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Transformative Tales: Maureen Seshoka

25 November, 202425 November, 2024 by Marlies van Exter

“Stand up, take your place and raise your voice!” These are the words Maureen Seshoka lives by. As the national coordinator of Women Affected by Mining United in Action (WAMUA*), She works tirelessly to mobilise women in South Africa’s mining communities…

Categories Blog English Tags ClimateJustice, diversity, equity, HumanRights, inclusion

Transformative Tales: Chihiro Geuzebroek

12 October, 2024 by Marlies van Exter
een vrouw staat met een groot hart in haar handen waarop staat 'queres trabajar pela paz mundial?'

From a young age, Chihiro Geuzebroek felt a strong urge to make a difference. As a child, she raised money for charities by selling homemade bracelets and drawings. At school, she was frustrated by the lack of subjects like peace-building.

Categories Blog English Tags ClimateJustice, diversity, equity, HumanRights, inclusion

Transformative Tales: Anabela Lemos

5 September, 20244 September, 2024 by Marlies van Exter
a photo of a woman with long grey hair smiling in the camera

What drives someone to persist in resisting mega-projects and political power structures, even at the risk of their own safety? For Mozambican environmental and human rights activist Anabela Lemos, the answer is clear: a deep conviction that she is doing…

Categories Blog English Tags ClimateJustice, diversity, equity, HumanRights, inclusion

Transformative Tales: Saida Derrazi

31 July, 202431 July, 2024 by Marlies van Exter

“People who voted for Wilders just need a bit of love,” says Saida Derrazi with a smile that is both gentle and resolute. As co-founder and head coordinator of the Muslim women’s collective S.P.E.A.K. and chair of the Comité 21 Maart, the Moroccan-Dutch activist…

Categories Blog English Tags ClimateJustice, diversity, equity, HumanRights, inclusion

Transformative Tales: Esther Xosei

2 July, 202418 June, 2024 by Marlies van Exter

“What drives all of my work is a desire to make a difference.” With these words, Esther Stanford-Xosei (51) captures the heart of her mission. An activist, legal specialist, community advocate and international expert on reparations, she has dedicated…

Categories Blog English Tags ClimateJustice, diversity, equity, HumanRights, inclusion

Transformative Tales: Claudete Costa

24 April, 202421 April, 2024 by Marlies van Exter
a woman with a big smile on her face, collecting recyclable materials

She spent most of her childhood on the streets of Rio de Janeiro. From the age of eight, she sold sweets during the day to help support her family’s income. At night, she earned money by collecting and reselling recyclable materials. At twelve, she survived the tragic…

Categories Blog English Tags communication, communication strategy, diversity, equity, inclusion

Inclusive communication: a bridge to connection in a super-diverse world

6 July, 20235 July, 2023 by Marlies van Exter
illustratie met mensen van allerlei verschillende etniciteiten

It’s the late 1990s, and I’m studying at the School of Journalism. My dream? To travel the world as a travel journalist. So I add the course ‘Intercultural Communication’ to my curriculum. There, I learn about cultural differences…

Categories Blog English Tags communication, communication strategy, diversity, equity, inclusion

Want to work on inclusion? Changing your language could be a starting point

5 July, 20235 January, 2023 by Marlies van Exter

‘Where you from?’ sounds like an innocent question, right? However, not for Andrea. She was born and raised in the city of Leiden in the Netherlands. But her interrogators, mostly strangers, rarely seem to be satisfied with…

Categories Blog English Tags communication, exlusive language, inclusion, language, racism

The tattoo on my ankle blurry, the changes in my life razor-sharp

17 September, 2022 by Marlies van Exter
de omgekeerde cultuurshock

It lasted two and a half years. Two and a half long, uncomfortable years. At first, I showed no symptoms. But after a few weeks, I started to feel under the weather. Out of place. Lost. Disoriented. As if I had come home in the…

Categories Blog English Tags cultureshock, travel

Exploring the mind: traveling during coronatimes

14 June, 202115 April, 2020 by Marlies van Exter

Some of the most useful lessons I’ve ever learned were taught to me by a dead man. He had passed away some years already before he came into my life, but goodness, did he come into my life. I still vividly remember the pain…

Categories Blog English Tags coronatimes, goenka, meditation, quarantaine, travel, vipassana
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