Bosnia and Herzegovina: new unexplored destination
By H. E. Ahmet Halilovic, Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is the heart shaped land that lies in the centre of southeast Europe. It is here that eastern and western civilizations met, sometimes clashed, but more often enriched and reinforced each other throughout its long and fascinating history. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a melting pot of many different cultures, a bridge between what we call today East and West.
At the intersection of two great empires – the Austro-Hungarian and the Ottomans – Bosnia and Herzegovina has huge historic appeal. The traveller’s experience is like nowhere else; from Roman times to the reign of the Bosnian Kings; from the Ottoman Period, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Yugoslavian era. Bosnia and Herzegovina is also a paradise for nature lovers. Soaring mountains, untouched forests, real “natural“ nature, wild rivers invite you to come for rafting and canoeing or for long walks. The Olympic skitracks offer the opportunity of enjoying the snow for affordable prices.
With its natural beauties, good geographical location, wonderful hospitality of Bosnian people, rich heritage and history, gastronomy offerings, and its status as a still unknown tourism destination for major markets, B&H has all pre-determinants for an extremely successful story of tourism industry. According to the World Tourism Organization, Bosnia and Herzegovina is defined as one of only three tourism destinations in the world with overall tourism market growth potential in excess of 10% annually through 2020. Also, Bosnia has been awarded the leisure destination in the outside world by the National Geographic.
The Rough Guides have chosen Sarajevo as their second best city to visit in 2014. Following their motto ‘Make the most of your time on earth’ their experts on 200 worldwide travel destinations put Sarajevo on a second place in their Top 10 Cities list after Rio de Janeiro, in the year Brazil hosted the World Cup, and Sarajevo was described as ‘a mini-Istanbul’.
This beautiful country has so much to offer for those people who seeks different experiences, away from the crowds, either they are lovers of skiing, rafting, hunting or patient bird-watching. Perhaps the greatest asset is the wonderful hospitality of Bosnian people, along with the traditional Bosnian coffee and cakes, the irresistible “ćevapi” (grilled minced-meat fingers), wines, our lively urban promenadesand small cosy places. And as the old cliche goes ‘people make the place’ – and Bosnia and Herzegovina prides itself on its hospitality and treating our guests as if they are family members.
World Economic Forum has published the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report for 2013 and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Attitude of population toward foreign visitors Competitiveness Index for 2013 is 6.6, which gives the country a rank of 8 out of 140 countries with comparable data. Also, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Quality of the natural environment Competitiveness Index for 2013 is 5.5, which gives the country a rank of 20 out of 140 countries.
The B&H tourism industry has recorded positive trends in all major growth indicators over the past ten years, with still considerable room for further utilization of its unquestionable potential.
Moorisch proverb says that He who does not travel does not know the value of men, we would add does not know the value of places too.
So to make long story short, visit Bosnia and Herzegovina, enjoy life in Bosnia and Herzegowina, explore Bosnia and Herzegovina, take a rest and refresh yourself in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
You are more than welcome and we promise you will not regret it.
“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end. ” Ernest Hemingway
Land of incredible beauty
“… you’ll be amazed to find that B&H is one of the most culturally and naturally diverse lands in all of Europe…” Green Visions
“Bosnia-Herzegovina is one of Europe’s most visually stunning corners.” Rough Guide
“This country has something that is hard to find and impossible to mimic – it offers tourists and travellers a time warped experience where you will feel as though you have stepped back in time (in a good way).” World of Wander Lust
“But it’s just as rewarding to walk streets of churches, synagogues and mosques, browse oriental-style shops, and see the bridge where Gavrilo Princip shot Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914. ” The Guardian
“But today visitors will more likely remember Bosnia and Hercegovina for its deep, unassuming human warmth and for the intriguing East-meets-West atmosphere born of fascinatingly blended Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian histories. ” Lonely Planet
Bulgaria and the Netherlands
By H.E. Mr. Nikola Ivanov Kolev, Ambassador of the Republic of Bulgaria.
The diplomatic relations between the Republic of Bulgaria and the Kingdom of the Netherlands have been established in 1909. The Second World War interrupted the diplomatic relations between the two countries, but after the war they were re-established.
The division of Europe by the Iron Curtain in which the Bulgarian nation and state had no sovereign rights of choice, influenced the bonds between the two countries, but the end of the Cold War and the Revolutions of 1989 gave Bulgaria the opportunity to come back to the family of the democratic European countries to which it culturally and geographically belongs.
Today Bulgaria is a member of the European Union and NATO and it shares with the Netherlands common democratic values and principles of the market economy.
We observe a stable development of the bilateral relations, both in political and in economic terms. There has been reached a high level of cooperation and coordination between the institutions of the two countries not only within the EU and NATO, but also in the other international organizations. We meet together the common challenges of security and sustainable development.
Bulgaria is a country located in southeastern Europe, in the central part of the Balkan Peninsula. It was established in the VIIth century by the Bulgarian people on a territory inhabited by Thracian and Slavic tribes. In 681 it was recognized by Byzantium as a sovereign state and despite the reversal of fortune and history, despite all the rises and national failures, it has been existing with its own script, religion and language for more than 13 centuries. Bulgaria is one of the few countries that has preserved its name since its establishment in 681 until now.
On a territory of 111 000 km2 with a population of 7 million people, God has blessed our country with a wonderful nature – sea beaches, mountains, forests, fertile fields, rivers and lakes, mineral springs, rich and unique flora and fauna.
Bulgaria is a successor of ancient cultures and civilizations and along with Greece and Italy it forms one of the richest countries in Europe with regard to the historical and archaeological monuments from the pre-Christian era and the Early Christianity. The world’s oldest gold treasure, artefacts, dating back to 5000 BC, has been found in Bulgaria.
Bulgaria is a developed industrial and agricultural country. The sectors determining the economic structure are the ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, machine-building, shipbuilding, car industry, the chemical, electrotechnical, electronic, pharmaceutic, textile, food and arms industries, transport, logistics and services. Furthermore, Bulgaria is a big producer and exporter of electric power generated by nuclear, heat, water, wind and solar installations. The agricultural sector produces wheat, corn, sunflower seeds, fruit, vegetables, grapes, oil-bearing crops, meat, milk, meat and dairy products.
Bulgaria produces more than 70% of the rose oil in the world – highly important fragrance substance used in brand perfumes. The nanotechnologies and IT sector, which provides one of the most high-speed internet connections in the world, are developing fast.
Bulgaria is proud of its achievements in the Space exploration, the inventor of the first electronic digital computer – the American of Bulgarian origin John Atanasoff, the world’s first pocket electronic calculator and electronic wrist watch constructed by Bulgarian engineers.
Moreover, Bulgarian people are proud of their ethnic and religious tolerance and the rescue of all their 49 000 fellow-citizens of Jewish origin from being deported to the death camps during the Second World War, as well as the salvation of other 15 000 Jews from other European countries who have received a transit visa to Palestine by the Bulgarian diplomatic representations in Europe and have been rescued from a certain death.
With its more than 50 universities and higher education institutions, its research institutes and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, its extensive network of professional and general secondary schools, the Bulgarian government provides a high level of education for its citizens.
The geographical location, infrastructure, developed banking sector, energy security, highly skilled workforce, low taxes and low operating costs make Bulgaria an attractive place for business. Dozens of Dutch or foreign companies registered in the Netherlands find their partners in Bulgaria or start their own business there. The Netherlands occupies a stable first position in the list of the foreign investors in Bulgaria. The volume of trade between the two countries is constantly increasing.
Being part of the 5 million tourists who annually visit Bulgaria, the number of Dutch nationals who consider Bulgaria to be one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Europe is growing. With its seaside, mountain and spa resorts, thousands of mineral springs, its excellent healing and rehabilitation centers, unique historical and natural attractions, museums, art galleries, amusement centers and festivals, culture, delicious food, wonderful wine – produced observing the experience gained over the millennia – traditional hospitality and tolerance, attractive prices and a high level of service, Bulgaria is an excellent place for recreation, treatment, sports and all kinds of tourism. The number of foreigners who buy land and houses in Bulgarian cities, resorts and rural areas and settle in the country is also increasing.
The daily direct flights from Amsterdam and Eindhoven to Sofia and some Bulgarian coastal cities, the bus lines as well as the convenient air connections to other European capitals offer a fast and pleasant journey.
Nostradamus
By Dario Poli. Early morning, 1791, and hundreds of ragged, hungry Republican soldiers descend upon the picturesque Provencal market town of Salon, while the unsuspecting inhabitants are deep in sleep’s secure embrace. A wild orgy of terror ensues, as the undisciplined soldiers smash down doors to steal food, drink and valuables before intimidating the terrified populace. The orgy of violence and drinking continues throughout the day until the thugs reach the church believing it to be ripe for pillaging. There, they come upon the tomb of Michel de Nostradame the famed prophet. One Soldier recalls the local superstition that states that anyone who dares drink blood from Nostradamus’s skull will attain his psychic powers. Roused by the news, the drunken guards use picks to smash through the three-metre slab of stone that protects the coffin. The dismembered skeleton of Nostradamus is scattered around the church and a sneering soldier, ignoring the warning picks up the skull, fills it with wine and, to loud cheers of his men, drinks from it. During this act of desecration, the mayor of the of the town manages to frighten the guards by telling them the accuracy of Nostradamus’ predictions. In panic, the bones are hurriedly collected and reinterred. The following day, a force of Royalist cavalry ambushes and wipes out the same guards and the soldier who drank from the skull is killed by a single shot through his head. 235 years after his death and Nostradamus’ predictions were still having an impact; one that may not yet be over. If the legendary figure himself is to be believed, his last and greatest legacy is still to be discovered. Michel de Nostradame was born on December 1503 in St. Remy, France, and was the eldest son of a Provencal family of part-Jewish decent that had previously converted to Christianity. One of his grandfathers, on discovering the boy’s sharp intellect, commenced his education in the rudiments of Latin, Greek, Hebrew, mathematics and astrology, as well as introducing him to mysticism and the secrets of the Kabbalah. Outgrowing his grandparent’s teaching, young Nostradamus was sent to Avignon to study philosophy and, in 1522, he began his training in medicine at the renowned University of Montpellier where he gained his degree – although, surprisingly there appears to be no record of his time there. Anxious to practise his skills, he travelled the countryside for four years, visiting towns, experimenting with herbs and ministering to the sick. His treatments while successful, were unorthodox, especially when dealing with the plague that ravaged Provence. Few people survived ‘le charbon’, yet Nostradamus’ rose pills – containing large doses of vitamin C – often miraculously cured this fatal condition and, with each success, his fame began to spread, much to the displeasure of the Faculty Doctors. Finally fully-qualified as a doctor, Nostradamus felt stifled and discontented by the orthodoxy of the medical practices in Montpellier and dressed in his medical robes and distinctive doctors square hat – toured the region, testing and dispensing his own medical hypotheses. At 30 years old, tired of wandering, he met and married a beautiful, young girl of high born estate and settled in the town of Agen where, with the help of her family’s generous dowry and connections, he established a comfortable practice that became famous and profitable. His wife bore him a son and a daughter and his life appeared blessed until the plague broke out again and Nostradamus – fearlessly exposing himself to the contagious disease – tendered to the sick and dying, managing, it is said, to save scores of townspeople. Tragically, however, the plague infected and killed his wife and two children.
With their death, his world collapsed and, to make matters worse, his patients deserted him because he had been unable to save his own kin. His in-laws sued him for the return of the dowry, insinuating that he had deliberately allowed his family to die. The final straw came when he was also accused of heresy by the authorities, due to a chance remark he had made regarding a religious statue some years earlier. The inquisitors ordered him to appear in Toulouse; instead Nostradamus fled from France and spent the next six years roaming around Italy. During the Renaissance, Italy was the epicentre of business and intellectual life that influenced the rest of Europe and the ever-curious Nostradamus gained valuable knowledge and expertise in numerous skills. He acquainted himself with apothecaries and healers, whose ideas he noted in his book the Traite des Fardmens, and he learnt how to make various cosmetics, skin creams and love potions, as well as dabbling in alchemy. In Sicily he studied Mysteries of Egypt and, after meeting Sufi mystics, he read The Elixir of Blissfulness. It was during this Italian period that Nostradamus’ prophetic powers began to manifest, including one legendary tale in which he approached a group of monks and, upon seeing one of them who had once been a swineherd, he knelt down and called the monk ‘Your Holiness’. In 1585, long after the death of Nostradamus, that monk – Felice Peretti – became Pope Sextus V. A In 1554, Michel de Nostradame settled in Marseilles and, following the worst recorded flood in its history, the polluted corpses floating in the water led to yet another virulent outbreak of the plague that reached Aix and, later, Salon. According to his memoirs, all the local doctors fled, leaving Nostradamus to fight this epidemic alone. For his dedication to the sick, he often received valuable gifts, which he invariably gave to the poor. The plague abated and Nostradamus, now 44, decided to settle down after choosing another rich, well- connected woman – the widow Anne Ponsart Gemelle. They married and made a comfortable home with an attic that Nostradamus filled with magical equipment and books. There, he deliberated on astrology, contemplated the stars and discovered a method of entering into a trance-like state in which he was able to foretell the future. As he received visions, he carefully wrote all he saw and prepared the material for his future forecasts. The first publication of his Almanac was in 1552 and it featured monthly predictions based on these prophetic insights. Having a penchant for money – as his two marriages show – and enjoying the good life, like any smart entrepreneur he expanded his output, creating recipes for jams, preserves and cosmetics for the rich, who believed that his cream contained magic ingredients that made them irresistible. Arguably, he even anticipated the inception of Viagra with his love portions which, he claimed and guaranteed, enabled a man to satisfy all his sexual inclinations. His books and concoctions made Nostradamus rather wealthy. In1555, the first editions of The Centuries were published in groups of a hundred quatrains, written in four line verses, each containing a prediction. Nostradamus arranged the quatrains into ten ‘centuries’ of 100 verses that totalled 965 verses, as Century VII was incomplete with only 42 verses. Such occult practises, he deliberately confused the time sequence, of the prophecies by writing in code form. The were an immediate success with the upper classes, however the superstitious common folk declared them the work of the devil. Nostradamus’ fame spread throughout France as his works became all the rage in the court and, in 1556 he was urgently summoned to meet a very worried Queen Catherine de Medici to explain Century 1 “The young lion will overcome the old one, In a field of combat in a single fight, He will put out his eyes in their golden cage, two wounds from one he will die a cruel death.” Unfortunately, this prediction came true when the Queen witnessed her husband being unhorsed while jousting and dying painfully after ten days, killed by the young Earl of Montgomery – Captain of the Scottish Guard – whose lance had pierced the king’s golden visor. Both men’s shields were embossed with lions. Happily for Nostradamus, however, the inquisition could no longer touch him, as the Queen became his staunch supporter and, by the time of his death, she had made him Counsellor and Physician in Ordinary. All of us are familiar with Nostradamus’ name and renown, yet few are actually aware of the predictions he made that have come true and those that remain; in fact, fewer than you may think. In line with biblical Old Testament prophecies – particularly those of Ezekiel – most of the quatrains deal with disasters, including earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, plagues, famine, wars, invasions, murders and bloody battles. In a letter dedicated to Cesar, his son, dated March 1555, Nostradamus wrote: “…in many countries there shall be such a scarcity of rain and such a great deal of fire, and burning stones shall fall from heaven, that nothing unconsumed shall be left.” However, the predictions are mostly unfathomable and the curious can interpret them as they see fit with little fear of contradiction. During World War II, for example, both the British and German governments spent enormous amounts dropping crude forgeries of various quatrains all over France as propaganda, with each side claiming the predictions acted as evidence of their final victory. Many Nostradamus enthusiasts and ‘experts’ credit him with predicting numerous historic events and his name has, once again, come to the forefront over the past few years as one reading of Centuries is that Nostradamus predicted World War III to break out around 1999; he may even go as far as to suggest that the war would be a religious one and that its start would not be noticed by the majority of people. Given such amazing insights into today’s religiously, politically and socially antagonistic situation, it is hardly surprising to learn that Nostradamus is commonly believed to have predicted the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington. More startling, perhaps, is that he may have also written about UFOs and humans encountering extraterrestrials in the not-too-distant future. Since his death in 1556 (which was, of course, self-predicted), there have been hundreds of publications and translations of his work, including many forgeries. Even his son Cesar attempted to make a living from his father’s legacy, masquerading as a prophet. However, he was considered by most as a charlatan. Nostradamus may well have been a genuine prophet, however profit has been the end result for his personal writings and for those that have released books, films, videos, musicals and CDs about the remarkable and inventive man. And Nostradamus may well have the last laugh; all the meaning and import that has been placed on his forecasts may prove completely erroneous as he himself predicted that his code would not be broken or fully understood until the year 2055 – 500 years after the publication of The Centuries. Taking his predictions at face value, enthusiasts are wasting their time unravelling them, as we have a further 40 years to wait: “For five hundred years more no notice will be taken, Of him who was the ornament of his time, Then suddenly a great revelation will be made, Which will make people of that century most pleased.” However, Nostradamus’ most inspirational (and, perhaps, ultimately enduring) message has been widely overlooked in favour of the media-friendly hyperbole of his foresights. He once wrote: “The one who is reasonable can learn from my prophecies to find the right path as if he would have found footprints in the sand from someone who had gone before,” suggesting that his predictions were not intended as definite events but as warnings if people failed to learn the lessons of the past. Nostradamus spoke of a time when there would be a change in consciousness that would lead to a happier and more fulfilled existence among mankind. It is a pity that, before that golden age occurs, mankind has to suffer the horrors mentioned in his quatrains. As scientific warnings on the dangers of global warming increase weekly and the horrors that we have subjected our planet – and each other – to for centuries begin to their toll, it is perhaps this universal warning from Nostradamus that is the most significant: “Time is running out – the future salvation of humanity and of the planet is in our own hands.” The Gospel According to Nostradamus Over the years, Nostradamus enthusiasts have claimed that his prophecies predicted many of history’s most monumental events. His writings may be difficult to interpret and, without doubt, such generalities can be made to fit a variety of occurrences, but they certainly provide food for thought. The Great Fire of London (September 1666) The blood of the just will be demanded of London, Burnt by the fire in the year 66. The Rise of Napoleon (lived 1769 – 1821) An Emperor shall be born near Italy, who shall cost the Empire dear. The French Revolution (1789 – 1799) From the enslaved people, songs, chants and demands, The princes and lords are held captive in prisons. The Rise of Hitler (lived 1889 to 1945) Out of the deepest part of the west of Europe, From poor people a young child shall be born, Who with his tongue shall seduce many people… 111 He shall come to tyrannize the land. He shall raise up a hatred that had long been dormant… The Kennedy Assassination (November 1963) And from the roof evil ruin will fall on the great man, They will accuse an innocent, being dead, of the deed. Kennedy was shot from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository by Lee Harvey Oswald (could this be ‘the roof’?) who was then shot. Conspiracy theories have abounded ever since. The Death of Diana Princess of Wales (August 31, 1997) God… Takes the Goddess of the Moon for his Day & Movement, A frantic wanderer and witness of Gods Law. The Roman Goddess of the Moon was Diane -giving the verses added impact. The Death of Mother Theresa (September 1997) Way of a saint, a deliverer of the mud, a French Saints order, a dwarf nun, deformed, a traveler, worm of the fruit. Mother Teresa – born Agnes Gonxhe Bojaxhiu was named after the French Saint Theresa. Nostradamus.org — nostradamus-repository.org — sacred texts.com/nos
With their death, his world collapsed and, to make matters worse, his patients deserted him because he had been unable to save his own kin. His in-laws sued him for the return of the dowry, insinuating that he had deliberately allowed his family to die. The final straw came when he was also accused of heresy by the authorities, due to a chance remark he had made regarding a religious statue some years earlier. The inquisitors ordered him to appear in Toulouse; instead Nostradamus fled from France and spent the next six years roaming around Italy. During the Renaissance, Italy was the epicentre of business and intellectual life that influenced the rest of Europe and the ever-curious Nostradamus gained valuable knowledge and expertise in numerous skills. He acquainted himself with apothecaries and healers, whose ideas he noted in his book the Traite des Fardmens, and he learnt how to make various cosmetics, skin creams and love potions, as well as dabbling in alchemy. In Sicily he studied Mysteries of Egypt and, after meeting Sufi mystics, he read The Elixir of Blissfulness. It was during this Italian period that Nostradamus’ prophetic powers began to manifest, including one legendary tale in which he approached a group of monks and, upon seeing one of them who had once been a swineherd, he knelt down and called the monk ‘Your Holiness’. In 1585, long after the death of Nostradamus, that monk – Felice Peretti – became Pope Sextus V. A In 1554, Michel de Nostradame settled in Marseilles and, following the worst recorded flood in its history, the polluted corpses floating in the water led to yet another virulent outbreak of the plague that reached Aix and, later, Salon. According to his memoirs, all the local doctors fled, leaving Nostradamus to fight this epidemic alone. For his dedication to the sick, he often received valuable gifts, which he invariably gave to the poor. The plague abated and Nostradamus, now 44, decided to settle down after choosing another rich, well- connected woman – the widow Anne Ponsart Gemelle. They married and made a comfortable home with an attic that Nostradamus filled with magical equipment and books. There, he deliberated on astrology, contemplated the stars and discovered a method of entering into a trance-like state in which he was able to foretell the future. As he received visions, he carefully wrote all he saw and prepared the material for his future forecasts. The first publication of his Almanac was in 1552 and it featured monthly predictions based on these prophetic insights. Having a penchant for money – as his two marriages show – and enjoying the good life, like any smart entrepreneur he expanded his output, creating recipes for jams, preserves and cosmetics for the rich, who believed that his cream contained magic ingredients that made them irresistible. Arguably, he even anticipated the inception of Viagra with his love portions which, he claimed and guaranteed, enabled a man to satisfy all his sexual inclinations. His books and concoctions made Nostradamus rather wealthy. In1555, the first editions of The Centuries were published in groups of a hundred quatrains, written in four line verses, each containing a prediction. Nostradamus arranged the quatrains into ten ‘centuries’ of 100 verses that totalled 965 verses, as Century VII was incomplete with only 42 verses. Such occult practises, he deliberately confused the time sequence, of the prophecies by writing in code form. The were an immediate success with the upper classes, however the superstitious common folk declared them the work of the devil. Nostradamus’ fame spread throughout France as his works became all the rage in the court and, in 1556 he was urgently summoned to meet a very worried Queen Catherine de Medici to explain Century 1 “The young lion will overcome the old one, In a field of combat in a single fight, He will put out his eyes in their golden cage, two wounds from one he will die a cruel death.” Unfortunately, this prediction came true when the Queen witnessed her husband being unhorsed while jousting and dying painfully after ten days, killed by the young Earl of Montgomery – Captain of the Scottish Guard – whose lance had pierced the king’s golden visor. Both men’s shields were embossed with lions. Happily for Nostradamus, however, the inquisition could no longer touch him, as the Queen became his staunch supporter and, by the time of his death, she had made him Counsellor and Physician in Ordinary. All of us are familiar with Nostradamus’ name and renown, yet few are actually aware of the predictions he made that have come true and those that remain; in fact, fewer than you may think. In line with biblical Old Testament prophecies – particularly those of Ezekiel – most of the quatrains deal with disasters, including earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, plagues, famine, wars, invasions, murders and bloody battles. In a letter dedicated to Cesar, his son, dated March 1555, Nostradamus wrote: “…in many countries there shall be such a scarcity of rain and such a great deal of fire, and burning stones shall fall from heaven, that nothing unconsumed shall be left.” However, the predictions are mostly unfathomable and the curious can interpret them as they see fit with little fear of contradiction. During World War II, for example, both the British and German governments spent enormous amounts dropping crude forgeries of various quatrains all over France as propaganda, with each side claiming the predictions acted as evidence of their final victory. Many Nostradamus enthusiasts and ‘experts’ credit him with predicting numerous historic events and his name has, once again, come to the forefront over the past few years as one reading of Centuries is that Nostradamus predicted World War III to break out around 1999; he may even go as far as to suggest that the war would be a religious one and that its start would not be noticed by the majority of people. Given such amazing insights into today’s religiously, politically and socially antagonistic situation, it is hardly surprising to learn that Nostradamus is commonly believed to have predicted the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington. More startling, perhaps, is that he may have also written about UFOs and humans encountering extraterrestrials in the not-too-distant future. Since his death in 1556 (which was, of course, self-predicted), there have been hundreds of publications and translations of his work, including many forgeries. Even his son Cesar attempted to make a living from his father’s legacy, masquerading as a prophet. However, he was considered by most as a charlatan. Nostradamus may well have been a genuine prophet, however profit has been the end result for his personal writings and for those that have released books, films, videos, musicals and CDs about the remarkable and inventive man. And Nostradamus may well have the last laugh; all the meaning and import that has been placed on his forecasts may prove completely erroneous as he himself predicted that his code would not be broken or fully understood until the year 2055 – 500 years after the publication of The Centuries. Taking his predictions at face value, enthusiasts are wasting their time unravelling them, as we have a further 40 years to wait: “For five hundred years more no notice will be taken, Of him who was the ornament of his time, Then suddenly a great revelation will be made, Which will make people of that century most pleased.” However, Nostradamus’ most inspirational (and, perhaps, ultimately enduring) message has been widely overlooked in favour of the media-friendly hyperbole of his foresights. He once wrote: “The one who is reasonable can learn from my prophecies to find the right path as if he would have found footprints in the sand from someone who had gone before,” suggesting that his predictions were not intended as definite events but as warnings if people failed to learn the lessons of the past. Nostradamus spoke of a time when there would be a change in consciousness that would lead to a happier and more fulfilled existence among mankind. It is a pity that, before that golden age occurs, mankind has to suffer the horrors mentioned in his quatrains. As scientific warnings on the dangers of global warming increase weekly and the horrors that we have subjected our planet – and each other – to for centuries begin to their toll, it is perhaps this universal warning from Nostradamus that is the most significant: “Time is running out – the future salvation of humanity and of the planet is in our own hands.” The Gospel According to Nostradamus Over the years, Nostradamus enthusiasts have claimed that his prophecies predicted many of history’s most monumental events. His writings may be difficult to interpret and, without doubt, such generalities can be made to fit a variety of occurrences, but they certainly provide food for thought. The Great Fire of London (September 1666) The blood of the just will be demanded of London, Burnt by the fire in the year 66. The Rise of Napoleon (lived 1769 – 1821) An Emperor shall be born near Italy, who shall cost the Empire dear. The French Revolution (1789 – 1799) From the enslaved people, songs, chants and demands, The princes and lords are held captive in prisons. The Rise of Hitler (lived 1889 to 1945) Out of the deepest part of the west of Europe, From poor people a young child shall be born, Who with his tongue shall seduce many people… 111 He shall come to tyrannize the land. He shall raise up a hatred that had long been dormant… The Kennedy Assassination (November 1963) And from the roof evil ruin will fall on the great man, They will accuse an innocent, being dead, of the deed. Kennedy was shot from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository by Lee Harvey Oswald (could this be ‘the roof’?) who was then shot. Conspiracy theories have abounded ever since. The Death of Diana Princess of Wales (August 31, 1997) God… Takes the Goddess of the Moon for his Day & Movement, A frantic wanderer and witness of Gods Law. The Roman Goddess of the Moon was Diane -giving the verses added impact. The Death of Mother Theresa (September 1997) Way of a saint, a deliverer of the mud, a French Saints order, a dwarf nun, deformed, a traveler, worm of the fruit. Mother Teresa – born Agnes Gonxhe Bojaxhiu was named after the French Saint Theresa. Nostradamus.org — nostradamus-repository.org — sacred texts.com/nos Happy St Patrick’s Day!
By John Neary, Ambassador of Ireland to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
March is a very special month for Ireland as March 17th is our national holiday, St Patrick’s Day.
St Patrick’s Day is an opportunity for Irish people and friends of Ireland around the world to renew their links with family and friends at home and to celebrate those aspects of Irish life which we share – our music, our culture, our sports, our natural environment and our rich community life.
Ireland is a small country but, through the millions of Irish people who have emigrated to all parts of the world, we have an enormous global footprint. Irish people overseas adapt quickly and easily to their new homelands but they retain a strong sense of their Irishness and make new friends for Ireland in their local communities.
Here in the Netherlands, there are about 7,000 Irish people. They are to be found in all parts of the country and they play an important role in maintaining the close and friendly relationship between our two countries.
The Netherlands is an important partner for Ireland in the European Union. We are both open economies and we share similar views on many EU policies.
The bilateral economic relationship is also very important for Ireland. The Netherlands is our 7th largest export market and an important source of foreign direct investment and tourism.
In the political area, we share a deep commitment to human rights and the rule of law and we both strive to make constructive contributions to promoting peace, security and justice through our international relations.
Ireland is an ancient nation but a young country. Our culture is rooted in the pre-Christian era and the influences of the Celtic tribes that came to Ireland over three thousand years ago can still be found in our arts, language, heritage and design.
Since we became an independent state in 1922, our economy has developed from an agrarian model to a modern and dynamic mix of high tech manufacturing and service industries. Agriculture is still an important part of our economy but Ireland is now as well known for its pharmaceutical, IT and financial services industries as it is for our grass-fed beef and lamb. Research, Development and Innovation are being prioritised to build a smart economy for the future.
After a deep recession following the global financial crisis in 2008, Ireland now has the fastest growing economy in Europe, with 4.5% growth last year and a forecast of 3.5% growth for this year. Exports, investment and employment are all increasing and this year our budget deficit will be below the 3% EU limit. Our borrowing costs are at an all time low and there is a new confidence in our economic recovery at home and abroad.
So let me conclude by wishing all the readers of Diplomat Magazine a very Happy St Patrick’s Day. If you would like to learn more about the Irish Embassy’s work, log onto www.embassyofireland.nl or follow us on Twitter @IRLEMBTHEHAGUE.
The all-inclusive law of succession for a people’s monarchy
Photograph by JFPhotoon 201.
‘Every culture has either a matrilineal or pratilineal structure; there are a few cultures that have both systems. The matrilineal and patrilineal history is part of the humanity and identity of all human beings; these concepts empower women and men and transmit the ancestral cultures, since we learn standards of behavior from father and mother.’
By John Freeman.
The monarchy is a multi-dynastic institution with genealogies from male and female lines. Any changes to the succession law must never exclude the concept of royal lineages, since all cultures include patrilineal and/or matrilineal organizations. My ideas for the succession law do not discriminate for order of birth or gender.
The concepts have four components:
1) If succession rights come from a mother, daughters have preference over sons. If succession rights come from a father, sons have preference over daughters. The gender of the parent (with dynastic rights) is the first precedent in succession rights.
2) Succession rights alternate from youngest to oldest in one generation and from oldest to youngest in the next, to avoid unequal treatment of any kind.
3) Rights of succession come from Proximity of Blood and Lineages. Proximity of Blood means that daughters/sons of a monarch come first in succession, followed by granddaughters and grandsons, or more distance blood descendants. Succession rights only go as far as the great great-granddaughters/grandsons
4) Lineages: Descendants of queens in direct female line have succession rights in perpetuity. Descendants of kings in direct male line have succession rights in perpetuity.
Why the preference for females, when succession rights comes from a mother? Why the preference for males, when succession rights comes from a father?
At the present time the monarchy and society are patrilineal; the monarchy only recognizes paternal lines. This is justification for male-primogeniture, and gender-blind primogeniture fails to correct discrimination. A patrilineal/matrilineal system of succession is a good example of gender equality for society.
A dual system of succession would eventually produce a Netherlands type monarchy, where matrilineal Queens succeed one another, since in every monarchy there are kings that only have daughters. My suggestions promote the maternal/paternal lines of both sexes, and in the long run there is no gender discrimination.
Why alternate succession from youngest to oldest in one generation and from oldest to youngest in the next generation?
This is equality, since primogeniture is a hierarchical concept that favors the firs-born.
My concepts permit succession of oldest, youngest, and middle daughters/sons. Please, see hypothetical genealogical tree on next page.
What can the monarchy do to be more inclusive of women?
The name of a dynasty only comes from a man, and women do not have this right/tradition. If the Queen names the dynasty, the house of Bowes-Lyon Windsor after her mother and father, this is recognition of the dual maternal and paternal lineages of the monarchy; it would grant women and their maternal lines equal social status.
Why is gender-blind primogeniture not equality?
Equality is a concept of universal application. Gender-blind primogeniture is a selective application of laws, and it discriminates against people who are not the first-born.
The following are examples of selective application of laws, and these examples are not equality: Women and men have the right to vote, but women do not have equal pay. We are all citizens, but people of African ancestry are 3/5 of a person and do not have the right to vote.
Gender-blind primogeniture goes against the civil rights and laws of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, since these nations do not apply laws and civil rights selectively. This is a law for the 1% of 1% of the population, and it is not a good example for men, women, and children who are not the first-born.
Conclusion
Monarchies and cultures have lineage traditions (maternal and paternal lines). Gender-blind primogeniture is comparable to re-inventing the wheel, because gender-blind primogeniture destroys the cultural concept of maternal and paternal lines.
Primogeniture of any kind is all about who comes first, and it implies that the justification for the monarchy is primogeniture. The monarchy is an institution of service and a cultural system of paternal and maternal lines.
Any changes to the succession law must include changes to the patrilineal cultural system. English-speaking countries have a patriarchal cultural organization, where the identity of the family comes from paternal line.
My suggestions satisfy the ideals of equality better than gender-blind primogeniture, because it recognizes the contributions of both genders and their paternal/maternal lines. This is of practical application for the non-royal 99% of population, since it provides working class families and women the identity of the maternal line; this would required a dual system of maternal/paternal surnames, since everyone has matrilineal and patrilineal histories.
Business world honors Dutch ambassador
Business world honors ambassador for Bangladesh trade promotion
His Excellency Gerben de Jong Ambassador of the Netherlands in Dhaka, Bangladesh, received today the 2014 Embassy Prize. The prize is awarded by the Dutch business world every two years, to the embassy offering the best support in promoting trade. One of the Dhaka embassy’s initiatives is the Netherlands Bangladesh Business Platform in collaboration with Nyenrode Business Universiteit.
Among other things the Business Platform organizes trade missions for Dutch SMEs, and it has developed the website www.nbbp.org containing information and research reports about doing business in Bangladesh.
Ambassador De Jong said: “Together with Nyenrode Universiteit., the embassy works at promoting activities between the Netherlands and Bangladesh. With a growing middle-class and a young population in the dynamic Bangladesh, there are opportunities for Dutch entrepreneurs thanks to a strong entrepreneurial spirit and the ambitious vision of the Bangladeshi government. The active involvement of the business world has become an important link in combating poverty.”
The relationship between Bangladesh and the Netherlands is shifting from traditional development assistance to sustainable trade and investment. Professor of International Business Strategy Prof. Dr. Désiree van Gorp of Nyenrode: “It’s fantastic that the Dutch business community is honoring the embassy with this prize.
Research has shown that there are enormous opportunities for Dutch companies in food production and processing, water, logistics and IT outsourcing. Its strong economic growth means the country has become less dependent on development cooperation. Bangladesh offers growing opportunities for a sustainable economic relationship.
Three trade missions to Bangladesh have so far been organized, with participation by 38 Dutch SMEs from a variety of sectors.
The relationship between Bangladesh and the Netherlands is shifting from traditional development assistance to sustainable trade and investment. Professor of International Business Strategy Prof. Dr. Désiree van Gorp of Nyenrode: “It’s fantastic that the Dutch business community is honoring the embassy with this prize.
Research has shown that there are enormous opportunities for Dutch companies in food production and processing, water, logistics and IT outsourcing. Its strong economic growth means the country has become less dependent on development cooperation. Bangladesh offers growing opportunities for a sustainable economic relationship.
Three trade missions to Bangladesh have so far been organized, with participation by 38 Dutch SMEs from a variety of sectors.
Timor-Leste, facing the great challenges
On the picture H. E. Xanana Gusmão, former Primer Minister of Timor – Leste.
By Joaquim da Fonseca, Ambassador of Timor-Leste to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Since the independence of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste was first declared in 1975, the founding fathers of the Nation viewed its future within the context of an interlinked global community. The then constitution of the Republic made it an objective of the State to promote the establishment and development of relationships of friendship and cooperation among Peoples and States. The interruption of the life of the new country merely nine days after the unilateral declaration of its independence meant that these ideals could not yet be put into practice.
The period of independence struggle, and indeed centuries of colonial rule that preceded it, left horrendous legacies. But it also taught us important lessons. From our own experience, we became deeply aware of both positive and negative consequences of the different courses of action the international community chooses to take, acting in concert or as individual States, in the face of injustice, oppression and, in Timor-Leste’s case, the denial of the peoples’ right to self-determination. Our history has also allowed us to develop a more profound appreciation for resilience and solidarity.
The restoration of independence in 2002 paved the way for Timor-Leste to embark on the path of development. But this road is not an easy one to travel. The country is blessed with modest natural resources, but technical expertise was scarce and state institutions have to be built from scratch. It will be impossible to conceive the development of Timor-Leste without considering the interconnectedness of today’s world. With the assistance of international partners, Timor-Leste was able to respond to the most immediate challenges of state building with considerable success. As the country moves to consolidate peace and boost economic development, it is committed to strengthen the cooperation with its regional and international partners. Timor-Leste is an active participant of various regional and international forums and organizations, covering a broad range of development sectors.
On the picture Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, H. E. Rui Araujo. Picture by the Prime Minister Office of Timor-Leste.
Timor-Leste is a member of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), and currently assuming the rotating presidency of the organization. In 2011, Timor-Leste applied for membership with ASEAN. This application is being considered by ASEAN, and Timor-Leste is working on the conditions for its membership. Despite not being a member of ASEAN, Timor-Leste’s cooperation with individual member state of the organization is strong and expanding.
Timor-Leste has benefitted immensely from the assistance of the international community, and was also able to experience, first hand, the challenges inherent in the system of international development assistance. Through the g7+, the group that gathers States with similar conditions, Timor-Leste wishes to learn from others and share its experience in addressing root cause of conflict and fragility, and in managing the challenges inherent in the system of international development assistance. In the context of g7+, Timor-Leste supported the peaceful general elections in Guinea-Bissau, and is committed to support this fellow member of CPLP in a transition from fragility to stability and development.
On the picture, H. E. Mr. Joaquim da Fonseca, Ambassador of Timor-Leste to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Picture by the Embassy of Timor-Leste in London.
Politically, Timor-Leste’s efforts to strengthen its systems and institutions of democratic governance are on going. Successive general elections have been free and fair. Upon independence, those who lead the struggle, including the outgoing Prime Minister, Mr Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, primarily occupied leadership positions in the Timorese state institutions. January this year, in a move to encourage generational change of national leadership, Mr Gusmão stepped down halfway into his term of office. The governing block in the Parliament appointed a younger technocrat, Dr Rui Araújo, who in fact belongs to the opposition party, to lead the Government for the remaining period.
As my five year-old son often presents to his friends, we are a “tiny little [half] island” in such a big world. We hope that our size is not indicative of our worth. With greater political stability and stronger economic capabilities, Timor-Leste hopes to continue to contribute to the common efforts for global peace and prosperity.
On the picture Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, H. E. Rui Araujo. Picture by the Prime Minister Office of Timor-Leste.
Timor-Leste is a member of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), and currently assuming the rotating presidency of the organization. In 2011, Timor-Leste applied for membership with ASEAN. This application is being considered by ASEAN, and Timor-Leste is working on the conditions for its membership. Despite not being a member of ASEAN, Timor-Leste’s cooperation with individual member state of the organization is strong and expanding.
Timor-Leste has benefitted immensely from the assistance of the international community, and was also able to experience, first hand, the challenges inherent in the system of international development assistance. Through the g7+, the group that gathers States with similar conditions, Timor-Leste wishes to learn from others and share its experience in addressing root cause of conflict and fragility, and in managing the challenges inherent in the system of international development assistance. In the context of g7+, Timor-Leste supported the peaceful general elections in Guinea-Bissau, and is committed to support this fellow member of CPLP in a transition from fragility to stability and development.
On the picture, H. E. Mr. Joaquim da Fonseca, Ambassador of Timor-Leste to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Picture by the Embassy of Timor-Leste in London.
Politically, Timor-Leste’s efforts to strengthen its systems and institutions of democratic governance are on going. Successive general elections have been free and fair. Upon independence, those who lead the struggle, including the outgoing Prime Minister, Mr Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, primarily occupied leadership positions in the Timorese state institutions. January this year, in a move to encourage generational change of national leadership, Mr Gusmão stepped down halfway into his term of office. The governing block in the Parliament appointed a younger technocrat, Dr Rui Araújo, who in fact belongs to the opposition party, to lead the Government for the remaining period.
As my five year-old son often presents to his friends, we are a “tiny little [half] island” in such a big world. We hope that our size is not indicative of our worth. With greater political stability and stronger economic capabilities, Timor-Leste hopes to continue to contribute to the common efforts for global peace and prosperity. Introducing ACCESS
By Deborah Valentine.
For more than 28 years ACCESS has been serving the international community, of The Hague and the Netherlands.
Starting in 1986 from the then small international community of The Hague, ACCESS has grown into a unique formula of community building & support. The volunteers it recruits, 90% of which are themselves ‘expats’, or as we prefer to call them internationals, have been using their skills, talents, time and empathy to create a supportive structure for new arrivals. Working as much for themselves as for the public at large, volunteers at ACCESS have over the years formed friendships, created a community for one another, and shared their experiences: all, to help people settle and live in the Netherlands as successfully as possible and make the most of their time in this country.
Through its Helpdesk ACCESS volunteers are available five days a week, by phone or email, with the questions people may have: questions which range from understanding the healthcare system to finding a special service. On the website: volunteers and Partners share their knowledge, several FAQ Guides can be found, a topical quarterly lifestyle e-zine and a broad variety of articles on multiple aspects of living in the Netherlands. And, the on-call Counselling Network is there to guide those in need of more specific support to the answers they need.
Volunteering opportunities are currently most accessible to those who live in and around The Hague, but the value of our information is accessible, and relevant to anyone living anywhere in the Netherlands.
Want to know more, perhaps be a part of this vibrant community building network, meet people in a similar situation as yours – even perhaps from your own country of origin? Do take part in one of the monthly information sessions, or speak to Mr Roy Lie A Tjam former ACCESS Volunteer and currently Editor of the Diplomat Magazine for his impressions.
Upcoming events:
March 18th Volunteer Information Morning (http://access-nl.org/about-access/how-we-do-it/volunteers/volunteer-information-mornings.aspx)
March 30th Welcome to The Hague (http://access-nl.org/about-access/what-we-do/welcome-to-the-hague.aspx)
Water pilgrimage in the Netherlands
Photography by Antim.
By Sheikh Mohammed Belal, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh to the Netherlands.
Sensing my absorbed meditating mood, my wife, on her arrival at the Schiphol Airport recently, threw out a religious challenge: “When did you become so religious?”
What sounds like a light-hearted query lead us to a formidable discussion on how I tend to see my tenure in the Netherlands as nothing short of a water pilgrimage. To make my point on how the Netherlands remained so dry amidst all these water, I offered her a romantic plot. Informing her that Schiphol Airport’s lowest point being 3.5 m below sea level, I would have been waiting on the shore of a river to grab her outreached hand from a colourful boat in Bangladesh. So we were on a joy ride, in a boat, if she were to arrive in Bangladesh, instead of the Netherlands.
When my first ever Ambassadorial assignment landed me in the Netherlands in March 2014, I think it also gave me an opportunity to do something immediate and practical about my old obsessions-how could we remain afloat in Bangladesh even if we go under water? What is the way out?
As I make my slow pilgrimage through the watery landscape of the Netherlands, a sense of awe and mystery seems to gather and grow. The process of my transformation came to a head with my discovery of water being at the front and centre of whatever they do here in the Netherlands. It is next to impossible leaving a gathering of even three to four professionals in the Netherlands without meeting a water expert
I came to believe that there is a sacredness in Dutch water. It was never a mark of weakness, but of power. Dutch showed the world how to keep one’s head above water even if forces of nature prove seemingly insurmountable. What was their weakness, the Dutch turned it into an overwhelming reservoir of expertise and resilience
When we talk about resilience, the world came to witness, the people of Bangladesh are no less endowed with their ability to bounce back.
Among its immediate neighbours, Bangladesh has the highest life expectancy (68.3 years), the lowest infant mortality rate (42 per 1000 live births) and one of the lowest maternal mortality ratios (194 per 100 000 live births). But it remained trapped to its geography.
Geography made Bangladesh a virtual playground of world’s three of the largest river systems – Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM). It is located on an active sedimentary basin and the intricate network of alluvial rivers that carries an average quantity of 0.5–2.8 billion tons annual discharge and sediment load from the Himalayas.
More or less like the Netherlands, Bangladesh is also a floodplain. The altitude normally does not exceed 11 m above the sea level except in the hilly areas of Chittagong and Sylhet. About 80% of the total land area constitute floodplains while terraces and hills account for about 8% and 12% respectively.
To make it even more challenging than the Netherlands, Bangladesh houses 57 cross-boundary rivers, of which 54 are shared with India and the remaining three with Myanmar. Bangladesh is the common lower riparian of all these trans-boundary rivers. The combined discharge of water from the GBM rivers is second only to that of the river Amazon.
Defending against floods from such massive network of cross boundary rivers require a regional framework in the Himalayan basin area which is not there yet. Hopefully, countries in the Himalayan basin will, someday, take a page from the European networks of cooperation in the water sector to develop a basin wide framework for water cooperation.
As amazing as it may sound, some sources suggest that there were primitive flood defences in what is now the Netherlands as far back as 500BC. Windmills, for which the country is famous, have been helping to pump water off the land for more than half a millennium. Therefore, it is no wonder that the Netherlands, with almost half of her population living below the sea level, remained floodproof. They learned how to protect against flooding and developed a sophisticated system of almost 3,800 kilometres of flood defences, including earthen levees along the main rivers as well as sand dunes, coastal dikes and five major coastal protection works and storm surge barriers along the coast.
The first component is a primary sea defence system constructed as a system of closure works and Storm Surge Barriers in the tidal inlets. It is connected by a system of natural dunes and man-made sea dikes that are capable of withstanding 1 in 10,000 year flood events. Now they embarked on a plan to make more room for waters as a part of their Delta plan.
After years of workings, finally in 2014, we, in Bangladesh, have been able to conclude framework with the Netherlands for a holistic, long-term, vision- aptly called “Delta Plan 2100”. This long-term vision, combined with the use of scenarios as well as incorporating our own initiative for “Blue Economy” with that of the Netherlands “Blue Gold”, will hopefully put in place a plan to make Bangladesh as floodproof as possible.
More than flood proofing, what I would personally like to see in Bangladesh is the inculcation of the Dutch way of thinking where disaster avoidance generally takes precedence over disaster relief. To the credit of our thousands of innovative people, Bangladesh is globally known for its excellent post disaster management skill. But working to avoid disaster is completely different from working after a disaster.
This is what I long to learn as I continue this pilgrimage for the rest of my tenure! Hartelijk bedankt, nederlandse vrienden!
Geography made Bangladesh a virtual playground of world’s three of the largest river systems – Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM). It is located on an active sedimentary basin and the intricate network of alluvial rivers that carries an average quantity of 0.5–2.8 billion tons annual discharge and sediment load from the Himalayas.
More or less like the Netherlands, Bangladesh is also a floodplain. The altitude normally does not exceed 11 m above the sea level except in the hilly areas of Chittagong and Sylhet. About 80% of the total land area constitute floodplains while terraces and hills account for about 8% and 12% respectively.
To make it even more challenging than the Netherlands, Bangladesh houses 57 cross-boundary rivers, of which 54 are shared with India and the remaining three with Myanmar. Bangladesh is the common lower riparian of all these trans-boundary rivers. The combined discharge of water from the GBM rivers is second only to that of the river Amazon.
Defending against floods from such massive network of cross boundary rivers require a regional framework in the Himalayan basin area which is not there yet. Hopefully, countries in the Himalayan basin will, someday, take a page from the European networks of cooperation in the water sector to develop a basin wide framework for water cooperation.
As amazing as it may sound, some sources suggest that there were primitive flood defences in what is now the Netherlands as far back as 500BC. Windmills, for which the country is famous, have been helping to pump water off the land for more than half a millennium. Therefore, it is no wonder that the Netherlands, with almost half of her population living below the sea level, remained floodproof. They learned how to protect against flooding and developed a sophisticated system of almost 3,800 kilometres of flood defences, including earthen levees along the main rivers as well as sand dunes, coastal dikes and five major coastal protection works and storm surge barriers along the coast.
The first component is a primary sea defence system constructed as a system of closure works and Storm Surge Barriers in the tidal inlets. It is connected by a system of natural dunes and man-made sea dikes that are capable of withstanding 1 in 10,000 year flood events. Now they embarked on a plan to make more room for waters as a part of their Delta plan.
After years of workings, finally in 2014, we, in Bangladesh, have been able to conclude framework with the Netherlands for a holistic, long-term, vision- aptly called “Delta Plan 2100”. This long-term vision, combined with the use of scenarios as well as incorporating our own initiative for “Blue Economy” with that of the Netherlands “Blue Gold”, will hopefully put in place a plan to make Bangladesh as floodproof as possible.
More than flood proofing, what I would personally like to see in Bangladesh is the inculcation of the Dutch way of thinking where disaster avoidance generally takes precedence over disaster relief. To the credit of our thousands of innovative people, Bangladesh is globally known for its excellent post disaster management skill. But working to avoid disaster is completely different from working after a disaster.
This is what I long to learn as I continue this pilgrimage for the rest of my tenure! Hartelijk bedankt, nederlandse vrienden!
Fighting mosquitoes with small drones
By Ruud van der Lem, Drone-Solutions.nl.
In many parts of the world, mosquitoes are responsible for a variety of illnesses for both humans and domestic animals, like Malaria, Chikungunya, Dog Heartworm, Dengue, Yellow Fever, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Rift Valley fever, Zika virus, St. Louis Encephalitis, LaCrosse, Encephalitis, Western Equine Encephalitis and the West Nile Virus. Many of them can be lethal as well.
Nearly 700 million people get a mosquito borne illness each year resulting in greater than one million deaths…
The first US project
Now the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District has initiated a project, to search for the mosquito breeding grounds, using drones, equipped with infra-red sensitive camera’s. These cameras can determine small shallow water pools from within varied rural areas.
Finding these pools quickly means the authorities can than treat the areas with larvicide in order to destroy both the eggs and the larves.
Domestic areas
Mosquitoes have a fly range from up to 3 miles, so this ring around domestic areas is sufficient enough to gain a large effect.
Project improvement
We would encourage more research on this subject, whereby special designed software, automatically fixes the date/time, coordinates and the size of the suspected pools. With the use of GPS/smartphone/mapping, the larve destroy team than can quickly treat the locations.
Conclusion
In the war against mosquitos, drones can really make the difference. A additional benefit is not only the additional employment in operating such a project, but also the people’s awareness towards the positive aspects of drones.
Drone-Solutions.nl is a specialist in providing solutions in remote sensing and cooperates with the security and drone industry.