Citizen Assembly in South Rotterdam begins: 130 South Rotterdam residents participate

The first meeting of the citizen assembly is Thursday at De Kuip. Then the 130 participants will meet 5 more times between December 2025 and April 2026. 

In total, 6 meetings will be held where the Citizen Assembly in South Rotterdam will come up with answers to the central question. That question is: how do we together create more opportunities for work that you can earn a good living from? 

NPRZ

With the citizen assembly, the National Program Rotterdam South (NPRZ) wants to discover what South itself needs when it comes to work and livelihood security. 

NPRZ . Link opens an external pageis a long-term project where many large organizations collaborate. Think of the national government, the municipality, schools, employers and housing corporations. They mainly want to strengthen education level, housing quality and work and livelihood security in South. 

Lottery for participants

With a letter to 15,000 residents of South Rotterdam, NPRZ invited people to join the citizen assembly. South Rotterdam residents who did not receive a letter could also register. 

Ultimately, 478 people responded. After the lottery, 130 people remain. A citizen assembly cannot be larger because it does not work well with more than 130 people. 

The 130 people participating are a reflection of South. Various characteristics were considered: age, gender, education, which neighborhood someone comes from and what someones work situation is. 

Outlook

Two days before the first meeting of the citizen assembly, alderman Tim Versnel (Work & Income) and NPRZ director Marco Pastors looked ahead. Versnel is an alderman on the NPRZ board and Pastors is director of NPRZ. 

That there were 478 registrations is called a ‘dream scenario in terms of willingness’ by Pastors and Versnel. ‘It shows that all of South Rotterdam is at the table,’ said Pastors. 

Versnel is curious about the ideas the participants will bring. ‘Everyone comes with their own experiences about work and livelihood security. As a municipality, we do everything to get people out of social assistance and into work. Through our sincere question to the assembly, we hope to learn how to further reduce the number of South Rotterdam residents on social assistance.’  

‘Soul and spirit’

The NPRZ board is eagerly awaiting the advice. ‘All partners have promised: we will do our utmost to realize the ideas,’ says Versnel. Pastors: ‘Of course, it must be allowed by law. Our starting point: there is always money for a good idea. We take this assembly very seriously. The soul and spirit of 130 people is involved.’

More information

If you want to know more about the Citizen Assembly in South Rotterdam, go to the assemblys website. Link opens an external page.

If you want to know what a citizen assembly is, go to the explanation by EMMA. Link opens an external page. This organization guides this citizen assembly. EMMA previously did this for the Rotterdam Climate Citizen Assembly. Link opens an external page.