By Jeroen van der Kolk, CEO InterConnection. j.vanderkolk@inter-connection.nl Have you ever burned your mouth on one of the most traditional Dutch snacks, the bitterbal? Unlike the name suggests, this typical Dutch snack tastes anything but bitter. Legend has it that the bitterbal was invented in 1783 by the wife of Jan Barendsz, a café owner in Amsterdam. Barendsz noticed that his guests left his café at the end of the afternoon to go home to eat. To satisfy their appetites, he started serving them slices of sausage and cheese so that they would stay a little longer.  One day, his wife had some ragout left over from the cooking and rolled the ragout in a mixture of eggs and breadcrumbs and fried it in hot oil. The little ragout balls were so delicious that Barendsz decided to serve them along with the sausage and cheese. Thus, the bitterbal was born! It became immensely popular as the perfect snack to accompany a (strong) drink. By now, the bitterbal, like its big brother the kroket – a ragout-filled bread-crumbed croquette – has become an essential part of the Dutch snack culture. And the Dutch snack culture is serious business, as becomes clear from the many take-over attempts among Dutch kroket and bitterbal manufacturers. In 2012, a major take-over attempt even forced the Dutch Competition Authority to step in! Being a typical Dutch product, the bitterbal is exported regularly. Not to be sold in other countries, but to be served during parties at Dutch embassies. It has been said that some Dutch guests abroad sometimes especially attend these parties to finally be able to sink their teeth into a lovely Dutch bitterbal again. Yes, the Dutch are proud of their bitterbal; but to tell the truth, not everybody likes them. Luckily, there are some good alternative snacks, like the kaassoufflé (bread-crumbed cheese-filled turnover) and vlammetjes (spicy mini spring rolls). Any real Dutch reception will make sure to serve these delicacies too. Finally, a warning is in place for all of those who have not yet had a bitterbal before: when served straight out of the pan, you run a high risk of burning your mouth! It is therefore strongly advisable to only eat a bitterbal when you have a drink in your other hand. No encouragement needed for that of course. And if you do not feel like having a bitterbal, just excuse yourself to your host with the universal reason: ‘I am on a diet!’ Whether it is true or not, everyone will accept it immediately. www.inter-connection.nl

Roundtable Discussion on the Comprehensive Strategic Approach to the Communication Strategy of the International Criminal Court in Situation Countries Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia and the facilitator for the Strategic Planning Process at the International Criminal Court H.E. Vesela Mrđen Korać organised a roundtable discussion on the comprehensive strategic approach to the Court’s communication strategy in situation countries at the Court on 15 May 2014, which was co-hosted by the Registrar of the Court Mr. Herman von Hebel. Besides the Registrar the roundtable gathered speakers from other organs of the Court, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, representatives of nongovernmental organisations and States Parties from all regional groups. Participants shared their views on the former and present communication strategies and their recommendations for future. The roundtable was organised with the aim of collecting concrete recommendations to the Court, the States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and civil society.

By Yun Xie. Yun Xie, together with five other artists, shows her beautiful art at the exhibition in the famous building of Ernst & Young. The exhibition runs from 16 May until 29 August. The address is Wassenaarseweg  80 the Hague. If you are interested in visiting and enjoying this exhibition during office hours, please phone Ms. Tineke Heins (088-4073848) from EY for a guided tour. Yun Xie invites you come to Amsterdam Annual Dutch Art Fair (www.adaf.nl) on 27-28th of Sep. Her booth is No.53. Yun Xie came from China and is now living in the Hague the Netherlands. She is a member of the Dutch National Association for Visual Artists. Yun Xie works with ceramics and acrylic or oil on canvas. She loves Chinese culture and art, especially after she left China. Longing for her motherland and relatives, she picked up a paintbrush and a carving tool. Her cultural background and memories are reflected in the art she is displaying in the exhibition. Her work always has a specific Chinese character and soul. In fact she feels she is a cultural ambassador and has a responsibility to show the uniqueness of the ancient Chinese culture and art to the Western world. The passion for creating ceramic sculptures and paintings comes from memories that she brought with her from China, where the use of ceramics already has a long history. By painting and especially working with clay she feels free and connected to the China. Her paintings and sculptures are always focused on people in their everyday environment. She loves the feelings that people radiate and show. Her images of people give her the ability to translate positions, attitudes and feelings in her sculptures. This also applies to her paintings. She always say: “The sculptures and the paintings are my cultural soul. They are part of my life.” More info you can see in http://yunxie-art.com or email to: yunxie@xs4all.nl

Revolution in democracy with the launch of “ISPD+ Innovation in Diplomacy Network”, the first network that will democratise diplomacy. Last Friday, 23rd May at the International School of Protocol & Diplomacy, Open Doors event inspired by Brussels Jazz  Marathon. An established school of protocol and diplomacy from the heart of Europe, ISPD, has announced last Friday, the launch of the first network of innovation in diplomacy in the world, bringing together more than 90 countries and becoming, from day one, the most diverse platform solely dedicated to innovation in diplomacy. The new concept targets diplomats, official event organizers, protocol professionals, journalists, translators, corporate diplomats, CEO’s and international projects’ managers, and helps them to get back on track with solving the puzzle of modern diplomacy in organizations, governments and companies using proven, real-world tools and techniques. Members learn how to make an immediate impact on the global transformation of diplomacy.  As Thomas Sladko, ISPD Expert in Protocol & Organisation of High Level Events and Austrian Chancellery Deputy Chief of Protocol said “There is no second chance in protocol” News Facts – The mission of the “ISPD+ Innovation in Diplomacy Network” is to democratize diplomacy, to promote global elite of Innovators in diplomacy and to aid, assist, foster and promote the soft diplomacy education of development countries such as Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia. – The main objective of the network is to democratize diplomacy and its knowledge across cultures, valorizing local and national branding towards a global focus. – The new network will start operations on the 1st September 2014 with a launching number of anticipated 1500 members. ISPD+ is powered by the ISPD, The International School of Protocol and Diplomacy, and its founder Ines Pires, “Protocol is about others, not about ourselves”. This is a real-world issues covered by type of membership horizontally organized  operated through a membership offering added value on real-world diplomacy matters. H.E Luis Ritto, ISPD Emeritus Professor and former EU Ambassador to the Holy See and Order of Malta, recently said that “The economic power of the EU has declined sharply in recent times. Europe has since 2008 suffered an unprecedented economic and financial crisis, for which the EU was not prepared and which was tackled in a disunited and inefficient way by the EU political authorities causing decisions to be taken late and with little practical results” For more information about ISPD+ Innovation in Diplomacy contact Julia Stanczak, Communications Officer at j.stanczak@ispdnetwork.org