neoliberal market trends within these states because of its negative effects on local producers. The negative effects can be dismantled by over viewing its causality by domestic subsidies and the market flooding.
The US provides 56% of worldwide food aid with Haiti as its biggest client. However, the US also retracts what it offers with farm subsidies. This initiative is a national legal project that directs the benefits towards US farmers by giving them ownership of a food aid monopoly. The “Food for Peace” program costs US taxpayers 1.5 billion in 2012 alone. The total amount of agricultural subsidies per year averages to 300 billion US. Quality standard control in developed countries tends to be significantly higher than the developing counties, sometimes barring the possibilities for mutual trade. Additionally, subsidies allow American agricultural producers to export and sell in developing states at a competitive or sometimes cheaper price than its equivalent found domestically. These reflect a double standard that hinders a developing country’s full potential. The effects of these policies on Haiti have lead to a market flood of US grown products.
In 2011, US exports to Haiti totalled $326 million and drove former President Bill Clinton to state that these neoliberal market actions “may have been good for some farmers in Arkansas, but it has not worked for Haiti, it was a mistake”. The distributional and collateral effect on the poor has witnessed the disappearance of Haitian rice and with it, Haitian food sovereignty. Haiti had self-sustained food security up until the 1980s, supported predominantly by its rice production. Since the 1990s, Miami Rice aid and trade imports have “outpaced” the domestic production. In 2000, US rice imports totalled 219,590 metric tons (t), when domestic production was 130,000t, in contrast to 1985 when local production amounted to 163,296t and US imports were weighed at 7,337t. This empirical evidence demonstrates two things. One is the substantial decrease of agricultural production in Haiti. Two, the drastic decrease of the price of rice and the apparition of an additional 178,957t per year demonstrate that the consumption of rice in Haiti has changed to the extent that it outpaces the Haitian agro-productive force of rice in any year. Consequently, by relying more on American prices and quantity, food sovereignty in Haiti is almost nonexistent.
In summary, not all developing countries benefit from agricultural liberalization. “Few developing countries find themselves in a position to compete internationally in liberalized agricultural markets most notably, Brazil, Argentina, China, and those of the former Soviet Union –have demonstrated the competitiveness to take advantage of such market openings. The smallest-scale farmers are likely to benefit the least, as large-scale industrialised producers capture most growth in export markets”.
As an alternative, food sovereignty stipulated by Kim Burnett professor at the University of Ottawa, offers a more direct solution than agricultural liberalization in the food crisis by identifying the potential strength of local market and small scale producers socially, economically and on the global macroeconomic scale. Food sovereignty is a right to “healthy and culturally appropriated food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods” ( K.Burnett & S.Murphy, 2014).
This idea offers a counter proposal to today’s neo-liberal macroeconomic trend. Food sovereignty has unraveled many initiatives aiming to increase smallholder representation, their market power, awareness of organics, and indigenous cultures in agriculture. In hindsight, it is safe to state that food sovereignty carries the perspective of food producers in most developing states while liberalization does not.
Amelia Baxter
By Roy Lie A Tjam.
Bangladesh House in Wassenaar, this is where I met Dr. Dilruba Nasrin for a causerie on a chilly winter day in February 2015. It was then agreed to ascertain whether it would be possible for Dr. Nasrin to give a lecture at the upcoming IWC Monthly meeting.
The IWC (International Women’s Contact, The Hague) is after all an ideal platform to present the global issues where women from all over the world meet. This was materialized on 11 May 2015 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in The Hague. Dr.Nasrin was the keynote speaker at the IWC monthly meeting and she gave a lecture on the following topic:
“Child health in the developing world: where the future lies in the past”.The speakerDr. Dilruba Nasrin is an Assistant Professor at the Centre for Vaccine Development, at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She is a medical graduate from Bangladesh and she pursued her PhD in the field of Epidemiology at the , in 2000. Her doctoral research was based on child health. Since then, she has been working in the field of child health in different parts of the world.
Dr. Nasrin is closely involved in the study of the global burden of diarrheal disease in children and the rota-vaccine effectiveness against diarrhoea which is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Dr. Nasrin also worked with several diarrheal and pneumonia studies in children during her tenure at the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR, B). She is the author of more than 25 international publications.
In January 2015, Dr. Nasrin came to the Netherlands to join her husband Sheikh M. Belal, who is posted as an Ambassador of Bangladesh to The Netherlands.
The lecture
Dr. Dilruba Nasrin commenced her lecture by telling her audience what prompted her to study and research the effect of â lactam antibiotic used in children on pneumococcal resistance to penicillin: It was in Canberra, Australia where as a young mother with a six-month old child and the spouse of an Ambassador that Dr. Nasrin decided to closely follow the medical treatments administered to her son Sammy.
Dr.Nasrin’s lecture evolved around three questions:
Why child health?
Why developing world?
Why future lies in the past?
With about 555,000 child deaths each year, diarrhoea remains one of the notorious silent killers. The number of child deaths due to diarrhoea is similar to the loss of life caused by the Asian tsunamis each year. This is still so despite some significant successes achieved in the field of diarrheal child mortality by UNICEF and the World Health Organization.
Even for children who survive these illnesses, subsequent repeated infections in the early years of life can lead to serious life-threatening health problems later in life despite the scale of this on-going catastrophe, the death from diarrhoea does not manage to achieve prime-time headline coverage. Why? Because this catastrophe affects mostly children in the developing world. To make it even more frustrating is the fact that there is no dearth of research showing that an investment of as little as ten cents for a packet of Oral Dehydration Solution (developed in Bangladesh), or 20 cents for zinc supplements or a dollar worth of antibiotics for dysentery could save the life of a child.
Other interventions, such as exclusively breastfeeding in the first six months, improved personal and household hygiene, access to safe water and better sanitation could go a long way to reduce the risk of diarrhoea ever occurring in a child. Even the most desirable outcome of protecting children from diarrhoea through vaccination is possible, if the research is backed up with the required resources and goodwill.
Dr. Nasrin focused on diarrheal disease research in seven developing countries in Africa and Asia; Basse in Gambia ,Kisunuin Kenya, Bamako in Mali, Manhica in Mozambique, Karachi in Pakistan, Kolkata in India and Mirzapur in Bangladesh, the regions where more than 80% of under-five deaths occur.
The Global Enteric Multicenter Study (GEMS) is the largest, most comprehensive study of childhood diarrheal diseases ever conducted in developing country settings. The study investigated: a. the cause, B. The incidence and C. The impact of moderate-to-severe diarrhoea (MSD) which was characterized by severe dehydration, dysentery or hospitalization.
The key findings across the seven sites are:
Cause: Four pathogens were responsible for majority of MSD cases: Rotavirus—vaccine exists, Cryptosporidium, Shigella, and ST-producing ETEC
Mortality risk; cases with a single episode of MSD had 8.5-fold increase risk of death over the next two-month period compared to control children without MSD, 61% of deaths occurred more than one week after children were diagnosed with MSD, when children may no longer be receiving care, 56% of cases died at home.
Without the single 60-day follow-up visit many deaths would have been missed. Earlier studies in health centers may underestimate the burden of MSD
Delayed growth, Impact on Growth: Children with MSD grew significantly less in length in the two months following a diarrheal episode compared to their matched controls. Implications for Diarrheal Disease Control GEMS help researchers, policymakers, donors and advocates make evidence-based decisions around addressing diarrheal diseases.
Implications for Diarrheal Disease Control
GEMS help researchers, policymakers, donors and advocates make evidence-based decisions around addressing diarrheal diseases.
Key takeaways:
Expanding access to existing tools to prevent and treat diarrhoea:
 By H.E. Mr Abdalla Hamdan Mohammed Ahmed Alnaqbi, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Under the direction of President H.H Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the cabinet of the United Arab Emirates approved the naming of 2015 The Year of Innovation in a special meeting convened on 30 November 2014.
His Highness Sheikh Khalifa stressed that the UAE is giving the utmost priority to innovate, saying, “We live today in a world witnessing rapid changes and continuous developments, full of opportunities, discoveries and invention. Announcing 2015 as the Year of Innovation comes to support federal government efforts, attract national skills, increase distinguished research, as well as boost efforts to build a national cadre who are able to lead our future in this field towards more progress, prosperity and innovation.”
The declaration follows the launch of the National Innovation Strategy in October 2014, by H.H Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice president and Prime Minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai. The strategy aims to make the Emirates the most innovative country in the world by 2021.
Focusing on seven sectors of the economy — renewable energy, transport, education, health, technology, water and space — the National Innovation Strategy involves 30 initiatives to be completed within three years, including new legislation, innovation incubators, investment in specialized skills, private-sector incentives, international research partnerships, and an innovation drive within the government.
After launching the strategy last year, H.H Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, said, “Today, more than any other time, we need to boost innovation among young people, build nurturing environments in our society, and encourage our schools and universities to equip our youth with skills in research and discovery methodologies. We want our public and private sectors to explore new horizons to develop our economy. Innovation is our only way to build a great history of the UAE. The future will be for those who adopt innovation.”
Current annual investment in innovation is Dhs14 billion (approximately $4 billion), of which Dhs7 billion goes to research and development. Even so, under the new initiative, spending on innovation will increase significantly. This may seem ambitious, but that is nothing new for a nation renowned for its daring projects and home to the richest city in the world, Abu Dhabi.
“The UAE is already the most innovative Arab nation. Our target is to be among the most innovative nations in the world. The competitiveness race demands a constant flow of new ideas, as well as innovative leadership using different methods and tools to direct the change,” said Sheikh Mohammed.
Thus far, the UAE’s booming economy has been reliant on petroleum products: oil-related activities accounted for 49.38% of its total GDP in 2009. To develop the country, the UAE has spent billions of dollars from oil income on infrastructure and construction. Much of this development has been intangible, but many projects have contributed to the UAE’s worldwide reputation for daring greatly: Khalifa Tower, the tallest skyscraper in the world, Ski Dubai, a state-of-the-art indoor ski slope, the man-made Palm Islands and World Islands, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, and other spectacular structures.
Yet the leadership of the UAE is well aware of the unsustainability of depending on one source of national income. With the infrastructure and urban environments now largely completed, the UAE has developed the Vision 2021 plan to diversify the economy by 2021 through expansion of a number of new industries.
Vision 2021 aims to “transform the UAE economy into a model where growth is driven by knowledge and innovation.”
The focus on cultivating innovation — the ability to achieve change that creates a new dimension of performance — is meant to support this economic diversification, and cultural barriers to innovation, such as fear of failure and an aversion to taking risks, are starting to diminish in the UAE. According to research, 71% of UAE millennials (those 35 years old or younger) currently have entrepreneurial aspirations.
Another essential element of an innovative ecosystem is fostering and supporting these young entrepreneurs, accomplished in the UAE via more than 10 incubators and accelerators, a substantial increase from the 3 active in 2008. These include in5 (in Dubai Internet City), Turn8 (by DP World), i360 accelerator, Silicon Oasis Founders, SeedStartup, Endeavor, twofour54’s Ibtikar, afkar.me, the First Steps Business Center, and the Dubai SME (small-to-medium enterprises) Business Incubation Center. These incubators and accelerators offer a variety of mentorship and business support services for UAE nationals and immigrants alike. SeedStartup, for example, brings international start-ups to a three-month acceleration programme held in Dubai.
The government has undertaken many initiatives to support the funding of innovation. The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority´s ICT Fund aims to drive the country’s ICT sector by providing R&D funding, scholarships for students of ICT engineering programmes, and support for incubators. Additionally, the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development (with approximately $550 million in capital) aims to develop local SME´s in Abu Dhabi by providing microfinance and start-up loans and by supporting entrepreneurs with training programmes.
Meanwhile, the government continues to revise economic policies and the institutional framework to empower the private sector and to strengthen foreign investment. One recently revised policy is a new law opening the door for innovation-based companies operating in specific activities defined under the law to benefit from the 100% ownership, tax-free, and other benefits regulated by the Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone. The establishment of free zones specially tailored for innovation-based companies that invest heavily in research and development activities in both the public and private sectors is a vital step in fostering innovation goal attracting SMEs from all over the world.
In our pursuit of international partnerships in support of innovation, the UAE Embassy in The Hague works with our Dutch counterpart to strengthen our ties and explore every possibility for collaboration. One cooperative project is Gas Storage Bergermeer, a collaboration between UAE Energy Company TAQA and Royal Dutch Shell, which opened in April and is Europe’s largest open access gas storage, contributing to security of supply, the energy transition, and lower energy prices for the people of Northwest Europe.
For 2015, we are exploring ways to increase our cooperation. The Netherlands is renowned for its educational institutes that focus on innovation, such as Wageningen University and TU Delft. To learn from their experience and reputable research, we invite the possibility for future collaboration in pursuit of innovation in the sectors of agriculture, technology and technological research with these institutes. In addition, we are working with multiple Dutch ministries and institutes to reach out to Dutch SMEs to explore benefits and accessibility to the UAE market.
We are determined not to leave any stone unturned as we explore possibilities for innovation in all sectors and we will continue to work with our Dutch and other international partners to achieve this goal.
By Ambassador Batjargal Gunaajav, Permanent Representative of Mongolia to the OSCE.
Mongolia became the Organization for Security Cooperation (OSCE)’s newest, 57th participating State in November 2012, following eight years in the status of the Organization’s Asian Partner for Cooperation. Within a record short period of two and half years since its ascension Mongolia already faced the task of chairing the Organization’s Forum for Security Cooperation (FSC) in the first trimester of 2015.
In close cooperation and coordination with the OSCE Secretariat and the 2015 Serbian OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office, the Mongolian FSC Chairmanship was able to facilitate vigorous and frank exchange of ideas at the Forum and promote its role to enhance dialogue and cooperation in wide-ranging aspects of common security in the OSCE area and beyond.
Stating that “the security of Europe and Asia are indivisible,” in his opening address of the Mongolian FSC Chairmanship on 20 January 2015 the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, H.E. Lundeg Purevsuren, outlined the nation’s priorities focusing on the implementation of the decisions related to politico-military aspects of security adopted by the OSCE Ministerial Council in Basel at the end of 2014. These included decisions on small arms and light weapons and stockpiles of conventional ammunition, countering terrorism, the OSCE Code of Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects of Security and enhancing women’s role in conflict prevention.
The key Chairmanship event was the Conference on OSCE Code of Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects of Security co-organized with the OSCE Conflict Prevention Center in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia in 10-12 March 2015. The OSCE Code of Conduct, adopted in 1994, is a unique, norm-setting document and hailed as “hidden jewel” of the Organization in advancing confidence and security building among its participating States.
Hosting this conference attended by senior diplomatic and military delegates from fellow participating States in Central Asia and Asian Partners for Cooperation was an honorable duty for Mongolia symbolizing the nation’s contribution in promoting the OSCE values and principles in its adjacent neighborhood.
The Chairmanship coincided with a very dynamic and challenging period in the OSCE region; statements and discussions at the FSC plenary meetings featured intense exchange on facts and clear positions of participating States. The two highlights of the Security Dialogue series under Mongolian Chairmanship were the presentations of their countries’ vision of European security by Mr. Robert Bell, the Senior Defense Advisor to the U.S. Mission to NATO and Ambassador Alexander Grushko, the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to NATO.
During the Chairmanship and beyond, Mongolia strives to make a positive contribution to the Helsinki+40 process, in which participating States are charting the OSCE’s future as it approaches the 40th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act. Mongolia’s engagement and leadership within the OSCE will continue throughout this year, most notably with the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly fall meeting to be held in 16-18 September 2015 in Ulaanbaatar.
For World Trade Center The Hague it has become a tradition to host the WTC The Hague International Trade & Investment Gala at the end of each year and this year will be no exception. On Friday October 30th, WTC The Hague accentuates the bridging role of the WTC between commerce, government and politics at a regional and international level by bringing together the key people in the international trade and investment sectors during this prestigious event held at the WTC The Hague. For the first time, the gala will directly benefit a charity, namely UNICEF. Each year WTC The Hague also welcomes representatives of other Dutch WTC’s and foreign WTC’s for the gala. Especially for them an afternoon program before the gala is set up, which gives them a chance to get in contact with each other. The World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) is one of the largest trading networks in the world (331 WTC’s all over the world).Every year a country is chosen as a central theme. This theme is reflected in all the culinary elements of the evening, in speeches during dinner and is accentuated by the presence of mutual Ambassadors of the theme country and companies interest in the subject country. This year’s theme is the United States of America. WTC The Hague is delighted that The American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) and the American Embassy in The Hague are special partners of the gala. Another special fact is that Mr Timothy Broas the Ambassador of the United States in the Netherlands will be the key note speaker. Apart from the key note speaker, the evening program will feature welcoming remarks by special guests and beautiful performances. Of course special attention will also be given to the charity. During the first WTC The Hague International Trade & Investment Gala the highlighted country was Germany, “Germany, Dutch most important economic partner.” Last year’s theme was Great Britain and underlined the trade relations between the Netherlands and the neighboring country. Alderman Van Engelshoven said during the ceremony: “WTC The Hague is important for the economic growth of The Hague, this is where the international business community comes together and new ideas flourish.”Would you like to participate in this year’s gala and offer you clients a great opportunity to mingle with those that are important in International Business and Investments while enjoying an exquisite dinner with excellent wines, very good company, a compelling keynote speaker and a unique atmosphere? Please visit the website www.wtcthehaguegala.com for all information about the program and attendance.
The lecture
Dr. Dilruba Nasrin commenced her lecture by telling her audience what prompted her to study and research the effect of â lactam antibiotic used in children on pneumococcal resistance to penicillin: It was in Canberra, Australia where as a young mother with a six-month old child and the spouse of an Ambassador that Dr. Nasrin decided to closely follow the medical treatments administered to her son Sammy.
Dr.Nasrin’s lecture evolved around three questions:
The key findings across the seven sites are:
The lecture
Dr. Dilruba Nasrin commenced her lecture by telling her audience what prompted her to study and research the effect of â lactam antibiotic used in children on pneumococcal resistance to penicillin: It was in Canberra, Australia where as a young mother with a six-month old child and the spouse of an Ambassador that Dr. Nasrin decided to closely follow the medical treatments administered to her son Sammy.
Dr.Nasrin’s lecture evolved around three questions:
The key findings across the seven sites are:
In the afternoon a selection of interactive workshops took place, enabling participants to engage in greater depth with the various aspects of diplomacy. These included Diplomacy and the Media, Diplomatic Negotiations, Commercial Diplomacy, Diplomacy and NGOs, Military Diplomacy and the Future of Diplomacy, and were led by a host of experts and distinguished professionals from the field.
All told, the conference proved to be a successful and engaging event for speakers and participants alike. Many of the latter were inspired, and ended the day with enhanced knowledge and an increased desire to enter the field of diplomacy themselves.
In the afternoon a selection of interactive workshops took place, enabling participants to engage in greater depth with the various aspects of diplomacy. These included Diplomacy and the Media, Diplomatic Negotiations, Commercial Diplomacy, Diplomacy and NGOs, Military Diplomacy and the Future of Diplomacy, and were led by a host of experts and distinguished professionals from the field.
All told, the conference proved to be a successful and engaging event for speakers and participants alike. Many of the latter were inspired, and ended the day with enhanced knowledge and an increased desire to enter the field of diplomacy themselves.
I like to imagine that it is as a result of this that among the Pleiades of illustrious men produced by the city; there are mathematicians and scientists of the highest caliber along with watercolorists and more than a few caricaturists. The same conceptual clarity is also a necessity in the creation and administration of the law, and Arequipa is recognized as the juridical capital of the country as a result of the contributions of illustrious personalities and the proliferation of magistrates, lawyers, “paper pushers” of all classes and levels. The city is the official seat of the Constitutional Tribunal of Peru, and 3 of its 7 members (including their President) are originally from Arequipa.
In fact, one of the members of the Tribunal, Carlos Augusto Ramos Nuñez, has a thesis which is much less romantic and probably much more objective regarding the importance of Law in Arequipa: “Perhaps the abundance of lawyers and lawsuits in Arequipa can be explained by the preponderance of small rural landholders – a source of frequent judicial problems.”
If Arequipa is the juridical capital of Peru, The Hague is that of the world. I can speculate about the reasons for this (similar to and at the same time different from Arequipa: in the romantic version, the Dutch light, changing as in the landscapes of Vermeer, or in a dramatic chiaroscuro of Rembrandt, illuminates and clarifies the range of human problems. Looking at the situation more objectively it is obvious that a people engaged in commercial relations around the world need a method to resolve disputes). The result is that the iconic image of this city is the Peace Palace, the seat of the International Court of Justice.
In any case, in Peru, today, The Hague has gained a permanent place in the collective imaginary as source of justice in the world after the judgement of the International court of Justice on January 27th, 2014 which resolved in a definitive and peaceful manner our maritime dispute with Chile. The name of “The Hague” has become a historic one for us; in the same way that cities and places all over the world identify themselves with great military victories or defeats. A fortunate and promising sign of the times.
When, shortly after taking up my post, I visited the then President of the International Court of Justice, the Slovaque jurist Peter Tomka, I presented him with a Peruvian publication commemorating the judgement of January 27th. In one of the photographs, the imposing figure of Tomka reading this ICJ decision from a giant screen in the Plaza de Armas of Lima is watched by an expectant multitude as though it were a World Cup football match.
Tomka was impressed and amused by the image. (He mentioned it anecdotally in a later public event). Following our meeting, he had the courtesy to offer me a guided tour of some of the halls in the Peace Palace.
In one of those august chambers, among portraits of the distinguished jurists who had made their contribution to world peace, he showed me that of Don José Luis Bustamante y Rivero, Peruvian president between 1945 and 1948, and President of the International Court of Justice between 1967 and 1969.
Did I mention that Don José Luis Bustamante y Rivero was born in Arequipa?
I like to imagine that it is as a result of this that among the Pleiades of illustrious men produced by the city; there are mathematicians and scientists of the highest caliber along with watercolorists and more than a few caricaturists. The same conceptual clarity is also a necessity in the creation and administration of the law, and Arequipa is recognized as the juridical capital of the country as a result of the contributions of illustrious personalities and the proliferation of magistrates, lawyers, “paper pushers” of all classes and levels. The city is the official seat of the Constitutional Tribunal of Peru, and 3 of its 7 members (including their President) are originally from Arequipa.
In fact, one of the members of the Tribunal, Carlos Augusto Ramos Nuñez, has a thesis which is much less romantic and probably much more objective regarding the importance of Law in Arequipa: “Perhaps the abundance of lawyers and lawsuits in Arequipa can be explained by the preponderance of small rural landholders – a source of frequent judicial problems.”
If Arequipa is the juridical capital of Peru, The Hague is that of the world. I can speculate about the reasons for this (similar to and at the same time different from Arequipa: in the romantic version, the Dutch light, changing as in the landscapes of Vermeer, or in a dramatic chiaroscuro of Rembrandt, illuminates and clarifies the range of human problems. Looking at the situation more objectively it is obvious that a people engaged in commercial relations around the world need a method to resolve disputes). The result is that the iconic image of this city is the Peace Palace, the seat of the International Court of Justice.
In any case, in Peru, today, The Hague has gained a permanent place in the collective imaginary as source of justice in the world after the judgement of the International court of Justice on January 27th, 2014 which resolved in a definitive and peaceful manner our maritime dispute with Chile. The name of “The Hague” has become a historic one for us; in the same way that cities and places all over the world identify themselves with great military victories or defeats. A fortunate and promising sign of the times.
When, shortly after taking up my post, I visited the then President of the International Court of Justice, the Slovaque jurist Peter Tomka, I presented him with a Peruvian publication commemorating the judgement of January 27th. In one of the photographs, the imposing figure of Tomka reading this ICJ decision from a giant screen in the Plaza de Armas of Lima is watched by an expectant multitude as though it were a World Cup football match.
Tomka was impressed and amused by the image. (He mentioned it anecdotally in a later public event). Following our meeting, he had the courtesy to offer me a guided tour of some of the halls in the Peace Palace.
In one of those august chambers, among portraits of the distinguished jurists who had made their contribution to world peace, he showed me that of Don José Luis Bustamante y Rivero, Peruvian president between 1945 and 1948, and President of the International Court of Justice between 1967 and 1969.
Did I mention that Don José Luis Bustamante y Rivero was born in Arequipa?
There is real sand on the ground around your vantage point. As your eyes look to the sea and in to the land the light shining through the invisible glass roof above change the landscape in front of you. It is just as if you were standing there on top of the tallest of dunes, the Seinpost. Then you realize that it is all a carefully constructed illusion designed to trick your brain. This was the intention of Hendrik Willem Mesdag who painted parts of the panorama in front of you.
Mesdag was born in Groningen 1831. After a sixteen year career in his father’s merchant and banking business his wife Sintje received a substantial inheritance. This allowed Mesdag to pursue his passion of painting full time from 1864. Growing up in the inland he was drawn to the sea and moved to The Hague in 1868. A quick study his painting talent was lauded with a Gold medal at the Paris salon in 1870 which established him as a marine painter in art circles. In 1881 even the master Vincent van Gogh took notice and mentioned a Mesdag water colour (Aquarelle) in a letter to his brother Theo.
In it’s hay-day there were countless panoramas throughout Europe and as the popularity hit a second wave a few businessmen from Brussels saw an economic opportunity, bought the land on Zeestraat and financed the building. Mesdag was commissioned to paint a “Hague maritime Panorama”. Together with six others including his wife Sientje (who is also painted into the panorama) took up pens and brushes in May 1881 to paint the 14.5 metres high and 114.5 metres long canvas in a matter of months.
The panorama opened on 1 August 1881 a day after a competitor located in Bezuidenhout. However after four rocky and loss making years the Zeestraat panorama went bankrupt (as did the competitor a few years later). Mesdag was very upset and as he considered the panorama amongst his major works, he bought it in 1886. However until his death in 1915 it continued to operate at a loss so he used his personal funds to keep it afloat.
Over the years he added the green and red halls which where his mostly maritime paintings hang today. After a multi-year renovation and to commemorate hundred years after Mesdag’s death the doors (or should we say the electronic gates) are now opened to show off much more than sea and sand. Mesdag also painted portraits, designed elaborate party invitations and illustrated books. His wife Sientje herself a very talented artist is also exhibited as are other family members of varying fame in the new hall. The additions to the museum are not just more exhibition space but also an airy café and restaurant available for events and meetings. For those who want to take a piece home the well-stocked gift shop offers a variety of books, posters, cards, apparel and toys.
Now you do not have to go to the beach to see the sea just come to the aptly named Zeestraat to experience the sea and get the taste of salt on your tongue.
For those who want to see what inspired Mesdag the impressive Mesdag art collection is on display at their former residence a few blocks away. 
There is real sand on the ground around your vantage point. As your eyes look to the sea and in to the land the light shining through the invisible glass roof above change the landscape in front of you. It is just as if you were standing there on top of the tallest of dunes, the Seinpost. Then you realize that it is all a carefully constructed illusion designed to trick your brain. This was the intention of Hendrik Willem Mesdag who painted parts of the panorama in front of you.
Mesdag was born in Groningen 1831. After a sixteen year career in his father’s merchant and banking business his wife Sintje received a substantial inheritance. This allowed Mesdag to pursue his passion of painting full time from 1864. Growing up in the inland he was drawn to the sea and moved to The Hague in 1868. A quick study his painting talent was lauded with a Gold medal at the Paris salon in 1870 which established him as a marine painter in art circles. In 1881 even the master Vincent van Gogh took notice and mentioned a Mesdag water colour (Aquarelle) in a letter to his brother Theo.
In it’s hay-day there were countless panoramas throughout Europe and as the popularity hit a second wave a few businessmen from Brussels saw an economic opportunity, bought the land on Zeestraat and financed the building. Mesdag was commissioned to paint a “Hague maritime Panorama”. Together with six others including his wife Sientje (who is also painted into the panorama) took up pens and brushes in May 1881 to paint the 14.5 metres high and 114.5 metres long canvas in a matter of months.
The panorama opened on 1 August 1881 a day after a competitor located in Bezuidenhout. However after four rocky and loss making years the Zeestraat panorama went bankrupt (as did the competitor a few years later). Mesdag was very upset and as he considered the panorama amongst his major works, he bought it in 1886. However until his death in 1915 it continued to operate at a loss so he used his personal funds to keep it afloat.
Over the years he added the green and red halls which where his mostly maritime paintings hang today. After a multi-year renovation and to commemorate hundred years after Mesdag’s death the doors (or should we say the electronic gates) are now opened to show off much more than sea and sand. Mesdag also painted portraits, designed elaborate party invitations and illustrated books. His wife Sientje herself a very talented artist is also exhibited as are other family members of varying fame in the new hall. The additions to the museum are not just more exhibition space but also an airy café and restaurant available for events and meetings. For those who want to take a piece home the well-stocked gift shop offers a variety of books, posters, cards, apparel and toys.
Now you do not have to go to the beach to see the sea just come to the aptly named Zeestraat to experience the sea and get the taste of salt on your tongue.
For those who want to see what inspired Mesdag the impressive Mesdag art collection is on display at their former residence a few blocks away. 
During the first WTC The Hague International Trade & Investment Gala the highlighted country was Germany, “Germany, Dutch most important economic partner.” Last year’s theme was Great Britain and underlined the trade relations between the Netherlands and the neighboring country. Alderman Van Engelshoven said during the ceremony: “WTC The Hague is important for the economic growth of The Hague, this is where the international business community comes together and new ideas flourish.”
Would you like to participate in this year’s gala and offer you clients a great opportunity to mingle with those that are important in International Business and Investments while enjoying an exquisite dinner with excellent wines, very good company, a compelling keynote speaker and a unique atmosphere? Please visit the website www.wtcthehaguegala.com for all information about the program and attendance.
During the first WTC The Hague International Trade & Investment Gala the highlighted country was Germany, “Germany, Dutch most important economic partner.” Last year’s theme was Great Britain and underlined the trade relations between the Netherlands and the neighboring country. Alderman Van Engelshoven said during the ceremony: “WTC The Hague is important for the economic growth of The Hague, this is where the international business community comes together and new ideas flourish.”
Would you like to participate in this year’s gala and offer you clients a great opportunity to mingle with those that are important in International Business and Investments while enjoying an exquisite dinner with excellent wines, very good company, a compelling keynote speaker and a unique atmosphere? Please visit the website www.wtcthehaguegala.com for all information about the program and attendance.
Karin Hazelhoff Roelfzema was among the special guests who watched Team Brunel’s departure from Newport.
The name Hazelhoff Roelzema, may not be well known by some of the international community in The Hague, but, for the Dutch, it is a widely recognized and highly honored name. Her husband, Erik Hazelhoff Roelzema (1910-2007) wrote the book “Soldaat van Oranje” (Soldier of Orange) over his experiences as a member of the Dutch resistance during World War II and his story later inspired a film. Currently, a musical adaptation, by the same name, is being performed in a unique theater near Wassenaar.
Stephen van der Meulen, the hotel’s General Manager, welcomed the invited guests to enjoy a traditional “American” summer picnic menu, described as a “Walking Captain’s Dinner.” A local “American” cheerleading gymnastics squad entertained the guests by performing a Volvo Ocean Race cheer, which had been specially written for the occasion.
Klaas Wiersma, of Klaas Wiersma Media, a sailor and professional water-sports photographer, spoke briefly about what the teams could expect during the trans-Atlantic race to Lisbon and Team Brunel’s race to The Hague. Wiersma’s photography is regularly featured in a number of Dutch water-sports publications such as “Zeilen” and “WaterKampioen.”
Team Brunel’s “On Board” reporter Mark Antony Taminiau, of August & Louis, reported on the crew’s life aboard the ocean racer and some of the dangers, which could be encountered during Leg 7 to Lisbon.
Simone Keijzer, the Marketing and Communications Manager for the Volvo Ocean Race Festival Den Haag, presented the three-day festival program to the group gathered for the occasion. The complete festival program can be viewed here. The festival programs will be held in four areas: the race village, the beach, the harbor are the concert grounds. Day programs will be open to the public. Entrance tickets for the evening concerts can be purchased electronically via the festival website. Use the registration form on the festival’s website or contact a member of the Organizing Comité for information on the various V.I.P. programs which are still available for both individuals and groups.
The biggest water-sports celebrations ever held in The Hague will open in less than two weeks and the Volvo Ocean Race “Pit Stop” and Festival are certain to put The Hague on the map in the world of international water-sports. Be sure to join the city in welcoming all seven teams and, especially, Team Brunel, briefly home to The Hague before embarking on the final run to the race’s finish in Gothenburg.
Karin Hazelhoff Roelfzema was among the special guests who watched Team Brunel’s departure from Newport.
The name Hazelhoff Roelzema, may not be well known by some of the international community in The Hague, but, for the Dutch, it is a widely recognized and highly honored name. Her husband, Erik Hazelhoff Roelzema (1910-2007) wrote the book “Soldaat van Oranje” (Soldier of Orange) over his experiences as a member of the Dutch resistance during World War II and his story later inspired a film. Currently, a musical adaptation, by the same name, is being performed in a unique theater near Wassenaar.
Stephen van der Meulen, the hotel’s General Manager, welcomed the invited guests to enjoy a traditional “American” summer picnic menu, described as a “Walking Captain’s Dinner.” A local “American” cheerleading gymnastics squad entertained the guests by performing a Volvo Ocean Race cheer, which had been specially written for the occasion.
Klaas Wiersma, of Klaas Wiersma Media, a sailor and professional water-sports photographer, spoke briefly about what the teams could expect during the trans-Atlantic race to Lisbon and Team Brunel’s race to The Hague. Wiersma’s photography is regularly featured in a number of Dutch water-sports publications such as “Zeilen” and “WaterKampioen.”
Team Brunel’s “On Board” reporter Mark Antony Taminiau, of August & Louis, reported on the crew’s life aboard the ocean racer and some of the dangers, which could be encountered during Leg 7 to Lisbon.
Simone Keijzer, the Marketing and Communications Manager for the Volvo Ocean Race Festival Den Haag, presented the three-day festival program to the group gathered for the occasion. The complete festival program can be viewed here. The festival programs will be held in four areas: the race village, the beach, the harbor are the concert grounds. Day programs will be open to the public. Entrance tickets for the evening concerts can be purchased electronically via the festival website. Use the registration form on the festival’s website or contact a member of the Organizing Comité for information on the various V.I.P. programs which are still available for both individuals and groups.
The biggest water-sports celebrations ever held in The Hague will open in less than two weeks and the Volvo Ocean Race “Pit Stop” and Festival are certain to put The Hague on the map in the world of international water-sports. Be sure to join the city in welcoming all seven teams and, especially, Team Brunel, briefly home to The Hague before embarking on the final run to the race’s finish in Gothenburg.
This special occasion was hosted by Diplomat Magazine in conjunction with the Residentie Orkest at Dr Anton Philipszaal / Lucent Danstheater.
The Hague Philharmonic played Weber and Schubert.
-Jérémie Rhorer, conductor
-Christianne Stotijn, mezzo-soprano
-Leo Samama, narrator 
This special occasion was hosted by Diplomat Magazine in conjunction with the Residentie Orkest at Dr Anton Philipszaal / Lucent Danstheater.
The Hague Philharmonic played Weber and Schubert.
-Jérémie Rhorer, conductor
-Christianne Stotijn, mezzo-soprano
-Leo Samama, narrator 