1st edition ‘Voices of Tomorrow’ worth repeating
The South Holland provincial government opened its doors wide on Monday, February 9, for about 150 students from across the province. The occasion was the youth event ‘Voices of Tomorrow’, organized by the provinces trainees. Under the expert guidance of chairperson Kimberley Snijders, the young people worked on the theme ‘freedom’.
The day began with a warm welcome from the Kings Commissioner, Wouter Kolff. ‘It is special to see so many young people in the provincial government building around one theme and how good it is that they exchanged thoughts about what freedom exactly means to them. Now that democracy is under pressure, it is important to stay connected with each other. This applies to all of us but perhaps even more strongly to the Voices of Tomorrow,’ said Commissioner Wouter Kolff. “Your freedom begins where you make your voice heard.”
400 letters from my mother
The welcome was followed by an inspiring story from Joseph Oubelkas. At 24 years old, Joseph was wrongfully convicted of drug smuggling. He received a 10-year prison sentence and ended up innocent in a prison in Morocco. He wrote a book about it called ‘400 letters from my mother’. Everyone knows their own story. Joseph’s story is about dealing with setbacks and change. About freedom of choice and perseverance. The morning session ended with an interactive debate game. The young people got to know each other, Joseph, and the commissioner, and maybe even themselves, a little better.
Freedom means more than ‘no war’
After lunch, interesting workshops were held on themes related to freedom, such as media, war, being yourself, and democracy. The workshops were given by experienced partner organizations and speakers; Diversion, Hizzou, PlanHuijs, Terra Nova, and the Dutch Veterans Institute. The afternoon ended with a conversation between Kimberley and deputy (youth participation) Mariëtte van Leeuwen. The young people (the voices of tomorrow) left messages about the value of freedom. There is also an aftermovie of the day that will be presented to the commissioner.
Participating schools
Students from various schools were present; Antonius College from Gouda, CSG Prins Maurits from Middelharnis, Picasso Lyceum from Zoetermeer, Rijswijks Lyceum from Rijswijk, Pieter Groen College from Katwijk, Vlietland from Leiden, Lyceum Vos from Vlaardingen, and Segbroek from The Hague. A quote heard during one of the workshops was: “Freedom for me is being able to live a dignified life.” Many young people also mentioned the importance of being yourself, “no one else can tell me who I have to be.”