Splendid Celebration of National Day of Angola

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Splendid Celebration of National Day of Angola
unnamed[2]unnamed[3]unnamed[9] By Johann Peter Gies, Junior Editor. It was a splendid celebration of the independence day of Angola to which H.E. Mr. Luís José de Almeida invited on the 11th of November 2014. The “Grand Hotel Amrâth Kurhaus” at the seafront of Scheveningen was a well-chosen, gorgeous venue for these extraordinary festivities, which were for the last time hosted by H.E. Dr. de Almeida. H.E. Dr. de Almeida, who founded the Embassy of Angola in The Hague, will soon relocate and become the ambassador of Angola to the Portuguese Republic, High Representative of the Republic of Angola to the CPLP (Community of the Portuguese-speaking Countries)  a nation which plays a crucial part in the history of Angola and the reason why Tuesday’s celebration took place. The Portuguese arrived in Congo in 1482, bringing firearms and Christianity in exchange for ivory and slaves. Due to internal conflicts and the occupation of Portugal by the Spanish, they struggled to keep control of the area. After a brief period of Dutch occupation, Brazilian forces reconquered Luanda, the capital of Angola, thus facilitating a new influx of the Portuguese and commencing an era of Angola being a colony of Portugal. In the second half of the 20th century, however, nationalist sentiments arose in the colony and an anti-colonial opposition formed. After more than a decade of fighting, Angola won its independence on the 11th of November 1975, putting an end to more than four centuries of colonial existence and marking the advent of the Angolan nation state. This glorious day of independence to which H.E. Dr. de Almeida actively contributed as one of the leaders of the opposition, was the occasion on which many hundred guests gathered in the “Grand Hotel Amrâth Kurhaus” and spent a diversified and enjoyable evening. H.E. Dr. de Almeida opened the evening with a speech in which he looked back at his time in The Hague and stressed the vital as well as important relationship between Angola and the Netherlands. Following the indulgence in a flavourful dinner the guests gazed at a marvellous dance and music presentation by the Angolan group “Bunga”, who came from Angola exclusively for this one performance. Many people eventually joined the dance, giving the evening a joyful ending. On behalf of the team of Diplomat Magazine I would like to thank H.E. Mr. Luís José de Almeida for this wonderful evening as well as for the fruitful and pleasant cooperation during his stay in The Hague. We wish him all the best for his new placement in Portugal.            

Hungary remembers 1956 Revolution

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Hungary remembers 1956 Revolution
On 21 October, Her Excellency Orsolya Szijjártó, the Ambassador of Hungary, hosted a reception on the occasion of the anniversary of the 1956 Revolution. The recently appointed Ambassador of Hungary gave an insight to the historic happenings of the revolution and its consequences: after the revolution around 200,000 Hungarians left the country, of which approximately 3,500 found shelter in the Netherlands. The Ambassador expressed her gratitude to all the people who have helped and welcomed the former Hungarian refugees in those difficult times. 2014 is the year that  Hungary celebrates her 10th anniversary of accession to the European Union. “The accession made the dream of Hungarians come true, as what we had been fighting for had been achieved: Hungary became a full member of the European community, a part of Europe, as this is where we belong to, both culturally and historically”, the Ambassador said. Many examples of  Dutch solidarity were listed by Her Excellency in her speech, among others the renaming of the Stalinlaan (Stalin Avenue) in Amsterdam to Vrijheidslaan (Freedom Avenue) to show  respect towards the Hungarian’s quest and the 3 minutes of silence held in the Netherlands in order to express sympathy with the Hungarian revolution. The Ambassador concluded that 23rd of October has a symbolic value since two historic events are celebrated: in 1956 this was the day on which the revolution broke out, and on the same day in 1989, the eventual completion of the goals and dreams of the revolution came true: the Republic of Hungary was proclaimed. Following her opening speech, Ambassador Orsolya Szijjártó presented the Hungarian Gold Cross of Merit awarded to Mr Jan Pezie by the President of Hungary. Mr Pezie, a retired pharmacist received the decoration in recognition of his charitable work as organizer of the insulin aid campaign in Hungary and Transylvania in 1989.

Holland-India Festival Concert

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Holland-India Festival Concert
Photography:  Sharon Reyes  Jurjenz Productions. 2014. By Roy Lie A Tjam. The 2014 edition of the Holland-India Festival ended with a sparkling concert at the Dr. Anton Phlipszaal on Saturday 1 November. Featuring, the Assamese (India) band Papon and The East India Company. Hundreds of persons attended the event, among them Ambassadors, dignitaries and friends invited by H.E.Mr.Rajesh N.Prasad. Papon and The East Indian Company I s a band that combines Indian folk music with electric fusion. The band has performed at major festivals in India. Papon is a singer, composer, producer and multi -instrumentalist. He is the son of a very popular duo in the Assamese music, Archana Mahanta and Khagen Mahant. He made his debut with the album The Story so Far in 2012. The program was under the auspices of; the Embassy of India, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and The Gandhi Centre. A reception concluded the evening.Indian ConcertIndian Concert    

UN Secretary General honours the Amir of Kuwait

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UN Secretary General honours the Amir of Kuwait
By Baron Henri Estramant. An unusual honour has been bestowed upon an Arab leader, the Amir of the State of Kuwait. In an official ceremony presided over by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on 9 September 2014 in New York, the latter lauded the “exemplary humanitarian leadership” of His Highness Amir Sabah IV bin Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Ali Al Sabah, 5th Amir of Kuwait since 2006. Before his throne accession, Amir Sabah IV served between 1963 and 2003 as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. From 2003 to January 2006 he was the emirate’s Prime Minister. In the words of Ban Ki-moon: “For more than three years, we have witnessed an unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in the Middle East. First in Syria, now in Iraq, we have seen the terrible consequences of conflict. But in response to this death and chaos, we have seen remarkable acts of human kindness and generosity. Kuwait has shown exemplary humanitarian leadership in supporting these operations. Under the leadership of the Amir, Kuwait has hosted two pledging conferences – in 2013 and 2014 – and its hosts the meetings of the Top Donors Group for Syria”. “In the past two years Kuwait has donated hundreds of millions of dollars for humanitarian operations, not only in the Middle East, but in Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Somalia and Sudan”. The Freedom House, ranking the civil and political liberties enjoyed by ordinary citizens, ranks Kuwait as one of the freest countries in the Middle East, in fact as “partly free”, the only GCC country to attain that ranking. Moreover the State of Kuwait distinguishes itself for the its active parliament and relative electoral liberty albeit the country is yet to become a parliamentary monarchy. The House of Sabah (Al Sabah) rules Kuwait since the early 18th century. The current monarch is the 15th Al Sabah Ruler of Kuwait nevertheless only the 5th styled “Emir”. His half-brother, His Highness Crown Prince Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al Sabeh is heir presumptive and Deputy Emir.  

Diplomats Meet & Greet Venezuelan style

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Diplomats Meet & Greet Venezuelan style
VenezuelaVenezuela Meet & GreetMeet & Greet with VenezuelaVenezuela Ladys teamembassy of Venezuela teamBy Roy Lie A Tjam H.E. Ms Haifa Aissami Madah can look back on a splendid Venezuelan evening at the Carlton Ambassador Hotel. The special event attracted ambassadors and diplomats amongst others attendees. Diplomats Meet & Greet – edition Venezuela came hot on the heels of the opening of the exhibition Remembering Caracas April 2002 at the Embassy of Venezuela featuring images by journalist&photographer Wendy Olivo. The magnificent duo of Venezuelan musicians formed by singer Elena Gil and virtuoso of cuatro,  typical instrument of Venezuela similar to a small guitar, Luis Pino, stole the hearts of the audience with some guests, unable to resist the temptation of the beautiful music, taking to the floor to dance. The repertoire consisted of popular Venezuelan and international songs. A powerful video presentation on Venezuela also contributed to the successful evening. Congratulations to Ambassador Haifa Aissami Madah and her team for organizing an unforgettable event.

Unique exhibition at Bahrain National Museum

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Unique exhibition at Bahrain National Museum
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA By Baron Henri Estramant. An exciting and unique art exhibition opened at the Bahrain National Museum in Manama. At the behest of Bahrain’s Minister of Culture, HE Sheikha Mai bint Mohammed bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, about twenty percent of the items belonging to the private collection of Her Royal Highness Princess Jawaher bint Majid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia are now on display for the very first time outside of Jeddah, and exclusively not in the Saudi kingdom, but in neighbouring Bahrain.
The vernissage which also took place at the Bahrain National Museum was honoured with the present of several Saudi and Bahraini artists, members of the ruling houses of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, Bahrain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, HE Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Morocco’s former Minister of Culture and Foreign Affairs Mohamed Benaissa. A few remarkable aristocratic guests such as HH Princess Sisowath Chansita of Cambodia and her husband Mr Kristijan Cvetić, TRH Prince François and Princess Theresa d’Orléans, Baron Henri Estramant or Karin Adrian von Roques.
The Al Mansouria Foundation was created by Princess Jawaher bint Majid to finance and promote the artistic talent of Saudi citizens. The actual collection is housed at the princess’ residence in the City of Jeddah wherein her brother HRH Prince Misha’al bin Majid is governor. Her father, the late Prince Majid served between 1980 and 1999 as “Emir of Makkah” (Governor of the Emirate of Makkah Region). Amongst others, Princess Jawaher is supported by her daughters Princess Dimah and Princess Lama bint Mansour bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as trustees of the foundation. In the words of the founder Princess Jawaher “for many decades Saudi art remained essentially unknown. I saw a wealth of talent struggling to be heard, so I created the Al-Mansouria Foundation for Culture and Creativity to mentor and support Saudi artists”. The collection is composed not merely paintings but sculptures, calligraphy, and video art.  The Al Mansouria Collection “Modern and Contemporary Saudi Art” is on display at the Bahrain National Museum from 6 November 2014 to 6 March 2015. The Kingdom of Bahrain is noted for being the most liberal, and welcoming country of the Gulf Region. It is a constitutional monarchy under the House of Khalifa (Al Khalifa). The present monarch is His Majesty King Hamad II bin Isa Al Khalifa. Bahrain has an embassy in Brussels responsible for Belgium, Luxemburg and the EU whereas The Netherlands are handled by the royal mission in London headed by HE Ambassador Alice Thomas Samaan who is yet to present her credentials to the Dutch monarch. During the investiture festivities for the Dutch royal couple, Bahrain was represented by its heir apparent, HRH Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Deputy Commander in Chief and Second Deputy Prime Minister. Al Mansouria Foundation: http://almansouria.org/ Bahrain National Museum:  http://www.moc.gov.bh/en/visitingbahrain/destinations/BahrainNationalMuseum  

Bruno van den Elshout at Panomara Mesdag

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Bruno van den Elshout at Panomara Mesdag
3093-051 NL Panorama Mesdag opening-DPFrom 10 November 2014 through 1 March 2015, Panorama Mesdag in The Hague will be displaying the New Horizons project by artist Bruno van den Elshout (The Hague, 1979). It is a photo project that takes a fresh look at a world-famous view: the horizon of the Dutch North Sea. In 2012, Bruno van den Elshout took a photo of the North Sea horizon every day and every hour over the course of one year. He took these pictures from a fixed spot: the roof of NH Atlantic Hotel in Kijkduin. The result is a collection of 8785 atmospheric impressions of the sea and sky in all possible variations: moon-lit nights, autumn storms, sunset glows, and winter clouds in a spectre of colours. From this immense collection of horizon photographs, Panorama Mesdag will be presenting a selection of 23 works. Living and working close to the hustle and bustle of the city, Bruno van den Elshout saw a way to escape the hectic pace of daily life by capturing the intriguing horizon. Working with technical photographer Roelof de Vries, he converted a single lens reflex camera positioned on the hotel rooftop into a clever all-weather machine with a heater and a windscreen wiper that can take images as wide as 2 metres, creating breathtakingly beautiful results.

Clean water for everyone.

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Clean water for everyone.
Pamoja Foundation is organising a charity event to collaborate on water and sanitation in Kenya. It will take place at the Maranathakerk on Thursday November 20th. This benefit is a fundraising evening for two waterholes/waterpumps in Kenya. Please come to enjoy different speakers, nice food and drinks, Africa TV, Radio Brasa, an auction, a lottery and more. Tickets available through the webshop . Info Marion van de Voort, info@pamoja-kenya.com www.pamoja-kenya.com

First Recipients of New ‘OPCW-The Hague Award’

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First Recipients of New ‘OPCW-The Hague Award’

The Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, H.E. Ahmet Üzümcü, takes pleasure in announcing the decision of the OPCW-The Hague Award Committee to honour Dr Robert Matthews of Australia and the Finnish Institute for the Verification of the Chemical Weapons Convention (VERIFIN) as the joint recipients of the inaugural OPCW-The Hague Award.

The Award, created by the OPCW as an outcome of its winning of the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize and supported by a generous financial contribution from the City of The Hague, is intended to honour and recognise individuals and non-profit, non-governmental organisations that have made an outstanding contribution to achieving a world free of chemical weapons. Dr Matthews, an Australian national, is an eminent scientist and expert who has dedicated his career to the disarmament and non-proliferation of chemical weapons. He made significant contributions to the final drafting of the Chemical Weapons Convention, as well as to its establishment, implementation and promotion as a unique instrument eliminating an entire category of weapons of mass destruction. The Finnish Institute for the Verification of the Chemical Weapons Convention (VERIFIN) has been in existence for 40 years and during that time has made a sustained contribution to chemical disarmament by focussing on the development and dissemination of analytical chemistry techniques and tools for the verification of the Chemical Weapons Convention. VERIFIN has been instrumental in the OPCW’s efforts since Entry-Into-Force of the Convention to build the capacity of laboratories around the world to provide effective and accurate analysis of CWC-related chemicals, thus strengthening the capacity of the Verification regime which lies at the heart of the Convention. The nominations for the inaugural Awards represented a strong cross section of nominees and as such it was the decision of the Committee that the Award be shared between the two worthy recipients. The 2014 Award winners will be honoured at a presentation ceremony to be held at the OPCW Headquarters inThe Hague, The Netherlands on 1 December 2014. The 2014 winners will be presented a medal, a certificate of recognition and a cash prize of €45,000 each.

Amir-John Haddad , from east to west

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Amir-John Haddad , from east to west
Amir-John Haddad is a multi-instrumentalist who offers a unique concert under an innovative concept. It is a musical experience where Amir leads the audience through a variety of different musical styles exposing his large musical influences. This concert will offer you the opportunity to enjoy Amir playing skilfully all his instruments: Arabic electric oud, Turkish saz, Greek bouzuki, flamenco guitar and triple neck electric guitar come together on stage to blend traditional art with modern sounds. While listening to his music you will perceive many motions, sounds, atmospheres that are shaped wisely and carefully into musical landscapes. We owe the artist’s concept to his cultural heritage. His Colombian mother and Palestinian father gave him his initial cultural knowledge and the fact that he was born and raised in Germany opened up his mind to the western culture. After living in Jerez de la Frontera (Andalusia) and Madrid for more than 14 years now his Spanish musical influence becomes obvious and natural to his playing. Amir was taught by his father Rimon Haddad the art of playing oud when he was just seven years old. At the same time he studied the flamenco guitar with renowned guitar maestros like Pepe Justicia in Jerez and Enrique de Melchor in Cordoba. Amir played in musical projects in which he could experiment a lot of musical expression. In Spain he joined the very famous world-music band Radio Tarifa in 1998 with whom he toured worldwide for ten years. Amir has published his solo flamenco album Pasando por Tabernas. This year he will publish two more CD’s, one with his world-music quartet Zoobazar and another one with his heavyfunk- rock band Members of Parliament.
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