Charles,
It is now saturday morning, 8.33 hours, and I have more time to write.
To describe the people and traffic flows of my of my overcowded small
country with a lot of villages, towns, conglomerates and cities is very
difficult, because of the diversity of the people, their backgrounds,
professions, classes and political affiliations.
The Netherlands are for century a "Pays de commerce", an open country,
because it needed open trade lines, and was dependant on other countries.
Goods came in from the see from England, the Hanze trade line cities
and partners form the East-sea (Germany, Poland and Ukraine -agriculture-)
and from our colonies from the far east (Indonesia) and the West indies
(Suriname and the Dutch Antilles).
Inwards towards the European continent, you had the centuries old trade
routes to Germany (which were dangerous in the East of our country,
because of robber gangs in the woods).
Our rule was dominated in the 17th and 18th century by a ruling class of
Merchants, who had their ties to the East- and West Indies companies.
The military power base of the Republic of the Seven provinces layed in our
Royal Navy, which first came to life as a protection force for our commercial
trade ships for East Indies companie, whose ships were often attacked and
robed by the Spaniards, Portugese, British or Pirates.
The sea battles with the British in the Anglo-Dutch wars are portrayed by
many Dutch painters, who actually went abord on battle ships and
with their paintings often made a life coverage of the battles between the
British and Dutch fleets.
Back to today. The Netherlands are part of the Continental Europe, and very
connected by land, culture, economics, financial affairs and politics to our
direct and indirect neigbours, Belgium (especially Flanders, since our Souther
Catholic provinces Brabant and Limburg have their Belgian counterparts,
Belgian Brabant and Belgian Limburg, where the people speek the same
Dialect and Dutch - Flamish version, but with exactly the same grammar
and spelling-, being in Flanders is being at home, or even more than that,
Flanders is beautiful, and loved by the Dutch and many others),
Luxemburg, Germany (most important European trade partner, cultural
focuspoint - For Dutch artists and writers Berlin is the city to be -,
especially the elite has something with Germany, the masses are more
American oriented - Anglo-American culture next to the Dutch one.
Rotterdam is directly linked to Germany by the very prestigious and
expensive railway line - De Betuwe line/route - and highways.
The transport of goods between the Rotterdam and Germany is a
24 hours a day business. Next to that a lot of German students study
in the Netherlands and so learn the Dutch society and even the Dutch
language. German is ofcourse also studied by Dutch students on our
universaties, and schools for teachers -language studies-, and taught
at our high schools.) and France (stil a favorite destination for many
Duch tourists and lovers of haute cuisine and culture, many Dutch
have a second home in France, studied in France or have commercial
or governmental ties with France. In the EU, the Brussels bureacracy
French is stil a communication tool, because Brussels is a French
speaking city, Half of Belgium is French speaking, Luxemburg is
French speaking, a part of Switzerland is French speaking, and many
aristocrats of other European countries speak French - also Dutch,
German, British, Scandinavian and even Polish intelligentsia spook
or speak -partly- French- French is stil a dilpomatic language,
a cultural language and a communication language between people
of Roman - or Latin countries. When I was on a French summercourse
in Montpellier in august 1990, the majority of the students were
Spanish. French cars are loved in the Netherlands and even in Germany,
Peugeoit (
www.peugeot.com/fr/default.htm ),
Renault (
www.renault.com/renault_com/en/main/ ),
and Citroen (
www.citroen.com/CWW/fr-FR ).)
I should focus on the East of the Netherlands where I live in the
province of Gelderland;
Cooperation in Europe
The fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989 was quickly followed by a discussion on expanding the EU to include the countries in Eastern Europe. Gelderland also wanted to do its bit towards promoting European reunification. Considering that many Polish soldiers helped liberate Gelderland during the Second World War, the province decided to explore opportunities for collaboration with a region in Poland.
The region selected for that purpose was Lubelskie, the area around Lublin in the eastern part of Poland. The Provincial Council has allocated specific amounts for projects in this region since 1993. Poland joined the EU in 2004. Given the resulting abundance of European means being made available to Polish regions, the Provincial Council decided to terminate the financial contribution to Polish projects, effective once the current 2004-2007 working programme comes to an end.
An annual amount of 121,000 Euro is available, which is used for a variety of purposes, such as supporting an association of municipalities and regions (House of Europe) that organises international projects for its members, and a workshop in Lublin organised by Arnhem’s ballet company Introdans.
Cooperation with Nordrhein-Westfalen
Regardless of the changes occurring in the Netherlands, Germany or Europe at large, Gelderland still borders on the German state of Nordrhein-Westfalen. The cooperation and connections between the two regions are evident at a variety of levels. For example, when the Rhine floods, both Nordrhein-Westfalen and Gelderland are affected. In this respect we work together on safety, for example in the Viking project.
Gelderland’s geographical location between the Randstad conurbation in the west and the Ruhr area further east means that there is a tremendous amount of cargo transport on the Rhine, on the province’s motorways, and on the rails. This prompts us to look for workable solutions to the problems that this may cause on both sides of the border. We also work for high-quality trans-border passenger transport.
The economic ties between the Netherlands and Nordrhein-Westfalen are also illustrated by the scores of European projects, such as the ‘Change on Borders’ Regional Framework Operation and participation in Interreg IIIa, both in the Rhine-IJssel-Ems Euregio and the Rhine-Waal Euregio.
Gelderland and Europe
Europe is not only relevant to politicians, journalists and other experts. The ‘average’ Gelderland-Europeans, too, are seeing more and more rules originating in Brussels in their daily lives. Brussels is the seat of the European Commission, the ‘executive board’ of the European Union (EU). Nowadays, an astounding 80 percent of legislation is handed down from Brussels. Consequently, EU influence is also very much visible in Gelderland. For example, a number of different projects funded by European subsidies are carried out to contribute to the province’s economic and social development. The EU also supports projects in the area bordering Germany to stimulate cooperation among citizens, companies and institutions.
The discussion on regional policy and structural funding, one of the most important sources of European subsidies, is in full swing. A new policy period will commence in 2007. Now that poorer countries have joined the EU, subsidies will have to be distributed differently and between more parties. Relatively speaking, the new Member States are receiving more money for economic and regional development. Twenty percent of the more than 336 billion euros earmarked for cohesion policy will likely be divided amongst the wealthiest Member States.
Opportunities for Gelderland
In 2005, Gelderland joined the business sector, government and social organisations in preparing for the post-2006 European structural funding. The most important issues raised in the various meetings were set down in a joint Position Paper by the provinces of Gelderland and Overijssel. The Position Paper describes the Eastern Netherlands’ ambitions for the next phase of structural programmes (2007-2013). For the time being, judging from the current discussion on future European policy and the allocation of funds, there seem to be opportunities for Gelderland. The State and Europe are still negotiating on the amount of EU financing per region. Gelderland is receiving EUR 135 million in structural funding in the current period. The same amount is expected to be available for 2007-2013. Right now, the provinces of Gelderland and Overijssel are drawing up a programme for the new structural funding period. This programme document will be completed in mid-2006, at which time more details will be available on the budget.
Charles,
I love the region very much because of the wonderful Dutch riverland with beautiful
skies (the Dutch air with clouds which we know from the old masters paintings),
the farmland with cows, horses and sheep, and the Green forests of the Veluwe
(the largest nature area in the Netherlands) above Arnhem.
I am neutral in my attitude towards my city Arnhem, am not extremly fond of it,
but dislike it neither. The old city was bombed and the New city was actually
never finished, it is an ongoing city project.
It is a typical municipality and a city of arts, nature (
picture.bbnl.nl/pictures-of-arnhem.html ), fashion (
www.arnhemmodebiennale.com/?pagina=hoofdprogramma&taal=e ),
higher education and industry (
www.akzonobel.com/com/ ),
army (
members.home.nl/noudlamers/landmmap/landmacht.htm ),
with a class society with working class neigbourhoods, underclass area's,
large Middle class subburbs in the South- and West of the city.
Because Arnhem is a municipality and a city with old families rooted in the
Gelderland aristocracy (Nobility) and ancien riche bourgeois families
(city merchants, businessfamilies, Industrial families, Real estate firms,
bankers, assurence companies, people who work for the city council,
Provincial and National authorities, lawjers, judges, doctors, dentists,
professions in the cultural world; art galleries, Museum of Modern art,
art institutions and foundations, Akzo-Nobel and etc.)
The working class has it's own typical Arnhem accent and has a sort
of City and neighbourhood patriotism, the footballclub Vitesse is very
important for them and the stadium Geldredome (
www.gelredome.nl/ )
famous. Many international acts and Musicians come here to perform,
which otherwise would go to Amsterdam (Arena Ajax Stadium),
or Rotterdam (Kuip Feijenoord stadium or Ahoy).
Arnhem has a bussy traffic, because higways from the South to the North
(from Nijmegen to Apeldoorn) and West to east pass Arnhem.
Heavy transport trains pass my house day and night next to the passengers
trains (national and international - ICE Düsselldorf/Duisburg/Köln).
Dutch love their freedom and so also their cars, delivery vans, SUV, Jeeps,
Range Rovers (the high class car here, people who like to hunt in the woods),
motorbikes, mopeds and scooters. Besides that you see thousands of bikes
everywhere, because everybody has one or two bikes.
For short distances people prefer the bike above their car for light shopping,
visits or recreation, because they fear the innercity traffic jams, roadconstructions,
complicated parking situations (you have to pay a lot to park your car in City
centres). But other people use their car for everything, the car addicted.
The main minority groups overhere are the many people from our colonies,
and the half blood Indonesians, called halfbloods/Indo's.
You have families of Indo descent, with a blond, blue eyed brother and a sister
with Euro-asian features, many are so European that they are not recognised
as Indo's. You have many ethnic mixes, such as Indonesian, Chinese, Dutch
and Jewish. The Surinamese people look as Afro-American but are often much
more ethnically mixed. A lot of them have Negroïd, Native American,
Indonesian, Hindustan, Dutch, German, Portugese, Jewish and Lebanese
blood. Suriname has Hindustanians, Javan (Indonesian), Chinese communities too,
so you have Surinam people from that descent here too. Also Surinam Muslims.
Next to that you have the people from the Dutch Antilles, which are like many
Suriname people descendents of the Dutch slave trade.
The biggest groups of immigrants are the Turkish and Maroccan guestworkers,
who came here in the seventees and eightees (after the Italian, Sapnish and
Portuges guestworkers of the sixtees), who mainly settled in our larger cities
and inustrial area's. They make up a large percentage of our city populations.
Like in America these immigrants are very ethnical organised in their neighbourhoods,
with their cultural organisations, coffeehouses for the men, their Mosques,
supermarkets, grocery stores, buchers, berkeries, travel agencies, phonehouses,
hairdressers, Vegetable shops, restaurants and political ties with Dutch parties
and their homelands (the Secretservices of Turkey, Marocco and the Arab world
are active here too). Increasingly these immigrants get Dutch custommers.
I have a Turkish hairdresser, go to Turkish restaurants, to a Turkish pub (the
secular Turks drink alcohol), to a Kurd grocery and a Turkish bakery (I like
Turkish bread, Turkish sweets, olives, Fetah cheese and salads and Turkish
tapas/pesto). Because of their many Dutch custommers the Turks are
speaking Dutch better and better, and are even becomming more Dutch
than they were. The Maroccans are more distant from the Dutch culture
and society, and most Dutch stay away from their neighbourhoods if they
are not living in a mixed area. The Berber youth tend to move in groups,
dominate the area they are in, create their territory.
And there have been quite some problems between Dutch youth and
Maroccan youth, who do not respect eachother and want to find out who
is stronger. The ethnic Dutch youth was labelled as the Lonsdale youth,
a boxing brand that was popular by far right Neo-Nazi's in Great-Britain
and Germany by Skinheads and other people.
Ofcourse there are many Maroccans who have a propper job, study,
live and work in mixed groups of friends and colleages, but a certain
persentage of the Maroccans and the Dutch underclass are continuing
to creat problems, such as small crime, intimidation, violence,
vandalism, hate crimes and creating an hositile environment.
Most people of all ethnic background just want a honest and descent
living in this country, a nice home, good education for their kids,
and a vacation every now and then.
Besides these groups of immigrants (first, second and third generation),
there are a lot of nationalities that came here as refugees, from Asia,
Africa, the Middle east, the Balkan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Somalia,
Eritrea, political asylumseekers, christian refugees from Muslim countries,
(Assyrians, Chaldeans -
www.chaldeansonline.net/chald.html -,
Armenians), and often these people are high educated, intelligent people
of a certain elite group in the country they came from.
Poor people can't affort to fly to the West, because they have no money.
These people often find a job quicker than a migrant, because they are
more determined to start a new life and make the best of it.
Unfortunately you can find a professor and ingeneer working at a cleaning
firm, or having other minor jobs, because their eduction is not recognised
in the Netherlands. Others (like the parlaimentarian Ayaan Hirsi Ali,
some writers and specialists) are more fortunate.
The day- evening and night people you describes in your region, you have
in the Netherlands to, exaxtly the same.
The people who work at night and sleep during the day, I was such a
person for a short while, but could'nt coap with the life of a Night-shift
worker, missing daylight and normal social life.
Pieter