Diplomatic World nummer 54

54 

INTERLINKING POLITICS, DIPLOMACY, BUSINESS 

FINANCE, ART & CULTURAL DIPLOMACY 

H.E. ALEXANDER 

TOKOVININ 

Ambassador of the 

Russian Federation 

MICHÈLE 

CONINSX 

President of 

EUROJUST 

H.E. RÜDIGER 

LÜDEKING 

Ambassador of 

Germany 

H.E. DR. 

HO-JEN TSENG 

Ambassador 

Taipei 

Respresentative 

Office 

H.I.H. THE HEIR, 

TSESAREVICH 

AND GRAND 

DUKE GEORGE 

OF RUSSIA 

YONA 

FRIEDMAN 

Architect 

Thinker 

Philosopher 

DR. TALIA 

GOLAN 

SHEBA 

Pancreatic 

Cancer Center 

DR. NOËL 

K. TSHIANI 

MUADIAMVITA 

Autumn 2017 www.diplomatic-world.com Quarterly edition 

P409937 - v.u. Barbara Dietrich, Beiaardlaan 25b, 1850 Grimbergen, Afgiftekantoor Mechelen X 

€9,50

VanPartner by Mercedes-Benz 

A NEW VISION IN VIP-TRANSPORT 

If you are looking for a luxury Mercedes-Benz Vito, Mercedes-Benz V-Class 

or Mercedes-Benz Sprinter that is fully Approved and Homologated, 

you’ve come to the right place. British designed and British built, 

Senzati create bespoke Mercedes-Benz VIP Vito, Mercedes-Benz V-Class and 

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter for the most discerning customer. 

AGENT EXCLUSIF FRANCE MONACO I LTBM DESIGN 13, RUE DU DOCTEUR LANCEREAUX I 75008 PARIS I WWW.LTBMDESIGN.COM 

AGENT EXCLUSIF BENELUX I DELAN INVEST PLANKENSTRAAT 36 G I 1701 DILBEEK I WWW.SENZATI.COM 

2 

SENZATI RENTAL SERVICES : 

VIP-SLS BRUSSELS : contact@vip-sls.com I +32477028888 

www.senzati.com 

LUCHTHAVENVERVOER KEVIN DILBEEK : info@luchthavenvervoer-kevin.be I +32478276320


CONFIGURATION 

BUSINESS BUSINESS PLUS JET SPEC 

• Senzati Double Glazed Panoramic Roof 

• Senzati Quilted Diamond Stitched Headlining 

throughout the entire vehicle 

• A, B, C & D Pillars trimmed in matching Suede 

• Soundproofing & Insulation Package 

• Extended Mercedes Floor Tracks for Increased 

Legroom (Tested & Certified) 

• New Mercedes Insulated Floor Carpet 

• Passenger Cabin Luxury Leather Edged Rug Set 

• Senzati Illuminating Stainless Steel Kick Plates 

• Senzati Exterior Badge Set 

• 6 Seat Senzati Re-Trim in Quilted Diamond 

Stitched Leather (4 in the Passenger Cabin) 

• Optional 7 Seat Senzati Re-trim in Quilted 

Diamond Stitched Leather Senzati Headrest Logos 

• Long Centre Console with Padded Lifting Armrest 

• Large Integrated fridge under Armrest 

• Large Retractable Tables in Centre Console with 

Leather Inserts 

• Crystal Glasses Cabinet with 4 Crystal Glasses 

• Four Cup Holders in Centre Console 

• 4G Roof Mounted Domed Antennae with On-board 

Multi-user Wi-Fi (own SIM required) 

• Dash & Side Furniture Fascia Treatment in Black 

Birdseye Maple Hi-Build Lacquer Finish 














• Optional 7 Seat Senzati Re-trim in Quilted 

Diamond Stitched Leather Senzati Headrest Logos 











• Entire Passenger Cabin Side Furniture Re-trim 

• Entire Driver’s Compartment Re-trim including 

Dashboard & Door Cards 














• 7 Seat Option Not Available with Jet Spec 











• Entire Passenger Cabin Side Furniture Re-trim 

• Entire Driver’s Compartment Re-trim including 

Dashboard & Door Cards 

• Driver’s Partition with Electric Sliding LED TV & 4 

AMG Umbrellas 

• Hi Fidelity 9 Speaker Audio Install in Passenger 

Compartment with CD/DVD Player 

• Large Touch Screen Control for DVD/DAB/FM/CD/ 

BLUETOOTH & IPOD 

• Apple TV 4 

• Driver to Passenger Intercom 

• 3 Additional USB Ports & HDMI Interface 

www.senzati.com 

1


WHY SENZATI 

Here are just some of the reasons you should entrust Senzati to build your vehicle: 

• Senzati’ s Research & Development into its suite of VIP Luxury People Carriers is second 

to none. From the very outset of the business it was decided that our vehicles would be 

built to the highest recognised standards, meaning that they can be recommended and 

registered throughout the world. 

• As part of the Mercedes-Benz-Bodybuilder program you can rest assured that every 

Senzati has been built to the very highest of standards within strict conformity of production. 

Even our custom Jet Sprinter side door conversion and panoramic glass roofs are 

approved by Mercedes-Benz. 

• As a Mercedes-Benz Compliant Partner, Senzati are able to procure the right chassis for 

your destination Country. So if it’s a Petrol V-Class that’s required for the Middle East, no 

problem. As long as the base vehicle is Homologated in the destination country and the 

required Due Diligence is met, Senzati will take care of everything. 

• Senzati are uniquely the only Van Partner by Mercedes Benz to be building VIP Vito, V-Class 

and Sprinter. 

• Senzati Vehicles are European Whole Vehicle Type Approved. 

• Senzati are the only Manufacturer in the sector to build vehicles that are within 

Manufacturer Design Weight. 

• Senzati Vehicles are Whole Vehicle EMC Tested for Emissions & Electronic Immunity. 

• Senzati Vehicles carry Full Mercedes-Benz Warranty. 

• Senzati are the only company to hold Crash Test Approval for the Mercedes-Benz 

extended Floor Tracks. 

2

INTERLINKING POLITICS, DIPLOMACY, BUSINESS 

FINANCE, ART & CULTURAL DIPLOMACY 

DIPLOMATIC WORLD IS A QUARTERLY EDITION 

OF PUNCH MEDIA GROUP 

Address: Beiaardlaan 25 

1850 Grimbergen I Belgium 

T +32 2 770 03 06 

www.diplomatic-world.com 

PUBLISHER 

Barbara Dietrich 

barbara.dietrich@diplomatic-world.com 

PRESIDENT 

ir. Marc Kintaert 

CEO 


CONTRIBUTORS 

Bruno Devos I Phillippe Billet I Marc Kintaert 

Pierre-Emmanuel Thomann I Els Merckx 

Barbara Dietrich I Brita Achberger I Stefanie De Jonge 

Sylvie Van Cutsem I Lorenz Kintaert I Lejton Vokshi 

Liberta Vokshi I Maarten Vermeir I Nicolas Styfhals 

ADVERTISING 

redaction@diplomatic-world.com 

DESIGN & LAYOUT 

Stockmans I Bruno Devos I Wouter Van der Wangen 

PRODUCTION 

Stockmans I www.stockmans.be 

PRINTING 

Stockmans at Antilope De Bie Printing 

SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE 

redaction@diplomatic-world.com 

T +32 2 770 03 06 

ISBN 2995-3655 

The texts were written in English or Dutch and translated in the other 

language. Some expressions can change by the translation. To safeguard the 

language and tone of all authors, the author’s initial choice of spelling has 

been maintained as much as possible. The editorial staff has done its utmost 

to identify and mention sources and beneficiaries of the text and images used. 

The publisher has made every effort to secure permission to reproduce the 

listed material, illustrations and photographs. We apologize for any inadvert 

errors or omissions. Parties who nevertheless believe they can claim specific 

legal rights are invited to contact the publisher. 

Opinions in this magazine belong to the writers and are not necessarily 

endorsed by Diplomatic World. 

All rights reserved. No parts of this publication may be reproduced, stored 

in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, 

mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written 

permission of the artist and publisher. 

©2017 Diplomatic World Magazine 

EDITORIAL 

We need to ‘step outside’ to see the true motions and connections 

of events, evolutions, and cultural standards shaping our world 

and referential framework. 

Do we realize that Apfelstrudel — the Austrian national dish 

— came originally from Arabia? Do we truly recognize that 

Edelweiss — the Swiss national symbol — originates from 

Mongolia? In the end the world has always been a global village: 

only the time needed to travel our human space has now truly 

changed. Connectedly, everything used to evolve slowly; this 

pace has now accelerated and humans are currently moving 

at such high speed that they risk losing themselves. Therefore 

retrospection is today of key importance. It is today, more than 

ever, time to take a deep breath again and to feel the thrill of our 

fragile but creative lives flowing through us and giving real sense 

to our existence. 

Let us take again more time for ourselves, let us take the time 

and learn to truly see again. Mankind needs such mental space 

and peace because creativity is impossible if restricted by 

boundaries. Let us see again that there will always be a way, 

when there is a will. We need to learn again to be interested in 

one another and in the needs of the others. 

We need this now because we cannot let problems agglomerate: 

we need to face them and be adequately creative to see the 

solutions within each unique setting. We need to implement 

such solutions: this is equally valid in business, in politics and in 

diplomacy; this is valid for our interpersonal relationships and 

for the entire world. 

Our world must find its balance again. We have to be there for 

each other. 


barbara.dietrich@diplomatic-world.com 

3

INDEX DIPLOMATIC WORLD 54 

6 

GERMAN 

AMBASSADOR 

H.E. RÜDIGER 

LÜDEKING 

34 

OPENING A NEW 

ERA FOR DISPUTE 

RESOLUTION 

IN RUSSIA 

INTERVIEW WITH 

H.E. ALEXANDER 

TOKOVININ 

AMBASSADOR 

OF RUSSIA 

UZBEKISTAN AND 

CENTRAL ASIA: 

NEW GEOPOLITICAL 

LABORATORY FOR 

STABILITY AND 

14 

PEACE IN EURASIA 

36 

18 

INTERVIEW OF 


TSESAREVICH, 

AND GRAND DUKE 

GEORGE OF RUSSIA 

RAMPART OF 

THE NATION 

THE CHALLENGES 

OF MILITARY 

PROTECTION IN 

BELGIAN HOMELAND 

SECURITY 

74 

72 

PRINCE MICHAEL OF 

LIECHTENSTEIN 

Founder and 

Chairman of 

Geopolitical 

Intelligence 

Services ag, Vaduz 

BIOGRAPHY 


TSESAREVICH, 

AND GRAND 

DUKE GEORGE 

OF RUSSIA 

22 

SLAVONIC EUROPE 

THE TIMELESS 

TOGETHERNESS OF 

MIND & EMOTION 

42 

EVERY REALLY 

GOOD BUSINESS 

IS A SOCIAL 

BUSINESS, 

THERE ARE NO 

EXCEPTIONS 

Julia Prettl 

76 

24 

BIG NAMES BRING 

MOSCOW 

BIENNIAL BACK 

FROM THE BRINK 

Sophia Kishkovsky 

INTERVIEW WITH H.E. 

DR. TSENG HO-JEN, 

AMBASSADOR — 

TAIPEI REPRESENTA- 

TIVE OFFICE IN THE 

EUROPEAN UNION 

44 

AND BELGIUM 

80 

“FACING CHANGE” 

Dieter Brockmeyer 

INTERVIEW 

WITH ARKADY 

ANDREEVICH 

ARIANOFF 

AND KURT 

DEMEYERE 

28 

INTERVIEW 

DR. TSHIANI 

52 

THE NEW 

BMW 5 SERIES 

TOURING: 

ATHLETIC 

ALL-ROUNDER 

82 

4 

EUROJUST: 

SERVING JUSTICE 

ACROSS BORDERS 

FOR A SAFER EUROPE 

70 

BY MICHÈLE CONINSX 

86 

INTERVIEW 

WITH SYBILLE 

DE MARGERIE 

INTERIOR 

ARCHITECT

AMBASSADORS 

OF BEAUTY 

AUTUMN 2017 

WOMEN AND 

INNOVATION 

The university setting yielded immediate high credibility and 

A 

trust, 

FEMALE 

even without active 

advertisement, SPACE mainly because of the neutrality of the learning TRANSDISCIPLINARY 

platform and its primary 

objective of TIME learning about Arabic and European culture in the native ECO-SYSTEM tongue, but also because 

of the monitoring POWERSby academics of the content, didactic methods FOR and EUROPE learning outcomes. The 

success of 

Karl-Heinz 

the school’s 

Adler 

success is illustrated by the student numbers: 

Eva 

2016-2017, 

A. Kaili 

164 students 

(83 boys and 81 girls) from different origins (see pie chart) and in 2017-2018, 250 students (133 

boys and 117 girls), although whereby the number should have been had to be limited to 200 

due to insufficient financial constraintsresources. 

Krista & Grety 

90 124 144 

Vandevelde 

TALES 

ABOUT TIME 

Emmi Pennanen 

94 

THE 

KUNSTMUSEUM 

BOCHUM 

128 

JAGUAR 

LAND ROVER 

ASSE: 

BRITISH CLASS IN 

Also, parent’s’ testimonials are indicateing that there is a high demand for Arabic language 

courses independent of religion (see enclosure 1). A question One of them coming from a 

INNOVATIVE ARTS 

Moroccan AT mother HOME caught was catching my attention, “Can you teach some basic religion in your 

POLICY IN THE 

class, just WITH something ART about good moralities?”. I asked Sami about this and he replied it. Sami 

PUBLIC SECTOR: 

Azar: “Of course, 

Reydan 

religion 

Weiss 

and Islam can be discussed in the school, 

THE 

as these 

CASE 

are 

OF NATO 

it is part of our 

cultural heritage and today’s daily life, but the courses themselves should be are strictly neutral 

and independent of religious beliefs”. 

96 

A NEW SHOWROOM 

130 

150 

YONA FRIEDMAN, 

STRATEGIC 

REFLECTIONS 

ON GROWTH 

Bruno Devos 

98 

Quality Assurance is a unique selling point proposition of our Arabic language courses and we’re 

developing a Quality Assurance handbook is under construction. VUB developed the curriculum 

THE ERASMUS 

in collaboration with experts in Arabic linguistics. Sami Azar: “One of the teachers, an Iraqi 

PROJECT: 

refugee, has a PhD in Arabic literature. Also, A the FRAMEWORK other teachers are highly qualified refugees 

from Iraq and Syria. Grammar, vocabulary, and FOR spelling, EUROPE as well as speaking and writing the 

language fluently, are important but also playful learning, such as Arabic songs and games, isare 

Maarten Vermeir 

part of the curriculum.” For example, we’re now developing some 156 cCourse books that are under 

construction, they will be illustrated withby cartoons. 

MICHAËL 

BORREMANS 

THE CURE FOR 

PANCREATIC 

112 

Zeno X Gallery 

132 

CANCER 

160 

ARABIC LANGUAGE 

COURSES, A TOOL 

FOR BETTER 

INTEGRATION 

IN THE BRUSSELS 

URBAN COMMUNITY 

LA GALERIE 

IMAGINAIRE 

SÉBASTIEN DELIRE 

& NICO DOCKX 

120 

SHEBA 

MEDICAL CENTER, 

TEL HASHOMER 

140 

LONGINES GLOBAL 

CHAMPIONS 

TOUR AND GLOBAL 

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 

164 

FREDERIK 

DE WILDE’S 

122 

HYPERTHINKER 

170 

BOXING 

IMPACTS 

YOUR LIFE! 

5

GERMAN AMBASSADOR 

H.E. RÜDIGER LÜDEKING 

ON THE DAY OF GERMAN UNITY 

AND GERMANY AFTER 

THE 2017 ELECTIONS 

ON THE DAY OF GERMAN UNITY 

The third of October 1990 marks the day of the restoration 

of German national unity, the end of the 40 year divide of 

Germany. It is a day of celebration for Germany, a day that 

we can be proud of. 

Not only can we be proud that reunification was achieved, 

but we Germans can be especially proud of how unity was 

achieved: Through patience, peacefully, and with a clear 

compass of values and an unconditional affirmation to the 

unity of Europe. Through this unity, central corner stones 

of German politics have been set that guide Germans to 

this day. 

These corner stones are built upon what the bloody 20th 

century has taught us. It seems useful to be reminded 

of it now, at a point in time when central teachings and 

lessons are being carelessly thrown overboard, consciously 

disregarded, or are just seemingly passing out of mind. 

To what ends do we need patience and persistence today? 

Hotheadedness and sabre-rattling are dangerous. For this 

reason we are settling on Dialogue and Diplomacy also in 

the case of North Korea. As has been proven, martialist 

behaviour, does not lead us forward, but brings with it 

threats of escalation not to be underestimated. During the 

Cold War, we have always, though faced with established 

oppositions, sought agreement to solutions through 

6 

Bruno Devos, H.E. Rudiger Lüdeking and Barbara Dietrich

The floodlit Brandenburg Gate in Berlin with a few fleeting shadows of anonymous Berliners 

© Shutterstock 

patience and persistence. The stakes are too high. Not in 

the least during the current commemoration of the different 

battlefields of Flanders, which happened a 100 years ago 

and that should clarify how important and valuable peace 

is. 

When we bank on patience, this does not mean passive 

waiting, but active, and prudent, inexhaustible effort for 

political solutions in coherence with our central values. 

We must maintain a sharp eye for the realities, and the 

short-term posibilities, but also seize the opportunities that 

present themselves. This way, with patience and persistence, 

the negotiation of the separation of Germany and Europe 

was successful. 

In this respect we should not look to the future with fear 

and despondency, of which the unification is proof and 

encouragement. For we have many reasons to be confident. 

At this point, I would also wish to address another, to 

me, very important issue: If these days we mourn the 

third battle of Flanders, we should not merely mourn the 

hundred-thousand fallen; rather we must be aware that 

we have an obligation toward the dead. An obligation to 

do all in our power to hinder wars. This awareness moved 

politicians at the end of World War II to anticipate and 

focus on a unified Europe. Europe is — and this is often 

forgotten — first and foremost a political project that 

has provided us 70 years of peace and prosperity on our 

continent. Therefore, it is only consequential that the 

unification of the two German states was unshakeably 

imbedded in the European unification process. 

It pains me when current actors in Europe are betting 

on the populist-national agenda. This is, in my opinion, 

forgetting history and ignoring the lessons learned from the 

20th century. This is valid independently from — and this 

seems obvious to me — the fact that only a strong unified 

Europe can master the current challenges, defend and 

advocate its central values of peace, democracy and rule of 

law. 

The base corner stones just presented, will continue to be 

guidelines for Germany’s foreign policy. Germany remains a 

dependable and reliable partner. Together with our friends 

we want to consolidate and deepen Europe’s unity. Belgium 

is taking an important role, as we do share a vision for 

Europe’s future. 

7

People crossing the road at Alexanderplatz, Berlin 

8 

It is also appropriate here to reminisce of what the 

German re-unification has taught us. For successful coexistence 

in Germany community cohesion and solidarity 

is imperative. This is only achievable on a basis of a 

communal understanding of the valid core values and 

rules, a distinct community spirit and an orientation 

toward the common good. Leaving or excluding oneself 

from our free-democratic constitutional order is therefore 

just as permissible and intolerable as upsetting the social 

peace, for example, through missing equal opportunity 

and excessive broadening of the gap between rich and 

poor. 

I am certain that based upon our historical experience as 

German citizens — and also our experience of unification — 

the awareness and responsibility, and commonalities of the 

democrats at the Bundestag will not change. 

Today, the day of German unification, is occasion for 

courage, optimism and confidence. Even in difficult 

times we accept our challenges and will master them, in 

partnership with our friends in Europe. 

GERMANY AFTER THE 2017 ELECTIONS 

Germany has elected. The free and fair elections were 

proof of a matured democracy and a functioning 

parliamentarianism. Another positive factor is that, after a 

drop in voter turnout at the previous Bundestag elections, 

the turnout rate has increased significantly this time, 

amounting up to 76,2%. 

The outcome of the elections is now the subject of many 

discussions and analyses. Whatever the position is, it 

will only emphasize the importance of these elections.


The importance has been heavily underestimated in 

the last weeks before the elections by many observers, 

who suspected that everything would remain how it 

was. Although the CDU/CSU has yet again secured 

a mandate to form the new government, it is already 

predictable that, in the days and weeks to come, difficult 

discussions and negotiations in regards to the formation 

of the new government will arise. This can in turn have 

further consequences for central themes of the political 

strategies. 

The result of the “Alternative für Deutschland” (AfD) 

party was at the centre of many reactions, both in Germany 

and in Belgium, along with other European states. During 

the election campaigns, this party has provoked with 

xenophobic, racist and extreme right statements. With an 

end result of 12,6%, the party scored better than many had 

predicted. Even so, no wrong conclusions should be drawn 

from this. The voters of AfD aren’t all right-wing extremists: 

the analyses of the elections clearly show that many people 

voted for AfD merely out of protest. This vote of protest 

might have seemed an option for many, since according to 

polls prior to the elections it was generally assumed that 

nothing would fundamentally change. 

However, the protest should be taken seriously. The 

concerns of a number of citizens — even though they 

are a minority — cannot simply be ignored or classified 

as irrelevant. That is what characterizes a democracy; it 

doesn’t only exist out of the dominance of a majority over 

a minority, but it also guarantees respect for the interests 

of minorities in the framework of a democratic decisionmaking 

process. A stable and democratic society has to 

make sure it doesn’t fall apart and that the general social 

9

Hamburg, harbour view (HafenCity) with St Michael’s Church and Elbe Philharmonic Hall 


10 

consensus remains guaranteed. That way, the growth of the 

gap between poor and rich serves no one’s interest. 

Furthermore, even if 12,6% voted for AfD, an overwhelming 

majority of 87,4% of the voters chose differently. In my 

opinion, we shouldn’t unnecessarily dramatize the outcome 

of the results of the elections. There is no reason for 

alarmism or exaggerated fear. I look forward to the future 

with confidence, regardless of the challenges that come 

with the results of the elections. Based on the historical 

experiences and the scepticism about extremism and 

fanaticism, I am confident that this situation is without 

prejudice to the sense of responsibility and agreement 

regarding a social consensus the Bundestag has. Now it 

is up to AfD to prove that they can respect the general 

consensus and a constructive parliamentary cooperation, 

despite the substantial differences. 

A stable and efficient government has to be formed based 

on the results of the elections in the next few days and 

weeks. This is a great responsibility with which the elected 

officials and parties of the newly chosen parliament will 

be confronted. It is, after all, all about facing and tackling 

difficult challenges. 

Not only Germany is facing these challenges, the rest of 

Europe and the international community have to tackle 

them as well. That’s why it’s about contributing to the 

consolidation of safety and peace, given the hostile rhetoric 

currently present on the world stage. As a result, the 

safeguarding of continuity in the German foreign policy, 

which counts on dialogue and cooperation, occupies 

an important place. And because the member states of 

the European Union can only have a joint influence in 

a globalized world with many challenges, the efforts to 

guarantee a favourable future for the European Union 

should be resolutely continued in the coming months. To 

achieve this, the confidence in the European Union as a 

political project that has guaranteed peace and freedom for 

its citizens for over 70 years should be strengthened, and 

the advantages it has for all citizens must be made visible. 

In addition, the new federal government will have to take 

on important tasks in the framework of internal affairs, 

which — and this cannot conceal the currently favourable 

economic situation in Germany — are also related to 

fundamental issues, such as the sustainable cohesion of our 

societies. 

By Rüdiger Lüdeking, Ambassador of the Federal Republic 

of Germany to the Kingdom of Belgium.

Armin Linke 

All That Is Solid Melts Into Air 

Stencil, paint on wall 

Santa Marta, Colombia, 2017 

Courtesy of the artist, LGI 

Photograph: Sébastien Delire 

The photograph I initially had in my mind for this project depicts Aerogel, an ultralight nanoporous material in which the liquid element is 

replaced with gas. It is an extremely low-density substance and is used in space exploration. It is fascinating to bring such a translucent, 

almost invisible substance into the medium of photography which incorporates the opposite of invisibility and immateriality. Since it was not 

possible to transfer a photograph into a stencil, I tried to transfer the content into something graphic and I came up with the sentence 

“All That is Solid Melts Into Air” which is a quote from Karl Marx. Somehow, this work for the stencil project is like an additional layer: 

first the substance, second the photograph of the substance, third the abstraction, the paraphrase of the photograph. 

11

MASTERCOOK I INNOVATION INSPIRED 

AMAZING BUSINESS LUNCH I GASTRONOMIC DINNER MOODS 

100% REAL FOOD 

INFO & RESERVATIONS 

WWW.THEBISTRONOMY.COM OR 02 263 01 33 

12

Coming to work 

in a country with 

200 days of rain 

is your choice 

We will do our utmost 

to guide you financially. 

Moving to Belgium? ING offers all the banking and 

insurance services you need in your own language, 

even before you arrive. 

Call us at +32 2 464 66 64 

or surf to ing.be/expat 

Banking, financial and/or insurance offer subject to acceptance by ING Belgium (or, where appropriate, the relevant insurance company) and to mutual agreement. Terms and conditions (regulations, rates, key information documents for investors or savers and other supplementary information) 

available from any ING branch or on www.ing.be. ING Belgium SA/nv –Bank –avenue Marnix 24, B-1000 Brussels –Brussels RPM/RPR –VAT: BE 0403.200.393 – BIC: BBRUBEBB –IBAN: BE45 3109 1560 2789. Insurance broker registered with the FSMA under the number 12381A. Publisher: Marie-Noëlle De 

Greef –Cours Saint-Michel 60, B-1040 Brussels – 712887E – 08/17 

712887E_Advertentie Expat_Rain_285x200.indd 1 02/08/17 14:10 

13


H.E. ALEXANDER TOKOVININ 

AMBASSADOR OF RUSSIA 

Diplomacy means art, skill and practice of 

conducting negotiations between nations and 

regions, in handling affairs in a sensitive and 

tactful way without arousing hostility. Throughout 

history this definition and practice of diplomacy 

has proven its success. The geopolitical challenges 

that lie ahead of diplomats demand a return to 

this original definition. How would you advise the 

corps diplomatique to look actively for a dialogue, 

a creative form of diplomacy and the returning 

to the act of compromises which could lead to 

breakthrough results and the making of diplomatic 

winners on a global level? 

I am convinced that there is no alternative to reviving the 

culture of dialogue in this highly complicated period in the 

international relations, marked by uncertainty and turmoil. 

Of course, the global landscape has never been static, but 

the transformations it now undergoes come at increasingly 

high pace. We have to deal simultaneously with various 

threats including terrorism and extremism, crises in various 

regions, financial and economic instability, proliferation 

of weapons of mass destruction, illegal migration, 

transnational crime, mass poverty and disease, climate 

change, to name but a few. 

Our world has become interdependent to the extent that an 

event in any region can resonate in any other. The price of 

wrong or shortsighted decisions is rising accordingly. The 

fact is that durable solutions to today’s conflicts cannot be 

found through the use of military force, but only by political 

and diplomatic means. No state or a group of states, no 

matter how powerful, can aspire to settle international 

problems single-handedly. 

14 

Barbara Dietrich and H.E. Alexander Tokovinin

Capital morning at the Kremlin 

It is widely accepted that a polycentric picture of the 

world has become a reality. That means that effective 

global architecture can be constructed not by imposing 

somebody’s will on others, but on the basis of full respect 

for the sovereignty of states, by forging consensus between 

the centers of economic power and political influence. 

Such vision, of course, does not eliminate competition, but 

tends to arrange it in the framework of rules that are jointly 

worked out and universally applied. The cornerstone of the 

international system should be respect for international law 

and the centrality of the United Nations, the recognition of 

political pluralism and freedom of choice. 

Diplomacy, of course, leans on tradition. But at the same 

time it constantly transforms with the changing reality. Today 

the goal of diplomatic negotiations should not and cannot 

be viewed, as was the case during the preceding centuries, 

as forming coalitions in preparation for the next war. Such 

a vision would be a recipe for global catastrophe. What is 

needed today is common work to confront real challenges and 

not imaginary ones, like the mythical Russian military threat. 

Russia is not preparing to attack anyone. We are not looking 

for adversaries, we need friends. 

In other words, the multilateral approach is key to solving 

international problems. Over the last years it has been proven 

over and over again. When the desire to work together in 

good will prevailed, solutions to complex problems were 

usually found. One can cite the Joint Comprehensive Plan 

of Action on Iran or the Paris climate agreement. This is, in 

our view, the path to follow on the situation on the Korean 

peninsula and elsewhere. Working out compromise has never 

been easy, it often takes a lot of effort and long hours, days, 

weeks and months of tedious talks, but the result is always 

worth it as it reflects the positions of international actors 

concerned and their commitment to uphold the deal. 

I would like to quote Minister of Foreign Affairs 

Sergey Lavrov : ‘As you know, it takes two to 

tango, but it seems to me that our [USA] partners 

keep performing individual breakdance. Russia 

does not seek any quarrel. Russia has always been 

friendly to the American people, and is open to 

constructive cooperation where it meets Russian 

interests. Generally, we will continue to promote 

a positive agenda, mutually respectful approaches. 

We will seek and find compromises.’ Wise words 

that remind us that being empathic towards our 

partners in dialogue is essential. We need to show 

true interest in each other, and try to understand 

and focus on our joint diplomatic agendas. Brussels 

could be the meeting platform to connect and put 

this thesis into practice. Which strategic points of 

interest do we share and could become the start of 

a shared diplomatic vision? 

15

Yekaterinburg-City with Buildings of Regional Government and Parliament, Hotel Hyatt, Drama Theatre, Iset Tower, Yeltsin Center, Demidov Plaza, 

President Center 

16 

Once again, Russia has always promoted sovereignty and 

mutual respect. Our country has gone its part of the way 

to eliminate the legacy of the Cold War and to strengthen 

confidence and mutual understanding in the Euro-Atlantic 

region and in the world. It is not our fault that instead 

of bringing to life the principle of equal and indivisible 

security across the OSCE area, NATO chose the path 

of eastward expansion, proceeding its policies from the 

principle “he that is not with us is against us”. George 

Kennan, who at the start of the Cold War masterminded the 

policy of containment of the Soviet Union, in 1998 called 

NATO expansion a tragic mistake. Nevertheless, Russia is 

prepared for constructive work with all those who are ready 

to cooperate in good will and on the basis of equality. 

As you look at the map, it is easy to see that EU and 

Russia are two major actors on the European continent 

and, accordingly, relationship between them is crucial for 

its future. However, it is astonishing that there is no clear 

strategic vision of how these relations should develop, while 

it is evident that to ensure sustainable development we 

should combine our potentials. President Vladimir Putin 

proposed a concept of great Eurasian partnership open to 

both Asian and European States and aimed at formation of 

common economic and humanitarian space on the basis of 

indivisible security. 

Belgian diplomacy is known for its moderation, common 

sense and desire to assist building compromise. Perhaps 

this talent of negotiation is partly rooted in the historic 

experience of this country which lies on the junction of 

Romanic and Germanic cultures. 

We appreciate the call by Prime Minister Charles Michel 

and Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign and 

European Affairs Didier Reynders to restart high level 

substantial dialogue between the European Union and 

Russia. If we really want to meet the challenges facing 

us on the European continent, this is the only way. The 

constructive atmosphere of Foreign Minister Sergey 

Lavrov’s visit to Brussels last July attests to the fact that 

Russia and Belgium can work together to bolster positive 

trends in international relations. 

And of course, Brussels is a meeting point and a platform 

for discussion on various levels, both in political and 

academic formats. One of the recent examples is a 

conference on the role of BRICS in the world held jointly 

by the embassies of the five countries and the Egmont 

Institute. We are looking forward to working on new 

projects promoting better mutual understanding and 

shedding light on ways to improve the situation on the 

European continent.

Reading about the mission of the Hermitage 

Museum in Amsterdam, its focus points are the 

aims to use art and history to inspire, enrich 

and above all offer opportunity for reflection. 

With its diverse exhibition and supplementary 

programming, the Hermitage Amsterdam presents 

the world heritage of one of the greatest museums 

— the State Hermitage in St Petersburg — to Dutch 

and international visitors, taking inspiration 

from the historical ties between Amsterdam and 

St Petersburg and between the House of Orange- 

Nassau and the Romanovs. Taking the Hermitage 

Amsterdam as a strong case, how could Cultural 

Diplomacy become an instrumental tool to improve 

international relations between Russia, USA, 

China and Europe? 

I do believe that culture is at the core of relations between 

nations and is perhaps more important for building lasting 

and stable cooperation than political or economic ties. 

Cultural and civilizational diversity is a feature of the world 

of today which was only highlighted by the process of 

globalization. Harmony in international relations cannot be 

achieved by trying to make a single set of cultural traditions 

and values applicable everywhere. What is needed is 

partnership of civilizations, based on respect for other 

cultures and ways of life. Therefore, it is essential to have 

better understanding of the cultural matrix of other nations. 

I believe it is not necessary to dwell on the European roots of 

the Russian culture. No Russian child is raised without being 

acquainted with the heritage of Bach, Beethoven, Mozart 

and Hugo. Everyone in Russia is familiar with “L’oiseau 

bleu” by Maurice Maeterlinck. Similarly, one cannot imagine 

an educated person in any European country not knowing 

the works of Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Chekhov or Tchaikovsky, 

Rakhmaninov, Prokofiev and Shostakovich. 

Today, in the age of globalization, people multiply direct 

contacts, and that is markedly different from the period 

of the Cold War. I have noticed that today anti-Russian 

information campaigns in the media have much less 

influence on the minds of people because they can form their 

own judgment. And they understand that erasing division 

lines, not building new walls, meets their best interest. 

The Grand Cascade, Peterhof Palace, Russia 

recently performed with his Mariinskiy Orchestra in the 

magnificent St Bavo’s Cathedral in the framework of the 

Ghent festival? Over the last year there have been multiple 

manifestations of Russian culture here, including recitals of 

classical music, ballets, operas and art exhibitions. 

In 2017 we have been celebrating 300th anniversary of the 

visit of Peter the Great to Belgian cities. And I am grateful 

to the authorities and the Belgian public for the wellorganized 

colourful events in Antwerp and Brussels as well 

as in Liège, where a new statue of the first Russian emperor 

was installed. 

In the months and years to come we are planning many 

cultural exchanges of high quality which I am sure will 

generate a lot of interest both in Belgium and Russia. 

Some of them will be designed to commemorate the 165th 

Anniversary of our diplomatic relations next year. That will 

give us an opportunity to turn back to our rich heritage, 

remembering such historic facts as the impressive role 

of the Belgian companies in the development of Russian 

economy before the World War I or the common struggle 

of our citizens for the freedom of their countries. I am 

convinced that all that provides solid ground for our future 

cooperation. 

I was gratified to see a lot of interest in Belgium for Russian 

culture, and I see one of my priorities as Ambassador 

to encourage our cultural ties. Indeed, who can better 

represent the Russian identity than Valery Gergiev who 

Famous beautiful marble quarry Ruskeala, Karelia, Russia 

17

INTERVIEW OF 

H.I.H. THE HEIR, TSESAREVICH, 

AND GRAND DUKE GEORGE 

OF RUSSIA WITH BARBARA DIETRICH 

How do you compare the governmental and 

administrative institutions of Russia and the 

EU, knowing, as you do, that the EU has the 

European Parliament, the European Council, the 

European Commission, and the European Court of 

Justice? Could you explain how governmental and 

administrative institutions in Russia work ? 

The European Union is an association of sovereign 

states with diverse governmental structures. It includes 

monarchies and republics, as well as federal and highly 

centralized states. Russia, by contrast, is an integrated 

republic with a federated structure. Thus to compare 

the institutional systems of the European Union and the 

Russian Federation side by side would be rather difficult to 

do. About 18% of the population of the Russian Federation 

lives in the non-Russian republics, the borders of which are 

formed around the largest ethnic populations that reside in 

a given region. 

The other citizens of the Russian Federation live in 

administrative districts whose borders follow the contours 

of the land, or reflect the economic lives of the population, 

and so on. 

institutional practices. Today, Russia is a presidential 

republic. And for the present moment in its history, that is 

the best system for it. 

Of course, it is not an ideal system. But at least in today’s 

Russia, unlike during the period of the Communist 

totalitarian regime, one can at least discuss openly both the 

advantages and disadvantages of the present government, as 

well as possible alternatives to it. 

Article 13 of the Constitution prohibits the establishment 

of an official ideology in the state and guarantees freedom 

of expression and thought. This constitutional provision 

is a vitally important factor in maintaining the delicate 

balance between civil order and freedom of thought in our 

country. 

The Imperial House does not involve itself in politics and 

is open to dialogue with all our countrymen, regardless of 

their political views. Nor do we take sides in any political 

conflicts. If any public figures or governmental officials 

Despite this internal federal structure, all citizens of the 

Russian Federation are entirely equal no matter where they 

live, and none of the Russian Federation’s constituent parts 

have the right to secede from the Federation. 

The legal system in Russia is based on common democratic 

principles that are shared by the majority of the nations of 

the world today. But even with these shared principles, the 

legal system of each nation nonetheless expresses its own 

national characteristics. 

18 

Russia is obviously a large, complex, multi-ethnic country; 

thus in every aspect of its system of state and administrative 

institutions, including its legal system, there needs to 

be a strong central authority to unify and standardize

were inclined to see their opponents 

as “enemies of the people,” we 

would certainly want to remind 

them that unanimity of thought 

truly doesn’t exist anywhere anyway, 

and that the so-called opponents of 

the government are not all foreign 

agents or irresponsible demagogues, 

but are mostly honest people who 

simply see their country’s future 

differently. And we would also want 

to remind the opposition who might 

be inclined to see all government 

power as tyrannical, that this is a 

deeply damaging and unnuanced 

approach that is unconstructive and 

unrealistic. 

The institutional system in Russia 

today is, certainly, not without its 

problems. But it works. And the 

kind and scale of the problems in 

Russia are absolutely comparable 

to those in any country with a 

democratic and republican form of 

government. So when some start 

to criticize my country, I always 

answer: “Yes, we have our flaws, and 

we — the citizens of Russia — we 

know what they are because we’ve 

H.I.H. the Heir, Tsesarevich, and Grand Duke George of Russia 

learned about them ‘the hard way.’ 

But we see that other countries all 

too often apply a double standard to us. You have your 

The Belgium-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce in Russia 

own internal problems, and believe me: they are no less and Belarus, as its name implies, is focused primarily on 

serious than ours. And as for international affairs, no 

the development of economic relations between Russia 

country is blameless in that arena. So when it comes to and Belarus, which has joined with Russia in an economic 

internal affairs, let’s agree to mind what’s going on in our union, and Belgium and Luxembourg. 

own country, and in international affairs, let’s agree to 

resolve issues not sitting in judgment over others, but in a At the same time, given the globalized economy we all live 

constructive dialogue among equals.” 

in today, we are naturally also open to working together 

with all countries that have economic and trade relations 

As Chairman of the Belgium-Luxembourg Chamber with Russia, Belarus, Belgium and Luxembourg. 

of Commerce in Russia, how do you collaborate 

and build bridges with different chambers of 

As for the future development of global markets, many 

commerce in the USA, China, India, and the EU, experts believe — and we have no reason to doubt them — 

and also with countries in Latin America, Africa that the coming decades will see a strengthening and 

and the Middle East? Which regions should you expansion of markets of India, China, and the countries of 

prioritize in the coming years from a geo-economic Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific rim. 

point of view? 

19

I believe in the economic potential of the Russian economy 

— not only because I love my country, but because I can 

objectively analyze the historical path of Russia. Russia 

has more than once risen from the ashes, like a phoenix, 

after what would have seemed to have been unrecoverable 

destruction and ruin. It seemed that way, for example, after 

the Mongol conquest in the 13th century, after the Time 

of Troubles ended at the turn of the 17th century, after 

Napoleon’s invasion in 1812, and after the Second World War. 

I have to admit, of course, that not all the trend lines today 

look positive. I speak with Russian economists of various 

stripes — liberals, leftists, conservatives. They all agree that 

the Russian economy needs serious, fundamental reforms, 

further investments in industry, and a transition away from 

energy production and export to high tech, and so on. 

But most important, we must all understand that, neither in 

Russia nor in any country in the word today, can economic 

strength be built upon conditions that produce stark income 

inequality, social stratification, or the impoverishment of 

a large percentage of the population. The priority of all 

economic policies must be to raise the standard of living 

of everyone, to increase wages, and to make it possible for 

everyone to make the most of their knowledge, skills, and 

ambition to realize their full potential. 

H.I.H. the Heir, Tsesarevich, and Grand Duke George of Russia 

No government or state structure can satisfy all the needs 

of humanity. But those who manage the economy, both at 

the state and private levels, can and must provide those 

things that make for a stable, “sufficient” life. 

In Russian there is this word “dostatok”, which is close 

in meaning to the words “property”, or “economic wellbeing”. 

It’s very difficult to translate. “Dostatok” doesn’t 

only mean “property”, nor necessarily “prosperity”, 

“abundance”, or “wellbeing” (as many English, French, and 

other dictionaries often render it), but rather “that which is 

sufficient” — dostatochno: or, perhaps better, “that which is 

enough to get along”, enough for a person to live a full and 

meaningful life. 

And those nations that make the economic welfare of all 

their citizens a priority will be the ones that will in the end 

win the global economic competition. 

How can we improve the diplomatic and trade 

relations between Russia and the EU, knowing that 

business partnerships have already been established 

and are enjoying success based on the promise of longterm 

relationships? These economic opportunities 

could be even better exploited if the diplomatic 

situation between the EU and Russia were to improve. 

Politics and economics are interrelated. But one can’t let 

politics influence economics to the point of absurdity. 

Economic sanctions are a double-edged sword. The sanctions 

that have been introduced against Russia have not only hurt 

Russia, they have hurt the nations that have imposed them. 

At the same time, these same sanctions have stimulated the 

revival of industries that had previously suffered from the 

importing of cheap goods from abroad. 

20 

Using sanctions to punish this or that country or to 

destabilize its internal affairs rarely succeeds. It did not work 

with Iran, nor has it been much better with North Korea.

To use sanctions for this purpose against a country as vast and 

wealthy as Russia is utterly pointless. 

If I consider economic sanctions in the abstract as a means 

for achieving political goals, and not about the specific case of 

the sanctions that have been imposed on Russia, then I might 

agree that they serve a useful symbolic purpose. One might 

declare a boycott, say, on the importation of rice from China, 

sprats (canned fish) from Latvia, wine from Georgia, caviar 

from Russia, bacon from Ukraine, or malachite from Congo … 

That is, you can definitely “put a dent” in the economy of your 

geo-political adversary and demonstrate to the entire world 

your dissatisfaction with some aspect of their politics. But to 

introduce an entire regime of sanctions and seriously think 

that this will prod them to do what you want them to do is, 

I repeat, utterly foolish. 

Many in Europe are looking forward to diplomats finally 

working out a pathway for the restoration of mutual economic 

relations and mutual understanding between Europe and 

Russia, which will in turn lead to the quick restoration of 

economic relations at previous levels, if not, indeed, at still 

more expanded levels. 

But if and when that day comes, European businessmen will 

need to be prepared to prevent a repetition of what happened 

in Russia in the 1990s, when the unstable economic situation 

encouraged their forebears to take advantage of the economic 

turmoil and to carve out for themselves whole markets in 

Russia. Russia today must defend its economic interests, and 

work to assure that the restoration of economic relations 

between Russia and Europe be based not only on economic 

opportunism, but on mutually beneficial trade agreements. 

As concerns cultural diplomacy: on June 22 of 

this year you were present at the unveiling of a 

new statue of Peter the Great in Liège, Belgium, 

which commemorates the visit of Peter the Great in 

Belgium 300 years ago. For two centuries cultural 

diplomacy and cultural exchange were integral parts 

of the vision of the Russian leaders. As a result, there 

has been a constant exchange between our cultures, 

which has worked both to inspire and create new 

interactions between our peoples. As a descendant 

of the Russian Imperial House, how do you perceive 

cultural diplomacy as a form of “soft power,” and 

how could you transform it into an active tool to 

help re-establish Russian and European political and 

economic partnerships? 

H.I.H. the Heir, Tsesarevich, and Grand Duke George of Russia and 


The Imperial House of Russia remains convinced of the utility 

of the monarchical system of government, and I believe that 

it has a place in the future. But at this historical stage, we 

understand perfectly well that the necessary conditions are 

not yet in place for a restoration of the monarchy in Russia. 

But that doesn’t prevent us heeding the mission to which God 

has called us, of doing everything we can to be useful to our 

country today. Our main and unchanging purpose was and 

remains to preserve the continuity of our country’s History — 

the connections that link today’s Russia with its centurieslong 

history, a country that, from its very foundation more 

than 1000 years ago, had been a hereditary monarchy. 

This mission involves not only our efforts to restore and 

revive traditions in Russia itself, but also, as you correctly 

noted, to engage in cultural diplomacy on an international 

level. We strive to use the positive legacy that our Imperial 

ancestors left in other countries, as well as our family ties 

with European royal dynasties, to bear witness before the 

entire world that Russia is a great nation, that it has many 

illustrious pages in its history, and that we need focus not on 

the sorrowful, bloody, and terrible moments in that history, 

but on the bright and beautiful moments that fill the pages 

of our history, and on the many examples of collaboration, 

mutual assistance, and nobility. 

If we do so, most of the current international conflicts can be 

resolved without making the same mistakes twice: by taking 

all the experience of the past into account, both the positive 

and the negative, but stressing always the positive. 

21

BIOGRAPHY 

H.I.H. THE HEIR, TSESAREVICH, 

AND GRAND DUKE GEORGE 

OF RUSSIA 

His Imperial Highness the Heir, Tsesarevich, and Grand 

Duke George of Russia was born on March 13, 1981 (new 

style) in Madrid, on the eve of the 100th Anniversary of 

the martyrdom (on March 1/14, 1881) of his great-greatgrandfather, 

Emperor Alexander II the Tsar-Liberator. He 

is the son of H.I.H. Grand Duchess Maria of Russia and 

H.I.H. Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich. 

The Grand Duke was baptized before the miracle-working 

Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God, in the Orthodox 

Church in Madrid. Present at the baptism were King Juan 

Carlos I and Queen Sophia of Spain, and King Simeon II 

and Queen Margarita of Bulgaria. His godfather was King 

Constantine II of Greece. 

The early childhood of the Tsesarevich was 

spent in St.-Briac, France, and then in Paris. 

Up until 1999, the Heir and his mother lived 

principally in Madrid, where he completed 

college. From the time of his early childhood, 

the Grand Duke was educated in the spirit of 

the Orthodox Faith and in the full awareness of 

his royal duties to his homeland. 

The Tsesarevich plays a variety of sports and is an excellent 

marksman. Besides Russian, in which he always received 

excellent grades, the Grand Duke speaks English, French, 

and Spanish. He knows, and participates in, the order of 

services of the Orthodox Church. 

On April 9, 1997, during a pilgrimage of the Imperial 

Family to the Holy Land, the Heir, Tsesarevich, and 

Grand Duke George of Russia, pursuant to the Russian 

Fundamental Laws, took his dynastic oath to the 

Fatherland and to his august mother. The ceremony took 

place in Jerusalem, in the Throne Room of the Patriarch’s 

residence, where the oath of His Imperial Highness 

was witnessed by the faithful guardian of the purity of 

Orthodoxy, Patriarch Diodoros of Jerusalem. 

The Tsesarevich first visited Russia in April 

1992, when the entire Imperial Family attended 

the funeral of Grand Duke Wladimir III. Since 

then he has been many times to Russia, always 

showing a lively interest in all aspects of the life 

of the people. 

Russia’s ancient Orthodox churches, and 

what he considers their uniquely prayerful 

atmosphere, have made an indelible impression 

on the Grand Duke. He also takes special 

interest and great pleasure in visiting military 

bases and in meeting and conversing with 

soldiers, sailors and officers of the Russian 

army and navy. 

22

The Patriarch gave his blessing to the Grand Duke and 

offered his prayers that the Grand Duke will defend the 

Orthodox Faith, serve Russia and her people, and inviolably 

preserve the laws of the Russian Imperial House. 

Imperial House a wonderful example of respect for work. 

He scorned no form of employment and he was interested 

in everything. One can and should do what one does best 

and what benefits others, without regrets or stigma. 

After completing his studies at Oxford University, and 

wanting to study the processes that were determining the 

future course of Europe, His Imperial Highness began 

working for the European Parliament, and then moved 

to the position of assistant to the vice-president of the 

European Commission and Commissioner for Transport 

and Energy, Loyola de Palacio, in Brussels. Later he 

continued working for the European Commission in 

Luxembourg, in the European Commission for Atomic 

Energy and Security. During these years, the Grand Duke 

visited Russia several times on business. 

In 2006, he made his first official visit to Russia. He 

came to Russia at the request of his mother, the Head of 

the Russian Imperial House, Grand Duchess Maria of 

Russia, to congratulate His Holiness, Patriarch Aleksei II 

of Moscow and All Russia, on the 45th anniversary of his 

ordination to the episcopacy. During that visit, the Grand 

Duke also met with the First Deputy Chairmen of the 

Duma, Oleg Morozov and Liubov Sliskaia, as well as with 

the chairs of several Duma committees and other Duma 

deputies. 

During another visit to Russia in November 2008, the 

Grand Duke accepted a job offer from the management of 

Norilsk Nickel; and in December, the Grand Duke assumed 

the position of special advisor to the company’s Director, 

V. I. Strzhalkovskii. In this new position, His Imperial 

Highness represented the interests of Norilsk Nickel — one 

of Russia’s largest companies — in the European Union. 

In addition, Grand Duke George of Russia took a seat 

on the Board of the Nickel Institute. After having gained 

significant experience advancing the interests of Russian 

industry, and his employment contract with Norilsk Nickel 

having expired, Grand Duke George of Russia formed 

his own public relations consulting firm — Romanoff & 

Partners — in Brussels. The agency represents Russian and 

East European companies in the European Union. 

Grand Duke George of Russia is entirely convinced that 

for him there is no obstacle to exploring a variety of 

professions and business activities. “My ancestor, Peter the 

Great,” he stated, “bequeathed to future generations of the 

Being a member of the Imperial house does not grant one 

privileges. It rather imposes great responsibilities — that 

neither your ancestors nor descendants should ever be 

ashamed of you, and that the dynasty’s good name should 

never be tarnished.” 

In addition to his business ventures, Grand Duke George 

of Russia of course regularly performs his duties as Heir to 

the Head of the Russian Imperial House. Regularly visiting 

(with his mother and by himself) the Russian Federation 

and other countries that were once part of the former 

Russian Empire, the Tsesarevich works to strengthen the 

friendship between the peoples of these countries, and to 

contribute to a range of charitable and cultural projects. 

In 2013 — the 400th anniversary of the House of Romanoff — 

the Grand Duke established in London the Russian 

Imperial Foundation for Cancer Research. 

Concerning his vision of the role of the Imperial House in 

the modern world, His Imperial Highness has said, “Our 

main responsibility is to preserve the continuity in our 

history. Compared with this mission, even our role in 

government pales in significance. 

“Our ancestors never sought after power, even at the time 

of the foundation of the dynasty. When emissaries from the 

Assembly of the Land came in 1613 to Mikhail Fedorovich 

to announce that he was the heir to the throne, he was filled 

with terror at the very thought of it and for a long time 

refused it. 

“Power is a duty — a very weighty duty. If it is required of 

us, we will do our duty without hesitation. We are prepared 

to respond to a summons from the people of Russia, should 

they want someday to restore the monarchy. But we do not 

seek power, nor do we make any claims to it — neither to 

any sort of political rights nor properties. 

“To maintain a living connection to modern Russia and to 

its thousand-year-long history — that is our duty and our 

eternal right, regardless of what form of government may be 

in power.” 

23

BIG NAMES BRING MOSCOW 

BIENNIAL BACK FROM THE BRINK 

BJÖRK AND OLAFUR ELIASSON 

HEADLINE EVENT THAT NEARLY 

DIDN’T HAPPEN 

24 

A year ago, it looked like the seventh Moscow Bienniale 

of Contemporary Art was dead in the water, with no 

management, curator or venue. So it was a small miracle 

when the main exhibition,CloudsForests, opened at the 

New Tretyakov Gallery, the modern art branch of Russia’s 

main national art museum, on 19 September (until 18 

January 2018). It is one of several biennials running across 

Russia this autumn. 

The Japanese curator Yuko Hasegawa has brought a trio of 

big names to the Moscow show — Olafur Eliasson, Matthew 

Barney and Björk — as part of the concept of “creative 

tribes” that overcome the divisions of nation states. The 

biennial has been greeted with mixed reviews as an event 

with little international impact. However, the Moscow 

premiere of Björk Digital, the Icelandic singer’s immersive 

virtual-reality installation, does fit with the Tretyakov’s 

agenda of attracting young Russians — on a recent Saturday 

evening, the average age of visitors to the museum appeared 

to be under 20. 

Although the biennial is also meant as a platform for 

Russian contemporary artists, the entrance is dominated 

by a monumental sculpture by Dashi Namdakov, an 

established sculptor known for commissions by Russia’s 

Kremlin and business elite. “Guardian of Baikal” pays 

homage to the Buryat artist’s nomad and shaman heritage 

and his connection to the world’s largest freshwater 

lake in Siberia. The 7.5-metre-high bronze was meant to 

be installed on Lake Baikal’s Olkhon Island during the 

biennial, with a smaller plaster copy at the New Tretyakov 

that visitors could view with virtual-reality (VR) goggles as 

a high-tech complement. Environmental concerns scuttled 

the Baikal version, but biennial visitors can still don a VR 

headset for a slightly dizzying and rather breathtaking 

journey to the lake. 

Mikhail Piotrovsky, the director of St Petersburg’s 

State Hermitage Museum, was a guest speaker on 

30 September to discuss the interaction between classical 

and contemporary art. The Hermitage hosted Manifesta, 

the roving European contemporary art biennial in 2014, 

and recently exhibited works by the Belgian artist Jan Fabre 

among Flemish Old Masters in the Winter Palace. But 

Piotrovsky’s most striking revelation was that the Hermitage 

had not been planning to mark the 100th anniversary of 

the Russian Revolution — even though the Winter Palace, 

former residence of the czars — was a central player. 

“Our Dutch colleagues at the Hermitage Amsterdam asked 

us, ‘What will we be doing for October?’ We said, ‘Nothing 

much’,” Piotrovsky said. “They said, ‘Are you crazy? The 

whole world is waiting. Something needs to be done’.” 

The Hermitage is, of course, marking the event, with two 

exhibitions: The Winter Palace and the Hermitage in 1917 

(26 October-4 February 2018) and The Press and the 

Revolution: Publications 1917-1922 from the Hermitage 

Collections (26 October-14 January 2018). 

 

BETA 

Sophia Kishkovsky 

theartnewspaper.com 

7TH MOSCOW INTERNATIONAL BIENNALE 

OF CONTEMPORARY ART 

supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian 

Federation and the Agency for Cultural Affairs, 

Government of Japan 

19 September 2017 – 18 January 2018 

New Tretyakov Gallery 

(The State Tretyakov Gallery, 10, Krymsky Val, Moscow) 

Curator – Yuko Hasegawa (Japan) 

Curatorial assistant – Seiha Kurosawa (Japan) 

en.moscowbiennale.com

Dashi Namdakov’s Guardian of Baikal (2017) Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art 

© The Art Newspaper 

OTHER RUSSIAN BIENNIALS NOW ON 

4TH URAL INDUSTRIAL BIENNIAL OF CONTEMPORARY ART 

Yekaterinburg has become one of Russia’s centres of contemporary art, bolstered by its Constructivist heritage, which 

helps draw international participants to the biennial (until 12 November). This year’s main project, which has as its 

curator João Ribas, the deputy director and senior curator of the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art in Porto, is 

titled New Literacy and examines how the “fourth industrial revolution” of information and communication technology 

is changing society. uralbiennale.ru/en 

9TH VLADIVOSTOK INTERNATIONAL BIENNALE OF VISUAL ARTS (VIBVA) 

The biennial of Russia’s Pacific gateway has come back after a four-year hiatus, and given its location on Russia’s 

eastern seaboard, not surprisingly with a view to the East (until 20 October). Xiang Liping, a former curator and 

co-ordinator of the Shanghai Biennale, is curator of the main project, Port Morphology: Rules of the Game. 

12TH KRASNOYARSK MUSEUM BIENNALE 

Simon Mraz, Austria’s cultural attaché and the director of the Austrian Cultural Forum Moscow, has spent two years 

developing plans to mark the Revolution. His exhibition, Mir: the Village and the World forms the centrepiece of the 

Krasnoyarsk Museum Biennale, Russia’s longest-running contemporary art biennal — this is the 12th edition — (until 

28 February 2018). “Mir”, in this case, refers to an arcane understanding of the word, which usually means peace, as 

a name for the Russian village community. kunstaspekte.art/event/12th-krasnoyarsk-biennale-2018?hl=en 

25

OPEN FOR LUNCH & DINNER 

from Monday till Friday 

OPEN FOR LUNCH & DINNER 

from Monday till Friday 

UPCOMING EVENTS 

CAVIAR & COCKTAIL NIGHT 

FRIDAY OCTOBER 13TH 2017 

CAVIAR & COCKTAIL NIGHT 


GAME DINNER 


GAME DINNER 



www.thebistronomy.com or 02 263 01 33 

GRAHAM’S PORT WEEK 

FROM NOVEMBER 13TH 2017 

UNTIL NOVEMBER 17TH 2017 

GRAHAM’S PORT WEEK 

FROM NOVEMBER 13TH 2017 

UNTIL NOVEMBER 17TH 2017 


www.thebistronomy.com - 02 263 01 33 - Indringingsweg 1, 1800 Vilvoorde 

www.thebistronomy.com or 02 263 01 33 

26 

www.thebistronomy.com - 02 263 01 33 - Indringingsweg 1, 1800 Vilvoorde

GOING THE EXTRA MILE. 

GOING THE EXTRA MILE. 

As a member of the European Institution, the Corps Diplomatique or an international organization, you know that life can be quite 

different from one country to another. One thing is for sure, if you want to travel in style, MINI is your international friend. That is 

As a member of the European Institution, the Corps Diplomatique or an international organization, you know that life can be quite 

why your MINI Diplomatic Sales Advisor helps you with all required administrative information to get excited in your MINI in no 

different from one country to another. One thing is for sure, if you want to travel in style, MINI is your international friend. That is 

time. Furthermore, we can deliver your personalized car anywhere in the world respecting local specifications. 

why your MINI Diplomatic Sales Advisor helps you with all required administrative information to get excited in your MINI in no 

And in addition, we offer you our particularly attractive sales conditions. 

time. Furthermore, we can deliver your personalized car anywhere in the world respecting local specifications. 

And in addition, we offer you our particularly attractive sales conditions. 

MINI DIPLOMATIC SALES. 

MINI DIPLOMATIC SALES. 

MINI Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 : CO 2 49 - 52 g/km 2,1 - 2,3 l /100km 

Environmental 

MINI Cooper 

information : mini.be 

S E Countryman 

MINI Belux 

ALL4 

- BMW Belgium 

: COLuxembourg NV/SA - BE 0413533863 - mini.be 

2 49 - 52 g/km 2,1 - 2,3 l /100km 

Environmental information : mini.be 

MINI Belux - BMW Belgium Luxembourg NV/SA - BE 0413533863 - mini.be 

30MIN17104_Ad_F60_PHEV_Diplo_270x210.indd 1 11/09/17 16:13 

27 

30MIN17104_Ad_F60_PHEV_Diplo_270x210.indd 1 11/09/17 16:13


ARKADY ANDREEVICH ARIANOFF 

AND KURT DEMEYERE 

The Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce 

for Russia and Belarus (CCBLR) has been helping 

companies develop their business in Russia and 

Belarus since 1974. Arkady Arianoff (Director 

CCBLR Belgium and President CCBLR Moscow) 

and Kurt Demeyere (Vice-President CCBLR 

Belgium and tax lawyer with the Brussels office 

of Benelux law firm NautaDutilh) share their 

thoughts on and insight into doing business today 

in the Russian Federation. 

Arkady Arianoff: The purpose of CCBLR is to 

bring Belgian and Luxembourg and Russian-Belarus 

business partners together. We are a non-governmental 

organisation, free to express our views and independent 

of political and other influences. In Belgium, we have 

over 100 members and around 10 honorary members 

who support the CCBLR’s long-term vision. We regularly 

organise conferences, trade missions and other cultural 

and economic activities. Our biggest assets are our 

experience, the fact the we speak Russian, and our longstanding 

relationships based on mutual trust with both 

Belarussian/Russian and Belgian/Luxembourg officials and 

businesspeople. 

28 

Our best memory from the past few years is without 

hesitation the Belgian economic mission to Moscow and 

St. Petersburg in April 2011, on which occasion more 

than 400 Belgian businesspeople travelled to Russia in 

order to enhance their knowledge of the country and 

strengthen their ties. During the mission, several highvalue 

contracts between Belgian and Russian companies 

were signed. While due to the changed political and 

economic climate, participation in business missions 

has significantly declined in the past three years, we still 

see a lot of interest, in particular for the Russian regions 

which are increasingly profiling themselves to foreign 

investors. CCBLR was the first organisation in Belgium to 

Arkady Arianoff and Kurt Demeyere 

give a floor to the Russian regions to present themselves. 

Belgians sometimes forget that Russia is a federation, with 

economic decision-making power at the regional level. 

In the past 10 years, CCBLR has organised missions to 

more than 20 Russian regions in order to discover business 

opportunities. 

Recent examples include our September 2017 mission to 

Vologda and Tcherepovets (which focused on machinery 

and metallurgy), our October 2017 mission to Lipetsk 

(with a focus on iron and machinery), and our other 2017

CCBLR group picture from our Energy conferences. 

missions to Tatarstan and Kaliningrad. We are also proud to 

be a regional partner of Roscongress, organiser of the Saint- 

Petersburg International Economic Forum, the Eastern 

Economic Forum, the Sochi Economic Investment Forum 

and Russian Energy Week. 

Last but not least, we have organised several events relating 

to the Eurasian Economic Union. The next event will take 

place on 15 November. Last year, 330 people attended, 

including diplomats from 7 countries. 

Arkady Arianoff, you are well known by all Belgian 

and Luxembourg companies that wish to do 

business in Russia. Have you been recognised for 

your efforts? 

Arkady Arianoff: At a ceremony attended by more than 400 

people on 21 March 2017, to mark the fourth anniversary 

of the CCBLR Moscow and 300 years from the visit 

by Russian Emperor Peter the Great to Belgium, I was 

awarded lifelong honorary membership in the Chamber of 

Commerce & Industry of the Russian Federation and the 

Order of St. Stanislas for services rendered to the Russian 

Federation. In 2015, I received an important distinction 

for international cooperation from Russian Foreign Affairs 

Minister Sergey Lavrov. 

Since I started at CCBLR in September 2003, I have 

acquired extensive experience on doing business in the 

Russian Federation. Since 1993 I have been involved in 

the creation of Russian companies for Belgian investors 

in Russia. In my opinion, our most important strength 

is our network. Thanks to the fact that I speak Russian 

and to my many business relations, I have been able to 

introduce entrepreneurs in various sectors to the Russian 

authorities. 

Although Kurt Demeyere had travelled many times 

to the Russian Federation, it was only in 2008 that 

the Russian Federation became his most important 

centre of interests. 

Kurt Demeyere: In 2008, I was already an experienced 

tax lawyer with the Brussels office of NautaDutilh, an 

international full-service law firm with over 400 lawyers 

in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, the United 

Kingdom and the United States. The origins of NautaDutilh 

in the Netherlands date back to 1724; in fact, the firm 

assisted the City of New Amsterdam (later New York) 

with the issuance of bonds to build the first municipal 

infrastructure. Our Brussels office is somewhat younger; it 

was founded in 1994 and now numbers around 65 lawyers. 

I decided to take a semester off to study Russian law and 

29

language at the Lomonossov Moscow State University. When I 

returned to Belgium, I joined the board of directors of CCBLR, 

where I now serve as a vice-president. As NautaDutilh works 

a lot with Russian clients, we decided to establish a Benelux 

Russian Desk in order to better serve both our Russian clients 

and Benelux clients who wish to do business with the Russian 

Federation and former CIS countries. 

Our assignments vary, depending on the country. In 

Belgium, most questions relate to joint venture agreements, 

legal proceedings and specific issues relating to doing 

business in the Russian Federation. In Luxembourg, our 

Russian clients include both companies and individuals. 

Indeed, many Russians have acquired Luxembourg 

nationality or have established residency in Luxembourg, 

as Luxembourg — like Belgium — is well known for its 

favourable tax treatment of IP income. In fact, several of 

our Russian clients manage their IP rights in Luxembourg. 

In the Netherlands, we mostly work for holding companies 

and international groups. We also have a strong arbitration 

and finance practice, in which capacity we work for top 

Russian companies in all sectors but mainly oil and gas, 

IT and FMCG. 

As a tax lawyer, can you tell us in a few words 

something about the Russian tax system? 

Kurt Demeyere: I don’t want to go into detail about 

the particularities of the Russian tax system. The most 

important thing for foreign investors to keep in mind is 

that Russia has established special economic zones with 

particular tax regimes (providing for a full exemption from 

income tax, VAT and customs duties). In order to attract 

foreign business to Russia (mainly technology, machinery, 

chemistry and life sciences companies), the “one-stop 

shop principle” has been introduced. CCBLR Brussels and 

CCBLR Moscow are available to provide assistance. It may 

also be useful to know that the personal income tax rate for 

Russian residents is 13%. 

Since 2008, I have had the pleasure of addressing audiences 

at more than 30 legal conferences in the Russian Federation 

and Belgium. An event that I particularly enjoy is the 

30 

Arkady Arianoff receives Chamber of Commerce award 2017

Arkady Arianoff (President of the Board of Directors CCBLR Moscow and Director CCBLR) 

Oleg Prozorov (General Director CCBLR Moscow) 

Kurt Demeyere (Vice President CCBLR and Senior Associate NautaDutilh Brussels) 

annual International Conference on Tax Case Law of the 

Russian Constitutional Court, organised by the Russian tax 

journal Nalogoved and Russian law firm Pepeliaev Group. 

Next April, I will speak at this conference for the 10th time. 

Each time, I learn a lot about Russian tax law and have 

interesting conversations with participants. 

These gatherings are crucial as they enhance my knowledge 

of Russian tax law and legal practice. I have noticed an 

increase in the quality of the presentations, discussions and 

questions raised by both panel speakers and members of 

the public. These conferences bring together people from 

diverse backgrounds who would otherwise not hear each 

other’s opinions: university professors, lawyers, judges, 

in-house counsel, etc. While most Russians working with 

international companies can speak English, it is a real asset 

to be able to converse with them in their mother tongue. 

Finally, I would like to stress the importance of the 

Eurasian Economic Union, an economic and customs union 

founded in 2015 between Belarus, Kazakhstan and the 

Russian Federation, which entered into force on 1 January 

2015. In the meantime, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan have also 

joined. This union can be a genuine instrument to boost 

business. 

Arkady Arianoff: The January conference about the 

Eurasian Economic Union was indeed a huge success. Our 

New Year cocktails always attract a lot of people, bringing 

together anyone and everyone interested in the Russian 

economy and Russian culture. We are pleased by the 

attendance, despite recent negative coverage of Russia in 

the international press. 

What are the sectors where you see the greatest 

interest on the part of the Russian Federation? 

Kurt Demeyere: The most important sector is still energy. 

On 29 May 2017, NautaDutilh hosted the CCBLR 

General Assembly. On this occasion, more than 50 people 

attended a roundtable and panel discussion on the Year 

of Ecology and Environmental Awareness in the Russian 

Federation (moderated by me). The discussion focused 

on both efforts being made (especially with respect to 

technological innovation) and what Western European and 

Russian companies can do to contribute to energy efficiency 

31

and the creation of an environmentally friendly business 

environment. We were lucky to be able to attract top 

speakers, including Mr Christian Cleutinx, former Director- 

General of the Euratom Supply Agency and Senior Fellow 

at the Clingendael Institute, and high-level representatives 

from Cockerill Maintenance & Ingénierie (CMI), ENGIE, 

Eurochem, Fluxys and Gazprom. 

32 

Other important sectors are life sciences and agriculture, 

in which we see heightened interest on the part of both 

our Russian and Belgian contacts and clients. 

E-commerce is another important sector in the Russian 

economy. Our Dutch colleagues worked on the joint 

venture between Uber Technologies Inc. and Yandex, 

which involved the consolidation of ridesharing, food 

delivery and related logistics businesses in Russia, 

Kazakhstan, Armenia, Belarus and Georgia in a new 

company. In addition, Uber has agreed to invest 

USD 225 million and Yandex USD 100 million in the 

new company, which is valued at USD 3.725 billion on 

a post-money basis. 

Arkady Arianoff: I would like to stress the importance of 

Belgian ports. CCBLR has helped to further successful 

cooperation between Russian and Belgian ports. In 

September 2012, we invited the Russian deputy transport 

minister to visit the ports of Antwerp, Ghent and Ostend, 

along with a delegation of 42 people representing the most 

important Russian ports and Rosmorport. We have also 

organised an economic mission for the ports of Brussels 

and Zeebrugge, which resulted in the conclusion of several 

large contracts. 

What message do you wish to send at the end of 

this interview? 

Kurt Demeyere: This is not the place to talk about politics. 

However, I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate 

how eager my Belgian and Russian friends and colleagues 

are to continue to work together and build a common 

future. Unfortunately, people today on both sides are using 

too many slogans. This new reality is my greatest concern. 

My main goal as CCBLR vice-president is to continue to 

convey the message of cooperation and contribute to an 

objective, open dialogue. I am convinced that our Russian 

partners feel the same. 

I would also like to take this opportunity to mention an 

important upcoming event. Mr Daniel Stevens, the first 

vice-president of CCBLR, is planning to organise an 

CCBLR Moscow conference, March 2017 

exhibition in 2018-19 at the State Historical Museum on 

Red Square about Belgian-Russian relationship including 

the Belgian investment in imperial Russia. At the turn of 

the twentieth century, Belgium was the largest investor 

in Russia, with much greater interests than France, 

the German Empire or the United Kingdom. Belgian 

investments covered a wide range of industries, including 

metallurgy, glass production, railways and tramways, 

chemistry and machinery. 

Arkady Arianoff: We trust that, in the coming year, 

business and cultural ties between the Russian Federation 

and Belgium and Luxembourg will continue to improve. 

Our business contacts on both sides tell me that the 

sanctions currently in place harm the business and future 

development of Belgian and Luxembourg companies in 

Russia, and vice versa. In my opinion, we should give the 

Russian Federation the place it deserves by granting it the 

status of privileged economic partner of the European 

Union. The business world pleads in favour of genuine 

efforts by all the parties to overcome the present difficulties 

and normalize the economic relations. 

Finally, please don’t forget that we’re available to assist you 

24/7 via our Brussels and Moscow hotlines!

2,1 - 8,4 L/100 KM • 49 - 192 G CO 2 /KM Environmental information RD 19/3/2004: www.mercedes-benz.be - Give safety priority. 

The Mercedes E-Class. 

Masterpiece of Intelligence. 

As a diplomat, you’re always looking for intelligent solutions. It’s why we know you’ll 

appreciate the extensive driver assistance systems and innovative technologies in the new 

Mercedes E-Class. Such as the Active Brake Assist function that combines distance 

and collision warning with braking assistance, and remote parking using your smartphone. 

Discover this Masterpiece of Intelligence at your authorised Mercedes-Benz dealer. 

33 

MBS8040155 - Diplomatic Solutions_300x230mm_NFE-Beeld.indd 3 16/08/2017 13:20

OPENING A NEW ERA FOR DISPUTE 

RESOLUTION IN RUSSIA 

34 

Over a span of several years, Russia has taken significant steps 

to modernise its regulation of domestic and international 

dispute resolution including through amending its arbitration 

related legislation and enacting a law on mediation. The goal 

is to develop the Russian dispute resolution landscape and 

enhance trust in the Russian dispute resolution system. 

Arbitration in Russia has been subject to a significant overhaul 

with the amendments to the legislation coming into force 

on 1 September 2016. Criticised by some, 1 the Russian 

arbitration reform has been characterised by others as ‘a huge 

step forward making Russia more attractive and huge benefit 

for legal market’. 2 The reform aims to stop the practice of 

private arbitral institutions established by one of the parties 

or affiliated companies, improve the quality of arbitration and 

return disputes to Russia. One of the major changes relates to 

arbitral institutions that are required to obtain by 1 November 

2017 a license from the Russian government to continue their 

activity in Russia. It is expected that due to this requirement 

the number of arbitral institutions with the seat in Russia will 

decrease, while the quality of arbitration will improve. 

Another major change introduced by the reform puts an end 

to the uncertainty surrounding the issue of arbitrability of 

corporate disputes. As a general rule, corporate disputes 

become arbitrable, subject to certain exceptions specified 

in the amended legislation. Most corporate disputes are to 

be arbitrated under specialized corporate arbitration rules 

adopted by the eligible arbitral institutions. 

As for mediation, although this mechanism has been 

developing in Russia since 2004-2005, 3 its legal basis was 

established in 2011 when a Federal Law on Alternative Dispute 

Resolution Procedure Involving a Mediator (Mediation Procedure) 

(No. 193-FZ of 27 July 2010) came into force. Russia became 

one of the few countries in the world that has officially 

recognized ‘specialist in the field of mediation (mediator)’ as a 

profession and introduced respective professional standards. 4 

The Center for Promotion of Mediation and Alternative 

Dispute Resolution is the first center for Russian-speaking 

specialists in the world certified as Qualifying Assessment 

Program by the International Mediation Institute (IMI). 

Through this certification, the global professional standards 

and reliable information about qualified mediators have 

become available in Russia. 

In the course of the last decade, numerous events have been 

organised to popularize and promote mediation and arbitration 

as well as foster their development for efficient domestic, 

regional and international dispute resolution in Russia. Among 

the recently conducted events is the Global Pound Conference 

(GPC) that took place in Moscow on 21 June 2017. The GPC 

Series 2016-17 is an IMI project that convenes all stakeholders 

in dispute resolution at conferences around the world and 

aims to generate actionable data on what dispute resolution 

users actually need and want, both locally and globally. Other 

educational activities include moot courts like the Russian 

language Rozenberg moot court on international commercial 

arbitration that the Russian Foreign Trade Academy will 

organise for the fifth time in 2018. Bringing students up to 

speed with the latest legislative developments, the Arbitration 

Center at the Institute of Modern Arbitration will conduct 

in December 2017 for the first time the Russian language 

Mozolina moot court on arbitration of corporate disputes. 

Hopefully the legislative changes and educational events 

bear fruit and contribute to building a more predictable, 

professional and efficient framework for high quality dispute 

resolution, thereby, opening a new era for dispute resolution 

in Russia. 

 

Dr. Dilyara Nigmatullina 

 

Arbitration and Mediation Consultant 

1 See e.g., Diana Filatova, The Russian arbitration reform: further 

difficulties? (5 May 2017) at http://www.ciarb.org/news/ciarb-news/ 

news-detail/features/2017/05/05/the-russian-arbitration-reform-furtherdifficulties; 

Nata Ghibradze & Alexander Dolgorukow, The Russian 

Arbitration Reform – a Road to More Certainty? (25 October 2016) at 

http://kluwerarbitrationblog.com/2016/10/25/the-russian-arbitrationreform-a-road-to-more-certainty/. 

2 Mr. Steven Finizio, Partner at Wilmer Hale, speaking at the ICC 

National Committee conference ‘Russia as a Place for Dispute 

Resolution’ on 7 December 2016. 

3 European Parliament, Directorate-General for Internal Policies, Legal 

Affairs, Note on Mediation in the Neighbouring Countries: The Case of 

Russia (2011), at p. 4. 

4 Order of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security of Russia of 15 

December 2014 N 1041h registered with the Ministry of Justice of 

Russia on 29 December 2014 under N 35478.

It’s about 

the person you 

can come home to. 

CBI IMMO group is the reference brand for your real estate expertise, management, property sale or 

search in the northern region of Brussels. Whatever your real estate needs may be, you can count on our 

more than 40 years of experience. Our commitment is simple: offering the best value through a highly 

personal approach and customized services. 

Contact Frank Laporte 

+32 (0)2 267 60 75 - strombeek@cbi-immo.be - www.cbi-immo.be 

35

UZBEKISTAN AND CENTRAL ASIA: 

NEW GEOPOLITICAL LABORATORY FOR 

STABILITY AND PEACE IN EURASIA 

After many years dedicated to the consolidation 

of the Uzbek nation-state under the presidency of 

Islam Karimov since its independence in 1991, a 

new direction is taken by the new Uzbek president 

Shavkat Mirziyoyev to accelerate reforms at the 

national level, but also to foster cooperation at the 

international level. 

36 

Uzbekistan is now focusing particularly on Central 

Asian cooperation. The new Uzbek president has visited 

Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgzstan since his 

election in December 2016. Direct flights from Tashkent to 

Dushanbe in the neighbouring Tajikistan were also resumed, 

as a start to work on mutual trust. 

The Uzbek government is at the same time looking 

for support and collaboration from all of its partners 

including states, international organizations, and NGO’s. 

The stakes are high, since this initiative, if successful, 

could not only bring regional stability, but also become 

a new geopolitical laboratory for Eurasian stability and 

peace. A new doctrine could be experimented with 

during the development of this new process of regional 

rapprochement in the context of a growing multicentric 

and interdependent world. It would gradually promote 

synergy between the different actors through overlapping 

institutional circles (Olympic circles of security) on the 

Eurasian continent and at global level to balance different 

interests, contain conflicts, promote cooperation, and 

achieve security, prosperity and peace. 

An International Conference on Security and Sustainable 

Development in Central Asia under the auspices of the 

United Nations “Central Asia: Shared Past and Common 

Future, Cooperation for Sustainable Development and 

Mutual Prosperity”, will be organised on the 9th and 10th 

of November 2017 to add some flesh to this new approach 

and raise awareness among the international community to 

its great geopolitical stakes. 

This high profile conference is a direct consequence of the 

great ambition of the precedent government who welcomed 

high level meetings of international organizations. The 

Uzbek government hosted an anniversary session of the 

SCO Heads of States Council in Tashkent on 23-24 June 2016 

as the presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization 

(SCO) was held by Uzbekistan for 2015-2016, and hosted 

the 43rd session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation 

(OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers, on 18-19 October 

2016 in Tashkent, under the motto “Education and 

Enlightenment — Path to the Peace and Creativity”. 

The idea is to achieve more stability and improve security 

in the Central Asian region through regional cooperation in 

order to take full advantage of the potential of this region. 

Security has to be understood as being a very wide concept 

that includes hard security, but also economy, energy, 

environmental issues, demography, technology, culture and 

identity. The main objective is to transform Central Asia 

into a geopolitical hub. 

A non-exhaustive list of thematic concerns that are on the 

agenda in the context of Central Asian cooperation includes 

the following: 

The issue of unresolved borders is central and needs to be 

addressed between Central Asian states in order to progress 

to a more cooperative agenda. Tajikistan and Uzbekistan’s 

joint inter-governmental commission met in Dushanbe 

in May 2017 to discuss the country’s unresolved borders. 

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s two-day visit to Kyrgyzstan

concluded in September 2017 with the countries agreeing 

on the delineation of about 80% of their common border. 

Central Asian states also need to contribute in a more 

coherent and collective manner to maintain stability in 

Central Asia, in order to prevent a spill-over from external 

security threats, mainly from Afghanistan and project 

stability in neighbouring regions. 

would contribute to regional economic security, but also 

future prosperity, reinforcing at the same time prospects for 

stability. The Central Asian states have a crucial interest in 

being included in the “One Belt and One Road initiative” 

launched by China in 2013, since they are landlocked 

countries and would benefit from continental wide transport 

networks. To take advantage of these plans, Central Asian 

states need to unify their interests and positions. 

They also have to contain regional geopolitical rivalries 

since they face the same problems like international 

terrorism, religious extremism, transnational organized 

crime and drug trafficking. They therefore need to bolster 

initiatives such as the UN Regional Centre for Preventive 

Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) created in 2007. 

An objective of the Uzbek government and its Central Asian 

partners is also to transform its territory into a geopolitical 

hub for Eurasian transport, energy and commercial corridors 

(map: Uzbekistan — Central Asia: Geopolitical Hub). This 

In order to solve the region’s water and energy problems, 

Central Asian states also need better cooperation to sign 

the conventions on the use of water resources in the Amu 

Darya and Syr Darya river basins, and pursue cooperation 

regarding the issue of the Aral sea. 

What is ultimately needed in the longer term is a “Central 

Asian Regional Partnership Treaty”, which is including 

the elements and aspects of security, commerce, energy, 

environment, scientific research and cultural exchanges to 

37

38 

consolidate the new regional cooperation process. In the 

short term, there is dire need for a permanent forum for 

discussing these vital issues of Central Asia and would 

be representing a prerequisite step to the progress and 

development of the region. 

To ensure these plans are realised and successful, the 

Uzbek government and its regional partners need the 

support of international organizations. They will have 

to convince them to move from the current competition 

between great powers behind the different international 

organizations into a cooperative agenda based on a balance 

of the different sets of local interests. To achieve future 

stability and reduce geopolitical rivalries at Eurasian 

and global scale in a multipolar world, it is necessary to 

manage and contain the centrifugal forces in the world 

with a security architecture fully adapted to this new 

emerging multipolar world. A new doctrine of multilateral 

cooperation has to be initiated. 

THE GEOPOLITICAL STAKES FOR EUROPE 

AND EURASIA AS A WHOLE 

The success of Central Asian cooperation is equally 

important for the geopolitical interests of Europe. A quick 

look at the map (Alliances and Major Zones of Instability in 

a Multicentric World) illustrating the alliances in the World 

and the major conflicts and potential instability zones 

reveals and underlines the striking realities of today’s world. 

First of all, the two major stability zones amid a world 

drifting towards instability, conflicts and growing 

uncertainty are the Euro-Atlantic space covered by NATO 

and the Eurasian area covered by the Shanghai Cooperation 

organization (SCO). On the margins of these two groupings, 

conflicts and security threats can endanger these “Islands 

of peace”. The danger of terrorism is already more and 

more present in these two zones and it is therefore a crucial 

objective to contain these fast growing internal security 

threats coming from the crisis zones.

The Shanghai Cooperation organization (SCO) is covering 

the major part of the Eurasian landmass, and therefore, the 

future of the organization is crucial to world stability. 

Uzbekistan occupies a very pivotal geographical position in 

the middle of Central Asia and Eurasia. Central Asia, and 

Uzbekistan in particular, plays a crucial role in maintaining 

stability on the Eurasian landmass for different reasons: 

Uzbekistan possesses the largest population in Central Asia. 

Uzbekistan is also a geopolitical lock to prevent instability 

from Afghanistan and Middle East to spread to the whole 

of Central Asia, and therefore to Russia and China. This 

is also of decisive importance for Europe: if there is no 

peace and stability on the Eastern part of Eurasia, there 

is no chance to have peace and stability on the Western 

part because of the growing interdependences in energy, 

commerce, migrations flows, terrorism and criminal activity 

(including drug trafficking). The success of the Uzbek 

national model as a stability provider is equally important. 

A NEW EURASIAN AND CENTRAL 

ASIAN GEOPOLITICAL ARCHITECTURE 

There are missing links in the security architecture of the 

European, Eurasian and Central Asian spaces that needs 

to be fixed in order to avoid a further fragmentation of the 

European continent between Euro-Atlantic and Euro-Asian 

alliances. 

HOW THIS NEW GEOPOLITICAL 

ARCHITECTURE COULD LOOK LIKE ? 

Synergy is needed between the various actors to achieve 

geopolitical stability on the Eurasian continent. On a longer 

term basis, a new Eurasian geopolitical architecture based 

on a new doctrine of overlapping circles of international 

organizations would be a major factor for developing and 

improving Eurasian security (diagram: Overlapping Circles 

of World stability and Peace). The diagram illustrates the 

39

need for a new European security treaty with a Eurasian 

reach, and a new “Central Asian Partnership and 

cooperation treaty” situated in the context of an emerging 

global multipolarity. 

We also have to assume that an enlargement of Euro- 

Atlantic institutions (NATO-EU-OSCE) to the whole 

of the Eurasian continent is impossible. Firstly, the 

individual EU and NATO member states disagree on 

further enlargement. Secondly, it would be impossible for 

these Euro-Atlantic institutions to manage the geopolitical 

diversity of the Eurasian continent. This new security 

architecture is based on the “geographical tightening” 

principle in the context of NATO’s and EU’s overstretched 

capacities. Geographical proximity would be a central 

criterion to build regional alliances in order to foster 

stability and prevent any further Eurasian fragmentation. 

The role of Uzbekistan and its Central Asian partners is 

therefore very important for the making of possible new 

and successful emerging security architecture. The Uzbek 

presidency of SCO has insisted in the recent past on 

further enhancing the status of the SCO as an influential 

international structure and expanding its cooperation 

with key international organizations. This is fully in-line 

with the Uzbek foreign policy doctrine. The Uzbek foreign 

policy based on a multivectorial doctrine is concerned with 

maintaining balance in all directions. Uzbekistan is willing 

to prove it is contributing to stability and to the reduction 

of rivalry between the great powers. Uzbekistan is a member 

of SCO, is a partner of the NATO Partnership for Peace, 

a major actor of the EU Central Asia strategy, a member 

of OSCE, CIS and OIC. Uzbekistan therefore has a strong 

interest, like its Central Asian partners, in promoting 

cooperation and synergies between these organizations. 

40 

The idea is to stabilize the overlapping security spaces 

from Vancouver to Vladivostok (NATO and OSCE, 

USA-EU-Russia), Lisbon to Vladivostok (UE-Russia), 

St Petersburg to Peking (OCS), Minsk-Dushanbe (CSTO) 

and Central Asian space from around Ashgabat, Astana, 

Bishkek, Dushanbe, Tashkent and Dushanbe (new Central 

Asia platform). 

This netting of institutions resembles the “Olympic 

circles”. The described configuration would be adapted 

to the emerging multipolar world to maintain a balance 

between the different states, alliances and political 

and security institutions. This architecture is aimed at 

promoting synergies between interleaved organisations 

like NATO, EU, OSCE, SCO, CIS, OTSC, EEU, OIC and 

should lead to greater levels of stability. In-between spaces 

between these structures would be subject to common 

stabilization policies or “non-aggression agreements”. 

This new doctrine of “overlapping circles” supposes the 

acceptance by international actors of the emergence of 

a variety of international organizations whose objectives 

are contributing to Eurasian and world stability. The 

strengthening of the SCO should, for example, not be 

perceived in the West as a geopolitical rival, but a future 

partner to manage multipolarity. It is in the long-term 

interests of Euro-Atlantic structures, EU, OSCE and 

NATO, to be complemented by other international 

organizations like Shanghai Cooperation Organization 

(SCO), EEU, OTSC, CIS, OIC in order to stabilize the 

Eurasian continent. 

CONCLUSION 

The Central Asian states are at a very early stage of this 

new cooperative and collaborative process, which represents 

a significant break from their recent past history of 

competition and conflict. This is the very reason they need 

support from their partners, since the stakes go far beyond 

the borders of Central Asia. 

It is time for the European nations to take advantage of 

the potentialities of the multipolar world. Western Europe 

and Central Asia therefore, have a common interest in 

deepening their links through bilateral and multilateral 

relations. Innovative thinking regarding a new geopolitical 

architecture at Eurasian and global level is a condition 

for enlarging their respective margin of manoeuvre and 

achieve a better balance of interests through Euro-Asiatic 

cooperation. 

In a multipolar world where tensions rise in many parts 

of the globe, success stories are important and should be 

strongly supported and encouraged by European countries. 

Dr Pierre-Emmanuel Thomann, 

Geopolitician, President of Eurocontinent

Karl Holmqvist 

Time To Put Your Foot Down 


Varanasi, India, 2017 




The “Time to put your foot down” text originally appeared on a sticker I made concurrent to the Utopia Station exhibition at the 50th Venice Biennial in 2003 

With these words came a picture of the sole of a shoe. It wasn’t clear however whether this was a left or a right shoe and also whether this phrase was meant 

as ironic or affirmative ... It introduced an element of ambiguity that no doubt is there for this installment when appearing as a stenciled text on the ground of 

the cities of Varanasi and Santa Marta ... Who is meant to put their foot down and where!? And, against what? … Could it be one thing only or several things? 

… Or, maybe everything haha … 

41

SLAVONIC EUROPE 

THE TIMELESS TOGETHERNESS 

OF MIND & EMOTION 

“The idea of HUMANITY and BROTHERHOOD is 

a gift from the Slavs to the entire world civilization.” 

Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk (1850-1937) 

42 

SLAVONIC EUROPE (SE) is a European project aiming 

at establishing a Slavonic cultural movement at an 

international level. It started in autumn 2015 in Brussels 

and intends to give subsequently back to the world 

civilization what seems to have disappeared in our time: 

The contemporaneity of Mind and Emotion which are 

the basic pillars of what the Czech Slavonic philosopher, 

sociologist and politician Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, whose 

80th anniversary of death is commemorated this year, 

called Humanity and Brotherhood — mutual respect and 

mutual solidarity between human beings on Earth. 

These features represent one of the specific characteristics 

of the Slavs and the Slavonic culture all over the world. 

It is equally close to arts as it is to science and is the driving 

force of the SLAVONIC EUROPE movement. 

It breaks the first ground in Europe, the continent where 

the Slavs have their historico-cultural roots. The name of 

the movement covers both the spirit and the place of origin. 

At the same time its ambition is to reach out far beyond: 

the movement intends to establish an international network 

for cultural cooperation amongst Slavs on global level – 

the INTERNATIONAL NETWORK FOR SLAVONIC 

COOPERATION. 

Being addressed at around 360 million Slavs around the 

world, SLAVONIC EUROPE is — culturally and historically 

speaking — a unique initiative. On the European continent it 

covers 13 Slavonic nations with approximately 312 million 

inhabitants reaching all over Central and Eastern Europe: 

Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Slovenia, Croatia, 

Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, FYR of Macedonia, 

Serbia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. 

By highlighting this extraordinarily rich culture and the 

cultural identity of the Slavonic peoples this initiative 

constitutes in itself an autonomous value. In times of 

rising disintegration and apparent political and social 

decomposition within the European Union this project 

strives for making its contribution to strengthen European 

cohesiveness via the integration of the Slavs — the biggest 

ethnic and cultural group in Europe. 

Concretely, SLAVONIC EUROPE is focusing on three 

main objectives: 

1. REINFORCE the links between the 13 Slavonic 

countries on a cultural basis in Europe but as well 

with the many people of Slavonic origin living in 

other parts of the world 

2. MAKING the richness of the Slavonic culture 

MORE VISIBLE. Showing its abundance and 

diversity by visualizing the underlying common roots 

at the same time 

3. Contribute to the construction of a BRIDGE 

between East and West by means of communication 

and mediation in our difficult and troubled times. 

The SLAVONIC EUROPE movement has explicitly chosen 

a bottom-up approach that puts the European citizens again 

in the centre and revives by this the old Slavonic idea of 

HUMANITY and BROTHERHOOD. It is an alternative 

plan to the top-down approach of the Schuman Plan of 

the 1950es, focused on states and governments, that still 

applies in the European Union. 

SLAVONIC HOUSE 

SLAVONIC EUROPE will be based on one solid pillar 

that will form its basis of action and create multiple 

synergies: The SLAVONIC HOUSE. It will be the core and 

at the same time ‘the face’ of the SLAVONIC EUROPE 

movement, the central spot of its implementation open to 

all citizens. As the nucleus merging the different aspects of

To: David Chmelik david.chmelik@slavonic-europe.org 

oh ja natŸrlich. 

the project the SLAVONIC HOUSE will form the beating 

hearth of the SE movement. As the place where the three 

main objectives mentioned above will be implemented 

and where the project will unfold its varied activities the 

SLAVONIC HOUSE will provide a home to all Slavs — in 

a physical form in a fully integrated architectural structure 

in Brussels but also by means of virtual 3D visits on the SE 

website. 

INTERNATIONAL NETWORK FOR SLAVONIC 

COOPERATION 

This parent house will be established and developed in 

Brussels being the headquarters of the SE movement which 

will have its branches founded successively around the 

world: The SLAVONIC HOUSES all over the globe will 

form the backbone of the INTERNATIONAL NETWORK 

FOR SLAVONIC COOPERATION. 

The map shows the scale and geostrategic dimension of 

the future International Network for Slavonic 

Cooperation. 

CONCLUSION 

The idea of Slavonic identity and togetherness will only 

persist and be a legitimate one, if the Slavs have something 

new to give to the world — something which is enriching 

and contributes to the world’s progressive positive evolution 

towards HUMANITY and BROTHERHOOD. It is in this 

broad international context that SLAVONIC EUROPE as 

a worldwide cultural movement strives for giving home and 

shelter to all Slavs around the world — and adding to the 

inner driving force of a better and finer civilization over 

the globe. 

DAVID CHMELIK 

David CHMELIK is the founder and president of the 

SLAVONIC EUROPE Association. 

Born in 1968 in Kladno/Czechoslovakia, he studied 

classical (Latin & ancient Greek) and German philology 

and at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, 

Germany and mathematical economics at the universities 

of Berlin (FU) and Bonn (RFWU), Germany. 

From 2005 to 2016 he served as a permanent official at 

the European Commission in the Directorate General of 

Budget being seconded in the framework of the Czech EU 

Presidency in 2008-2009 to the Vice Prime Minister of 

the Czech Republic. 

and around the world on cultural grounds and, at the 

same time, as a contribution to an alternative European 

unification attempt based on culture as the connecting 

power — a new Slavonic bottom-up approach to societal 

integration. 

SLAVONIC EUROPE asbl 

Rond-point Schuman 2-4, Levels 5 & 6 

1040 Bruxelles, Belgium 

T +32 2 403 36 37, www.slavonic-europe.org 

Being founder and president of the Belgian-German 

Club in Brussels (BGC) in 2011 and of the European 

Club Prague (ECP) in 2012, David Chmelik initiated 

the SLAVONIC EUROPE movement in Brussels in 

autumn 2015 with the explicit objective of fostering 

and strengthening the Slavonic togetherness in Europe 

43

INTERVIEW WITH H.E. DR. HARRY 

H.J. TSENG, AMBASSADOR — TAIPEI 

REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE IN THE 

EUROPEAN UNION AND BELGIUM 

The Republic of China, the official name of Taiwan, 

has recently appointed a new Representative to 

the EU and Belgium — Ambassador Harry Tseng, 

an experienced and savvy diplomat with a strong 

academic background. Before assuming his post 

in Brussels, Ambassador Tseng served as Deputy 

Secretary General in President Tsai Ing-wen’s office, 

and as Deputy Secretary General in the National 

Security Council. 

We understand that President Tsai Ing-wen has 

brought a lot of changes to Taiwan since she took 

office in May last year. What are the major policy 

changes that have occurred domestically and 

internationally and what is the significance of these 

changes? 

President Tsai Ing-wen won a landslide election victory last 

year, winning 56% of votes in a three-way race and leading 

the runner-up by more than three million votes. In the 

meantime, Madame Tsai’s party, Democratic Progressive 

Party (DPP) gained 60 % of seats in the Legislature, while 

the main opposition party, the KMT, secured only 31 %. 

The people of Taiwan have clearly given President Tsai a 

strong mandate to conduct her policies both at home and 

abroad. 

By mentioning the changes on an international level, I 

take it that you are referring to Taiwan’s relations with 

mainland China, or the cross-Strait relations, as Beijing has 

suspended official dialogue with Taipei since President Tsai 

took office on May 20, 2016, insisting that she must first 

accept the so-called ‘1992 Consensus,’ which implies that 

Taiwan is part of Beijing’s ‘one China.’ 

44 

Unlike her predecessor Dr. Ma Ying-jeou’s presidency 

(2008-2016), President Tsai has refused to accept the 

so-called ‘1992 Consensus’ due to that there is no written 

H.E. Dr. Harry H.J. Tseng, Ambassador of the Taipei Representative 

Office in the European Union and Belgium, receives Barbara Dietrich.

Sun Moon Lake in Nantou, Taiwan 

justification of the formula out of the meeting in 1992. The 

only thing we know for sure 25 years on is that there was 

indeed a gathering in 1992 in Hong Kong about the subject. 

President Tsai has never mentioned the ‘1992 Consensus’ 

during her presidential campaign, let alone accepting 

it after taking presidency. Instead, she stated that the 

changing environments in the Asia-Pacific region over the 

past years have presented a ‘new situation’ that both sides 

of the Taiwan Strait need to jointly face. The two sides 

need to jointly respond to a ‘new answer sheet’ and jointly 

consider a ‘new model’ conducive to peaceful and stable 

cross-Strait interaction. Therefore, the two sides should sit 

down and talk about issues of common concern as soon as 

possible, without setting any precondition. 

This year, Taiwan was unable to participate in 

the World Health Assembly (WHA), because of 

China’s objection. How is President Tsai Ing-wen 

and her administration going to deal with such 

obstructions from the Beijing government in 

the future? 

In my opinion, it is very unfortunate that the WHO 

Secretariat, under the pressure from Beijing, refused 

to invite Taiwan as an observer to the WHA this year. 

From 2009 to 2016, as a non-WHO member, Taiwan 

had participated as an observer at the WHA, meeting 

representatives and experts from other countries to 

exchange best practices and share experiences on issues 

that concern the health of everyone in this global village. 

We all know that disease heeds no political borders. It 

is absurd that Taiwan, a country of 23.5 million people, 

with comprehensive and advanced medical and health 

system and claiming high-level scientific expertise, is being 

excluded. 

WHO is an ideal forum for Beijing to demonstrate its 

goodwill to people of Taiwan, yet unfortunately it is not 

the case. In addition to our absence from the WHA, we 

encountered obstacles in our efforts to participate in all 

technical meetings under the WHO framework. Take this 

current year for example, since the beginning of 2017 we 

have applied to participate in 18 technical meetings, and 

clearly due to the pressures from China, only 4 of our 

applications were approved. 

In Taiwan, we have an advanced and comprehensive 

national health system that we are very proud of. Promoting 

health is an issue we can make our due contributions. We 

will continue to call upon support from the international 

community and, at the same time, we are eager to share 

45

Oolong Tea garden at Alishan in Chiayi,Taiwan 


global responsibilities and offer our experiences by joining 

international efforts in humanitarian aid and disease 

prevention, among many other things. We believe that as 

long as we walk in the path of virtues, we would not truly be 

left alone. 

However, China should also stop strangling Taiwan’s 

international space and forcing the marginalization of 

Taiwan in the international community. I believe the leaders 

on either side of the Taiwan Straits have the will and 

wisdom to address the difficulties. 

It is clear that Taiwan and China have different 

views on several topics. Do you think that the views 

of the two sides will evolve over the years? 

President Tsai has reiterated in her National Day address 

on 10th October that, in dealing with mainland China, our 

goodwill would not change, our promise to keep the status 

quo would not change, and that we would not revert to the 

old path of confrontation, yet we would surely not submit to 

external pressures. 

As I mentioned earlier, we hope that Beijing will soon 

resume bilateral dialogues with Taipei, and that both sides 

can together create a new model to handle cross-Strait 

relations. For decades now, the two sides have dealt with 

each other and managed their ties basing on an established 

model and guidelines. However, in view of new international 

situations, we should consider if there is a need to examine 

these old practices and mindsets. 

What is the content of President Tsai Ing-wen’s 

‘New Southbound Policy’? 

We call it the New Southbound Policy, because there was an 

‘old’ Southbound Policy under former President Lee Teng-hui 

around 20 years ago. There are different concerns and 

strategies involved in this new policy now, and it focuses 

more on people, rather than on markets. 

It’s a people-oriented policy, as over the past two decades, 

Taiwan has become home to many immigrants from 

Southeast Asia, a lot of whom are married to Taiwanese 

partners, and with a second generation speaking both 

parents’ mother tongues and growing up learning both 

parents’ cultures and traditions. These young people have 

helped form a natural bridge between Taiwan and several 

countries in Southeast Asia, and they could help us better 

understand and engage more with this emerging new 

market. 

46 

Taiwan is a ‘responsible stakeholder’ of the international 

community. We will not react in a way that could escalate 

tensions or damage the peace and stability in the region. 

Also, by providing scholarships and visa-waiver treatment, 

our government is trying to encourage more people from 

the Southeast Asian countries to come to Taiwan, creating

Beautiful landscape of sea level reflections and people’s silhouette in Gaomei wetlands, Taiwan 


more and more people-to-people exchanges and dialogues. 

With the New Southbound Policy, we hope to develop closer 

and stronger relations with the region from the bottom-up, 

even though some of the beneficial effects of this policy may 

not be immediately visible, we believe we are moving in the 

right direction. In fact, we have been seeing enthusiastic 

responses from quite a few ASEAN countries. Industrial 

and business leaders from Taiwan and southeast Asia are 

beginning to reap the benefit of our New Southbound Policy. 

Mr. Ambassador, we know that you have been a 

career diplomat for most of your life, and this time 

you were appointed by President Tsai Ing-wen 

to take on the role as Taiwan’s Representative 

in the EU, Belgium and Luxembourg. What do 

you expect to achieve during your posting here? 

Furthermore, how would you like to see Taiwan’s 

relations with the EU grow? 

Before departing from Taipei in May, I had an audience 

with President Tsai to seek her instructions. She talked 

about promoting and strengthening trade and economic 

relations between Taiwan and the EU, attaching great 

importance to a bilateral investment agreement, or the BIA. 

The BIA will be important and beneficial for both Taiwan 

and the EU. In 2017, the accumulated European investment 

in Taiwan reached US$43 billion, making the EU the 

largest source of foreign investment in Taiwan, while the 

accumulated Taiwanese investment in the EU amounted 

to only US$6.7 billion. A BIA will not only motivate more 

Taiwanese business to come to invest in Europe, but will 

also provide better investment protection for European 

business in Taiwan. We hope to start a formal BIA 

negotiation with the EU as soon as possible. 

However, our relations with the EU are more than just 

an economic one. There are common concerns on 

security, cyber-security and defense issues. Look at the 

confrontations in East Asia, the reckless actions of North 

Korea not only threatens South Korea, Japan and the US, it 

threatens our civilization. In a world where cyber space has 

connected every player, the EU cannot stay outside of the 

crisis. If the situation in East Asia gets out of hand, there 

will also be serious repercussions for the EU. Therefore, the 

EU should pay more attention to, and try to engage more 

with the region, and play a more proactive role to encourage 

dialogues that help keep the regional peace and stability. 

What do I expect to achieve during my posting here? 

I want to make as many friends as possible, and I would like 

to share my knowledge about Taiwan with my European 

counterparts. I hope that more and more European people 

will get a better understanding of what’s happening in our 

part of the world, and vice versa, I would like to introduce 

Europe to more people in Taiwan. We are living in the same 

global village. Taiwan is a small country, but there are many 

things we can do to contribute, and to continue to be a 

worthy member of the international community. 

47

EVERY YEAR, THE NATIONAL DAY RECEPTION HOSTED BY THE TAIPEI 

REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE IS SAID TO BE ONE OF THE BEST IN TOWN 

H.E. Dr. Harry H.J. Tseng, Ambassador of the Taipei Representative Office in the European Union and Belgium, hosted a reception at the Residence Palace in 

Brussels on 10 October, celebrating the 106th Anniversary of the Republic of China (Taiwan). 

48

season 2017 — 2018 

Le Duc d’Albe 

Gaetano Donizetti - Giorgio Battistelli 

from 17.11.17 

opera 

Falstaff 

Giuseppe Verdi 

from 13.12.17 

opera 

Ravel/Debussy 

Cherkaoui - Verbruggen 

from 21.12.17 

ballet 

Faust 

Jean-Christophe Maillot 

from 20.01.18 

ballet 

Pelléas et Mélisande 

Claude Debussy 

from 02.02.18 

opera 

Parsifal 

Richard Wagner 

from18.03.18 

opera 

Selon désir 

Foniadakis - Nijinski - Clug - Lock 

from 31.03.18 

ballet 

La clemenza di Tito 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 

from 06.05.18 

opera 

Memento Mori 

Cherkaoui - Shechter - Forsythe 

from 12.06.18 

ballet 

The Gambler 

Sergey Prokofiev 

from 13.06.18 

opera 

Kati Heck, Courtesy Tim Van Laere Gallery, Antwerp 

www.operaballet.be 

49

The Magnificent Tuscan Wines 

of Vini Franchetti 

In the previous edition of Diplomatic World, we covered the story of 

the exquisit Etna wines of Andrea Franchetti, one of Italy’s most fascinating, 

poetic and contrarian winemakers. We now invite you to take a closer look at his vinyards of 

Tenuta di Trinoro in Val’Orcia (Tuscany). 

50 

Andrea Franchetti is one of Italy’s most fascinating winemakers, 

bringing his intuitive and poetic worldview to the way he makes his 

wines. Located in a remote corner of southeastern Tuscany, Tenuta 

di Trinoro specializes in rich, age-worthy red wines made of 

Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot. 

The 200-hectare estate sits in viticultural isolation in the Orcia 

Valley near Sarteano, where Tuscany meets Umbria and Lazio. 

Owner and winemaker Andrea Franchetti acquired the property 

in the 1980s. In the beginning of the 1990s he started planting 

his first vines. The most important thing he learned was the role 

of the terroir. He saw, in the rough woodland that would become 

Trinoro, clay-limestone and gravel soils reminiscent of those in 

Saint-Émilion. Only select parcels were suitable for vine-growing, 

amid a sea of blue clay, and those he cleared by hand and planted 

in the style of the Bordelais: high-density, meter-by-meter plantings, 

with cuttings brought over from some of the region’s great estates. 

Tight planting, high thinning, very low yields, extreme ripeness, 

and concentration of flavor characterize his winemaking style. The 

wines are highly perfumed and opulent, at once approachable 

and meant to be left to develop in the bottle over time. Placed 

under a mountain, Tenuta di Trinoro has a mosaic of soils. The 

vines, densely planted, are more than twenty years old and, with 

their extended root system, they have become able to render 

a distinct taste from every terrain of the estate. 22 hectares are 

under vine, planted between 450 and 600 meters on southwestern 

facing slopes. Cabernet franc and merlot dominate the plantings, 

with small parcels of cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot on the 

perimeter. 

FROM SUDDEN FROST IN THE SPRING TO EXTREME 

DROUGHT IN SUMMER 

Viticulture in almost all of Italy is considered a process where every 

year a natural bounty is offered because God loves the owner. A 

small percentage of wineries see the soil of their property as the 

holy key to a unique wine and spend the year doing everything they 

can think of to produce the best possible fruit from it. 

This year the Franchetti 

vinyards of Tenuta di Trinoro 

suddenly had frost in May 

for three nights. The wine 

maker lit wood fires every 

twenty meters in the plains; 

the thick low smoke freed the 

high pressure in the vines. 

Compared to all the burned

and bare valley bottom vineyards in Chianti the freeze was very 

minor, so the vineyards ended up as tall and green as any year. 

The freeze of the spring passed over a land that was already 

completely dried out, as from December through the beginning of 

August, it has not rained. 

‘It has been 45 degrees Celsius, and a copper light has been dancing 

in the distance above the clay earth. For the drought as well as for 

the freeze, the remedy comes at night. The leaves open their pores 

in the darkness. So for 60 days, fifteen people slept during the day 

in order to go spraying water on the foliage every night from two to 

seven in the morning when the pores are open and the plants can 

suck in the water.’ 

“After this work, the entire estate shows its green vines against the 

stunning skies, fields encircled by dark trees and sparkling, golden 

light. I walk above it, thinking it looks like a little opera, something 

precarious, its setting about to collapse, the stage about to crumble 

into dust.” Andrea Franchetti says. 

Of all his wines, the flagship Tenuta di Trinoro provides the greatest 

insight into Andrea Franchetti’s approach to winemaking. The 

proprietary blend of cabernet franc, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, 

and petit verdot grown on soils of limestone, alluvial plain, and 

clay changes each year based upon which grapes are the best from 

that vintage, wed not to any predetermined recipe, formula, or 

even flavor profile. This Super Tuscan wine showcases the distinct 

terroir and grapes from this remote estate at the furthest confines 

of viticulture in 

Tuscany. Franchetti’s 

distinct style is 

apparent throughout 

each wine and each 

vintage. Richness and 

structure, depth of 

flavor and complexity — 

these are the hallmarks 

of Andrea Franchetti’s 

wines. 

TENUTA DI TRINORO, THE FLAGSHIP 

YOUR VINI FRANCHETTI DISTRIBUTOR FOR 

BELGIUM: BOUTIQUE BARRIQUE 

The Antwerp (Brasschaat) based wine store Boutique Barrique 

has the honor to distribute the wines of Vini Franchetti 

in Belgium, Luxembourg and The Netherlands. For more 

information you can contact Mr. Steven Hubrecht, owner of 

Boutique Barrique. 

Bethaniëlei 16, Brasschaat 

m. +32 476 27 57 32 

info@boutique-barrique.be 

WEBSHOP 

www. boutique-barrique.be 

51


DR. NOËL K. TSHIANI MUADIAMVITA 

We want to create an environment in which the 

Congo can grow and develop and in which the 

Congolese can gain dignity and live better. By doing 

so, we want to create opportunities for everyone, not 

only the Congolese. I see opportunities for the rest 

of the humanity. 

We have to be flexible in order to deal with all 

the challenges and changes that lie ahead of us. 

How do you feel change will affect the Democratic 

Republic of the Congo? 

Exactly. Especially for a country like the Congo. Changes 

are inevitable, because despite the abundance of natural 

resources, the Congo is one of the poorest and least 

developed countries in the world today. When going to the 

Congo, you will find that the population is basically taken 

hostage in its own country. The poverty is very visible on 

the street; 85% of the active population is unemployed and 

there is no basic infrastructure. People living in Belgium 

or in other European countries sometimes don’t see the 

importance of some things, but when you live in the Congo, 

less than 10% of the population has access to drinking 

water, electricity and telecommunication services. With 

85% of the population being unemployed, the currency 

of the country is completely worthless, to the point that 

almost everyone is now using the American dollar instead 

of the Congolese franc. Because having Congolese francs, 

means having no stability. 

the moment. Something must be done and I don’t know 

what can be done immediately. I am preparing myself to 

participate in the elections via a normal procedure. We’re 

not even sure when those elections will take place or if 

there will be transparency. This is the situation of today. 

The question remains, how can we solve this? 

I suppose everything starts with new elections, 

as a first step? Do you have any idea what will be 

possible, regarding the elections? 

Yes. The constitution of the Congo is very clear: it says that 

the term of the president is 5 years and renewable one time. 

Mr. Kabila has exhausted his last second term in December 

of last year, because the elections were not organised on 

time. We had a dialogue between the opposition and the 

52 

What you have today could be worthless tomorrow and 

what you have tomorrow could be worthless in a week. 

So, as a means of protection, the Congolese people use 

the American dollar. The political situation is so tense, 

that insecurity is generalized throughout the country. 

Have you heard about the 80 mass graves that have been 

discovered in the centre of the Kasai Region where people 

were killed and put in those mass graves? Sometimes you 

start wondering why those security forces are even there. 

You don’t know if they are the killers or the one protecting 

the people from being assasinated. So, to make a long 

story short, the Congo is in a very difficult situation at 

Dr. Noel K. Tshiani Muadiamvita

Bruno Devos, Dr. Noël K. Tshiani Muadiamvita and Barbara Dietrich 

presidential majority, facilitated by the catholic bishop. 

An agreement was reached which guarantees a one year 

extension to the presidential majority to have a transition 

of power of one year, and to organize the new elections 

in a transparent manner. However, today, it is not clear 

we are actually going to have a new president on the 31st 

of December 2017. It is almost impossible to organize an 

election with the remaining time. 

So, the question is, how do we go from here? Again, we 

are calling upon the international community to work with 

the people of the Congo so we can have elections within 

the agreed time frame. However, if that is not the case, 

we will be willing to organize a transition after December 

31st. A transition means that those who are responsible for 

the political blockade, which has prevented the political 

elections to be organized, should step aside. This means 

that president Kabila and those who are supporting him 

and who have been involved in the delayment of the 

political process, should step aside so we can have a new 

team. We will have to determine who will be a part of this 

new team. This team will organize a new transition and, 

during the transition period, make sure the elections take 

place as soon as possible, without president Kabila and his 

people. 

Let’s suppose there is a planning and an official 

date for the elections. Do you think the elections 

will be democratic? 

Well, we know what has happened in the past. In the past, 

in 2011, elections took place and two men challenged 

each other; Mr. Tshisekedi, who passed away not long 

ago, and Mr. Kabila. The two got to the final round of 

the presidential election. Many people believed that 

Mr. Tshisekedi actually won the elections. It was quite 

strange; the closer we got to the last days of campaigning, 

Mr. Tshisekedi was prevented from having meetings in 

Kinshasa. In addition, the ending of the voting period was 

not respected everywhere. In some of the provinces, like the 

Katanga province, there were claims that not everyone had 

voted. They went to South Africa to print additional ballots, 

brought them back and allowed people to keep voting until 

after the official closing date. Then, it was proclaimed that 

president Kabila was the winner. Questions were raised 

about the democratic and transparent process. 

Based on that experience, I’m afraid that, if we go through 

the elections under the same conditions and with the same 

people, we might end up having the same results. So, again, 

I’m calling on the international community to use all the 

leverage they have to help the people of the Congo to have 

53

54 

a transparent process. The place to start is determining 

the composition of the National Electoral Independent 

Committee, which organizes the elections. We believe that, 

today, the elections are not independently organized. 

They are affiliated with the presidential majority and 

they do things which do not seem to be very credible. 

For example, the number of registered voters in some 

of the provinces has grown considerably, which raises 

suspicions. In the Katanga province, for example, the 

number of registered voters this time has increased by 41% 

in comparison to 2011. Or, for example, in the Sankuru 

province, the number of registered voters in 2017 has 

increased by 280% in comparison to 2011. Where are those 

people coming from? 

In addition, and this is a key aspect, Kinshasa is considered 

to be the most populated city of the Congo. Suddenly, 

according to the new figures released by the CENI 

(Commission électorale nationale indépendante), the 

former Katanga province has more people registered than 

Kinshasa. We believe that the list of registered voters must 

be audited in order for us to trust the figures we have access 

to. The question is, can it be done in time? It must be done 

early enough, so it doesn’t delay the process even further. 

But then again, can we even go to the elections with a list of 

registered voters that raises suspicions? Those are the key 

issues we need to address. 

You will be an independent candidate. How do you 

feel about the other candidates? 

For the time being, I’m still working for an international 

organization and because of that I have not been involved 

in any political parties in the Congo. There are a lot of 

parties I am happy not to be associated with. Did you know 

that the Congo has around 700 political parties? There are 

just too many, and it becomes difficult to understand which 

party stands for which vision and what the differences 

between the parties are. So, as far as I’m concerned as a 

technocrat, I have taken the time to write my development 

vision for the country in my book The Force of Change. My 

development vision is called the Noël Tshiani’s Marshall Plan 

for the construction of the Congo, of which I will give you 

some more details. 

I started by writing the vision and I tried to mobilize the 

Congolese people, first to the people who followed the trails 

of the diaspora but then also in the Congo, who shared the 

same vision. And I believe we have reached a critical mass 

of people, not only Congolese intellectuals in the diaspora. 

We share the same vision and we believe that this vision 

can drastically transform the destiny of the country. 

I would like to invite the other competitors, members of 

the opposition, of whom I don’t know what their vision is, 

to put their development vision also on the table. In that 

way, we can discover if we have common ideas and we can 

choose the best possible candidate among us who could 

become the presidential candidate. We are not there yet, but 

for the time being, each of us is acting on our own, speaking 

to our own audience. 

You mentioned there are around 700 different 

political parties. What is the reason for this and 

what is the history behind it? 

In the past, the Congo was a one-party state under Mobutu. 

He had the so-called MPR movement, or the Mouvement 

Populaire de la Révolution. Whether you liked it or not, 

you were a member of that party. People rebelled against 

it and asked for a multi-party system. Mobutu agreed to 

this kind of system in 1990. The people didn’t want the 

number of parties to be limited to 3, as Mobutu wanted. 

The people disagreed and asked for a full multi-party system 

and democracy and wanted to be completely free of any 

restrictions. Mobutu gave in and let everyone who wanted 

to have their own party, have their own party. So, parties 

were created on multiple scale. There were some national 

parties of course with a national base, but at the same time, 

there were a lot of purely family-based parties. You could 

create a party with your wife, children, cousins, in-laws and 

go to the government to get registered and get permission. 

The number of parties started to multiply exponentially 

and quickly around 700 parties were created. I personally 

don’t know the differences in ideology between those 

parties, even the largest ones in the country. I think the 

high number of political parties in the country is a problem 

rather than a solution. We need to think about reorganizing 

the system after the elections. 

Let us go back to your independent vision, the Noël 

Tshiani’s Marshall Plan. Do you think it would 

be possible to come to an agreement with other 

parties? 

Yes, I do believe it is possible. As a matter of fact, I am 

involved in discussions with some of them now and they 

have heard me present my vision on television, in the 

newspapers, in my published book, etc. Everyone has access 

to the information and can read about it. Some of the 

parties and political leaders have called me. For example,

the late president Tshisekedi loved this vision. I met 

him, I gave him my book and I gave him a presentation 

of my vision and he told me: “This is what the country 

needs. At some point, it will become important for us 

to implement this vision, because it’s the best vision 

I have heard of since I started my political career”. 

It’s very unfortunate that he passed away. I still have 

excellent relations with some other parties including 

Mr. Tshisekedi’s former party. I believe that, today, 

some parties are willing to get together with us to find 

a common ground and to determine how we can work 

together as we approach the elections. 

From experience, we know that it’s usually 

about money and power. 

Exactly. It’s about money and power and everyone loves 

both. But at the same time, as far as I’m concerned, 

I have a big vision for the country. I would like to see 

the country work out its problems of today and the 

only way to do that is for us politicians to set aside our 

personal ambitions. Such as, the desire to become rich, 

the desire to have power. Instead, we have to think about 

the interests of the country and its population. With this 

vision, I’m trying to fundamentally transform the fate of 

the country and of the population by addressing the issues 

that the country is facing. What are these issues? Insecurity 

throughout the country, for example. We want to create a 

stable nation. Unemployment is an issue. 85% of the active 

population is unemployed. We want to create the conditions 

for a vibrant economy, which could create opportunities for 

everybody. The country is underdeveloped, which means 

that the basic infrastructure is not there. In a large country 

like the Congo, which has the size of Western Europe, you 

will find that the length of paved roads is only about 24.000 

kilometers long, which is very limited. 

You can not go from the West to the East or from the South 

to the North using the road system. You can not travel 

through the country using the railroad system, because it is 

obsolete or it doesn’t exist. You can not even use air travel 

easily, because the airports here are very dangerous since 

they are so outdated and the aircrafts are not very safe. 

We need to put the Congo back on track by developing a 

comprehensive agenda which addresses these issues one by 

one. Another issue is the environment for the private sector 

development; we cannot attract quality investment today, 

because the country is very bureaucratic, the justice system 

isn’t functioning, the state only exists by name, etc. There 

are many issues within the institutions themselves. 

Road and railway network to be built as part of the Noël Tshiani’s Marshall Plan 

for the construction of the Congo. 

The institutions are just not there. The country seems to 

be dependent on individuals, instead of being dependent 

on institutions. We need to build those institutions to 

strengthen the rule of law. In addition, how good are 

the natural resources of the country for us? Before and 

after independence, we are following the same model; we 

ship all our raw natural resources overseas, transferring 

all the jobs overseas and leaving the Congolese people 

unemployed. So, we need to change our vision, accelerate 

the industrialization of the country for local transformation 

of those local resources into finished goods within the 

country itself. By doing so, we will first create jobs for our 

own people. At the same time, we won’t do all of those 

things alone. We will work together with other countries 

and the international community and we will attract the 

best companies from Belgium, from France, from the U.S. 

to invest in the Congo. By doing so, we will not only create 

jobs for the Congolese, but also for the Belgians, for the 

French, for the Americans, for everybody. 

Is it possible in Congo today to make statements 

like: I have a dream? Will the person who says it be 

credible to the people? And could this person have 

the potential to implement it? 

Yes, indeed, I have a dream. My dream is very simple: 

I want to transform the Congo into a stable, prosperous and 

equitable country, able to create opportunities for everyone. 

And with everyone, I mean young and old, men and women, 

55

56 

Congolese and foreigners. The Congo has the potential to 

make this dream come true, because it is one of the richest 

countries in the world. There is so much wealth in the 

Congolese ground of which we are not taking advantage. 

The Congo has 1100 raw materials and precious metals, 

worth approximately 38.000 bn dollars. Today, we barely 

use 30 of these 1100 precious metals and raw materials. 

There is a lot of materials we could use to improve the 

living standards of the people living in the Congo today. 

The Congo has 125 million hectares of arable land, which is 

good for agriculture. Today, we barely use 5% of this land, so 

there is a huge potential to further develop our agriculture 

and by doing so, feed everyone in the country, in the rest of 

Africa and even export the food. The Congo has a potential 

of 135 million hectares of forests. The trees in our forests 

have a tremendous impact on the environment in Congo, 

and in the rest of the world. We barely use 1% of our forest 

land. We have hydroelectric potential, 100.000 megawatt of 

hydroelectric power. Today, we barely use 1700 megawatt 

and we don’t even have electricity in most of the country. 

If we would, for example, exploit the Grand Inga Dam, we 

would have enough electricity for the whole of the Congo 

and Africa, and we could even export electricity to Western 

Europe. The Congo has a potential water reserve of 53% with 

good water, which is a 15% share of the water in the world. 

My dream is to transform all those natural resources into 

wealth, which can benefit the people of the Congo along 

with the rest of humanity. It is feasible, if we have peace, 

stability and the right men in the right place. It is feasible 

if we work out a system with good governors and we start 

investing heavily in our human capital, meaning giving 

the people a proper education, maintaining their health 

and feeding them properly. Then, we must develop good 

relations not only with our fellow African countries, but 

also with the rest of the world. 

You have the potential to be the heart and 

the lungs of Africa. 

We don’t only have the potential to be the heart of Africa, 

we are the heart of Africa. The Congo lies in the centre of 

Africa, with an equal distance to North and South. If we 

can jump start the economy of the Congo, the rest of Africa 

will be jump started. We have the means to do that by 

creating a vibrant economy in the centre of Africa. 

One thing I want people to really understand about the 

implementation of the Noël Tshiani’s Marshall Plan for the 

Congo is that we are not only trying to solve the problem 

of the Congo. Of course, the wellbeing of the Congo and 

the Congolese is my primary responsibility, but we can’t do 

this alone. Every opportunity we create for the Congolese 

people, is an opportunity for the rest of the world. 

For example, we want to develop a road network, a highway 

network and a railroad network to link all the provinces in 

the country together. We don’t have the technology to do 

all of those things by ourselves. We will have to rely on our 

relations with private companies in Belgium, in France and 

in the United States. By trying to solve the problems of the 

Congo, we are at the same time solving part of the problems 

in the rest of the world. 

What will you do to solve that problem? If we try to 

implement this programme in the Congo, we will also call 

upon the Belgian government and the Belgian private sector 

to give us some workforces. By doing so, we are solving the 

unemployment problem both in the Congo and in Belgium. 

Same goes for France and for the United States. So, there is 

a way of working on the development from which everyone 

benefits. 

At an international level, which continents are 

most interested in collaborating? Do you have 

preferences in this regard or would you say that 

some partners are more committed than others? 

I have found that there is a great interest in collaborating 

with the Congo. The interest comes primarily from the 

historically traditional bilateral partners, like Belgium, 

France, the U.S. and Canada. But I found that there is also 

interest coming from new partners, like Asian countries 

such as China, Japan and South Korea. Also from other 

African countries and Latin American countries. In my 

opinion, the world has become a global village where 

people are interconnected. When choosing who to 

collaborate with, we are of course drawn to work with our 

historically traditional partners. At the same time, I will 

stress that there is a place for everyone, for Belgian, French, 

American, Canadian and Asian companies. We have to 

make sure that we don’t only do the right thing for the 

Congolese people, but also treat our partners with dignity 

and work transparently, so we can create an equal balance. 

Today, we have to fight a lot of wars. Sometimes, 

they are real wars. At the moment, the situation 

within and around the Congo’s borders is very 

tense.

Shack village by the Congo river, Democratic Republic of Congo. July 2015 


Some of the tension within the Congo is related to the 

tension around the borders. I believe that one country 

cannot concentrate on developing if it is constantly at 

war with its neighbour. So, I want to put the past behind 

us and start a new relationship with the neighbouring 

countries. I would like to create an environment of trust 

and a working relationship with all nine neighbours. We 

have had our differences, and we are not going to heal 

them overnight. But I’m willing to work with every single 

country surrounding the Congo to create a security zone 

for all of us, so we all feel comfortable and our resources 

are not spent on fighting a war. Instead, our resources will 

be spent on common development. The Congo will have 

to develop, and so will the other countries. 

They will have to create opportunities for their people, 

just like we do. Then, we can all develop at the same time. 

In the context of the Marshall Plan I’m presenting, there 

is one component about building the major infrastructure 

within the country, like the road network and the railroad 

network. When looking at the map we have prepared 

for that, you’ll see that you cannot develop those road, 

highway and railroad networks to go from one place to 

another if they have to suddenly stop at the border. The 

networks have to continue in the surrounding countries. 

Thus, the impact of the implementation of the Marshall 

Plan in the Congo is going to be felt in all surrounding 

countries. We have to think about our bilateral relations, 

in terms of regional integration, so we are all growing and 

not pushing each other down to climb up. This results in 

tension between countries and wars in some cases. We 

have to work together. 

Do you think it is feasible to address all these 

issues with the future leading team in the Congo 

and the international community? And the 

population itself? 

I believe we don’t only need a critical mass of people, 

but we need to mobilize literally everybody. This is why 

I have been spending a lot of time with the diaspora in 

Belgium, France, the U.S., South Africa and Canada, 

and the people in the Congo. I will be going to places 

where there are a lot of Congolese to try to get them 

to understand that this vision isn’t mine alone. It’s the 

vision for the country. If we will implement it, it will 

transform the country for everyone and not only for me. 

So. it’s very important to mobilize both Congolese people 

in the diaspora and in the Congo. In addition to that, I 

57

58 

believe we have enough natural resources to implement 

this massive development strategy. For example, out of 

the 87 million Congolese, 8 million live in the diaspora. 

These people have had access to a better education, better 

expertise, employment in different industries and sectors 

of the economy. 

They are medical doctors, pharmacists, engineers, 

architects, and so on. They are basically our pool of 

expertise, waiting for the employment opportunities in 

the Congo. So, we are going to rely on mobilizing the 

diaspora, who are going to join the people living in the 

Congo. Inside the country, we have a very good pool of 

workforces. They will make a good team. If we cannot 

find the expertise in the internal group or diaspora of 

Congolese, we will not be ashamed to call upon the 

expertise of foreign countries. We want to make the 

Congo a melting pot, just like the United States, bringing 

together the best people and using them for development, 

by creating opportunities for the Congolese and 

foreigners. 

When looking at the past, this could be 

considered a naive vision. 

I will tell you the difference between the past decades 

and today. When the Congo became independent from 

Belgium, we had one person who was in the first year of 

college. Congolese people were not educated. We have 

also made tons of mistakes since our independence until 

today. The system we had, did not allow the Congolese 

to be trained and prepared to lead the country. Today, 

thanks to the bilateral relations between the Congo and 

foreign countries, people like me who come from the 

Congo could get a scholarship from the government to 

come and study in Belgium. I went to school in Liège, 

in Grenoble, in New York and in Harvard. I acquired 

enough knowledge and expertise to be able to think 

differently than people in past decades. Today, we have 

Congolese that are qualified, ready to be deployed for the 

development of the country. 

And I am not alone. There are around one million people 

like me. I know many people in the United States, in 

Canada, in South Africa, in Asia that are ready to be 

deployed for the development. We are going to correct 

the mistakes we made in the past as we move forward. We 

don’t want to look back at the past. It’s important for us 

to look to the future and we are ready to take the Congo 

to a higher level than the one we are at today. 

Also, it’s all planned out. I didn’t just randomly scribble 

down this idea in my bedroom. It’s based on practical 

experience. After my studies, I spent 35 years working in 

an international environment. I worked 10 years with firstclass 

commercial and investment banks in Europe. I spent 

25 years working on development at the World Bank. Mr. 

Abdou Diouf, former president of the Republic of Senegal, 

wrote a testimony in my book The Force of Change. He 

didn’t just write it out of the blue, he wrote this based 

on what we have done to develop his country together. 

Senegal is a better place today compared to what it used 

to be, partly due to my contribution to their economy. 

Mr. Abdou Diouf acknowledged that. If I could do it for 

a country like Senegal, why couldn’t I do it for my own 

country, the country that has invested so much in me? 

I want to give you another example, namely Cape Verde 

in the West of Africa. When I helped them design and 

implement a development strategy, the gross domestic 

product per capita was 170 dollars. Today, 20 years later, 

the gross domestic product per capita in Cape Verde is 

4500 dollars, which means it has been multiplied by 26 in 

20 years. The Congo has more national resources, a larger 

population and a bigger country. If I would realize the 

same thing as I did in Cape Verde, we will multiply the 

GDP per capita in 15 to 20 years by 30 to 50. This means 

that we are going to lift up the Congo from the group 

of the lower-income countries to the group of mediumincome 

countries in 15 years. 

I believe it is possible as well. I do, however, feel 

there is an incredible sense of urgency, especially 

in regards to the explosive internal situation. 

I suppose the time to start is now? 

Yes, the time to start is now. Someone asked me not 

long ago if I should wait for this plan to be implemented 

until after the elections, if I win them, or if I should 

start implementing them right now with the help and 

participation of all my compatriots. The answer is, 

because of the urgent need of the country, that we should 

start implementing it right now. This means that we will 

go through the transition implementing this Marshall 

Plan, and after we finish the transition when we have the 

democratic institution in place. I’m advocating to split 

it up, meaning that we should implement one portion of 

the plan today, and another portion of the plan after the 

elections. I think we have to identify the people who can 

do that during this transition, but also after the transition, 

because it is very urgent.

City Center of Kinshasa - the capital of DRC - circa September 2008. UNICEF mission against tetanus. 

© shutterstock 

Premier Michel recently included a paragraph in 

his speech in the United Nations about the Congo 

and wanted to address the critical situation. 

What is your opinion on the relationship with 

Belgium? Do you think we could do better? Of 

course there is a shared history between Belgium 

and the Congo, but I’m referring to the current 

relationship. 

I believe that we have a historical relationship that cannot 

be changed. In the Congo, we keep referring to the 

Belgians as our “uncles”, so it’s a bit of a family affair. I, 

for one, have the advantage of being born in the Congo 

and then having had an education in Belgium. I always 

feel very comfortable when I come here and I always try 

to find the time to go to Liège, which is my home province 

here in Belgium. Whenever I go to Liège and visit the 

university there, I feel at home. That being said, I have tons 

of good Belgian friends and colleagues who I work with 

here in Belgium from the ministry of foreign affairs, from 

the private sector, banking, etc. I feel very good about the 

relationship we have had in the past and I am confident 

that we can improve that relationship even further, which 

would benefit the people of the Congo and the Belgian 

people. 

That’s why I keep coming back to the implementation of 

this Marshall Plan. We are going to draw on that historical 

relationship with Belgium. On the map of the Congo, the 

basic infrastructure I’m advocating for is a network of 

roads, highways and railroads to link all the provinces of 

the country. The railroads don’t even exist yet. 

This is a massive reconstruction programme. In 

addition to that, we want to build around 400 modern 

cities throughout the country, which would need basic 

infrastructure, meaning: schools, hospitals, an airport, 

administrative offices, and so on. We will build a metro 

system in the main cities like Kinshasa and Lubumbashi. 

The Congolese don’t have the expertise to build this in 

the Congo. Belgium will be the first place where I will 

pass by to knock on the door. I will call upon the Belgians 

and remind them that we have a common history; if you 

help us, you are helping yourself too. So, come work with 

us, bring along the private sector and let’s improve the 

cooperation and the bilateral relationship. However, in 

that process, we have to realize that things have changed: 

we must be in the driver’s seat, because we have designed 

our development strategy and you are coming to help 

us to implement this strategy and talk to others in the 

international community to attract more attention to the 

59

Congolese plan and vision. At the same time, we keep our 

sovereignty and you keep yours, and we maintain our good 

relations. 

the rule of law and institutions so we are less dependent on 

individuals. The second pillar of the strategy is promoting 

good governance and the efficient use of public resources. 

60 

I know many Belgian people that are related to the 

Congo. They always keep going back, it’s like they 

have lost their hearts there. Most of these people 

also have a historical link with the Congo, and are 

now between 50 and 75 years old. I believe it would 

be good to use these people who still have the fire 

for the Congo in their hearts. 

Absolutely, I have also met many people like that. Their 

lives are linked to ours. I encourage them to work with us, 

so we can have a better Congo, opening doors to them and 

to everybody else. In addition to the people who have lost 

their hearts in the Congo, I will tell you about a different 

type of people I have met in Belgium: young Belgian people 

born in the Congo, and who have come back to work in 

the public administration and the private sector. It is their 

country too and I welcome them as I would welcome 

anybody else, from France, from other countries, who 

might have a connection with my country. They are good 

spokespersons, wherever they are. They will always defend 

the cause of the Congo, and they will always want the 

Congo to do better than it is doing today. 

I read about the different pillars you want to use in 

the Marshall Plan. Can you elaborate on that? 

When drafting this Marshall Plan, I was concerned about 

the current situation in the Congo. Even though we have 

all these natural resources I mentioned earlier, we are one 

of the poorest and least developed countries in the world. 

There is a disconnection between our wealth and our 

status today. I believe that, in order to resolve the issues 

of unemployment, create development, reduce poverty, we 

must have a very clear vision and a very clear strategy. 

I am not proposing any cosmetic reforms which would leave 

the problem unresolved. I am proposing a 15-year Marshall 

Plan, which can fundamentally transform the country in 

different sectors. The Marshall Plan is anchored in 10 

pillars. These are the following: first, we must promote 

peace, security, rule of law and put in place democratic and 

functioning institutions. How can we do that? 

We must reform the army, police and security services, so 

they are protecting the borders and the Congolese citizens 

instead of oppressing them. We will set up a major program 

to restructure this institution. Then, we will set in place 

The Congo, as I have said before, has tons of natural 

resources, but today, 85% of the mining revenues don’t go 

to the national budget. This means that they go to private 

pockets. This means that only 15% goes to the national 

budget. We must restructure this governance system so we 

can claim all those resources which are lost, and use them 

to increase the national budget and so finance development 

projects. By doing so, I have determined that we can 

increase the budget from 8 billion dollars today to about 

72 billion dollars within a foreseeable future of 5 to 6 years. 

These extra revenues and resources will be used to finance 

development projects. The third pillar of the strategy is 

to invest in the human capital, meaning in the Congolese 

youth, men and women. How can we do that? 

By restructuring the education system so we can train the 

people so we have workforces that are well educated and 

well trained. By revamping the health care system, we need 

to invest in modern hospitals, well-trained doctors and 

nurses, so that when we get ill, we don’t have to take the 

plane to get medical treatment in Belgium, but instead get 

it in our own country where the majority of our people 

live. Nowadays, when a public official gets ill, he takes the 

plane to Belgium to seek treatment. However, 99% of the 

population does not have access to the same facilities. This 

must be changed, so that we have a normal functioning 

system, accessible to everyone in the country. We need to 

have enough well-trained doctors and nurses, so we can 

respond to the needs of the population. I will also introduce 

something which does not yet exist today: a universal 

medical insurance system, meaning that everyone with 

access to this system gets a card and when they get ill, they 

can go to any doctor in the country with this card and get 

medical treatment. 

This system will partly be founded by means of contribution 

from the private sector, and will, in time, be financed by the 

national budget. Within the education system, I intend to 

do for the Congolese youth what the Congolese government 

has done for me. I became what I am today because of 

the scholarship I got from the government. It covered 

not only my primary and secondary education, but also 

my university until I received my PhD. I am going to give 

scholarships to the Congolese youth, so they have access to 

education.

Zongo Waterfalls of the Congo River near Kinshasa. 


Everyone in the Congo, until the age of 17, has to go from 

elementary school to high school, free of charge in case 

they don’t have the money to study. 

Food sufficiency will be realized by developing the 

agriculture, fishery and livestock. Then, we can start in the 

Congo to produce food for the Congolese and feed them 

so they are in good health like anyone else. 

The next pillar of the strategy is to put in place a good 

environment for the private sector for development, 

because I believe that the government cannot do it alone. 

We must create a good environment not only to attract the 

investment from overseas, but also from the Congolese 

diaspora and the Congolese from the Congo. We can 

do this by removing the obstacles for private sector 

development, making it easier for private companies to 

be created and developed within the Congo in a legal, 

transparent manner. 

is going to be stable and can guarantee the purchasing 

power of the population. At the same time, we are going to 

restructure the economy and the currency. The currency of 

the Congo today is worthless, because 95% of the economy 

uses the U.S. dollar. We will restructure the national 

currency so that it keeps its value and by doing so, we 

are going to raise the revenue and keep it in the country 

instead of transferring it overseas. It is also going to allow 

the central bank to conceive and implement a credible and 

independent monetary policy. We are also going to revamp 

the franchise system. Today, we have about 20 commercial 

banks in the country which are all owned by foreigners, 

such as Lebanese, Pakistani, and so on. I have nothing 

against them, but where are the Congolese in this story? 

I believe we need a system with Congolese shareholders 

and at the same time also banks owned by foreigners who 

might have partnerships with the Congolese. In that way, 

the franchise system we have would also address the needs 

of the local people and the international economy. 

The next pillar of the strategy is to put in place a national 

financial system, which will include the restructuring of the 

central bank, which should become an independent bank 

like the Bundesbank, which can conduct an independent 

monetary policy and generate a strong currency which 

We are going to establish institutions like the deposit 

insurance cooperation, which means that when people have 

deposits in the bank and the bank goes bankrupt, their 

deposits will be covered by an insurance company. These 

measures will promote the confidence in the franchise 

61

62 

system and in the banks. Also, we would provide securities 

to everybody. I would like to introduce what I call “the 

Kinshasa stock exchange”. What is the purpose of this? 

The current system allows foreign companies to hold all 

of the shares of some major Congolese companies. When 

they decide to sell, they sell, for example, to the Chinese. 

But how can someone like me, a Congolese shareholder, 

buy shares from the companies of my country? By having 

the stock exchange, those companies will be listed in the 

register of the Kinshasa stock exchange, which means that 

any Congolese who wants to become a shareholder can call 

his or her broker and buy the shares to participate in the 

national wealth. So, these are the reforms in the franchise 

system. The next pillar of the strategy is to develop labour 

intensive infrastructure, such as roads, highways, railroads, 

airports, national parks, schools, public hospitals and so 

on. We will build about 400 more cities throughout the 

country. 

By doing so, we will create jobs for the Congolese. This 

is a country where everything is still left to be done, so 

it doesn’t make sense that people are unemployed. We 

have to create opportunities for the Congolese people to 

participate, and if they don’t have the skills, we will bring 

people in from outside of the Congo. The next pillar is 

to accelerate industrialization. I already mentioned that 

this involves our natural resources. We want to create a 

system to attract foreign investment to mingle with the 

Congolese private sector and we will transform some of 

the raw materials into semi-finished and finished goods 

in the country itself. By doing so, we will create jobs for 

our people but also creating opportunities for those who 

are coming to help us. The next pillar is about human 

resources. Where will we find them? I already mentioned 

we will look for the human resources in the Congo itself, in 

the diaspora and if we can’t find the expertise, we will bring 

in the international experts and the international private 

sector to work with us. Finally, where will we find the 

finances for this programme? I have estimated the cost of 

this programme at 800 billion dollars over 15 years. 

Most of the money will come from fighting corruption, 

because the Congo generates revenues, but those revenues 

go into private pockets. The place to start is to fight 

corruption, to bring those revenues back and put them in 

the national budget. By doing so, we will reduce the need 

to borrow from outside the country. We will, however, keep 

working with the international community, the foreign 

investors, the bilateral and multilateral donors. 

Out of the total cost of 800 billion dollars, 600 billion dollars 

will come from the internally generated revenues, which 

would be an average budget of about 45.3 billion dollars per 

year. Then, about 3 billion dollars per year will come from 

bilateral and multilateral donors, which is the current level I 

want to maintain. The final portion will come from the direct 

foreign investors, about 75 billion dollars over 15 years. This 

means we will have an annual increase of about 3 to 5 billion 

dollars a year, because we are going to stabilize the country 

and we are going to create a good environment for the private 

sector, also from outside the country. So, the summary is: 

680 billion dollars coming from internal resources, 45 billion 

dollars from bilateral and multilateral donors and 75 billion 

dollars from direct foreign investment, making it a total of 

800 billion dollars over 15 years. 

If you compare that to the potential revenues of the 

country, it’s quite limited. 

Yes, in that way I’m being very conservative, because I don’t 

want to scare off the people. The Congo is going to take off 

in a bigger way, because once we have a stable institution 

and we have good leadership with a good vision, you will 

see that people will come knocking on the Congo’s door 

to come and invest. But, in general, we will raise more 

revenues; fiscal revenues, mining revenues, from different 

sources. The national budget of the Congo will increase 

tremendously. To give you an idea: Angola, a neighbouring 

country, had a budget of 66 billion dollars in 2015. South 

Africa has a budget of 125 billion dollars this year. 

It makes no sense that my country, the biggest in Africa 

with all the natural resources, has a budget of only 8 billion 

dollars. Something is wrong. We are going to restructure the 

functioning of the state, of the governance system to make 

sure that all the revenues go to the national budget and are 

used to develop the country. 

Can you be optimistic about the corruption in the 

country? 

Congolese are not corrupt by birth, nor is any other human 

being on this earth. The system has created an environment 

in which corruption can exist. The current system goes like 

this: if you have a job, you work all day from morning until 

evening, 30 days per month, 365 days per year. And at the 

end of each month, you get paid 50 dollars, but you’re living 

cost is, say, 1000 dollars. 

What choice do we have then but to be corrupt? Everyone 

knows that when you pay a person very little, you put them

Food market in the outskirts of Kinshasa. 

 


Beautiful lake in Democratic Republic of Congo. 


in a position where they need to find a way of surviving. 

I’m going to introduce change in the system which is 

going to discourage any kind of corruption. These changes 

are the following: I’m going to introduce the minimum 

wage system. This means that, when a person works, the 

minimum salary that anyone can be paid in any sector will 

be 1000 dollars a month, at the least. 

This takes into account the cost you have to pay for your 

rent, the mortgage, to send your children to school, to get 

good health care for your family, and even to save some 

money but still being able to live. This nice salary is not 

just a bonus. The idea is that, once you get paid well, 

you have to work hard for it. If you are caught stealing 

or being corrupt, you will be taken to court. We have to 

restructure the court system, so that justice is dispensed in 

a transparent manner and is the same for everyone. 

The people who stole or are corrupt, will be judged and 

when found guilty, will go to jail like everyone else. I, even 

as head of state, will not intervene to get them out, even if 

they are my close associates. Once these people get out of 

jail, their names will be published in the official magazine. 

They will be known throughout the country as corrupt 

people and they and their families will be ashamed of it. 

Another repercussion is that these people will never be 

able to work in public administration ever again. They also 

cannot participate in any events that are sponsored by the 

state. So, basically, after they get out of jail they will be 

outcasts and an example for all the other people. 

This way, they will know I’m serious about it. I’ve never 

been corrupt, and I’m going to change the country by 

showing everybody that I made it without being corrupt. 

We need to educate the people, pay them appropriate 

salaries and treat them properly. However, when someone 

makes a mistake, the judicial system needs to take care 

of him or her. I think that, over time, this will eliminate 

corruption in the Congo. 

How about gender equality in the Congo? 

53% of the Congolese population is female. Today, 30% of 

the positions in the public administration is reserved for 

women. I think that is problematic. I want to establish a 

system in which all men and women are treated equally. 

What would help is reserving equal treatment in terms of 

education and employment. However, if they are not up to 

the level, we need to provide them with additional training. 

Scholarships, leadership trainings, and so on. We want all 

men and women to be treated equally and to have access to 

the same opportunities in the country. Rwanda, for example, 

has done something spectacular: women in their parliament 

represent almost 60%! I want to give those opportunities to 

the Congolese women as well, not as a favor just because they 

are women, but because they are equal developing partners. 

Is this also accepted by the families? 

I think our people are more and more educated and see 

things differently than they did in the past. So, the more we 

educate our people, the more they become sensitive to the 

fate of everyone in the society and the more they will move 

away from the traditional values that suggest that women 

should remain in their kitchens instead of being at the 

discussion table. It doesn’t mean that a women can’t still 

go to the kitchen and help out when she’s working. Today, 

men and women perform the same kind of tasks at home. 

I believe it’s a matter of education and showing the people 

that we want the society to change. 

63

64 

Everything you have explained so far makes a lot of 

sense. What could be holding us back to make all 

of these changes? 

As I said, the past is the past. I said that back in 1960 the 

people were not prepared to lead the country. And I look 

at our four heads of state, for whom I have a great deal of 

respect, because they ran the country at different stages 

in history. 

None of our heads of state had a college education. The 

situation today is the consequence of the leadership of 

unprepared people. I salute their efforts to get us to where 

we are today, but things have changed. There are a lot of 

very well-educated Congolese who have a lot of experience 

and who have lived in civilized societies, who know how 

things are being done throughout the world. I think these 

Congolese should be encouraged to return in big numbers 

so they cannot only manage the country at top level, but 

also change the way the country functions so we can avoid 

to make the same mistakes of the past. Congo will never 

be the same again. So, the things I say today are logical, 

because I’ve had the chance to see how other societies 

are organized and are evolving. I would like to go back to 

contributing to make the Congo just as good as Europe, the 

United States, and so on, but at the same time keeping our 

traditional values alive. 

Because we don’t just want to mimic what is happening in 

other countries. The Western countries have their good 

sides, but also their bad sides. We have values which make 

us African, and Congolese. I want this to continue, but 

at the same time, I want to create a condition in which 

everyone can grow within the society and has access to 

different opportunities. 

Sometimes I find it hard to define the Belgian 

identity of today. This might have to do with the 

fact that Belgium is a very complex country with 

a lot of history. Do you think that the 87 million 

Congolese share an identity today? 

Of course. There is a very strong Congolese identity, in 

part thanks to president Mobutu who has put in a lot of 

time and energy to establish the Congolese national pride. 

The Congolese feel Congolese in the first place. When I 

meet Congolese people, I don’t even need to know where 

they are coming from. The fact that they’re Congolese is 

enough for me. I never ask where they are from. We are all 

first and foremost Congolese. So, the national identity is 

there. Having a shared national Congolese identity doesn’t 

mean that we all come from the same part of the Congo. 

We have tribes, we have provinces, we have ethnicities and 

we have 450 ethnic groups. These ethnic groups have their 

cultural differences and have a wealth of experience. I think 

that this is very positive and contributes to the diversity of 

the country. Look at the United States, everyone speaks the 

dialect of the state they come from. 

There are black Americans, white Americans, Irish 

Americans, and so on. But they feel American first. And I 

think that, in the Congo, whether you are Muluba, Bakongo, 

Mungala or Swahili, without even mentioning the other 

smaller groups, it doesn’t matter where you’re from. The 

most important thing is that we are all Congolese. The 

national identity is there, and we will put in a lot of effort 

to strengthen our national identity, so that the image of the 

Congo as a country can shine and flourish. In the Marshall 

Plan, we do want to promote the cultural identity and the 

image of the Congo. We want to make sure that everyone in 

the Congo stays the way they are to keep and promote their 

cultural identity, without impeding each other. Congolese 

music is a very good indicator of cultural identity. 

For example, when the Bajuga people sing, everyone knows 

they are from the Kasai province. It sounds very nice, all 

the Congolese people love it. I’ve been to some wedding 

celebrations in the Kivu province, and it’s great to see they 

have their own way of dancing, and so on. I would need a 

bit of time to learn how to dance with them. 

In other words, this is part of what the Congo is and we 

need to promote the diversity. We need to make sure that 

all ethnic groups are equal, and at the same time make 

sure that we keep seeing the bigger picture: we are all 

Congolese. 

It would be interesting to establish an organization 

promoting the Congolese cultural diversity abroad. 

There is, after all, a universal language of culture. 

Yes, that is very important. It is something that is already 

being done, and on which will be focused in the future. 

For example, the Congolese music is one of the best in the 

world. However, Congolese music is very diverse. People 

sing it in Lingala, in Swahili, and so on. 

The dances are also all different and can indicate where the 

dancers are coming from. We need to package and sell this 

cultural wealth on an international scale in order to build 

the Congolese image and identity.

Bonobo on a tree branch. 


We must be present in shows. I brought along a singer to 

the conference I attended yesterday, Olivier Tshimanga. 

When he sings, people don’t ask where he’s from, they 

know he’s Congolese. We have to find a common ground to 

promote the image of the country, having the government 

assist our citizens in their own field, so the image of 

the Congo is improved and not only internally, but also 

internationally. 

In Brussels, The Royal Museum for Central Africa 

is a first-class centre for scientific research on 

Africa. Institutions like RMCA and Bozar are 

potential partners for you in the future. 

A lot of Congolese history is present in Belgium. I am 

more than willing to work with Belgium to try to put 

all these cultural aspects at the disposal of everyone in 

Belgium, the Congo and the international community. 

There are a lot of things which have disappeared from 

the Congo which have been brought over to Belgium, 

things the Congolese people don’t even know about. By 

improving the cultural relations between Belgium and the 

Congo, we can work together to give everyone access to 

this cultural and historical wealth. 

Would you like to add something else which we 

haven’t yet covered? 

A lot of people wonder if the outside world will support this 

massive reconstruction programme I have for the Congo, 

because it would take away a lot of things from those who 

are benefiting from the system today and give it back to 

the Congolese. I want to change that perception. We don’t 

try to fight against anyone’s interests. We want to create 

an environment in which the Congo can grow and develop 

and in which the Congolese can gain dignity and live better. 

By doing so, we want to create opportunities for everyone, 

not only the Congolese. I see the opportunities for the rest 

of the humanity. I see that the economies in the Western 

countries are stagnating, because they have developed so 

much and so fast. 

The growth today is very minimal. We still have a lot 

of growing potential, and you have the technology and 

expertise. I want to invite the international community, 

meaning governments and the private sector to realize 

what we want for the Congo. The bond between the Congo 

and the countries who have been historically working 

close with the Congo, like Belgium and France, can be 

strengthened this way. This would improve the lives of so 

many people, also in the rest of Africa. Because the plan 

goes beyond the Congolese borders. So, let’s work together 

in a constructive manner. I believe that, if we do so, we can 

stabilize not only the Congo, but the Great Lakes Region 

as well. The Congo together with its neighbours, counts 

280 million people. Together, we can stabilize the whole 

Great Lakes Region through development and the creation 

of opportunities for everyone, including the Europeans 

with whom, even though they live far, we want to maintain 

an excellent relationship. 

65

Kid carrying heavy wood near Kasangulu, outskirts of Kinshasa. 


What would be the impact of the Marshall Plan 

on the environment? What would be the impact on 

forests, animals, and so on? 

I have had the opportunity to work for the World Bank 

around projects with a potential impact on the environment. 

I am very careful and sensitive to this topic. In the case of 

the Congo, I know that acceleration of industrialization 

can mess with the balance. Exploiting the forests, for 

example to develop the wood industry, could lead to great 

deforestation. Building the roads could also have an impact 

on the environment. Any project that will be carried out 

in the framework of this Marshall Plan, whether it’s a part 

of the industrialization programme or the infrastructure 

programme, will need to be evaluated through theoretical 

research well in advance, to determine the impact on the 

environment. Only projects that don’t have a negative 

impact on the environment will be approved and carried 

out. If it does have a negative impact, specialists will 

propose adjustments to the project in order to mitigate the 

impact on the environment. For example, if we are going to 

make chairs out of the wood gathered from the Equatorial 

forest in the Congo, we need to make sure that the cut down 

trees are replaced by 2 or 3 new trees. 

population is safe. I notice that in Brussels, for example, 

there are barely any trees. We can learn from the ones that 

have accelerated the industrialization before us, like the 

Belgians. The environment is definitely something we will 

protect. 

I didn’t work out this Marshall Plan overnight. It took a lot 

of time. The first article I published on this Marshall Plan 

was in 2003. Each year, I have been talking to different 

people, Congolese people, people from other nationalities, 

and people from different sectors. This programme has 

slowly matured and has reached a stage where it’s finished 

and ready to be used to rebuild the country. 

I am just sad to see that, from 1960 until today, the Congo 

has been led without a vision. It’s like building a house 

without having a plan about how to build the basement, 

the first floor, and so on. The advantage of this plan is that, 

at least, we would have a vision and a plan, even though 

it might not be perfect. The plan is designed by us and if 

all the Congolese work together on it, the outside world 

will have no choice but to accompany us. Even if we make 

mistakes, it’s still our plan. 

66 

The impact on the environment needs to be minimal, 

because an accelerated industrialization is worthless if 

everyone is dying because there is no more oxygen. So, we 

are very careful with that. We need to make sure that the 

 

Bruno Devos & Barbara Dietrich

DR. NOËL K. TSHIANI MUADIAMVITA 

PhD International Economist, Commercial 

Banker, Private Sector Development 

Specialist; Author, most recently, of 

A Marshall Plan for Reconstruction of 

the Democratic Republic of the Congo 

A PREMIER PROFESSIONAL 

Dr. Noël K. Tshiani is a senior international official with 

three decades of experience at the World Bank, including 

as Head of Mission and Country Manager. 

He has worked globally, from Africa and Eastern Europe 

to the Caribbean and Asia. Dr. Tshiani previously served 

10 years with Citibank NA, Republic National Bank 

of New York; and JP Morgan Chase. As a World Bank 

expert, he co-chaired in 1997 the Monetary Reform 

Commission in Kinshasa, which devised the Congolese 

Franc to replace the Zaire currency. In this capacity, he 

insisted that the currency bear no effigy of a Head of 

State in office. 

EDUCATION 

Dr. Tshiani completed the New Managers Leadership 

Program at the Graduate Business School at Harvard 

University in Boston-Massachusetts, and holds a 

Doctorate in Economics with specialization in Banking 

and Finance from Université de Paris IX- Dauphine in 

France, a Master’s Degree in Business Administration 

(MBA) with concentration in Banking and Financial 

Markets from Adelphi University in New York, and a 

Master’s Degree in Economics from Université de Liège 

in Belgium. 

PUBLICATIONS 

Dr. Tshiani is the author of five books: 

Hard times call for special remedies: A Marshall Plan for 

Reconstruction of the Democratic Republic of the Congo 

(Les Éditions du Panthéon, Paris, 2016); 

The Power of Change: Building a stable, prosperous and 

equitable country (Les Éditions du Panthéon, Paris, 2016); 

The battle for a credible national currency (De Boeck, 

Brussels, December 2012); 

Vision for a strong currency (L’Harmattan, Paris, 2008); 

Building credible central banks (Palgrave MacMillan, 

Hampshire-UK, 2009). 

VISION 

Dr. Tshiani’s vision appears throughout his work: 

• In 1997, after co-chairing the currency reform 

committee, Tshiani disagreed with the Head of State 

over the new senior management of the Central 

Bank of the Congo. He predicted that the Congolese 

currency would lose value over time due to lack of 

the independence from the political leadership and 

poor economic policy options. In 2017, his prediction 

materialized: one Congolese franc was valued at 

US$0.72 in 1998 and is now worthless. Consequently, 

dollarization accounts for 95 percent of the country’s 

money supply. 

• In 2003, Dr. Tshiani launched the idea that the DRC 

needed a Marshall Plan to address its structural 

problems. He published in 2003-2004 two articles in 

the Paris-based Jeune Afrique Magazine: “A Marshall 

plan for the DRC” and “Hard times call for special 

remedies.” 

67

Luca Vitone 

Eppur Si Muove 

Flag 





68 

The wheel icon is taken from the flag of the Rom and Sinti populations as well as from the anarchic flag. It suggests the idea of libertarian nomadism, 

with no borders, which gives voice to our desire for roaming freely in every living space.

hear beauty, see beauty, hide everything else. 

STRONG IN AUDIO & VIDEO INTEGRATION 

ARE YOU CONTRUCTING OR RENOVATING? 

We take great care of perfectly integrating 

our audio- en video solutions in your home or 

professional environment. 

Therefore we work together with you, your 

architect or interior designer to deliver 

the necessary cabling plans, mounting 

dimensions & technical advice and to 

follow-up the construction site together. 

your needs. we are listening 

research & acoustic design 

Planning & project follow up 

Installation & configuration 

Personal contact 

full service 

Jan Mulsstraat 73 -75, 1853 Strombeek - 02 267 92 17 - info@fol.be - www.fol.be 

DIPOMATIC WORLD.indd 6 25/09/2017 16:56:21 

69

EUROJUST: SERVING JUSTICE ACROSS 

BORDERS FOR A SAFER EUROPE 

BY MICHÈLE CONINSX 

On the morning of 22 March 2016, Belgium was 

confronted with the deadliest acts of terrorism in 

its history. Two coordinated suicide bombings at 

Brussels Airport and Maalbeek metro station killed 

32 civilians and left hundreds injured. 

While the people of Belgium, Europe and the world 

were still trying to grasp what had happened, Eurojust’s 

National Member for Belgium attended an urgent national 

coordination meeting in Brussels to assist the Belgian Federal 

Prosecution Office with the cross-border dimension of the 

investigation and complex judicial cooperation matters. 

The investigation revealed a sophisticated terrorist network, 

with links to other Member States, the Paris attacks of 13 

November 2015 and other serious crimes and networks 

involving arms trafficking and forgery of documents. Once 

again it was confirmed that terrorists and perpetrators of 

serious organised crimes rarely stop at the borders of one 

country, and neither should prosecuting authorities. This is 

the raison d’être of Eurojust. 

ABOUT EUROJUST 

be arrested and transferred to the issuing state. The European 

Investigation Order (EIO), introduced in 2017, will allow 

French judicial authorities who are tracking terrorists hidden 

in Belgium to ask their Belgian counterparts to interrogate 

witnesses or conduct house searches on their behalf. Eurojust 

stands ready to assist in the facilitation and speeding up the 

execution of EIOs. 

One of Eurojust’s core beliefs is that it takes a network to 

beat criminal and terrorist networks. Therefore, Eurojust 

works closely together with other agencies of the European 

Union and networks of judicial experts, for example in the 

field of terrorism or cybercrime. Eurojust has also established 

more than 40 judicial contact points all over the world and 

welcomed Liaison Prosecutors from Switzerland, Norway, the 

USA and soon Montenegro. 

Eurojust is the European Union’s judicial cooperation unit. 

Established in 2002, the organisation now covers a territory 

of 500 million citizens with 24 different official languages 

and 30 different legal regimes. In July 2017, Eurojust moved 

to its new, custom made and permanent premises in the 

International Zone of The Hague. Under its roof, Eurojust 

brings together 28 National Members. They are prosecutors, 

judges or police officers of equivalent competence seconded 

by each Member State. 

70 

Eurojust’s role is to promote and strengthen coordination and 

cooperation among national authorities in the fight against 

terrorism and serious cross-border crime, by supporting the 

Member States in their investigations and prosecutions. For 

instance, Eurojust is often called to facilitate and speed up 

the execution of European Arrest Warrants (EAW) within the 

EU, ensuring that a criminal suspect or sentenced person will 

Michèle Coninsx, President of Eurojust

OPERATIONAL TOOLS AND STRATEGIC WORK 

To bring criminals to justice, there are two issues of 

importance: evidence and time. Evidence has to be 

concrete, obtained in full respect with the rule of law 

and shared in a timely way. Eurojust has several tools to 

ensure effective operational support. During coordination 

meetings, national authorities agree on a common 

prosecution strategy and plan simultaneous investigations 

and actions. Coordination meetings are a frequently used 

tool: on average, Eurojust organises one coordination 

meeting per working day. Since 2010, Eurojust also hosts 

coordination centres. They are a central hub for the realtime 

exchange of information as well as for coordinating the 

joint execution of judicial and law enforcement measures 

in different countries (including seizures, arrests, house 

searches and witness interviews). Finally, joint investigation 

teams (JITs) take operational cooperation to a whole new 

level. A JIT is comprised of judicial and police authorities, 

set up on the basis of an agreement between two or more 

Member States for a specific purpose and limited duration. 

The result is one team working for and on behalf of all 

concerned national authorities. Just last year, 148 JITs were 

supported by Eurojust. 

In addition to these operational activities, Eurojust also 

contributes to the European Union strategy on internal 

security and judicial cooperation in criminal matters. As 

a centre of judicial and legal expertise, Eurojust analyses 

specific criminal phenomena such as Foreign Terrorist 

Fighters and develops guidelines, for example on how to 

decide which Member State should prosecute. 

PRIORITIES 

Eurojust’s competence covers a wide variety of serious 

organised crimes. For the period 2015-2020, terrorism, 

cybercrime and trafficking in human beings, including 

illegal immigrant smuggling, have been designated as 

priorities, in line with the European Agendas on Security 

and Migration. 

In 2016, Eurojust saw an almost five-fold increase in 

the number of requests from Member States to assist in 

terrorism cases compared to 2014 (from 14 to 67 cases) 

and this trend continues in 2017. Eurojust also plays 

an important role in making prosecutors aware of the 

challenges and best practice when it comes to bringing 

terrorists to justice. For instance, the Terrorism Convictions 

Eurojurst building 

Monitor provides an overview of terrorism-related 

convictions throughout the European Union, demonstrating 

what works and what doesn’t. 

As society comes to rely more and more on the Internet, 

the dangers posed by cybercrime have become very 

real threats. Large-scale attacks, such as the Wannacry 

ransomware attack of May 2017, are no longer limited 

to science fiction novels and Eurojust deals with a great 

number of cybercrime cases each year. Needless to say, 

prosecuting crimes taking place entirely in a digital world 

brings about a whole new set of challenges. How do you 

gather electronic evidence when it’s encrypted? And what 

framework do you need for cooperating with private parties 

such as Google or Facebook? 

The migration crisis, and in particular the efforts to 

dismantle the organised criminal groups behind smuggling 

and trafficking networks, represent another area where 

Eurojust’s support is crucial. One such case concerned the 

discovery of the bodies of 71 migrants inside an abandoned 

truck close to an Austrian motorway in August 2015. The 

investigations revealed links to Hungary, Germany and 

Bulgaria. Eurojust’s immediate support was requested 

in order to ensure an effective prosecution strategy 

and guarantee the smooth execution of procedures for 

transferring evidence from one Member State to another. 

FUTURE PERSPECTIVE 

In a complex world with increasing security threats, the 

European Union must stand together. The need for unity 

as Europeans — across institutions, states and peoples — 

has never been so urgent. Eurojust will continue to be the 

European Union’s leading partner in bringing criminals to 

justice and a key player in ensuring a more secure world. 

71

RAMPART OF THE NATION 

THE CHALLENGES OF 

MILITARY PROTECTION 

IN BELGIAN HOMELAND SECURITY 

Kenneth Lasoen, Historian, 

Intelligence and Security Researcher 

at Ghent University 

The terror visited on European cities by supporters 

of the so-called Islamic State for the last three years 

has seen terrorists bringing the tactics of urbanized 

insurgency to Western cities, where they exploit the 

openness and mobility of everyday life to perpetrate 

attacks that subscribe to the idea of violence for the sake 

of violence. The crude and predatory surprise tactics 

they adopt randomly target innocent civilians and figures 

of state authority such as police officers, in an attempt 

to instill daily life with fear and worry and challenge the 

traditional state monopoly of violence. 

Kenneth Lasoen 

72 

Civilization is once again embroiled in a war of nerves 

with the forces of barbarism. 

France and Belgium have responded to the threat 

with military protection since the attacks by Daeshsympathizers 

of 2015 and 2016. After having deployed 

the Belgian Army in early 2015 to guard high-profile 

locations, of which there are many in Brussels, the 

government expanded the operation to include more soft 

targets in the public space because of the attacks of 22 

March 2016 on the national airport and the Maalbeek 

metro station in Brussels. 

The operation, codenamed VIGILANT GUARDIAN, 

is based on a protocol between the Belgian Defense 

Ministry and the Interior Ministry that provides for 

military assistance to the Federal Police in guarding 

sensitive targets. The objective is to prevent, deter and 

defeat terror threats or aggression and provide assistance 

to the police including consequence management, 

by guarding and protecting targets in order to buy 

time for the police to intervene. The soldiers have no 

authority to act as a police force, but are governed by 

rules of conduct and effective rules of engagement. 

They are an essential addition to law enforcement since 

Daesh seeks to unleash murderous foes with a combatant 

mentality on unsuspecting civilians. While the police is 

trained in conflict management and restraint towards 

disobedient civilians, the military on the other hand is 

trained in the escalating use of force against force by a 

hostile element. The heavily armed OVG shield platoon 

consists out of a mixed team of specialists who each have 

their specific role were an incident to occur. 

These team members have had extensive military and 

medical training since the requirements for homeland 

security stemming from this elevated threat level are also 

capabilities trained for and perfected during overseas 

operations. Battle-hardened Belgian Army infantry units 

are well prepared for a counterterrorism mission since 

they are also deployed in volatile areas abroad where they 

have to deal with insurgents all the time. The infantry 

platoons in the Belgian streets and public places are 

attuned to complex warfare in crisis situations.

Brussels Airport 

©Shutterstock 

They are well trained in basic force protection which 

can be extrapolated towards protecting civilians, 

and are specialists in searching for dangerous items, 

defusing explosives, and mobility, countermobility and 

survivability, with the invaluable assistance of canine 

units. Extensive medical training has them prepared for 

the worst, which was clearly demonstrated when the 

soldiers at the national airport saved lives on 22/3 with 

their first aid kits. While imbued with restraint they won’t 

take nonsense from anyone and are well within their 

brief to act forcefully in close range combat and even 

lethally if so required. As the sum of their parts, they are 

a formidable obstacle to any hostile and the best response 

to the strategic advantage of attack the terrorists have. 

However, this additional homeland defense requirement 

poses challenges for the army. A great deal of issues 

involving human and material resources, operational 

and organizational constraints, and sustainability, 

have risen with this counterterror mission. The sheer 

number of soldiers marshalled to comprise the teams 

of adequate numbers to protect the sensitive points 

on a 24-hour watch posed great challenges, as well as 

providing the logistics and a daily supply chain that is 

just as complex at home as it is doing so for an operation 

abroad. The risk of the drainage of human resources 

and valuable experience for which there is no substitute 

could seriously impact the effectiveness and credibility 

of the Belgian armed forces in terms of manpower and 

international commitments. 

But there are opportunities as well. Fighting terrorism 

abroad and at home are pieces of the same puzzle. 

The Belgian Army and police have been doing a lot of 

thinking about optimization and rationalization of the 

mission to cope with the challenges of defending the 

home territory for an indeterminate time with maximum 

efficiency and effect. There are many opportunities to 

come at a different, creative, approach to the homeland 

security mission, that puts the experience and techniques 

of the soldiers to maximum effect, and leaves the 

operational initiative for the most part with the defender. 

A more pragmatic defense plan would also allow a more 

efficient commitment of resources so that they and 

other means can be put to better use and with greater 

effect. 

With its caliphate on the verge of collapse, Daesh will 

continue to attempt having its last convulsions in the 

West. Mere vigilance by static protection will not suffice 

to safeguard daily life. The current threat and the threat 

of tomorrow require a re-engineering of security and 

intelligence with reinforced cooperation mechanisms 

at the regional and international levels. This is a new 

reality that means living with an asymmetric foe, one that 

must be stopped by homeland security as an intricate 

and specific phase of joint intelligence/police/military 

planning; but the planning should go beyond guardposting 

and put the soldiers where they want to be: the 

front line. 

Therefore, rather than addressing a particular threat by 

having permanent static protection, strategy should be 

recalibrated towards arming society against what the 

threat can do with comprehensive, layered defence, while 

engaging the threat directly with what we can do to the 

threat actors. By innovation and improvisation can the 

fight be taken to the terrorists instead of waiting for them 

in the trenches. Taking the initiative by offensive and 

psychological operations will change the threat-response 

dynamic with a role-reversal that will turn those who 

torment us into the tormented. 

73

WE ARE LIVING IN A TIME OF A MATCHLESS FLOOD 

OF INFORMATION, AND THUS IN A TIME IN WHICH 

QUALITY OF INFORMATION GAINS IN TREMENDOUS 

IMPORTANCE 

Prince Michael of Liechtenstein 

Founder and Chairman of Geopolitical Intelligence Services AG, Vaduz 

(www.gisreportsonline.com / www.gisadvisory.com) 

With the rise of social media has come a new term: “fake 

news” — a term that has even made it into the German 

Duden dictionary. Fake news is either invented, factoidbased 

or manipulative information intended to mislead 

the recipient of the information. But is fake news a new 

phenomenon? The answer is no. Fake news is nothing more 

than an electronic version of rumour. 

Rumour — whether true, almost true or pure lies — exists 

from time immemorial. One source of rumour of which 

everyone is probably aware, is the so-called “Stammtisch”, a 

table men sit around drinking beers, exchanging information 

and gossip and discussing local politics. 

The later an evening becomes and the more beer is 

consumed, the more colourful the rumours become. 

In former times, rumour remained at a local or a regional 

level. Today, however, with all the social media instruments 

available, a lot of rumour is globalized and distorts 

information by taking the guise of news or, even worse, facts. 

We are indeed living in a time in which individual 

perceptions and hypotheses are more important than 

facts — a time in which fake news is part and parcel of 

everyday life. 

DIFFERENT TYPES OF INFORMATION 

There are a number of crises worldwide, most of them due 

to shifts in global power. And there are very different types 

of news and information that cover these crises. Breaking 

news provides information on events, such as the recent 

earthquake in Mexico. It is mostly a theme of the electronic 

media. Then there is commentary, which are an important 

part of the printed media. And then there is gossip, which is 

widely spread in electronic, social and print media. 

Then there is news that is either wrong or manipulative, 

distorts real facts and frequently gives rise to conspiracy 

theories. Sometimes, there are also facts that are just not 

reported properly; this might be for ideological reasons or 

for reasons of avoidance due to political correctness. And 

then, there are serious background information which allows 

one to understand a situation in its entirety, to realise the 

consequences of a situation and which highlight future 

scenarios. Such background information from genuine 

sources have become a very narrow niche and they are 

essential for decision makers in business, politics and 

academics in order to avoid misperception and misjudgement. 

GEOPOLITICAL INTELLIGENCE SERVICES 

74 

Fake news supports the tendency to judge based on one’s 

own point of view, which narrows the perspective. But, as 

mentioned above, some kinds of fake news have always 

existed. With the tendency to raise the importance of 

individual perceptions, fake news just has a wider, different 

reach today. And with modern technological means, it can be 

spread instantly across the entire globe. 

In 2011, I founded Geopolitical Intelligence Services (GIS). 

Driven by my own need for high-quality information, 

I decided to establish a system that provides useful, unbiased 

information that provides deep insight into relevant topics 

and highlights the geopolitical relevance and consequences. 

In our understanding, geopolitics translates the lessons 

drawn from historical legacy and geographical facts into

Search-by-region option facilitates navigation on GIS-website 

© Geopolitical Intelligence Services AG 

operational tools. It describes the shifting impact of 

dynamics in a multipolar world. It is also realism, beyond 

ideologies and preferred conclusions, in foreign policy, 

international relations and economics. 

Geopolitics in the way we at GIS understand it develops 

scenarios and fosters out-of-the-box thinking. We deliver 

scenarios based on probabilities. We do not just deliver a 

prognosis. We help clients to understand the rationale of 

the other side, put themselves in the shoes of their client, 

negotiating partner, opponent, etc. 

For example, a peace conference on the Syrian conflict was 

convened for January 2014. Montreux, Switzerland, was the 

venue for the initial peace talks and the drafting of a transition 

plan for Syria. These talks were bound to fail, as they began 

with the Syrian government and its main political opposition 

taking entrenched positions. President Bashar al-Assad’s 

government refused to participate in the conference, and 

some neighbouring countries were excluded, whereas some 

40 participants from different countries (representing quite 

unrelated parties) were included. What went wrong? 

First, important parties such as Iran where not invited. 

Second, in a successful peace conference, there may be no 

preconditions, because preconditions mean that at least one 

party will continue to fight. Third, the myriad of unrelated 

parties that were invited made efficient decision-making 

impossible. Finally, there was a misconception that continued 

through the Syrian conflict, while the real underlying causes 

were never considered. That is, the removal of President 

Assad was considered paramount. But shouldn’t the most 

important thing have been peace for the people in Syria? 

Such unfortunate situations have become common. 

EXPERTISE IS ESSENTIAL 

So, to make key decisions in politics and business, access to 

high-quality, unbiased background information is essential. 

GIS’s mission is to remain a privately owned, unbiased 

intelligence service that strives for the highest professional 

standards, so we can give decision-makers the advice they 

need. Hence, the crucial criteria for GIS are: 

- Objectivity 

- Expertise 

- Deep knowledge of background information 

- Competency and trustworthiness of sources 

- Information based on facts and figures. 

One key to GIS’s success is its network of experts. Wellversed 

experts from various countries and areas of expertise 

work for GIS, and each of them has their own, high-quality 

network of people. All of our experts have a proven track 

record in politics, economics, energy or security and 

defence. On top of that, they have a strong sense for future 

developments and how such developments will influence 

politics, the economy and society — and they have the ability 

to formulate potential scenarios. 

75

EVERY REALLY GOOD BUSINESS 

IS A SOCIAL BUSINESS, 

THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS 

Julia Prettl — 29 years old, CEO to 

THE COMBINATOR Inc. and Member of the 

board to the Prettl family foundation, head of 

the Prettl ImmoOffice, lawyer and responsible 

optimist — shares some thoughts with us during a 

ride on an electric car through the Principality of 

Liechtenstein. THE HUS.institute’s CEO and 

co-founder, Christopher P. Peterka, interviewed 

the young leader for Diplomatic World. 

Julia, it’s great to have you here in Liechtenstein. 

How are you today? 

I’m quite nervous. I don’t like to do pictures and interviews 

at all. But, as I like to quote: Do something that scares you 

everyday ... 

That’s interesting advice. Normally, people don’t 

like to be scared. Why are you fond of doing 

something scary? 

You always get something in return when you challenge 

yourself. You grow with it. And I think you don’t move 

forward if you don’t get out of your comfort zone and 

experience things you’re afraid of. 

76 

For your job you spend a lot of time travelling the 

world. You are very busy — how do you choose what 

to busy yourself with? 

I guess you could say that everything I am passionate 

about has something to do with helping people, with 

transformation for the better and sustainability. But I’m 

an entrepreneur and business women thoroughly, so it is 

very important to me, to only engage in projects that are 

economically sustainable — in other words, the project 

has to be profitable and work out by itself without being 

subsidized. I believe that in this way you can generate a 

bigger impact in the end. If you showcase a business model 

of doing good, you can generate a role model others are 

more likely to follow and being for-profit forces you to be as 

resource-efficient as possible. 

Julia Prettl 

So, you actively decide what you’re spending time 

and energy on by looking for attributes that are 

compatible with your moral concept? 

I believe it is our responsibility to question our actions 

and fully understand that everything we do has an impact 

on the world. I think decision makers and individuals in 

industrialised countries can easily examine and scan the 

institutions or projects in which they invest their money 

and time. In doing so, they should ask themselves what

Christopher P. Peterka, Julia Prettl and Barbara Dietrich 

their moral codex is — beyond existing cultural or social 

conventions. We should all act according to what we 

believe in and the best starting point for doing that is to ask 

ourselves: What do I believe in? What impact do I wish to 

see in the world? You should never think you can’t make a 

difference by yourself. 

Let’s define this strategy a little more. How do you 

check an investment? What do you look for? 

Rather than looking at impact reports or certificates, 

I look at the people and their mentalities, to see if they are 

ambitious entrepreneurs who are driven by values I can 

agree on. Because there is a lot of greenwashing happening 

as a marketing strategy — not only on numbers. As we say: 

only trust the statistics you faked yourself. But of course I’m 

doing due diligences and look at details, e.g. checking where 

materials come from and whether there is any indicator of 

land robbery or seriously unsustainable processes. 

If you could change something about the current 

economic situation — slaughter a holy cow — what 

would it be? 

I pick the “law of eternal growth”. Please can anybody 

explain to me why nowadays it’s the ultimate goal for 

companies to be able to eternally grow — exponentially, of 

course, without any sustainability in mind? There is not 

one example — neither in nature nor in economic history 

— that proofs exponential growth without sustainability to 

be a successful, economic model. If companies think they 

have to sell more products, they present their marketing 

tricks to consumers, suggesting that they consume more to 

make them happy. But salaries are not rising fast enough 

for all the consumption expected of us, so companies make 

their products cheaper and cheaper; they make smaller 

margins, so they have to sell even more products to make 

the same or better profits. In the end it leads to a vicious 

cycle when companies think they have to substitute the 

raw materials or expand to countries with less worker 

protection regulations, for example. There is no long term 

success if you harm the environment, human beings or 

animals without consideration of sustainability. We need 

to rethink the whole system! The concept of Minimalism, 

the circular or sharing economy are good examples of 

how mind-sets are already changing. Through these new 

digital-enabled models it’s possible to focus more on 

sustainability, make margins and grow without sacrificing 

on convenience. 

The world is changing. When you think of the 

Digital Modern Era, as we call these times, what is 

the most fascinating thing about it, that comes to 

your mind? 

77

I think that Digitization can be the key to a sustainable 

future if you don’t only consider digitisation as a 

method to optimize production processes. There are 

countless great opportunities. For example creating 

new value systems through blockchain technology and 

smart contracts or enabling access to education and 

information — preferably uncensored for everyone. But 

this could also lead to problems for our current political 

systems. When you think about fake news, for example, 

or the new way information is consumed digitally. You 

could say that the digitalization of media is one of the 

biggest challenges for democracy in this ‘Post Gutenberg 

Era‘. People aren’t watching the daily news on TV or 

read newspapers but are receiving their news feeds in 

echo chambers. Unfortunately a lot of people are more 

interested in Pokemon Go than in politics and misuse 

their smartphones and social media for entertainment 

rather than education. And with this evolution, the line 

between entertainment and news gets thinner and thinner. 

The question is really, if people will be more educated or 

responsible in the future, as public media will have hard 

times performing its educational task. 

Julia Prettl is looking for entrepreneurs that are driven by social and 

sustainable values. 

78 

Julia, you’ve been with THE HUS.institute, a 

think- and action-tank based here in Vaduz, for one 

year now — what’s your story? 

Everytime I come to Liechtenstein, I feel like I am 

meeting with friends and not like I’m doing my work as 

an advisory board member. We share the same values 

and even if we don’t have the same opinion on a topic, 

we totally tolerate and respect each other and that’s 

why I gained new friends so easily within this family of 

like-minded people. THE HUS.institute is a platform 

that connects people and ideas. It’s a vivid example 

of the Medici effect, where you have an intercultural, 

interdisciplinary exchange with immediate impact on 

everybody involved and I think that’s really important 

if you want to transform the world and solve problems. 

We have experts on very diverse fields like cleantech, 

architecture, energy, and data. Then we’ve got family 

offices and multinationals that really make an impact 

on the world; they prompt the think-tank be a real 

action-tank as they request interventions, not just talk. 

And then the third part of the community at THE HUS. 

institute are the creatives with whom we can devise 

crazy ideas where there were corporate rule sets before. 

It’s absolutely necessary to get the outside view and 

let whole new ideas arise when it comes to 

transformation. 

You recently took up on a new challenge. You 

are co-founder and CEO of a company called 

“The Combinator Inc” that is the result of your 

involvement with THE HUS.institute. Tell us a bit 

about this project? 

I think that businesses have a huge opportunity to make 

a change in the world — e.g. by helping to achieve the 17 

Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations 

— because they decide how energy is consumed, what raw 

material is used, how employees are treated, what products 

are offered, etc. It is time to foster the new generation 

of holistically sustainable, meaningful, and responsible 

corporations that embrace possibilities in the upcoming 

“shareconomy” concept and want to be successful in the 

long term. With “The Combinator” we do exactly that. 

Within this first year as an advisory board member of our 

think-tank, THE HUS.institute, I’ve heard about so many 

extraordinary people with amazing ideas and expertise 

and, when cross-linked and fused, “The Combinator” 

will establish outstanding and capable players who set 

the new status quo and show that the new era has begun. 

I’m convinced that it is the most important goal to find a 

purpose and value in life. So it’s wonderful to see how these 

people are not only working to make money but to use their 

talents to achieve something they believe in.

Talking about status quos: At least in the western 

world, organisations are heavily dominated by white 

senior men in leadership. What’s your opinion 

about diversity? Is that an important issue or is it 

overrated? 

I really think that “diversity is key”, as we say in THE HUS. 

institute, and when I advise companies I always tell them that 

they should diversify and employ people with different ethnic 

or educational backgrounds, from different genders and 

generations for their own advantage. In general, we should all 

stop comparing and start complementing each other. In this 

context I really like the Albert Einstein Quote: “Everybody is 

a Genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, 

it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” 

One aspect of diversity is gender. Do you think that 

female leadership is in any way different to male 

leadership? 

I think there are differences, of course. There are the 

common stereotypes that kind of define these differences 

and are often true on some level. But when I look at women 

in leadership positions I see a lot of very tough women and 

that is a reflection of what the economy and C-suite position 

levels are like. Women, historically, have had to be much 

tougher than their male colleagues to get into leadership 

positions. And I think that’s quite sad because women 

should vouch for their own leadership style or even personal 

characteristics, just like everybody should. 

THE HUS.INSTITUTE 

A Think- and Action-Tank based in Liechenstein. 

THE HUS.institute is a think tank to explore the 

transformation of the old economy into the Digital 

Modern era. We critically convoy decision makers 

on their way to the necessary shift in perspective 

and worldview supporting the digital transformation 

towards an economically and ecologically sustainable 

present and future. 

We consider ourselves a platform, both transdisciplinary 

and cross-generational, for family offices, industry 

experts, and creatives who like to believe that there 

is tremendous potential in the Digital Modern era 

beyond fear and greed. At THE HUS.institute we 

believe in humanity, open minds, and courage beyond 

any limitation of heritage, gender, religion or party 

political interest. 

THE COMBINATOR 

The Combinator is a for-profit catalyst for business growth 

and impact investment. The Combinator targets a business 

mindset that is driven by personality rather than ego, 

sustainable engagement rather than exit focus and follows 

the 17 SDG by the United Nations. For hand-selected, 

innovative and senseful companies it offers access to a 

highly diverse and impactful network of families providing 

access to distribution, sales, production, operational 

mentoring, talent and cash, if necessary. The Combinator 

is backed by family offices and a tank of experts for a wide 

range of operational expertise pools such as digitalization, 

production, distribution, sales etc. to tap into. The 

business model offers three alternatives depending on 

the intensity of our engagement: equity participation, 

revenue share or fixed fees. This cooperation is not about 

cashing out, it’s about bringing circular economy and 

sustainability one step further. 

79

“FACING CHANGE” 

is an ongoing column by senior media industry expert 

Dieter Brockmeyer. From now on he will throw a light on 

burning issues of our digitalization driven global societies 

from his own perspective. Here is the second one. 

NO WORK! OR NEW WORK? 

80 

The low-black clouds announce a real storm. Artificial 

intelligence, robotics, the so-called blockchain technology, which 

is intended to turn especially — but not only — the financial 

industry upside down, are all characteristic for enormous 

uncertainty on the labor market. It used to be the simple work 

taken over by machines. It’s been a long time. In the meantime, 

the “white collar jobs” have long been in the thread. In Hong 

Kong, for example, three years ago, a first company from the 

financial sector called Deep Knowledge Ventures, “appointed” a 

robot, or, more precisely, a computer algorithm, to the board. 

Because of this development many people are anticipating job 

cuts of unimaginable extent. In the future, almost everything 

could be done by intelligent robots, for most of men nothing 

would be left to make a living. Microsoft founder Bill Gates goes 

as far as to demand a special tax for every worker replaced by 

robots to cover expected social costs. Elon Musk, Tesla founder 

and future visionary, believes that the so-called unconditional 

basic income for all citizens is indispensable. 

This view is, of course, being discussed controversially. In 

Switzerland, an initiative to introduce such an unconditional 

basic income failed clearly. In Finland, there is a long-term trial 

with several thousand participants, with results still outstanding. 

Critics doubt the effectiveness of the instrument, not least 

because many people would lose their motivation to work 

beyond their basic income. However, supporters argue that it 

would become easier for people to get involved in matters they 

really care about, independent from adequate remuneration, 

that most will be denied in the future, anyway. Simply because 

paid work will become scarcer in future. Others oppose this 

strongly. German liberal party FDP leader Christian Lindner, 

for example, compares it to the introduction of the personal 

computer. At that time, there was strong fear of major job 

losses, but the opposite had happened. 

Too much pessimism is not good. In future, there will be new 

work areas we cannot imagine today. Old craftsmanship will also 

be revived, as is the case with the cautious renaissance 

of tailoring, or the surprising run for the old vinyl record. 

Speaking of records: In the music industry, the record used 

to be the money-maker and concerts were only the means to 

promote it. This has changed completely and concerts are 

increasingly turned into events. This is what we can already see 

today, everything else can be guessed at best. This also includes 

the fact that the traditional permanent employment appears 

to be in decline. Employees must adapt to flexible project 

commitments and self-employment — including all risks — could 

be the norm in future. 

The transition, however, is likely to be tough for those sorted 

out either because they are unfit (or unwilling) to adjust to 

new requirements. Nor is the duration of this transition phase 

known. The accelerated technical innovation cycles also 

accelerate changes elsewhere and overwhelm many. Moreover, 

the moment it appears that a wave has just been survived there’s 

no time to breathe, because the next wave is — no, not on the 

rush, often it is already at its climax. 

To deal with this will be the challenge of next years, if not 

decades! Models, such as the unconditional basic income will 

win supporters — and perhaps they will help to master the 

transition. 

The prerequisite, however, is to face the developments and 

accept them in principle. Only then can we positively help 

shape them. By all means — the next decades will not be easy. 

As always there are winners and losers. We must deal with this. 

In fact, if the winners leave the losers out in the rain, then there 

will soon be a tsunami, from which also the winners will not 

be spared. Perhaps we will return to a phase of social unrest, 

as they have accompanied industrialization in the nineteenth 

century. But who seriously claims that there’s no learning from 

history?

UNLOCK THE POTENTIAL 

OF BLOCKCHAIN 

4-DAY 

MASTERCLASS 

Thursdays from 4 P.M. till 8 P.M. 

Day 1: October 26th 2017 

Day 2: November 2nd 2017 

Day 3: November 9th 2017 

Day 4: November 16th 2017 

In cooperation with: 

WWW.LIVINGTOMORROW.COM/ACADEMY 

Indringingsweg 1 • 1800 Vilvoorde (Brussel) • www.livingtomorrow.com • info@livingtomorrow.com 

81

THE NEW BMW 5 SERIES TOURING: 

ATHLETIC ALL-ROUNDER 

After bringing out the saloon variant of the new BMW 

5 Series at the start of this year, BMW has now also 

launched the brand-new Touring version. This lifestyle 

estate car combines stunning looks with outstanding 

user comfort and innovates with smart driver 

assistance systems and advanced digital connectivity. 

It’s exactly 25 years since BMW launched a 5 Series estate 

variant. This vehicle, which linked the brand’s sporty 

aesthetics with a particularly high level of user comfort, has 

become a best seller, especially in the European market. 

Today, the BMW 5 Series Touring is in its fifth generation, 

with a large, modular luggage compartment as a key feature. 

Because BMW 5 Series Touring drivers often make intensive 

use of the boot space, it has pneumatic rear suspension with 

automatic height adjustment. This means that the driving 

properties remain unaltered at all times. Even when heavy 

objects are being transported, BMW ensures maximum 

driving pleasure in all conditions. In addition, for a 

supplementary charge the Touring can also be equipped with 

variable electronic suspension. The boot has a load capacity 

of 570 litres, and if the rear seat is folded down this rises to 

a remarkable 1,700 litres. This all-rounder is equipped with 

a folding rear seat in three parts (40/20/40), and another 

handy feature is that the backrest can now be unlocked by 

means of a button in the boot. In addition, BMW provides 

an automatic tailgate as a standard feature, and the rear 

window opens separately too: this comes in useful for 

putting smaller items quickly into the car when parked close 

to a wall or another car. 

THE INTERIOR OF THE NEW TOURING: 

EXTRA SPACE AND ADDED COMFORT 

THE LOOKS AND HEART OF AN ATHLETE 

Although the new BMW 5 Series Touring is a true transport 

king, driving pleasure still comes first. BMW has developed 

a new chassis whose design prioritises sporty driving 

pleasure, as you would expect from this brand. Thanks to 

the use of extra-lightweight aluminium (e.g. for the tailgate), 

the new Touring weighs as much as 100 kg less 

than its predecessor. In conjunction with a 

better drag coefficient, this weight-loss diet has 

both improved performance and reduced fuel 

consumption and emissions. 

82 

At its launch, the new BMW 5 Series Touring 

is available in four engine variants: the BMW 

520d Touring (163 or 190 hp, 400 Nm, CO2 

emissions between 114 and 124 g/km), the 

BMW 530d Touring (265 hp, 620 Nm, CO2 

emissions between 124 and 144 g/km), the BMW 

530i Touring (252 hp, 350 Nm, CO2 emissions 

between 133 and 139 g/km) and the BMW 540i 

xDrive Touring (340 hp, 450 Nm, CO2 emissions 

between 167 and 172 g/km).

As to the newcomer’s appearance, suffice it to say that it 

creates an instant impression of sportiness and looks as 

highly trained as a competitive athlete. The designers have 

played with muscular surfaces and taut, powerful lines and 

created harmonious proportions in profile. The stretched 

roof lines and heavily raked D-pillars draw extra attention to 

the new Touring’s sporty qualities. 

THE SOUND OF SILENCE 

Extra space and added comfort are the key words when it 

comes to describing the interior of this new Touring. The 

dashboard, which is oriented towards the driver, is lower 

than in the previous model and contributes to the sense of 

spaciousness. The occupants will certainly appreciate the 

additional headroom, shoulder width and legroom, wherever 

they are sitting. The rear passengers also enjoy noticeably 

more freedom of movement, making the Touring ideal for 

long journeys. 

Another point not without importance in these hectic 

times: thanks to improved acoustic insulation in the 

windscreen, the roof lining and the boot space and noisereducing 

encapsulation for the engine and transmission, the 

sound of silence prevails in this Touring. BMW has done 

all it can to maximise the driver’s comfort. Thus there’s 

the larger HD control panel for the optional Professional 

Navigation System with new, more intuitive controls 

thanks to enhanced speech features and now hand gestures. 

An optional Head-Up Display with a 70 percent larger 

projection surface ensures that the driver can focus on the 

road optimally and not get distracted. 

ON THE WAY TO AUTONOMOUS DRIVING 

The BMW 5 Series Saloon introduced a whole host of 

technological innovations that made it one of the most 

innovative vehicles in its segment. 

The new 5 Series Touring also brings with it a surprisingly 

great number of active safety systems and automatic 

warnings. These represent a clear step in the direction of 

autonomous driving. We’ve singled out the most significant 

innovations. Priority Warning draws attention to crossing 

traffic and gives visual and acoustic warnings if the driver 

fails to give way. Evasion Aid helps avoid unexpected 

83

obstacles. The Steering & Lane Control Assistant function 

helps the driver to stay in lane by means of minor steering 

adjustments. As you know, increased surveillance make it 

ever more important to keep to the speed limit. In the new 

BMW 5 Series Touring, thanks to the use of Active Cruise 

Control with Stop&Go function, the driver can ask the 

system to take the speed limit into account. 

New parking systems ensure unprecedented convenience. 

Park Assist and Remote Control Parking (forwards parking 

of the vehicle without the driver on board, via the BMW 

Display Key) are technologies that really do make parking a 

lot easier. 

COOL AND USEFUL GADGETS 

The possibilities of BMW Connected, the system that 

connects the car to the driver’s smartphone, are also 

constantly expanding. For example, the driver can send 

destinations from his or her smartphone to the car and 

determine the ideal departure time based on real-time 

traffic information. In a congestion-prone country like ours, 

such an application definitely adds value. Apple CarPlay®, 

using wireless iPhone integration, is also available in the 

new 5 Series Touring. One particularly cool feature is the 

Remote 3D View feature, which allows drivers to display 

views of the car’s surroundings on a smartphone. 

BMW Group Belux 

Diplomatic Sales 

Lodderstraat, 16 

2880 Bornem – Belgium 

diplomaticsales.belux@bmw.be 

+32 (0)3 890 97 02 

84

Olafur Eliasson 

Make Yourself Smile Mirror Yourself Be Self-Compassionate 





85


SYBILLE DE MARGERIE 

INTERIOR ARCHITECT 

Ms. de Margerie, you started your successful 

company in 1989, developed a new company identity 

in 2016 active in Paris, Florence and Dubai. 

What was your first assignment? 

As a member of the Taittinger family, a name already 

synonymous with prestigious hotels and champagne, 

I had the opportunity to put my interior architect bachelor 

into practice working for the family owned Concorde 

hotel group. Very soon, in 1989 I launched my own 

company, previously named SM Design, which specialized 

in designing interiors for hotels, casinos and restaurants 

in France and abroad. I worked with leading companies 

such as LVMH group (Hotel Cheval Blanc in Courchevel, 

France), Mandarin Oriental Group, Accor (Sofitel Legend), 

Park Hyatt, and private investors for hotels projects and 

residences all around the world. 

What did you learn from it? 

I had the privilege of growing up in the particular 

atmosphere of the most beautiful hotels in Paris which 

emphasize the utmost importance to traditions, the finest 

service and savoir-faire. Those circumstances allowed me to 

learn certain codes and experience luxury from the inside. 

When I chose to become an interior designer, I recalled 

the sense of wonder I had felt so early in life and set out 

to recreate it. My goal is to achieve a perfect blend of 

tradition, innovation and creativity. I see my work as a 

sensual quest for comfort, and the pleasure of the finest 

quality in the smallest detail. 

Sybille de Margerie 

INTERIOR ARCHITECT 

Some interior designers impose their identity on a place, 

and in doing so reduce the identity of their client to 

basically invisible. My approach is more open. I look for 

creative solutions that exactly match my client’s identity 

and their global image in the world. 

From my point of view, reinventing oneself is the main 

challenge in interior design. 

86 

Was it a difficult road to success? 

Success is what our clients make it, and our references 

speak for themselves. That path to excellence is not an easy 

one but the most rewarding. The main difficulty our studio 

faces is to adapt each project to a specific environment, 

to local regulations, and always create new ambiances. 

Whether it be a listed building like the Old Cataract, in 

Aswan, Egypt, a new hotel development in Morocco, 

a boutique hotel like the Norman in Tel-Aviv, a villa in 

Moscow, a mountain chalet or resort in Oman. 

What would you advice young starters? Especially 

young woman creatives and entrepreneurs? 

The key philosophy I would suggest to someone aspiring to 

become a designer is to show great humbleness and to focus 

on the client’s or final customer’s needs. 

With a job based on creativity, the entrepreneurial side is 

too often laid aside or simply minimized. Parallel to my 

training as interior architect, I pursued law graduate studies 

at a master level. In dealing with international projects 

and managing large staff, I am very thankful to this double

Royal Atlantis Residences Dubai 

background. It forged my ability to be committed to results 

and of course business oriented. Of course, whether woman 

or man … each should be prepared to develop a strong 

capacity of work ! 

Having a studio in Florence, in the heart of Renaissance 

architecture, represents a prime and exceptional inspiring 

environment. Art exhibitions is another refreshing way of 

keeping a creative mind-set. 

Do you believe that interior design can enhance 

peoples lives? How? 

I see my work as a sensual quest for comfort, and the 

pleasure of the finest quality in the smallest detail. 

Quest for comfort has always been part of our design 

philosophy: “Being creative with simplicity — Modernizing 

the traditional — Making technology attractive, and colors 

elegant — Designing for harmony and comfort”. 

Being curious, open-minded, listening to ideas brought by 

my team, are other keys. 

What’s your favourite artwork and why? 

I love Matisse, oriental painters, Anish Kapoor. I appreciate 

the audacity of combinations, the marriage of the classic 

with the contemporary, the alliance of harmony and 

emotion and the purity of lines. 

Design cannot compromise comfort. 

In my mind, a luxury hotel or residence must spark 

emotions; it must elicit what I would call a vibration that 

will touch the heart of its guests. 

My approach is inspired by the identity of the place, the 

location and the local culture. Therefore, each project is 

unique. I intend to create a setting that will bring emotions 

and has a connection with the local culture. 

What’s your favourite personal interior design 

project and why? 

Cheval Blanc in Courchevel and Mandarin Oriental Paris 

are both and equally my favourite works. 

Cheval Blanc for the bold vision we developed, creating a 

mountain palace, far from the traditional “chalet” designs. 

A project, thanks to Bernard Arnault’s confidence, that we 

yearly redesign with the same search for innovation and 

sophistication. 

Where do you draw your inspiration from? 

Travelling, as I do most of the year for my projects, is a 

great source of inspiration. 

Mandarin Oriental Paris for its timeless luxury, and the 

fashion and arty influences that inspired the creative 

process. 

87

Private Residence in London 

88 

Do you collaborate with artists or designers? 

Each project represents a fantastic opportunity to close 

collaborations with artists, designers and craftsmen. This 

approach definitely injects character and charisma to a hotel 

or private residence. 

We thus imagine and create bespoke designs which give 

an unexpected and immaterial dimension to the interiors, 

giving priority to local artists or designers. Hence in 

Amsterdam, we associated students of the highly recognized 

Design Academy of Eindhoven who created unique pieces 

for Sofitel Legend — The Grand. Works by the Dutch 

Droog Design group have also been incorporated into the 

interior design. For Mandarin Oriental Paris I wanted this 

luxury hotel to have its own distinctive feel, one which 

transpires in its haute-couture style. This was translated 

into collaboration with leading names in art and fashion, 

such as Ali Mahdavi, Nathalie Decoster, who designed Air, 

a sculpture in the Lobby, Ateliers Lesage for their amazing 

embroideries; Marcello Lo Guidice, Jean-Baptiste Huynh, 

Gérard Roveri, Thierry Bisch. Inside the rooms I picked up 

Man Ray, the acclaimed American photographer who made 

Paris his home in the 1930s with a reproduction on velvet of 

his famed photograph, The Kiss. 

In Dubai, for the Royal Atlantis residences, a complex 

of 230 luxury apartments, I entrusted five female artists: 

Céline Alexandre with her gilded unique textile creations. 

Annie Trussart, an embroidery expert. Helen Amy Murray 

who hand sculptured textiles and leather. Anne Corbière, 

a metal weaver, and Isabelle Poupinel who reinterprets 

exquisite porcelain in contemporary lights. Their mastery 

of craftsmanship illustrate my motto that luxury is in the 

details as well as in the language of texture and colors. 

My taste for noble materials, mixed with my sense of 

detail led me to develop my own furniture and lighting 

collections. And to sign partnerships with French 

craftsman Pouenat and Italian tap manufacturer Zucchetti. 

What is your dream project? 

As architect of a particular art de vivre that blends tradition 

and creativity in a characteristically French luxury 

I design dreamy palaces, boutique hotels, casinos, spas, 

mountain chalets, “hotels particuliers”, resorts, villas, 

furniture, lighting, carpets collection … There is still one 

achievement that I dream of: to design the interiors of a 

yacht! 

sybilledemargerie.com

Raqs Media Collective 

Lost in Search of Time 






While leaving an unattributed fragment of stenciled graffito on walls in cities from Varanasi to Santa Marta, Raqs Media Collective 

admit to a condition that they suspect they share with most people in the world today, of being lost, in search of time. 

89

AMBASSADORS OF BEAUTY 

KRISTA & GRETY VANDEVELDE 

DESIGNERS AND DRIVING FORCES 

BEHIND THE “CEDERHUIS” 

“Good morning. Thank you for the warm 

and beautiful welcome at the “Cederhuis” in 

Grimbergen, the Pearl of Brabant. Two sisters, in 

the meantime two grown-up sisters who collaborate. 

You are known for being the designers of timeless 

and characteristic jewelry in Grimbergen. Your 

business has expanded significantly throughout the 

years with many loyal customers from all over the 

country and abroad. What distinguishes you from 

other businesses in this sector?” 

Krista: “Working from the heart is our biggest asset. It’s the 

love for beauty that guides us. Throughout the years, we’ve 

developed our very own, distinguishable style”. 

Grety: ”We first learned the craft of goldsmiths in a jewelry 

workshop. After that, when we were still very young, we started 

our own business. We had, however, sworn to never start our 

own business. We’re daughters of confectioners and we’ve seen 

our parents working their fingers to the bone, day and night.” 

90 

Krista: ”Well, I guess you can’t deny what’s in your blood 

(laughs). We’re chasing our passion. Collaborating with my 

sister is the best decision I’ve ever made. We’ve been working 

together for 29 years and we’ve added three motivated 

collaborators to our team.” 

“When I look at your jewelry, I see a lot of creative 

and special jewels. You probably have a very diverse 

clientele: some customers drop by without really 

knowing what they want, while other customers 

are looking for a rather meaningful creation with 

a personal story behind it. How do you guide your 

customers?” 

Grety: “You fulfill the desire of your customer. As a result, we 

take the time to discover this desire. The customers can pick 

a jewel from our large collection in which they can recognize 

themselves. We don’t have a permanent collection, we only 

make unique pieces. That’s what is so special about our work.” 

Krista: “We also really enjoy creating a jewel tailored to one 

specific customer. We listen to their story: who they are, what 

kind of jewel or stone they’re after. People often drop by 

when they have something to celebrate, like a marriage or a 

wedding anniversary.” 

“I gathered that customers also come by with one 

of the most personal requests: they want to have the 

ashes of a deceased person incorporated in a jewel.” 

Krista: “In that perspective, the jewel, in which the ashes 

of a deceased person is incorporated, is different. It is a 

comforting jewel. When the customers come to pick it up, 

it’s usually an emotional moment. The jewel heals the person, 

as it were, and gives people extra strength to move on and 

continue their mourning process. We see some kind of 

transformation happening in the customer.”

Grety: “We see the same thing when people come by 

after a broken marriage: they ask us to transform their 

old engagement ring or wedding ring into something new, 

because they’re entering a completely new phase in life. 

We then transform the jewel into a totally different, positive 

piece of jewelry.” 

“You radiate tremendous tranquility, it’s a 

feeling I get when I walk into the store. There’s 

an atmosphere of peace and spiritual thinking, 

something you undoubtly pass on to the creation of 

your jewelry. Have you got any dreams about how 

things will look like for you in a couple of years?” 

Grety: “We do still have a lot of dreams and we still want to 

do many things.” 

Krista: “When I hear you ask us that question, I’m thinking: 

I’m not living for later. Now is much more important to me. 

That’s why I love being occupied by my work, because 

I work very much in the present and I lose myself in the 

joy of creation. I absolutely love sitting at my workbench, 

designing and creating. Those are wonderful moments. When 

I feel connected to my source and I’m able to work with that, 

I feel amazing. The final result is, to a certain extent, always a 

bit of a surprise.” 

Grety: “When I create, I usually follow the source material, 

a specific stone or pearl. It could, for example, look like the 

body of a dancer, and so I’ll incorporate that in a jewel that 

will have something dance-like. Sometimes a stone inspires 

a certain movement, nature itself … sometimes something 

completely different.” 

Krista: “When we’re discussing what a personal jewel should 

turn out to be with a customer, we stick to the certain 

agreements we made about the design. The jewel should be a 

perfect fit for the customer.” 

“It’s very important that the customers feel 

comfortable around the person who creates 

something for them.” 

Grety: “Yes, absolutely. We can really sense what someone 

wants. We listen to their request, base ourselves on their 

desire or their personality. We incorporate that in the 

material. It’s a connection between the customer, ourselves 

and the material.” 

Krista: “We’re always looking for beauty and authenticity. Our 

desire for perfection results in the fact that we’re extremely 

demanding when it comes to the quality of our precious 

stones and pearls. We prefer using a small stone of the best 

quality to using a big, imposing fake stone. In our quest for 

special stones, we’ve traveled the world. The world has got 

more to offer than only plastic and perishable things, like 

nobel and precious materials that contain beautiful energy. 

For example, gold and precious stones, of which you feel the 

energy when you wear it. You carry it with you and it goes 

wherever you go. That’s what I find wonderful about our art.” 

91

92 

“Can you already tell us something more about your 

next exhibition?” 

Grety: “Our exhibition will take place here in the Cederhous 

from 4 until 19 November. The theme is a bit of a surprise… 

Well, all right … This year, we’ll work around the theme 

“flavour”. Our second big passion is eating (laughs). We’ve 

reduced the primary flavours to the essence, like salt, sour, 

bitter and sweet.” 

Krista: “First, I painted, which is something I often do. This 

time, I had a taste of a spoonful of “fleur de sel”, or salt 

blossom, to discover what it would do to me. What shapes 

and colours do I experience? I’ll work with that. I usually 

work through painting, because it’s a medium through which 

I can rather directly express myself.” 

Grety: “We took our designs to Studio Berengo in Murano. 

There we created a kind of magnifying glass with the glass 

blowers. Some time ago, we were wondering why jewels 

aren’t often exhibited in museums. We do see them in 

exhibitions of ancient art, but modern, beautiful jewelry is 

rarely displayed in museums. Maybe the jewels are too small? 

It’s not easy to fill up an entire space with a piece of jewelry. 

That’s why we started thinking about magnifying glasses, or 

big magnifiers. We made a magnifying glass with colours to 

represent the flavours. Behind it, we present the jewels, so 

they are magnified and deformed. That way, it becomes a bit 

of a sculpture.” 

Krista: “When you wear the jewel, the sculpture needs to be 

on its own. When you go to bed at night, and want to let the 

jewel rest, you can place it with the sculpture so it becomes a 

part of something bigger.” 

“Do you have any idea of what you still want to 

achieve with your business and your jewelry?” 

Krista: “I’d personally like to create even more from my 

tranquility. I’d also like to create more extreme, intense 

jewelry. I’ve got bigger designs that haven’t been brought 

to life yetand complex drawings that wouldn’t fit in a small 

piece of jewelry. The question is, however, if this piece of 

jewelry would be still wearable.” 

Grety: “It’s always about finding a balance between creating 

something crazy yet wearable. The jewel needs to be 

comfortable. Then you’re in a twilightzone between the jewel 

and the sculpture. We do find that exciting, so why not.” 

Krista: “We like doing what we do and we want to keep 

doing fun, crazy things. Like working with glass in Murano, 

for example. Discovering other media, exploring the 

possibilities. To us, that’s awesome.” 

“Your enthousiasm is inspiring. Thank you for this 

lovely chat and for the enlightening encounter.” 

Het Cederhuis, Krista & Grety Vandevelde 

Brusselsesteenweg 152 - 1850 Grimbergen

Nico Dockx 

Everything, Everything, Everything Is Memory 

(from a whispering conversation Giuseppe Ungaretti, 1997- …) 






COUCHER DE SOLEIL 

La peau du ciel 

éveille des oasis 

au nomade d’amour 

Versa, 20 mai 1916 

from Giuseppe Ungaretti, Vie d’un homme, Poésie 1914-1970, Éditions de Minuit, Gallimard 1973 

93

TALES ABOUT TIME 

I watch the tree outside my window. Covered by the 

fluorescent light of the streetlamp, its leaves seem to 

be floating in mid-air. The rest of it, the long, strong 

branches, the trunk of the tree, are swallowed by 

damp October darkness. 

94 

Our society is a great tangled and interwoven web. Human 

connections span across borders, even continents, and the 

meanings of closeness and experience become increasingly 

complex. We can reach people across any distance by simply 

tapping a screen. There is an unconceivable multitude 

of stimuli in the forms of entertainment, education or 

recreation at our immediate disposal. We have built cities 

where every second street corner offers an opportunity for 

caffeination. Conversations in various languages resound 

on the escalators of shopping centers. Weekday mornings 

see waves of formally dressed people leaving their homes. 

Deep into the night traffic-lights conduct a tango between 

pedestrians and drivers as windows flush with flickering 

lights shining from our television sets. So totally have we 

surrounded ourselves with constructions planned and built 

by people that one can call themselves lucky if their window 

offers a view on a tree. 

The little car that is our own life easily gets accustomed 

to high speeds and uninterrupted traffic. Arriving in a 

populated area after having driven on a highway feels like 

having to slow down to a crawl when in fact the speedometer 

is still showing relatively high numbers. This speed-blindness 

translates to many other areas of perception. A response 

that comes slightly late, an internet connection that has a 

delay or our favorite bread that got sold out. They all feel like 

obstructions to the natural order of things. We have made a 

pact for efficiency and overall easy access to very specialized 

goods. As we serve this system through our specific area of 

expertise, we expect it to serve us back. 

Just recently I watched a live broadcast of a performance 

of the Metropolitan Opera house in a movie theater in 

Helsinki. Thousands of people all over the world watching 

the same realtime event. As the curtain rose on a mystically 

glowing stage, depicting an ancient forest I felt kinship 

with my fellow audience members. All of us listening to 

transfixing ethereal music, the sopranos voice floating 

through space, light as silk. Annoyance was apparent as due 

to a solar storm in the North American hemisphere, the 

transmission was partly breaking off. How accustomed we 

are to the wondrously complex technology that brings far 

places to us without us having to spend the time we would 

actually need to cross the distance. Just like a hummingbird 

flaps its wings up to 70 times per second and thus perceives 

time through the viewpoint of that speed, we have managed 

to significantly expand our possibilities of just how much we 

can do in a certain timeframe compared to past generations. 

We know time intimately, have divided it into units, wait for 

a specific time to strike before doing certain things. It is our 

companion and our challenger, sometimes swooping us off 

our feet, other times pressing us, squeezing us tightly. We 

feel it, always, yet we don’t know how to explain it. Sand 

floating in the hourglass, church bells at night. Based on 

our clocks, our way of moving from the shop to our car, the 

fact that a candle will steadily decrease in size as it burns, 

we could describe time as a thing that persistently moves 

forward. Yet modern physics and philosophy suggest, each 

in their own science-specific fashion, that time is not linear, 

not a set entity but something that exists in relation to other 

parameters. We could well be riding on a specific wave of 

time, our senses unable to perceive and grasp the vast ocean 

this wave is part of. This might just be a blessing. We can 

certainly draw a lot of knowledge and understanding from 

past events and history. Simultaneously however our past 

can stir us into certain not-always-positive patterns, where 

a memory can prevent us from giving the present the credit 

it deserves. Were we to have a picture of the future similarly 

affecting our thoughts and actions, we might completely lose 

any sense of self and power in a stream of events, triggers 

and consequences. 

While we are speeding through our time searching for stories 

to tell and hear, building some and destroying others, nature, 

which we continue to force out of our way, speaks a powerful

Photo: Emmi Pennanen 

language of its own. Whirlwinds or the movements of lava 

underneath tectonic plates certainly bring instant change to 

our world as we have known it until then, but mostly nature 

acts in a slower arc, persisting through its patience. Trees 

bear proof of the profound sculpting potential and power 

of perseverance. They grow not only up but also deep down 

into the earth, their roots building a web of interaction and 

exchange of resources below the surface. Loyal servants to 

the seasons, a tree will let the weathers strip its branches 

bare of leaves just to grow new ones after the winter has 

rattled its exposed core. The oldest individual trees on 

earth are proven to have lived well before the beginning of 

Western civilization. Circling the sun for several millennia 

they have witnessed, empires rise and fall, a myriad of 

constellations of human activity. A curious trait shared 

between all these ancient trees is their location in areas 

with the harshest possible growing conditions. Scientists 

believe that particularly this ability, to grow and survive on 

extremely challenging, even hostile terms, might well have 

granted these trees the possibility to reach exceptional age. 

They defy time itself through overcoming the challenges set 

by their world. 

I watch the tree outside my window. Covered by the 

fluorescent light of the streetlamp, its leaves seem to be 

floating in mid-air. The rest of it, the long, strong branches, 

the trunk of the tree, are swallowed by damp October 

darkness. It is a mystical sight. Floating leaves trembling 

ever so slightly in a light breeze. Against all the concrete 

structures around it, the tree seems like a remnant of 

another world. Whereas everything else I look at was built 

by external forces, through means outside the constructions 

themselves, this tree grew over time, all by itself. There was 

no way to speed up the process, no real means to control the 

outcome. As I float through my days, surfing the wavelengths 

and pathways of this big city that is constantly changing, the 

big tree outside my window is my landmark, my touchstone. 

A reminder that parallel to my reality bursting with countless 

sources of instant satisfaction or immediate distress, there 

exist other, slow but persistent truths as well. 

Emmi Pennanen is a professional ballet dancer and studies 

mathematics at the University of Helsinki. She is guest writer 

for Diplomatic World starting June 2017. 

95

JAGUAR LAND ROVER ASSE: 

BRITISH CLASS IN 

A NEW SHOWROOM 

Jaguar Land Rover Asse is a true family company 

that was founded more than 50 years ago. In all 

those years they have grown to become the biggest 

dealership within the Benelux. And the future 

is looking bright! With a completely renovated 

showroom and some new products like the Range 

Rover Velar and Jaguar XF Sportbrake, the family 

Van Vaerenbergh–Heymans is determined to stay 

on top of the Belgian market. 

“In January 2017 we’ve completed a total modernization 

of our showroom. One of the main aspects of the new 

showroom was to maintain the personal contact with 

our clients. We really value the connection with our 

customers and want them not to worry about anything, 

going from the moment they step foot in our showroom 

to the first and also last time their car needs service. 

Our team of 45 employees is dedicated to give clients 

the service they deserve”, says General Manager 

Ivo Van Vaerenbergh. 

96 

“One of our biggest strengths is that we can offer a 

complete service to our clients. Everything happens under 

the same roof. We have a spacious work- and body shop 

that are equipped with the latest technologies”, says Ivo 

Van Vaerenbergh. Jaguar Land Rover Asse has an own 

carwash and offers a home-delivery service. They pick up 

your car at home or work and once it’s finished they bring 

it back. That way you can save a lot of travelling time. 

Besides our service, we are known for our wide range 

of new stock cars. That way we can offer and show our 

clients the different color and accessories possibilities. 

This definitely makes the difference between Jaguar Land 

Rover Asse and other JLR dealerships. Our motto is “If 

you can’t find the Jaguar or Land Rover of your dreams 

at Jaguar Land Rover Asse, you’re not going to find it 

anywhere”. We are well known for our special color 

combinations and well-equipped vehicles. 

INVESTED IN A ULTRA-MODERN DEALERSHIP 

The showroom has recently been modernized with a new 

interior, extra offices and a barista bar. But the biggest 

change takes place at the ground floor. This spacious area 

has been transformed into a full black delivery area. “In the 

past we delivered new cars in our showroom but this doesn’t 

match with our vision of maintaining personal contact 

with our clients. Therefore we have designed three different 

experience boxes, which are foreseen of 360° mirrors so 

that you can watch your vehicle from any angle”, says Ivo 

Van Vaerenbergh. Very impressive! To make sure that you 

know your car inside out, a product expert gives you a full 

explanation about the car and all its must-haves. Which 

comes in very handy because of all the technology that’s 

in the car.

JAGUAR LAND ROVER APPROVED 

Jaguar Land Rover Asse doesn’t only sell new cars, even if you 

are looking for a second-hand car you are at the right address. 

With the Jaguar Land Rover Approved label, your vehicle is 

prepared to the highest standards. To ensure it leaves a Jaguar 

Land Rover dealership in immaculate condition, a seven point 

customer promise is in place. Every Jaguar or Land Rover 

has had a multi-point inspection that covers 165 mechanical, 

electrical and safety checks. Above that you always receive a 

2 year warranty and 24 months of roadside assistance. This 

gives you an absolute peace of mind and guarantees your 

vehicle delivers the most composed and capable drive possible. 

WHAT’S NEXT? 

In September we have launched the All-New Range Rover 

Velar. A new model that is positioned in between the famous 

Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Sport. The Velar is 

called the Avant-Garde Range Rover because it takes things 

even further. A streamlined and powerful design but on the 

other hand very elegant. The Range Rover Velar has it all! The 

same is true inside the Velar’s beautifully appointed cabin, 

where a brand-new infotainment interface, Touch Pro Duo, 

takes up residence in the center stack. The Intel-quad-core 

based system features twin 10” touchscreen TFT displays. 

Everything to help you and your passengers arrive relaxed. 

From effortless, crisp acceleration to improved efficiencies 

and lower CO2 emissions, every engine that powers the 

Range Rover Velar has been optimized. The new lightweight 

aluminum 4-cylinder and powerful V6 engines delivers a 

responsive drive with the vehicle’s automatic transmission 

producing rapid shifting together with exhilarating 

acceleration and performance. The New Range Rover Velar 

starts at €57.300 and is ready to take over the city. Make 

sure to book your test drive at our dealership or website 

(www.landroverasse.be). 

Not only the Land Rover family will be expanding, the 

same counts for Jaguar. Jaguar Asse is ready to make an 

introduction with the new XF Sportbrake, which will be 

released the 19th of October 2017. XF Sportbrake builds 

on the success of Jaguar’s most award-winning car ever! 

Possessing an unrivalled combination of style and substance, 

it delivers an utterly seductive blend of design, dynamics and 

refinement to create a car that offers both excitement and 

efficiency. All enhanced by state-of-the-art technologies that 

keep you safe, connected and entertained. 

Thanks to Jaguar’s lightweight aluminum architecture, 

XF Sportbrake is more efficient, offers lower running costs, 

and reduces emissions to as low as 104g/km*. On the move, 

the lightweight front double wishbone and rear integral link 

suspension systems deliver supreme levels of ride comfort and 

handling. XF is a destination of bespoke choice and luxury. 

A Place where premium materials are elegantly crafted into a 

design that delivers pure, all-encompassing comfort. Wherever 

you’re sitting, XF’s contemporary design, abundant natural 

light, and exquisite craftsmanship combine to create an 

atmosphere of relaxed refinement. Explore the range of XF 

Sportbrake in our showroom and we happily help you further. 

JAGUAR LAND ROVER ASSE 

NERVIËRSSTRAAT 93, BE-1730 ASSE 

WWW.LANDROVERASSE.BE 

97

YONA FRIEDMAN, STRATEGIC 

REFLECTIONS ON GROWTH 

When visiting Yona Friedman in his ‘cave’ in Paris 

in September 2017, I am mesmerized — not only by 

his apartment as an archive and small museum — 

but especially by Yona’s look, posture and 

determination. It is love at first glance. 

98 

On a daily basis the legendary architect and thinker invites 

friends, academics, members from the art world or partners 

in thoughts in his home and private space. Yona connects 

with the good listener on a one-to-one basis, he connects via 

his iPad with the world. A porcelain figure on first touch, who 

changes into a vast and passionate advocate for strategies that 

address our leaders. 

Utopia is very far away. Yona Friedman, aged 94, is as 

contemporary as ever; with concrete ideas — put into 

strategies — that cover today but especially reach out to our 

future, the future of billions of people around our globe, our 

village as he still calls it. His ideas are rooted in both his 

personal history and diaspora but also rooted in a universal 

language, that merges humanism and the collective spirit 

with the willpower and flexibility of the individual. For 45 

minutes Yona Friedman builds up a well thought monologue. 

I am honoured to share it with Diplomatic World and its 

readers. 

“The change in mainstream media has been the main factor 

for big media centres and publishers producing less and less 

written text on paper. As a result I have to count on smaller 

and niche oriented publishers to share my vision and stories 

from publishing and readers’ point of view. 

As an architect and thinker, I dare to propose in my 

concepts that “It’s not about the plan, but all about the 

strategy”. 

I prefer to start from the premise that strategies are open 

minded, and plans are made to be executed following 

predefined parameters. 

When I talk about the topics that I will share with you today, 

I never present a plan, only a strategy. 

STRATEGIC REFLECTIONS ON GROWTH 

On a global scale we have the situation that cities are growing 

and sometimes exploding. Cities — but even countries — 

are not adapted neither prepared to receive the flux of 

immigration that challenges our societies today. We lack 

structures but often an open-mindedness to answer to this 

situation. This shift and continuous moving of people from 

one continent to the other, in between countries, creates a 

new situation of, especially, urban growth. 

On a personal and governmental level, panic surrounds us and 

a multitude of questions arise about the consequences what 

will happen with all the immigrants arriving here. We are 

definitely not prepared for this kind of growth. And I dare to 

say we have no urban strategies to cope with this situation of 

explosive growth. 

We have to create a strategy that recognizes the situation 

and addresses the crucial problems of this changing urban 

context. 

Both problem and solution are anchored in how we envision 

and organize the conditions of employment. 

There is an historical background in this scheme. Urban 

planning has always been influenced and determined by the 

central idea of proximity. People used to concentrate in a city 

for a number of reasons, but this urban proximity has been 

evolving, slowly but straightforward. The last 20 to 30 years 

these slow changes have turned into brutal changes. 

Security and connectivity in parallel with economic and 

social factors brought people together within the city walls. 

Urban planning has been defined from the beginning by 

the security factor. The city wall defined the borders of 

this concentration of inhabitants, taking care of security

Yona Friedman Photos by Daniel Hernández-Salazar © 2017 

and reducing the complexity of creating protection. During 

history city walls proved its significance and use until the 

Siege of Paris (1870-1871) by the Prussians. After WWI and 

WWII this concept changed dramatically. In the 20th century 

proximity and concentration became even dangerous, which 

was proven by the terrible weakness and vulnerability of cities 

during both WW I & II. Today terrorism also stresses the 

vulnerable position of the high density city and its population. 

During the industrial age another main factor determined 

urban planning, linked to basic needs, creating the scale for 

‘networks’ of electricity and water. 

The second change was slower. Proximity in cities used 

to be a guarantee for nearness, answering to the necessity 

of social contact. This social component has shifted 

completely in the 21st century. The disruptive evolution of 

private communication and the original purpose of public 

spaces where people could coincide — coexist — and meet 

evolved dramatically. 

The evolution in the use of electronic devices and digital 

communication has lead this change in a disruptive way. 

Telephone and its infrastructure were the main network 

to cross distances and bring people together via voice. 

The last 20 years phones have found a new space in our 

pockets, constantly on the move, without needing the 

traditional network and infrastructure anymore. The devices 

we use today are instrumentally operated by batteries. 

The technology in batteries is still evolving. Soon, 

household electrical devices will also operate mainly via 

battery and be digitally controlled, and the evolution in 

LED technology will reduce another basic need for powerful 

networks, substituting these step by step. 

For the use of clean water, networks are well constructed 

but still vulnerable in many regions. With simple 

techniques the quantity of needed water for cities could 

be mastered much more efficient, apart from the need for 

drinking water, that you can buy easily at large scale in the 

supermarket. 

Elements that originated density and proximity are not 

per se the defining factors for urban planning in 2017 and 

beyond. Today people want more space, more nature. The 

further development of sophisticated technologies could 

prevail the ecological challenges — climate change — and 

will have an impact on our ecosystems and create less 

99

Yona Friedman, Bonne année 1965, Mimeographic printing, 27 x 21 cm, Courtesy de l’artiste et Galerie Jérôme Poggi, Paris 

100 

condensed cities. For example, Urban Heat Islands radiate 

more heat than rural or suburban surfaces and landscapes, 

so urban growth is not necessary the right strategy. 

It is time to envision how to reduce the strategies on the 

permanent growth of cities. Let’s think out loud on some 

possibilities and draw some sketches: 

1. Cities should not grow anymore. I look at the old 

continent — Europe — and regard it as one city (in the 

1960s Yona Friedman was already connecting 120 

cities in his project Villes d’Europe/Métropole Europe). 

The distance in time between suburban Paris and the 

city centre is comparable to the time distance between 

Brussels and Paris. In the 1950s and 1960s when I 

proposed this idea people were laughing and mocking 

but today with the fast trains and the ‘cheap flight’ 

networks, the process of itineraries has changed. I look 

at the fast train system as a metro/subway system which 

connects cities. In Japan when I travel from Tokyo to 

Osaka I take the fast train — Shinkansen — that arrives 

and leaves every 9 minutes. This fast network, at subway 

frequency, with variable pricing is a possibility to develop 

further. When a larger number of people would use this 

existing infrastructure, the economies of scale to support 

the large investments are there and should at the end 

benefit public and social purpose but also economics. In 

Pasadena, a very green and pleasant city, circulation still 

works. Traffic jams are concentrated in the freeways, but 

I am convinced we should address these challenges with 

a well-developed network of fast trains. 

2. (Un)Employment can both stimulate or blow up cities. 

Employment patterns are changing radically, from job 

definition point of view but also from human point 

of view. Looking at this situation from a traditional 

perspective, white collar jobs are influenced by the use of 

internet, computers and electronic devices. It is possible 

to diminish work space in offices or ultimately abandon 

them, because white collar people can work at home 

and technology facilitates this evolution rapidly. Living 

in Paris, aged 94 and not very mobile anymore, I am 

connected to different parts of the world 24/7 and able to 

work and connect in an efficient way. The opportunity is 

to give people better housing, and step away of the idea 

of better and more office space. I propose to add 10% 

more workspace in our homes to facilitate this change 

in job related behaviour. Meanwhile factories will be 

working differently tomorrow. In the case of 3D printing 

— together with artificial intelligence one of the most 

crucial new technologies that will influence our future — 

you can imagine a blue collar employee, to control the 

3D production process as an operator, from his home 

atelier.

Yona Friedman, La jeune fille qui voyageait avec les gazelles, from the series « Films d’animation », 1961 

B/W animated film, sound, 21’, Ed. 1/5 + AP, Courtesy of the artist, Cneai & Galerie Jérôme Poggi, Paris 

3. In the short term future, main employment opportunities 

and growth are related to person-to-person services. Even 

in traditional labour environments, people working in 

garage workshops — after sales services and maintenance 

— are creating a higher number of jobs than in traditional 

car factories. What we will never be able to computerise 

or robotize completely is personal care and service. 

We should invest and create a maximum in this type of 

employment opportunities. From repair jobs to babysitter 

to healthcare to personal care. This alternating type 

of employment doesn’t need to coincide with the high 

density and flux to cities. It can be organized anywhere. 

People could benefit form a better service also in rural 

or smaller suburban areas, because often in larger cities 

supply and demand are disproportionate. 

To conclude I would like to propose urban dispersion 

instead of urban growth. 

On first sight it might add to the complexity but being an 

architect, when I have created my vision and manifest on 

mobile architecture, I also meant that architecture should 

be completely customised and not planned and that the 

individual person or family could transform his housing and 

living premises and that it was not the primordial task of the 

architect. It used to be the praxis of older times but also of 

my daily life. 

It is a strategy in architecture that people can push their 

own space and borders. Imagine in this kind of urban 

dispersion program farming and agriculture become a city 

trade, which is a logical step. Small vegetables and fruits are 

grown in your garden, individualised. In this case garden 

service becomes also a personal service, another type of 

employment created. 

In general I am not speaking about rich or poor countries 

or cities because the relative proportions are often similar 

— of course absolute amounts show huge differences. In 

the poorest countries you are poor recalculated towards 

international currencies and standards, but locally the 

situation is not the same. For example in India a peasant 

would have a servant, and still today in poor countries 

agriculture and farming are still important industries, 

creating value. 

After all these images and impressions on a revised urban 

strategy I would like to anticipate and comment on the 

obstacles. Surprisingly or not I say these obstacles are 

related to our basic ideas of banking in which real estate 

plays a very important part in the structures of the financial 

system. If we propose a change in the real estate situation, 

we must also anticipate and be clever enough to follow an 

alternative pattern in our banking procedures towards real 

101

Yona Friedman Photos by Daniel Hernández-Salazar © 2017 

102 

estate. There should be no reason that financial concepts 

are rigid and not adaptable. From a different angle ‘Mobile 

banking and mobile architecture’ should find a common 

path in their future operations. 

The Strategy Process is a step-by-step process; we effectuate 

one step, than another, we move on, but in reality the line of 

these steps can alter in the process. Urban growth reducing 

is a strategy, but detailed plans are not sufficient and would 

not work. Improvisation is essential and an important factor 

which cannot be planned. Architecture as a discipline 

should also change. It should touch the borders of the art 

world, sociology, politics, science and the development of 

technology. But above all it should be open for experimental 

approaches. 

Back to the strategy perspective. The strategy view includes 

to look for possibilities for real and pragmatic solutions, 

without formal predictions. Predictions start from statistics, 

average figures, but I believe there is no such thing as an 

average person. People can be influenced, but at the end 

always decide for themselves. 

We have to accept and understand that this urban strategy 

is not imposed by some legislating body. Societies are 

self-built, values and customs too. The self-building and 

reactive human process should be entangled in the strategic 

approach. To build a city is not constructing a fixed object, 

it is an ongoing process of organic growth … and you cannot 

master and plan processes. You revise constantly old and 

new attitudes. This is not a political choice; it is a policy 

and politics have to follow this logic. Our daily democracy is 

not a political one, it is ruled by our daily behaviour in our 

lives and close environment. When you walk in the street, 

you apply a direct form of democracy. You can decide 

to say hello or in contrast to avoid contact. There are no 

pre-established rules to guide ourselves, either the preestablished 

rules became so much institutionalized that we 

don’t question them anymore. 

For years my partner in daily life and practice was Balkis, a 

dog, and Balkis didn’t plan ahead, but reacted permanently 

according to its changing environment and circumstances. 

The dog was flexible and reacted immediately, very direct, 

towards its changing environment. In parallel, history is not 

always about the ‘greater histories’. History on a daily basis 

is the accumulation of the small events in our real life. The 

historian always sees what he wants to see in a self-imposed 

way, which is often far from reality.

These issues I present, are not a proposal but are meant as an 

incitation. As an individual I cannot bring or offer solutions. 

I would like people to think and reflect on what I say. Present 

architecture is overplanned. Present economy is overplanned. 

Present politics too. We need less planning. Improvisation 

is part of my strategy. Balkis made decisions, and even the 

final and crucial decisions in wars by armies on the battlefield 

are decided by individual decisions, guided by the moment, 

influenced by ratio or emotions, close to both genius or failure. 

At the end, I want to avoid the one idea that guides and 

steers the collective mass. I am pro the individual and our 

personal capacity to improvise in life and make our own 

decisions. Life, as in a non-aggressive game, taking into 

account the idea of coherence in our society.” 

“Are you optimistic Yona ? In 1944 I was taken prisoner and 

brought to the concentration camps, today I am 94 and we 

have this conversation where I can share my thoughts on a 

strategy for urban growth and dispersion. If I would have 

been imprisoned in 1943, I would not be here.” 

 

Bruno Devos 

Bruno Devos would like to thank Yona Friedman, Nico 

Dockx, Jean-Baptiste Decavèle for this experience and Daniel 

Hernández-Salazar for the portrait photograpy. Thank you 

Jérôme Poggi and Sara Alonso Gómez at Galerie Jérôme 

Poggi for elaborating biography and images. 

www.danielhernandezsalazar.blogspot.com 

YONA FRIEDMAN ON VIEW 

AS FROM OCTOBER 2017 

Mobile Architecture. Yona Friedman 

MAXXI — Museo nazionale delle arti del XXI secolo, 

Rome (IT) 

June 23 — October 29, 2017 

Biennal Art Encounters, Romania 

September 30–November 5, 2017 

Projet pour un Musée sans bâtiment 

On Site — Avenue Winston Churchill 

Galerie Jérôme Poggi at FIAC 2017, Paris (FR) 

Films d’animation 

Curated section « Referentes” 

Galerie Jérôme Poggi at ARTBO 2017, Bogota (CO) 

Yona Friedman, Projet pour un musée sans bâtiment, 2017, On Site - FIAC 

Photo Barbara Dietrich 

GALERIE POGGI, PARIS 

In partnership with the Musée d’art contemporain de 

Rochechouart and the Cneai in Pantin; together with 

the kind support of Philippe Chiambaretta architect and 

Ars Ultima - Stein & Guillot Art Foundation, the Galerie 

Jérôme Poggi, one of the leading galleries from the new 

generation in Paris, presents a monumental Iconostase 

by Yona FRIEDMAN, which will be built between the 

Petit and Grand Palais, at Winston Churchill Avenue. 

Developed since the 1960’s, these modular architectures, 

or “Space Chains”, can be developed infinitely, according 

to a flexible protocol of construction and improvisation. 

After London, where the Serpentine Gallery invited 

Yona Friedman in 2016 to build a Summer House, 

today located in front of Windsor Castle; and Venice, 

where he built a Mountain during the last Biennale 

of Architecture; it is in Paris — his adopted city since 

1957 — that Yona Friedman will build this Project for a 

Museum without building, ephemeral and cooperative 

architecture, made up of thousands of houla houps. 

galeriepoggi.com 

103

DIPLOMATIC WORLD 

GLOBAL ART FORUM 

YONA FRIEDMAN’S BIOGRAPHY 

Yona Friedman (born in 1923) is a Hungarian-born French 

architect. 

He first studied architecture at the University of Technology 

and Economics in Budapest, then at the Technion of 

Haïfa, Israël, where he worked as an architect from 1949 

to 1957. Since his early projects on housing, he tried 

to step away from the responsibility for designing the 

projects by delegating it to their future inhabitants, a 

procedure he calls “self-planning”. In 1953, in response 

to postwar demographic problems and the challenges of 

the reconstruction period, he started to conceive spatial 

structures on stilts based on mobile architecture’s principles 

(1958): 1) to touch the ground in a minimum area; 2) to be 

demountable and movable; 3) to be transformable at will by 

inhabitants. 

These structures with indeterminate characteristics enable 

him to develop the principles of the spatial city (Ville 

Spatiale) a highly innovative urban organization based 

on a nomadic way of life. Yona Friedman says about the 

indeterminacy of his structures: “The building is mobile in 

the sense that any mode of use by the user or a group must 

be possible or practicable.” 

Yona Friedman is also the author of numerous books 

(including comics and didactic books for Unesco), among 

them Realisable Utopias, a book in which he exposes his 

main lines of thinking and architectural production. 

His publications and teaching have had a notable influence 

on many architects from the seventies to the present 

day, especially those who have worked on projects of an 

experimental nature, such as Archigram, transforming 

together buildings and lifestyles related thereto. 

But Yona Friedman has also been appreciated for many years 

in the field of contemporary art for the multitude of project 

drawings, all kind of representations in plan, in section or in 

elevation, but also for his models marked by special artistic 

touches (forms of intent, circulation, projection ratios, 

sculptural and volumetric qualities, etc.) and an aesthetic of 

remarkable mobility. 

At the International Congress of Modern Architecture 

(CIAM) in 1956, he questioned the postulates of modernist 

architecture, which led him to co-found the Mobile 

Architecture Study Group (GEAM), in 1958, and then in 1965 

the International Group of Prospective Architecture (GIAP). 

Yona Friedman has achieved very few buildings, including the 

Bergson High School in Angers in 1979, a real “self-planning” 

experience developed together with the education staff; as well 

as the Museum of Simple Technology in Madras, India, in 

1987, made from local materials such as bamboo. 

Pages 106 ‒ 111 

Slide show of Yona Friedman, 

photogravure Jean-Baptiste Decavèle, 2017 

Page 105, Yona Friedman 

Projet pour un musée sans bâtiment, 2017, On Site - FIAC 

© Christophe Brachet, Courtesy of the artist, 

Cneai & Galerie Jérôme Poggi, Paris 

104

105

106

107

108

109

110

111

112

113

114

115

116



MICHAËL BORREMANS: 

SIXTEEN DANCES 

The title of Michaël Borremans’ sixth solo exhibition at 

Zeno X makes reference to dance as a metaphor for the 

painter’s practice and to the different positions that the 

medium can adopt with regard to society’s current pulse. 

The inherent ambiguity immediately sets the tone for the 

substantive character of the themes on display. The works 

demonstrate a sense of playfulness, eagerness and virtuosity. 

At the same time, Borremans’ recent work has a dark side. 

The monochrome backgrounds provide little explanation 

about the situations in which the peculiar characters find 

themselves. A particular atmosphere in which time and 

space seem indeterminate incites viewers to reflect on the 

overall meaning. ‘Sixteen Dances’ is composed of three 

themes and also occupies the gallery’s back room, furnished 

as a study. 

‘Fire from the Sun’, one of the themes, depicts naked 

toddlers and young children who seem to have ended up in a 

strange ritual. It is unclear whether they have been smeared 

with paint or blood, but there is an unmistakable hint of 

cannibalism. The works combine horror and innocence in 

the shape of children. ‘Fire from the Sun’ refers to natural 

primal forces but also to human urges and humanity’s 

animal nature. 

A second series shows athletic black men whose faces are 

completely covered. The artist asked young hip-hoppers to 

dance to what for them is unconventional music: 1950s rock 

‘n’ roll. The gold chains and sagging trousers hint at their 

identity but at the same time give the scene an absurd and 

anachronistic feel. In addition, the titles also refer to the 

language and slang of the world of hip-hop: ‘Fugazy’, ‘On the 

Grind’, ‘Buggin’ or ‘Phat’. 

The last group of works features figures in shiny, close-fitting 

suits. As in the earlier series, ‘Black Mould’ (2015), in which 

characters are dressed in black garments, there is something 

oppressive and threatening about this series. The fact that 

they are entirely covered and therefore dressed anonymously 

heightens the feeling of theatricality and artificiality; they 

come across as extras in a disturbingly bare setting. 

The artist’s tendency to work more regularly in series comes 

from his longing to go deeper. At the same time, a cinematic 

continuum is suggested from which random stills are made. 

However, it remains unclear to viewers whether there really 

is a narrative structure in which one work follows on from 

the other. 

The ambiguous and strained atmosphere enveloping the 

works refers to the widespread feeling of disorientation that 

permeates our current age and society. This approach can 

seem highly contemporary but is in fact an age-old theme in 

the field of art history. Borremans here likes to refer to Goya, 

Bosch and Bruegel. He questions human nature and takes a 

close look at the current conception of humanity. ‘Sixteen 

Dances’ ushers the unsettling state of the world into the 

gallery but sends the visitor back out with an intense feeling 

which has already been indirectly permeated by dance. 

His retrospective ‘As sweet as it gets’ travelled in 2014-2015 

from Bozar in Brussels to the Tel Aviv Museum of 

Contemporary Art and the Dallas Museum of Art. The 

exhibition ‘Eating the Beard’ opened at the Kunstnernes 

Hus in Oslo before being shown at Kunstverein Stuttgart, 

Kunsthalle Budapest and Kunsthalle Helsinki. Michaël 

Borremans has also had solo exhibitions at CAC Malaga, the 

Hara Museum in Tokyo, MCA Denver, Kestner Gesellschaft 

in Hannover, De Appel Arts Centre in Amsterdam, 

The Cleveland Museum of Art, Parasol Unit in London, 

S.M.A.K. in Ghent, Museum für Gegenwartskunst in Basel, 

Kunsthalle Bremerhaven and many more. 

In 2018 Borremans will take part in the Biennale of Sydney 

and will provide the inaugural show of David Zwirner 

Hong Kong. 

117



MICHAËL BORREMANS 

SIXTEEN DANCES 

“Fire from the Sun” 

oil on canvas, 2017 

174,0 x 220,0 cm 

photographer: Peter Cox 

courtesy Zeno X Gallery, Antwerp 

Pages 112 - 113 

“On the Grind” 


27,0 x 35,6 cm 



Pages 114 - 115 

“Mercy” 


280,0 x 205,0 cm 



Page 116 

118 

Michaël Borremans’ Sixteen Dances at Zeno X Gallery, Antwerp 

© Zeno X Gallery

Michaël Borremans’ Sixteen Dances at Zeno X Gallery, Antwerp 

© Zeno X Gallery 

For more than 35 years Zeno X has developed a long term 

strategy to become the most important gallery in Belgium. 

In its relation with the artists of the gallery, institutional 

partnerships and worldwide collectors, the gallery is a benchmark 

in the art market. Both gallery and the artists have grown 

together, following a parallel parcours and sharing success. 

ZENO X GALLERY 

“In 1981 Frank Demaegd and his wife opened Zeno X 

Gallery and started showing the work of architects 

such as John Körmeling and Rem Koolhaas. Later on the 

gallery began to work with artists such as Anne-Mie 

Van Kerckhoven and Patrick Van Caeckenbergh. With 

them Zeno X became the subject of international 

discussion. In 1988 Raoul De Keyser showed for the first 

time at the gallery and in 1990 Luc Tuymans was 

presented. Marlene Dumas joined in 1991 and Mark 

Manders first solo show in Antwerp took place at 

Zeno X Gallery in 1994. More storage place was needed 

and in 1996 a small factory was bought in Borgerhout. 

Transformed into storage and exhibition space Zeno X 

Storage opened its doors in 2002. 

The storage has been renovated and enlarged. Since 

April 2013 the former gallery space closed and the new 

space has been inaugurated with a group exhibition. 

Recently Zeno X has started working with Grace 

Schwindt, Susan Hartnett, Pietro Roccasava, 

Mircea Suciu, Marina Rheingantz and N. Dash. 

More than 35 years have passed now in which we 

have put together more than 190 exhibitions and 

have attended more than 90 art fairs.” 

Zeno X Gallery 

Godtsstraat 15 

2140 Antwerp Borgerhout, Belgium 

www.zeno-x.com 

119

LA GALERIE IMAGINAIRE CREATES 

SPIRITUAL AND POETIC EXPERIENCES 

THAT ARE NOT ‘IMAGINAIRE’ AT ALL 

When artist Nico Dockx was invited to make a presentation 

in Delire Gallery in Brussels in the spring of 2015, the 

owner of this gallery — Sébastien Delire was proposed 

to close his white cube gallery. This thought-provoking 

question resulted in a complete withdrawal of the galleryowner 

at a moment in his life when he was questioning 

La Galerie Imaginaire creates a provocative and futureoriented 

approach, although LGI goes back in time 

by creating coinciding art experiences, presenting its 

presentations outside the regular institutional circuit and 

bringing it close to the people. The audience is in direct and 

hazardous contact with the artworks; the artworks are given 

120 

and balancing the contemporary art world, the commercial 

gallery system and its art fairs, the powerful influence of 

galleries, directing and controlling museum shows and most 

importantly about the relationship between gallery and 

artist and their respective freedoms in practice. 

In partnership with Nico Dockx, Sébastien Delire 

created La Galerie Imaginaire (LGI) as a potential model 

transcending the white space of the contemporary art 

gallery and bringing art into a context of social inclusion 

and participation, while creating new possible spaces in 

close dialogue with the artists invited and involved in 

long-term projects, or even using the sea and the wind 

(Marseille August-September 2016, Avec le Vent ..., Un 

Voyage en Mer Méditerranée — initiated and curated by Nico 

Dockx) as imaginative tools for exhibiting art. In 2017 

Sébastien and Nico started working in the streets and quays 

of historical cities as Varanasi (or Benares, India), Santa 

Marta (Colombia) and Athens (Spring 2018) as interactive 

presentation spaces. 

into the hands of local biotopes and economies which will 

decide organically if the works will last for a day, a week, 

or even beyond years. The spiritual and poetic experience 

is not ‘imaginaire’ at all. It is for real, in hand and its 

discrete and intimate presence will interact with the local 

communities, and questions both on an experimental level 

of how art is perceived and welcomed in our global village. 

Randomness is not so random, poetry is visualized, art goes 

beyond mere politics. According to Sébastien, who advises 

us that we shouldn’t define any limitations on the approach 

LGI proposes us or the artists. “All thoughts are limitations. 

If you want to see poetry in these stencils, you will observe 

and read poetry. For myself it is about contemplating 

without judging, sometimes even just observing. In this 

project nothing belongs to me or Nico. We invited the 

artists via mail and in consequence we received the 

proposals. Every proposal has a different thought, enclosing 

them in a unique vision, which is not the reality. We let it be 

and happen.”

“Do you know the word Shoshin? Shoshin is a Japanese 

term meaning ‘Beginner’s Spirit’, used in Zen Buddhism 

but also in martial arts (Budo). It is an attitude of humility, 

that the practitioner must keep throughout his path, while 

making progress, whatever level he/she reaches.” According 

to Zen master Shunryu Suzuki: “In the mind of the beginner 

doesn’t exist yet the thought, ‘I have reached something’. All 

egocentric thoughts limit our vast minds. When we do not 

have the idea of realization, not the idea of ourselves, we are 

real beginners. Then we can actually learn something. [...] It 

is not necessary to have a deep understanding of Zen. Even 

if you read a lot of books about Zen, you have to read every 

sentence with a fresh mind. You should not say ‘I know 

what Zen is’, or ‘I have attained enlightenment’. It is also 

the true secret of the [martial] arts: always be a beginner.” 

Diplomatic World 54 is invaded by 10 artists/10 images of 

(art) interventions as stencils on walls or banners, produced 

in collaboration with local partners in Varanasi and Santa 

Marta. We look at these as true ‘beginners’, and gratefully 

we embrace the generosity of the artists, Sébastien Delire, 

Nico Dockx and the local communities. 

All photos with Courtesy of La Galerie Imaginaire, 2017 

Luca Vitone 

Eppur Si Muove 






The wheel icon is taken from the flag of the Rom and Sinti populations as well as from the anarchic flag. It suggests the idea of libertarian nomadism, 

with no borders, which gives voice to our desire for roaming freely in every living space. 

121

FREDERIK DE WILDE’S 

HYPERTHINKER 

Technological progress seems to promise a more 

fulfilling life. We want to be hyperconnected with 

everybody, everything at all times. On the other 

hand we feel sometimes confused by such 

an overwhelming amount of connectivity, 

data and sensorial input. Welcome to 

the post-digital twenty-first century. 

122 

De Wilde’s artwork is clearly inspired by Rodin’s iconic 

sculpture that portrays a nude male figure in deep 

contemplation. De Wilde wondered: “How would a twentyfirst 

century ‘Hyperthinker’ look, feel and think like? And, 

what is the nature of the radical shift that hyperconnectivity 

impose on the human condition? 

What happens if our hyperconnectivity disappears, and feel 

afloat in a void just like Rodin’s Thinker sculpture?” 

De Wilde’s ‘Hyperthinker’, according to philosopher 

Ms. Nicole Dewandre (JRC) hovers between the traditional 

view of thinking as a solipsistic activity and thinking as a 

relational activity (ref. Hannah Arendt). 

Moreover, the Hyperthinker not only makes wifi networks 

(500MHz-2,6GHz) in the vicinity of the artwork 

audible and visual, it also randomly blocks or jams the 

aforementioned (visible as light flickering in the antennas 

and sculpture). 

This subversive act forces us to reflect upon our 

hyperconnected lives and the fear of being disconnected 

and/or hyperconnected (and losing control). 

The statute’s missing leg refers to Rodin’s Cleveland 

‘Thinker’ that lost its leg during a terrorist attack (1970), 

and the intentional destruction of cultural heritage (ISIL, 

Daesh). Are such actions limited to the physical and 

globalised world or can they also be digital De Wilde 

wonders? 

The general shape of the sculpture is intentionally hovering 

between form and void, growth and decay, networked and 

disconnected, male and female. We are standing exactly at 

this crossroad, in deep contemplation, together with the 

‘Hyperthinker’. 

Which direction will we, and Europe, go from here in an 

increasingly globalised, hyperconnected and automated 

world?

FREDERIK DE WILDE 

Frederik De Wilde (BE–1975) works at the interstice 

of art, science and technology. Frederik studied fine 

arts, media arts and philosophy. The conceptual crux 

of his artistic praxis are the notions of the inaudible, 

intangible and invisible. An excellent example is the 

conceptualisation, and creation, of the Blackest-Black art 

made in collaboration with American universities and 

NASA. The project received the Ars Electronica Next 

Idea Award and the Best European Collaboration Award 

between an artist and scientist, extensively covered 

(e.g. Huffington Post, Creators Project, TED). 

In 2019 De Wilde brings the Blackest-Black art to 

the Moon in collaboration with Carnegie Mellon 

(www.moonarts.org/about/team), NASA, AstroRobotic 

and Space-X. De Wilde is finalist of ‘Giant Steps’ which 

aims to bring an artist to the Moon supported by x-prize 

lab MIT. De Wilde is a finalist of the ZKM app art award 

with ‘Coremites,’ and uses often data as a source for 

his creations (e.g. data visualisations, sonifications). 

De Wilde is a laureate and member of the Royal 

Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts. 

De Wilde collaborated with the KIT micro- and collective 

robotics lab in Karlsruhe, the University of Leuven 

(Prometheus, division of Skeletal Tissue Engineering), 

Hasselt University (I-BioStat, X-Lab), UGent (Textile 

Department), Wyoming University (Computer Science), 

ESTEC, and many other universities and organisations 

worldwide. De Wilde exhibited at ZKM, Ars Electronica, 

Carroll/Fletcher Gallery, BOZAR, amongst many 

others. Frederik was a guest professor at the Artscience 

Interfaculty in The Hague, and Transmedia Brussels. 

De Wilde’s extended praxis includes creative- and 

innovation consultancy, micro-entrepreneurship, 

interdisciplinary research, software development 

(AR, VR, Data Visualisation, etc.). Frederik is currently 

preparing a residency at the MOODY Center 

For The Arts in Houston and the Max Planck Institute. 

De Wilde realised his first short film ‘Joy Palace,’ 

supported by the Flanders Audiovisual Fund in 2017, 

produced by Potemkino, Bekke Films, Radiator Sales 

and supported by The Fridge. 

De Wilde is currently represented by White Circle Agency 

(www.whitecircle.xyz) and Sedition (www.seditionart.com). 

123

SPACE — TIME — POWERS 

KARL-HEINZ ADLER 

After graduation from the Hochschule für Bildende 

Künste Dresden in 1953, Adler was active in 

and experimented with applied art, mostly in 

connection with architecture, and would often use 

concrete, ceramic materials and metals, but it was 

neither because of his faithfulness to constructivist 

principles or out of choice. He did so out of 

necessity resulting from the political situation in his 

country where free artists were liable to prosecution 

the way they had been in the Nazi period. 

That he embarked on experiments with geometric art in 

1957, earlier than any of his friends, was firstly because of 

an irresistible inner incentive, and secondly because his 

financial resources and the little bit of free time he had 

after work permitted him to. It may be that his work as a 

lecturer at the Architectural Department of the Technical 

University in Dresden in 1955-61 acted as an inspiration, as 

some think. But there are good grounds for believing that his 

innate predilections, suppressed cumulated and released at an 

opportune time, were the main cause. When he worked on his 

first abstract geometric system collages, art of this kind was 

received in the GDR with no lesser hostility than five or ten 

years earlier. Adler had no reason to think that the situation 

was likely to change and his works would one day leave the 

studio and find their way to exhibition rooms. In spite of it, he 

continued his pursuit for over twenty years, all by himself, with 

no support from critics and the artistic milieu (except a narrow 

circle of friends), and isolated from modern trends in world 

art. He embarked on his path, developed his concepts and 

finally defined his premises and goals. That was long before he 

had first officially presented his works in exhibition salons. 

series. At an introductory stage of his research, his works had 

a rhythmical and decorative quality. Though it has remained 

typical of his work to this day, it is no longer the main trait, in 

any case not deliberately so. 

124 

When Karl-Heinz Adler first tried his hand at abstract art 

in 1957, he was a mature artist. It may be attributed to his 

relatively late debut as an independent artist at the age of 

thirty. The term maturity does not refer to the individual works 

but his consciousness and the choice of artistic path. From 

the very beginning, his geometric works have been built on the 

system principle, and often, especially later on, in the form of 

Karl-Heinz Adler, Serielle Lineaturen — Phasenverschiebung 

symmetrisch, 1992, Zeichnung, Graphit auf Karton, 59 x 42 cm 

Courtesy Galerie EIGEN + ART Leipzig/Berlin, 

Photo: Uwe Walter, Berlin

Adler works in series because the idea of art he has adopted 

includes the immanent time factor, and also because 

he is interested in the changing relations of forms and 

transformations of compositions in which he analyses various 

arrangements of the geometric form he has chosen. At first, 

he used squares, then semicircles and circles, later triangles 

and rectangles. The composition model he has employed 

the most frequently is the transformation of geometric 

figures through the centre or axis of symmetry. In some 

compositions there is one axis, in others there are two. In 

his experiments, he employed the effect of mirror reflection 

or multiplication. To enhance the dynamism, he would 

sometimes locate the axis along the diagonal. 

From the very beginning of his work, space has been a 

problem of primary importance. Even in the early 1960s, 

he started to employ forms suggesting space. In his watercolour 

collages, he arrived at an impression of space thanks 

to the accumulation of apparently transparent forms placed 

in succession from the foremost plane inwards. The more 

forms he superimposed, the more intense the colour and 

the darker the value. Besides showing the consistency of his 

analytical experiments and the pureness of the visual effect, 

the series anticipated the later ambiguity of formal solutions 

and messages. This is evident in his series of drawings of 

1967-68 titled Serielle Lineaturen. The exceedingly delicate 

lines indicate the direction of the propagation of rays 

creating an illusion of space in areas of intensifying and 

decreasing tension. The series has both an emotional and 

associative effect. In the 1970s, Adler continued analyses and 

experiments combining linear solutions leading to an illusion 

of space with the flat forms of circles or dispassionate squares 

entangled in a network of lines converging at a distance, on 

the horizon. Conducting parallel experiments with colour 

in his series of water-colour collages, in addition to illusive 

painterly effects, he would sometimes employ literally 

transparent matter: layers of foil glued one upon another. 

In the early 1980s, he combined collage technique with 

serigraphy, resulting in images reminiscent of graphs of 

mathematicals functions and suggesting depth, in which they 

harked back to Naum Gabo’s and Antoine Pevsner’s sculptures 

and Luigi Veronesi’s drawings. The series executed in the 

1980s were a continuation of those from 1967-68 though 

more comprehensive and more vigorous than the former. The 

drawings in pencil on white area, differing in composition, 

evoke various associations. No objects are represented. The 

series analyse the structure of lines but primarily the problems 

of space. Another issue tackled in these series of drawings, 

Karl-Heinz Adler, Serielle Lineaturen — Phasenverschiebung 

symmetrisch, 1992, Zeichnung, Graphit auf Karton, 59 x 42 cm 

Courtesy Galerie EIGEN + ART Leipzig/Berlin, 

Photo: Uwe Walter, Berlin 

almost as important, is light. His colour scheme is usually 

limited, toned down. Though on the whole he leans towards 

monochromy, some of his paintings of the late 1980s reveal 

his longing for post-impressionist aesthetics manifesting itself 

in the more intense colours and vibrant surfaces. Adler’s first 

professor at the art school Walther Löbering sought to engraft 

this kind of aesthetics on him. 

Like the first collages of the 1960s and all his works in 

general, his drawings of the second half of the 1980s, 

increasingly mature from the viewpoint of concept and 

workmanship, are executed in series. Precedents in the 

past are easy to trace. A hundred years ago, Claude Monet, 

while painting the Rouen cathedral, mounted canvases on 

his easel at welldefined intervals of time in order to render 

its appearance changing under the influence of the colour 

of light and the inclination of the sunrays. Jan Dibbets 

photographed the route of a sunray across his studio all 

day at regular intervals. Sol LeWitt investigated into the 

superimposition of several simple patterns of lines running in 

various directions. Josef Albers and Johannes Itten worked 

on systems of colour transformations and Roman Opalka 

employs a numerical system, in which the unit of progression 

is one. One percent of white is added to the grey background 

125

of the successive paintings inscribed in white. In most 

cases, the important thing is not the system adopted by the 

individual artist but what it reveals when it is used, a broader 

intellectual context, most often existential. 

The system adopted by Karl-Heinz Adler is his method of 

expression on issues going beyond the purely visual. His 

series of static drawings feature motion and document the 

course of the ongoing processes. In each series, we may 

trace the shift of the centres of composition or spatial vortex 

towards the most distant points in the background. We also 

sense in these drawings the pulsation of light and darkness. 

More and more competent technically, and visual beautiful, 

Adler’s drawings are pure, subtle like a breath and full of 

musical harmony. They are light, airy and brilliant. They 

have something magic and misty about them. This may be 

so because their space is so abstract that it does not evoke 

associations with anything tangible. It seems a section of 

the cosmic space. His series of drawings illustrate processes 

of growth and decay, nearness and distance, polarisation 

and unification, opening and closing. This is how opposing 

values, transforming from each other or identical values, 

transforming from one extreme to the other are encoded. 

It seems a manifestation in universal visual language of the 

nondualism principle (Advaita), continuous motion and 

anxiety, known from Hindu philosophy. 

Bozena Kowalska 

KARL-HEINZ ADLER 

Karl-Heinz Adler (born in 1927 in Remtengrün) studied 

at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste West-Berlin in 

the class of Arthur Degner and at the Kunstakademie 

Dresden in the classes of Wilhelm Rudolph and Hans 

Grundig. Adler is known as a major and independent 

representative of constructive-concrete art that deals 

with structures that are composed of repeating elements. 

He took part in noumerous national and international 

Solo exhibitions, for example at Albertinum Dresden, 

at the Kassák and Kiscelli Museum in Budapest, at 

Museum für Angewandte Kunst Gera, at the Museum 

Modern Art Hünfeld, at Folkwang Museum Essen, at the 

Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz and the Malmö Konsthall. 

BOZENA KOWALSKA 

Bozena Kowalska, born in Warschau, is an art historian, 

art theoretician and curator. She studied art history at 

the University of Warschau and received her PhD in 

1974. 

From 1974 to 1983 she had a lectureship at the Academy 

of Art, Warschau, from 1991 to 1992 at the Academy 

of Art, Lodz and 1989 she was a Visiting Professor at 

the Akademie der Bildenden Künste, Nürnberg. From 

1972 to 2001 she was the manager of the “Galerie 72” 

in Kreismuseum Chelm. She has a lot of curatorial 

projects and published numerous essays with the focus 

on Constructive-Concrete Art. 

126 

Karl-Heinz Adler 

Schichtung von transparenten und nichttransparenten Dreiecken und 

Punkten, 1980 

Handdruck, Collage, Folie, farbige Papiere, Grafit auf Karton 

63 x 63 cm 

Courtesy Galerie EIGEN + ART Leipzig/Berlin 

Photo: Uwe Walter, Berlin 

GALERIE EIGEN + ART LEIPZIG/BERLIN 

Galerie EIGEN + ART represents established and young 

artists working in a wide range of media such as film/ 

video, photography, installation, painting and sculpture 

including conceptual art and performance in both 

locations: Leipzig and Berlin. The gallery’s program 

is dedicated to all fields of contemporary art. Galerie 

EIGEN + ART was founded on April the 10th 1983. Karl- 

Heinz Adler is represented by the gallery since 2016. 

Galerie EIGEN + ART is represented at numerous 

national and international fairs: Art Basel Hong Kong, 

Frieze New York, Art Cologne, Art Basel, Frieze 

London, Fiac Paris, Art Basel Miami. 

www.eigen-art.com

Pratchaya Phinthong 

Reality Ripple 






Reality Ripple, 2017 

Wood, vinyl, cctv 

Site-specific installation / 24 hours live streaming 

I have been driving past an empty, free-standing medium-sized billboard that is being swallowed, day by day, by a creeper. 

The billboard is made from the reverse side of another, used sign, with multiple triangular holes, cut into it to provide stability against the wind, 

through which the creeper is now propagating. It is clearly a common mock-up, a replica of a real billboard which would disappear as soon as there is new 

content to replace it. The stencil is made from these triangular holes which in fact become images produced in the maintenance of an absence of content, 

rather than being assigned a subject for the sake of it — not telling a story but rather asking what story should be told. Despite the acute tensions in Thai 

society today, the political desires and cravings of certain groups also generate these moments of suspension and inertia. 

The silences imposed arbitrarily by the ruling powers compound the society’s frustration and depression. 

127

THE KUNSTMUSEUM BOCHUM 

The Kunstmuseum Bochum is situated at the heart 

of Germany’s Ruhrgebiet, a region that is still today 

primarily associated with coal and heavy industries. 

Little is it known that in the Ruhrgebiet there is a 

unique and dense network of art museums with art 

collections ranging the 20th and 21st centuries. 

Around 1900, the collector Karl Ernst Osthaus pursued 

a mission to give the people of the simmering industrial 

regions cultural identity by accumulating a collection of 

contemporary and non-european works of art and cultural 

goods. Following this intention, he bought works by 

van Gogh, Gauguin, Renoir and Kandinsky and founded the 

“Kunsthalle für das Volk”, a museum for the public, today the 

Folkwang Museum in Essen. His example was followed, and 

is still followed today, by politicians and private citizens in 

multiple other cities throughout the Ruhrgebiet. 

128 

The Kunstmuseum Bochum is kept in this tradition. Under 

municipal ownership, it considers itself an art space for 

the public. Its philosophy is to be rooted in its city and its 

community, while acting on a national and international level 

— with growing success. The building, designed by the Danish 

architecture duo Bo and Wohlert in 1983, offers visitors 

ideal premises and conditions to communicate about and 

through art. Children, young adults, families, seniors, people 

with disabilities, art buffs or the art-curious of all different 

backgrounds, they all meet here to witness art, talk about 

art and be artistically active. We have an open discussion 

with our visitors about the principle functions of a museum: 

collecting, preserving, exhibiting, and communicating art. 

Decidedly, during times in which communities are forced 

to make decisions under restricting financial conditions, 

questions about the importance of art collections in the 

community need to be answered. A very illustrative example 

is the private collection of Reydan Weiss. 

Reydan Weiss is a ‘collector between worlds’. Born in 

Istanbul and raised in Jordan and Jerusalem, she came to 

Germany for her studies and today lives in New Zealand, 

Germany and Turkey. Her acquisitions show a strong 

personal relationship to art, a strong interest in topical 

questions and an ever expanding eye for, at times, headstrong 

Bernard Frize 

pieces by young, as well as established artists. Sculpture and 

painting meet photography, ceramics or video installation. 

Cindy Sherman and Gerhard Richter are placed aside 

new pieces from Cuba, Chile, Australia, or Asia. “For me, 

collecting art is being open for the new, staying curious, and 

valuing change,” says Weiss. Her collection expresses her 

love for art discovery. Her joy and risks are not only reflected 

in the individual pieces, but also in the formation of her 

exhibition at the Kunstmuseum Bochum. 

The management of the Kunstmuseum Bochum, together 

with Dr. Anne Marie Bonnet, professor at the institute of art 

history at the Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, opened 

the curation process to a young team of students. They were 

to interrogate and question Reydan Weiss’ collection in light

Mohau Modisakeng 

of the new Bochumer exhibit. The exhibit doing identity 

wants to give focus to the dialogical and open strategies of 

individual and communal identity shaping. Does the portrait 

truly depict our “I” or can it only just depict what we in 

hindsight consider our own identity? Does an “I” live within 

us, or does it moreover live at the intersections of the “We”, 

for example, in the things we surround ourselves with, in our 

clothes, or the rooms and furniture of our home? The current 

migration and refugee dynamics show that doing identity, or 

navigating an identity in a community, is difficult and can be 

nearly impossible facing war and destruction. 

The Kunsthaus Bochum is exhibiting the Reydan Weiss 

collection starting the 25th of November 2017 — for the 

first time in North Rhine-Westfalia and for the first time in 

such an extensive scope. Where could the question of doing 

identity be better examined than in a region that has for over 

one hundred years been shaped by migration and its process 

of finding identity? Doing identity is an example of how Karl 

Ernst Osthaus’ idea remains current today. 

 

Dr. Hans Günter Golinski, Director 

© Charles Fréger, Wilder Mann — Cerbul din Corlata 2010-2011 

129

AT HOME WITH ART 

BY DR. MARION AGTHE-NATTER 

It is said that art collectors are passionate, 

confident, proud, independent, but also obsessive, 

compulsive and a bit crazy. 1 To some extent all 

of these traits apply to Reydan Weiss. In the 

last twenty years she has built up an astonishing 

collection of international contemporary art. 

How did Reydan Weiss manage to assemble a collection of 

this quality? From the very beginning she was not interested 

in following one artistic style or individual. On the whole 

she focused on young artists — “young” in the widest sense, 

as reflected in the artistic content of the individual work, 

not necessarily in the artist’s age. And she loves art: the 

material value of the work is not important to her; she does 

not distinguish between a very expensive picture and a small 

piece that was found by chance. She is guided exclusively by 

her personal taste. 

Thus her own artistic position has crystallized out of the 

process of collecting works based on her convictions. Her 

objects and works reveal something of herself, something 

she carries within herself, something of her own feelings 

and sentiments. The source of these feelings can be found 

in Reydan Weiss’s vita. She was born in Istanbul, grew up in 

Jordan, went to school in Jerusalem and came to Germany 

as a young woman. From here she has been continually 

propelled out into the world. She fell in love with 

New Zealand, where she founded the Elephant Hill Estate 

Winery with her husband Roger in the wine-growing area 

Hawkes Bay. 

As one can see, there are many important places in her life 

between cultures. 

belongs. If asked today where she feels at home, she simply 

answers “everywhere and nowhere”. 

As an individual who has lived and lives in so many 

countries, she feels that communication between cultures 

is of the utmost importance. In this context art can provide 

a medium for exchange. It is effective beyond country 

borders and brings together people from all over the 

world. International exchange leads to a valuable learning 

process, not only for artists or museum people but also for 

collectors: they learn to appreciate another perspective, 

a new way of thinking and questioning, but in a universal 

language that everyone can understand. This provides 

Reydan Weiss with the impetus to collect and also subtly 

determines her choice of works. 

Based on her experience, it is impossible to assimilate 

a culture entirely. As a result she feels that her home is 

“everywhere and nowhere”. At an early age she learned that 

“at home” is an ambiguous term and that wherever she lives 

a significant part of her life is elsewhere. 

“Home” is an emotional place — a place where one truly 

130 

1 According to Honoré de Balzac, they are the most passionate people in 

the world. 

Reydan Weiss

Anselm Kiefer 

YES, REYDAN WEISS´S COLLECTION IS INCREDIBLY MULTIFACETED; VIEWING IT IS LIKE A RIDE ON AN 

EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER. IT CAPTIVATES US, GETS UNDER OUR SKIN, AND IS RELENTLESS IN ITS 

PROVOCATION. IN SHORT IT IS A CHALLENGE TO BE EMBARKED UPON WITHOUT RESERVATIONS. 

131

THE CURE FOR PANCREATIC CANCER 

MIGHT VERY WELL BE ON THE VERGE OF DISCOVERY 

Pancreatic cancer occurs when a malignant tumour 

forms in the pancreas. There are two main types of 

pancreatic cancer: 

The cure for Pancreatic cancer 

might very well be on the verge of discovery 

132 

Pancreatic cancer occurs when a 

malignant tumour forms in the pancreas. 

Exocrine tumours 

These make up the vast majority of all pancreatic cancers 

(around 

There 

90%) and 

are 

come 

two 

from 

main 

the cells 

types 

that 

of 

line 

pancreatic 

the ducts in 

the pancreas which carry digestive juices into the intestine. 

cancer: 

Endocrine tumours 

Exocrine tumours 

These are known as neuroendocrine tumours, and are 

These make up the vast majority of 

much less common. These tumours sometimes make 

all pancreatic cancers (around 90%) and 

hormones such as insulin, and glucagon, to control 

blood sugar. Often referred to as either PETs or islet 

cell tumours, the pancreas they are very which rare, making carry up just 2-5% of 

pancreatic digestive tumours juices into the intestine. 

What causes Endocrine pancreatic tumours cancer? 

The causes These of pancreatic are known cancer as are neuroendocrine 

not known. However, 

there are tumours, some risk factors and are that much make developing less common. 

pancreatic These cancer tumours more likely: sometimes make 

• Cigarette Smoking – There is a direct relationship 

between the amount you smoke and the risk of 

pancreatic cancer. 

• Age – The risk of developing pancreatic cancer 

very rare, making up just 2-5% of 

increases with age. 

pancreatic tumours 

• Chronic Pancreatitis – Long-term inflammation of the 

pancreas 

What 

(pancreatitis) 

causes pancreatic 

has been linked 

cancer? 

to pancreatic 

cancer. The causes of pancreatic cancer are not 

• Diabetes known. – a number However, of reports there suggest are that some diabetics risk 

have an factors increased that risk make of developing pancreatic pancreatic cancer. 

• Obesity cancer – Recent more studies likely: show that the risk is higher in 

people Cigarette who obese Smoking (Body Mass – There Index is < a 30). direct Obese 

women relationship who carry their between weight on their amount stomach you area 

could 

smoke 

be at an 

and 

increased 

the risk of 

developing 

pancreatic 

pancreatic 

cancer. 

cancer. 

come from the cells that line the ducts in 

hormones such as insulin, and glucagon, to 

control blood sugar. Often referred to as 

either PETs or islet cell tumours, they are 

Age – The risk of developing pancreatic 

cancer increases with age. 

Chronic Pancreatitis – Long-term 

inflammation of the pancreas 

(pancreatitis) has been linked to pancreatic 

cancer. 

Diabetes –a number of reports suggest 

that diabetics have an increased risk of 

developing pancreatic cancer. 

Obesity – Recent studies show that the 

risk is higher in people who are obese 

• http://www.pancreaticcancereurope.eu/ 

• https://pancreaticcanceraction.org/ 

• https://eng.sheba.co.il/international_patients 

• https://www.tal-center.org/?lang=en 

• http://www.europacolon.com/pancreaticcancer. 

php?Action=Pancreaticcancer 

• http://www.e-gezondheid.be/hoe-is-pancreaskanker-teherkennen/2/actueel/610 

A rare but deadly cancer 

The pancreas is a vital organ that makes 

A RARE insulin BUT and DEADLY other hormones, CANCER which aid in 

a number of processes important for good 

The pancreas is a vital organ that makes insulin and other 

health. While it accounts for only 2% of 

hormones, which aid in a number of processes, important 

cancers diagnosed in the United States 

for good health. While it accounts for only 2% of cancers 

each year, pancreatic cancer is the 3rd 

diagnosed in the United States each year, pancreatic cancer 

most common cause of cancer-related 

is the 3rd most common cause of cancer-related deaths in 

deaths in the country. It often does not 

the country. It often does not cause symptoms in the early 

cause symptoms in the early stages, 

stages, making it challenging to detect and diagnose. 

making it challenging to detect and 

diagnose. 

Early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is a daunting 

challenge, but we’re taking a bold and unbiased approach 

to develop 

Early 

a 

diagnosis 

blood test for 

of 

this 

pancreatic 

disease. By 

cancer 

identifying 

is a 

abnormal daunting blood-based challenge, cancer but markers, we’re called taking biomarkers, a 

our intent bold and is to detect unbiased the cancer approach before it’s to symptomatic. develop a 

We believe blood such test a for blood this test disease. will lead to By significant identifying 

improvements abnormal in blood-based survival and can cancer be broadly markers, used outside 

the walls called of MD biomarkers, Anderson. our intent is to detect 

the cancer before it’s symptomatic. We 

believe such a blood test will lead to 

significant PANCREATIC improvements CANCER RESEARCH in survival and 

can RECEIVES be broadly LESS used THAN outside 2% OF the ALL walls THE of 

MD RESEARCH Anderson. FUNDING IN EUROPE 

Pancreatic cancer research 

receives less than 2% of all

Painless jaundice (yellow skin/eyes, dark urine, 

itching). This is related to bile duct obstruction 

Weight loss which is significant and unexplained 

Abdominal pain which is new-onset and 

Classic pancreatic cancer symptoms can include: 

significant. Pain in the upper abdomen that 

radiates to the back which is new, significant and 

persistent that is relieved by leaning forward. Pain 

• Painless jaundice (yellow skin/eyes, dark urine, itching). 

This is related to bile duct obstruction; 

• Weight loss which is significant and unexplained; 

• Abdominal 

when eating; 

pain which is new-onset and significant. Pain in 

the upper abdomen that radiates to the back which is new, 

significant and persistent that is relieved by leaning forward; 

with weight gain; 

• Pain when eating; 

• Diabetes which is new-onset and not associated with 

weight discomfort gain; not responding to prescribed 

• Vague indigestion (dyspepsia) or abdominal discomfort not 

responding vomiting; to prescribed medication; 

• Loss of appetite; 

• Nausea and vomiting; 

stools that are often pale and smell foul) 

• Change in bowel movements; 

• Steatorrhea (fatty stools that are often pale and smell foul). 

Diabetes which is new-onset and not associated 

Vague indigestion (dyspepsia) or abdominal 

medication; Loss of appetite; Nausea and 

Not everyone will have all of these symptoms. 

For example, those who have a tumour in the body or tail 

of the pancreas are unlikely to have painless jaundice. 

All of these symptoms can have other causes, and there 

is not yet a reliable and easy test for pancreatic cancer. 

Having one or more of the symptoms does not mean you 

have pancreatic cancer. Still if you have 2 or more of these 

symptoms, it is important to have them checked by a 

doctor so that the cause can be found and treated if needed 

the major research funders are 

wakening up to the fact that 

pancreatic cancer remains 

chronically underfunded. However, 

there is a lot more we need to do 

There is also a glimmer of hope that the major 

research funders are wakening up to the fact 

that pancreatic cancer remains chronically 

underfunded. However, there is a lot more we 

need to do and I am determined that over the 

next 5-10 years Pancreatic we get five-year Action survival UK rates 

to at least double digits if not better. 

– Ali Stunt, Pancreatic Action UK 

and I am determined that over the 

next 5-10 years we get five-year 

survival rates to at least double 

digits if not better. – Ali Stunt, 

Pancreatic Cancer has the 

LOWEST SURVIVAL RATE of all 

Change in bowel movements; Steatorrhea (fatty PANCREATIC CANCER HAS THE 

LOWEST major SURVIVAL cancers RATE OF ALL 

Not everyone will have all of these symptoms. MAJOR CANCERS 

For example, those who have a tumour in the 

body or tail of the pancreas are unlikely to have 

painless jaundice. All of these symptoms can have 

other causes, and there is not yet a reliable and 

to talk to the people it takes all the time to 

easy test for pancreatic cancer. Having one or 

more of the symptoms does not mean you have 

pancreatic cancer. Still if you have 2 or more of 

– Vitor Neves, EuropaColon Portugal 

these symptoms, it is important to have them 

checked by a doctor so that the cause can be 

found and treated if needed 

In Portugal the primary care has 

such little time to talk to the 

people it takes all the time to 

write the prescription and to put 

everything in the computer while 

the doctors should talk to the 

people and find out what are the 

symptoms – Vitor Neves, 

EuropaColon Portugal 

In Portugal the primary care has such little time 

write the prescription and to put everything in 

the computer while the doctors should talk to 

the people and find out what are the symptoms 

133

DEMAND MORE RESEARCH FUNDING 

DEMAND MORE RESEARCH FUNDING 

ASK YOUR PUBLIC OFFICIALS TO SUPPORT MORE GOVERNMENT FUNDING OF 

Ask your public officials to support more government funding of 

pancreatic cancer research. #WPCD or #worldpancreaticcancerday 

PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH. #WPCD OR #WORLDPANCREATICCANCERDAY 

134 

There is also a glimmer of hope that the major research funders are wakening up to the 

fact that pancreatic PANCREATIC cancer remains CANCER chronically underfunded. HAS THE LOWEST 

However, there is a lot 

more we need to do and I am determined that over the next 5-10 years we get five-year 

SURVIVAL RATE OF ALL MAJOR CANCERS 

survival rates to at least double digits if not better. – Ali Stunt, Pancreatic Action 

UKPancreatic Cancer has the LOWEST SURVIVAL RATE of all major cancers

PANCREATIC CANCER DECLARATION 

By 2030 pancreatic cancer is set to be the 2nd leading 

PANCREATIC cause of death CANCER by cancer DECLARATION 

if no action is taken. This 


DECLARATION by the EU Multi-Stakeholder Platform on 

cause of death by cancer if no action is taken. This 

Pancreatic Cancer outlines what action is needed to halt this 

DCLARATION by the EU Multi-Stakeholder Platform on 

violent and deadly disease, with Philippe De Backer MEP, 

Pancreatic Cancer outlines what action is needed to halt 

this Françoise violent Grossetête and deadly MEP, disease. Philippe Juvin MEP, Daciana 

Philippe Sârbu MEP De Backer – “The EU MEP has Françoise a central role Grossetête to play in MEP, the fight 

Philippe against Pancreatic Juvin MEP, cancer: Daciana it is Sârbu time for MEP EU The institutions EU has a 

central and Member role to States play to in support the fight European against citizens Pancreatic affected cancer: 

it by is pancreatic time for EU cancer institutions and trigger and real Member change in States research, to 

support diagnosis European and care.” citizens affected by pancreatic cancer 

and 

There 

trigger 

are real 

key targets 

change 

by 

in 

2020: 

research, diagnosis and care 

There are 5 key targets by 2020 

1. Launch education and awareness campaigns in all Member 

Launch education and awareness campaigns in all 

States. Raise awareness in the general population through 

Members States. Raise awareness in the general 

population active promotion through active of awareness promotion campaigns of awareness and increase 

campaigns political and awareness increase on political pancreatic awareness cancer in order on to 

pancreatic trigger political cancer in leadership order to and trigger action political in this disease. leadership 

and 2. Develop action in specific this disease plans to tackle pancreatic cancer and 

Develop integrate specific pancreatic plans cancer to tackle in the pancreatic broader Member cancer State and 

integrate cancer pancreatic control policies. cancer Include in the Pancreatic broader cancer Member in 

State cancer cancer control control policies policies at EU Include and national Pancreatic level, more cancer 

in cancer control policies at EU and national level, more 

specifically in rare cancer initiatives and develop national 

specifically in rare cancer initiatives and develop 

pancreatic cancer plans with measurable action plans, 

national pancreatic cancer plans with measurable action 

ensuring comprehensive standards of diagnosis and care 

plans, ensuring comprehensive standards of diagnosis 

and across care across Europe. Europe awareness on pancreatic cancer 

in 3. order Improve to trigger early diagnosis by launching national campaigns 

Improve towards early healthcare diagnosis and by patients. launching Increase national awareness of 

campaigns pancreatic towards cancer healthcare towards the scientific and patients. and patient Increase 

awareness communities of pancreatic to enable cancer earlier diagnosis toward sthe and develop scientific 

and pancreatic patient communities cancer training to programs enable earlier for treating diagnosis and 

develop pancreatic cancer training programs for treating 

physicians about symptoms and risk factors to improve 

physician about symptoms and risk factors to improve 

earlier diagnosis. 

earlier diagnosis 

4. Implement efficient data collection and pancreatic cancer 

Improve data collection on surgery and treatment of 

pancreatic registries. cancer Improve patients, data collection supporting on surgery physicians and and 

researchers treatment ti of better pancreatic understand cancer patients, the disease supporting and 

leverage physicians EU-wide and initiatives researchers such to better as the understand European the 

Network disease of and Cancer leverage Registries EU-wide to initiatives, support and such work as the 

towards European the development Network of Cancer of pancreatic Registries, cancer to support registries the 

in Europe development of national registries. 

Increase 5. Increase the the number number of of pan-European pan-European and and national national 

pancreatic cancer research projects by increasing 

pancreatic cancer research projects. Increase allocation 

allocation of funds for the research into pancreatic 

of funds for the research into pancreatic cancer in order 

cancer to improve early diagnosis and enable patients to 

receive 

to improve 

treatment 

early 

at 

diagnosis 

and early 

and 

stage 

enable 

of 

patients 

their disease 

to receive 

PANCREATIC CANCER DECLARATION 


cause of death by cancer if no action is taken. This 

DCLARATION by the EU Multi-Stakeholder Platform on 

Pancreatic Cancer outlines what action is needed to halt 

this violent and deadly disease. 

Philippe De Backer MEP Françoise Grossetête MEP, 

Philippe Juvin MEP, Daciana Sârbu MEP The EU has a 

central role to play in the fight against Pancreatic cancer: 

it is time for EU institutions and Member States to 

support European citizens affected by pancreatic cancer 

and trigger real change in research, diagnosis and care 

The onset Philippe of De the Backer study that led to this 

Declaration came from a number of 

patient advocacy groups and created a 

treatment at an early stage of their disease and create 

movement of cooperation between the 

funding streams within Horizon 2020 to support research 

Member States. All the directives are 

on pancreatic cancer. 

guidelines, what makes it difficult to 

reprimand Member States for not 

The onset of the study that led to this Declaration came 

obliging. What we hear in conferences 

from a number of patient advocacy groups and created 

with other EU patient advocate groups 

a 

is 

movement 

that some 

of 

countries 

cooperation 

in the 

between 

European 

the Member States. 

All 

Union 

the 

are 

directives 

far behind 

are guidelines, 

in the application 

what makes it difficult to 

reprimand of EU guidelines. Member Some States have for not no obliging. What we hear 

screening conferences programs, from other some EU even patient don’t advocacy groups is 

that have some access countries to the necessary are far behind medication in the EU. Some have 

no to heal screening a patient programs, with cancer. some even During don’t a have access to 

the recent necessary meeting medication the High-Level to treat Group a patient with cancer. 

focused on more cooperation amongst 

A the recent Member meeting States. of the The High-Level European Group Union focused on 

more will reach cooperation out to countries amongst the experiencing Member States. The 

European difficulties Union implementing will reach best out to practices countries experiencing 

difficulties in hospitals. implementing Patients should best practices be able to in hospitals. 

Patients get the best should of be care able no to matter get the in best which of care no matter in 

which European European Member Member State State they they are. are. Some Some countries 

also countries experience also experience difficulties purchasing difficulties medications. 

All purchasing Member medications. States should All get Member access to and arrange 

reimbursement States should get for acces the necessary to and arrange medication. The 

High-Level reimbursment Group for is the looking necessary into a European Fund for 

reimbursement medication. The on Hijgh-Level a European Group level. is 

looking into the possibility of founding a 

European Fund for reimbursement on a 

European level. 

Foto Philippe De Backer 

The onset of the study that led to this 

Declaration came from a number of 

135

DEVELOPING A SCREENING TEST FOR 

PANCREATIC CANCER. 

One of the reasons pancreatic cancer is so difficult to treat 

is because it does not produce symptoms until after it has 

spread. The goal is to develop an inexpensive noninvasive 

test that can be done in any town and any office. “To that 

end we are looking for blood-based biomarkers, substances 

that can be reliably and consistently measured to indicate 

that a specific process is occurring in the body” says 

Moon Shot co-leader Anirban Maitra, M.B.B.S. 

The key for a simple pancreatic screening will be to figure out 

which marker or markers to follow; to find the biomarkers 

that will indicate the presence of pancreatic cancer. Right 

now researchers have not identified those markers. 

The things the researchers at MD Anderson Pancreatic 

Cancer Mon Shot are looking at include 

• Proteins made by cells to see if there is a specific protein 

that reliably occurs when pancreatic cancer is present 

• Antibodies that indicate pancreas cancer is being battled 

- Mutant DNA from tumor cells 

- Abnormal metabolites which indicate that pancreatic 

cancer is active 

The highlight of our visit to SHEBA Medical Center 

was the appointment with Talia Golan, MD Medical 

Director, Early Phase Clinical Trials Program and Medical 

Oncologist at Gastrointestinal Unit, Chaim Sheba Medical 

Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel and her patient Yoav Hadas, 

pancreatic cancer advocate. 

In the beginning he said he did not like to talk about his 

disease, he did not want to jinx it but after a few questions 

we did not even dare breathe. His story was so from the 

heart, so spiritual that we were all convinced that he 

himself did — and is still doing most of the work towards 

healing. Time after time he stressed a few golden truths. 

Listen to your gut feeling. If it does not feel right or if 

you do not fully understand what is going on or going to 

happen, ask additional questions again and again. If you 

don’t get satisfactory answers, ask for a second, third … 

opinion. The fact that you trust your physician will 

improve your healing. You will be free of worries when 

you have full confidence in the treatment. 

Don’t rely solely on medical treatments, chemotherapy nor 

radiotherapy. You need something more, mostly to soothe 

the soul. Think of additional alternative therapies like 

acupuncture or acupressure; sound, light or music therapy; 

reiki, yoga, tai chi, anything that will ease your mind. 

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16 2017 

COMMUNITIES AROUND THE WORLD 

WILL UNITE TO RAISE GLOBAL 

AWARENESS OF PANCREATIC CANCER. 

WORKING TOGETHER ON THIS 

SPECIAL DAY, WE KNOW WE CAN 

MAKE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE. 

DR. TALIA GOLAN IS AN EXPERT IN 

GASTRO-INTESTINAL MALIGNANCIES. 

SHE SPECIALIZES IN GASTRO-INTESTINAL 

MALIGNANCIES: ESOPHAGEAL CANCER, 

GASTRIC CANCER, PANCREATIC CANCER, 

BILE DUCT CANCER, COLON CANCER & 

RECTAL CANCER 

136

groundbreaking research. This advanced 

technology enables the in vitro growth of 

patients' cancer and immune system cells, 

making it possible to examine their 

response to anti-cancerous herbs and 

provide truly personalized medicine; while 

expanding the Tal Center treatment 

experience and knowledge-base. 

development of innovative protocols. 

The center is located within the oncology 

treatment system at Tel Hashomer 

Hospital and works in cooperation with 

the oncology department and research 

laboratories. 

Together we can change the cancer 

treatment culture around the world 

CENTER ORIGIN 

On December 26, 2009, we said goodbye to our beloved 

daughter Tal, who was studying Chinese medicine and 

alternative medicine. Tal left us when only 26 years old, 

after a tenacious struggle against cancer. 

Our lives without Tal found a new meaning when we 

made the decision to start working towards achieving a 

breakthrough in CANCER RESEARCH and TREATMENT 

by combining conventional medicine with research-proven 

natural medicine and supplemental medicine that augments 

and intensifies conventional medical treatment. 

TAL Center operates through two parallel channels: 

SCIENTIFIC STUDIES to examine the efficacy of herbal 

plants and products from nature on the activity of cancer 

cells and the immune system and which are applied in 

oncology departments in Israel and around the world. 

COMPLIMENTARY TREATMENTS like Chinese 

Medicine, naturopathy, homeopathy, guided imagery, 

hypnosis, yoga, meditation, reflexology, workshops, group 

support and more. 

At the TAL Center we hope to bring a breakthrough in 

treatment of therapy for coping with cancer through the 

development of innovative protocols. The center is located 

within the oncology treatment system at Tel Hashomer 

Hospital and works in cooperation with the oncology 

department and research laboratories. 

Together we can change the cancer treatment culture 

around the world. 

CENTER ACTIVITIES 

Working closely with oncologists, the Tal Center has begun 

the process of ‘translating’ the wisdom of Chinese medicine 

into Western practices, and conducts pioneering, global 

clinical research in a diverse range of fields, including 

oncology nutrition, botanical formulas, homeopathy and 

immunotherapy. The Tal Center’s uniqueness lies in its 

ability to conduct in depth scientific research, mainly 

as a result of the exceptional partnership the center has 

established with the Sheba Medical Center — Tel Hashomer. 

Foto Yair in het labo met het kruidenbord 

[Grab your reader’s attention with a great 

achter hem 

quote from the document or use this space to 

emphasize Foto zopas a doorgestuurd 

key point. To place this text box 

anywhere on the page, just drag it.] 

On December 26, 2009, we said goodbye 

to our beloved daughter Tal, who was 

The Sheba Oncology Center, the studying largest Chinese in medicine Israel, and has 

alternative medicine. Tal left us when 

provided the Tal Center with a only state-of-the-art 26 years old, after a tenacious laboratory 

struggle against cancer. 

to support its groundbreaking research. This advanced 

Our lives without Tal found a new 

technology enables the in vitro meaning growth when of we patients’ made the decision cancer to 

start working towards achieving a 

and immune system cells, making breakthrough it possible in CANCER to RESEARCH examine and 

TREATMENT by combining conventional 

their response to anti-cancerous medicine herbs with and research-proven provide natural truly 

medicine supplemental medicine 

personalized medicine; while expanding the Tal Center 

that augments and intensifies 

treatment experience and knowledge-base. 

conventional medical treatment 

Tekst van dit artikel heb ik gisteren aan Yair 

gegeven om na te lezen. Nog niets gehoord 

Working closely with oncologists, the Tal 

Center has begun the process of 

'translating' the wisdom of Chinese 

medicine into western practices, and 

conducts pioneering, global clinical 

research in a diverse range of fields, 

including oncology nutrition, botanical 

formulas, homeopathy and 

immunotherapy. The Tal Center's 

uniqueness lies in its ability to conduct in 

depth scientific research, mainly as a result 

of the exceptional partnership the center 

has established with the Sheba Medical 

Center - Tel Hashomer. The Sheba 

Oncology Center, the largest in Israel, has 

provided the Tal Center with a state-ofthe-art 

laboratory to support its 

groundbreaking research. This advanced 

technology enables the in vitro growth of 

patients' cancer and immune system cells, 

making it possible to examine their 

response to anti-cancerous herbs and 

provide truly personalized medicine; while 

expanding the Tal Center treatment 

experience and knowledge-base. 

TAL Center operates through two parralle 

channels 

SCIENTIFIC STUDIES to examine the 

efficacy of herbal plants and products 

from nature on the activity of cancer cells 

and the immune system and which are 

applied in oncology departments in Israel 

and around the world 

COMPLIMENTARY TREATMENTS like 

Chinese Medicine, naturopathy, 

homeopathy, guided imagery, hypnosis, 

yoga, meditation, reflexology, 

workshops, group support and more. 

At the TAL Center we hope to bring a 

breakthrough n treatment of therapy for 

coping with cancer through the 

development of innovative protocols. 

The center is located within the oncology 

treatment system at Tel Hashomer 

Hospital and works in cooperation with 

the oncology department and research 

laboratories. 

Together we can change the cancer 

treatment culture around the world 

137

EUROPACOLON PORTUGAL 

WE MUST FIND THE DISEASE EARLY 

Vitor Neves is founder and CEO of EuropaColon 

Portugal, an associate of EuropaColon UK and 

dynamic fighter with his advocacy group against 

colon cancer. His organization is also the first one 

EuropaColon Portugal is a division of EuropaColon and about pancreatic 

to 

cancer 

take on 

to 

the 

the 

fight 

primary 

against pancreatic 

doctors. 

cancer 

We can 

as 

well. “The way to find the disease early is to 

the first to combine awareness and prevention of colon create a difference create by catching awareness, this provide disease much early”. information 

cancer with pancreatic cancer campaigns. 

In Portugal there as are possible 8.000 so cases people of can colorectal identify the cancer symptoms 

and consult their primary care doctor as early as 

As a very dynamic patient organization their work 

cases per year with a 5-year survival rate. The survival 

possible.” 

is twofold: raising awareness about prevention Europacolon and Portugal is rate a division for the of 1.000 “If pancreatic you have 2 or cancer more symptoms patients or today 2 or more is 3 to 

spread the word that early detection is very important. 

Europacolon and the first 

4 months. 

to combine risk factors, contact your primary care doctor. We 

awareness and prevention of colon must also create awareness and provide the 

Europacolon Portugal has a very active and professional 

cancer with pancreatic cancer 

necessary information about pancreatic cancer to 

helpline. People can either address the nurses campaigns or 

“If the patients are the not primary in the doctors. first We stages can of create pancreatic a difference 

As a very active patient organization by catching this disease early”. 

volunteers in the hospitals or call in. Their questions will cancer, it is a question of months. We know patients 

their work is twofold: raising 

In Portugal there are 8.000 cases of colorectal 

be answered by the staff within the day and when awareness needed about prevention with and a 5, 6-year survival. cancer cases Look per year at Ali, with this a 5-year August survival she rate. is 

they will be forwarded to medical professionals spread the word that early a 10-year detection survival The patient, survival but rate what for the all 1.000 these pancreatic people cancer have 

is very important. Europacolon 

patients today is 3 to 4 months. 

in common is early detection. There is no other way to 

Portugal has a very active and 

“If the patients are not in the first stages of 

WE MUST FIND THE DISEASE EARLY 

solve the problem pancreatic at this time. cancer, Primary it is a question care doctors of months. have We 

professional helpline. People can 

know patients with a 5, 6-year survival, look at Ali, 

either address the nurses to or know the symptoms and think more about the possible 

this August she is a 10-year survival patient, but 

Vitor Neves is founder and CEO of EuropaColon volunteers in the hospitals diagnose or call in. of pancreatic what all cancer. these people Doctors have in should common get is more early 

Their questions will be answered by 

Portugal, an associate of EuropaColon UK and dynamic time to talk to people, detection. find There out is what no other way family to solve history the 

the staff within the day and when problem at this time. Primary care doctors have 

fighter with his advocacy group against colon needed cancer. they will be forwarded is the to symptoms. know The the communication symptoms and think between more about the the 

His organization is also the first one to take on medical the fight professionals doctors and the possible patient diagnose is so important!” of pancreatic cancer. Doctors 

should get more time to talk to people, find out 

against pancreatic cancer as well. “The way to Groepsfoto find the _ REEDS OPGESTUURD< what the family history is or the symptoms. The 

disease early is to create awareness, provide as much Research is looking communication for genetic between reasons the and doctors starting and the 

information as possible so people can identify the 

to find patterns that patient can is so tell important!” us by analysis Research if people is looking for 

genetic reasons and starting to find patterns that 

symptoms and consult their primary care doctor as early will become pancreatic can tell us cancer by analysis patients if people but will it is become going 

as possible.” 

much too slow. “In pancreatic Portugal cancer there patients is little but research, it is going much not 

too slow. “In Portugal there is little research, not 

“If you have 2 or more symptoms or 2 or more risk 

enough. We hope that in the next year research will get 

enough. We hope that in the next year research 

factors, contact your primary care doctor. We must also more funding, not will only get more for detection funding, not and only treatment for detection of and 

create awareness and provide the necessary information pancreatic cancer treatment but for of the pancreatic general cancer health but of for people.” the 

general health of people.” 

138

ALI’S STORY 

Since August 2007, I have been diagnosed and treated for 

pancreatic cancer, founded the charity Pancreatic Cancer 

Action, seen both my boys finish school with excellent results, 

seen one of my boys graduate from university and law school 

and embark on a new career as a lawyer in the City of London 

Since August 2007, I have been diagnosed and 

and the other complete a successful first year at university. 

treated for pancreatic cancer, founded the 

charity Pancreatic Cancer Action, seen both 

Statistically though, I should be my dead boys by finish now. school A sobering with excellent results, 

thought. But I know that I am seen very lucky one of indeed. my boys graduate from university 

and law school and embark on a new career 

as a lawyer in the City of London and the 

While initially I asked myself and those around me “why 

other complete a successful first year at 

me?” when I was diagnosed, it university. is difficult not to ask the same 

question about why it is me and Statistically not other, though, very deserving I should be dead by now. 

people, who is surviving pancreatic A sobering cancer. thought. But I know that I am very 

lucky indeed. 

While initially I asked myself and those 

There is also a glimmer of hope that the major 

I have got to know many of these people over the years and it There is also a glimmer of hope that the major research 

around me “why me?” when I was diagnosed, research funders are wakening up to the fact 

still saddens me to think they are it is no difficult longer not with to us. ask the same question funders are wakening that pancreatic up to the cancer fact that remains pancreatic chronically cancer 

I can’t dwell on that too much, about but I do why know it is that me and it was not other, very remains chronically underfunded. underfunded. However, However, there there is a lot is more a lot we 

my early diagnosis, in time for deserving surgery then people, followed who by is surviving pancreatic more we need 

need 

to do 

to 

and 

do 

I 

and 

am 

I 

determined 

am determined 

that over 

that over 

the 

the 

chemotherapy and chemo radiotherapy cancer. I that have gave got me to know the many of these next 5-10 years we get five-year survival rates 

next 5-10 years we get five-year survival rates to at least 

people over the years and it still saddens me to at least double digits if not better. 

opportunity to survive. Sadly, it is still the case 10 years later double digits if not better. 

to think they are no longer with us. 

I will continue to campaign and promote 

that only 10% of patients are diagnosed I can’t dwell in time on that for surgery too much, to but I do I will know continue earlier to campaign diagnosis and of promote pancreatic earlier cancer diagnosis through 

be an option — currently the only that potential it was my we early have diagnosis, for a cure. in time of for pancreatic cancer my charity through Pancreatic my charity Cancer Pancreatic Action. Through 

surgery then followed by chemotherapy Cancer and Action. 

my 

Through 

work on 

my 

the 

work 

Board 

on 

of 

the 

Pancreatic 

Board of 

Cancer 

A lot has happened in the world chemo in 10 radiotherapy years, but not that a gave me the 

Europe and the Steering Group of the World 

Pancreatic Cancer Europe and the Steering Group of the 

opportunity to survive. Sadly, it is still the case Pancreatic Cancer Coalition I am helping 

great deal for pancreatic cancer outcomes We are though, World Pancreatic Cancer Coalition I am helping spread 

10 years later that only 10% of patients are spread these vital messages beyond the 

beginning to see greater levels diagnosed of public awareness in time for of surgery the to be an these option vital messages shores beyond of the UK. the shores of the UK. 

disease thanks in main to the high – currently impact the campaigns only potential we have So, for while a I didn’t So, want while this I didn’t disease want in this the disease first place, in the first 

Pancreatic Cancer Action has cure. run, and we are starting to see I will be celebrating 

place, 

the 

I will 

10-year 

be celebrating 

milestone 

the 

with 

10-year 

family and 

a slight shift in five-year survival A lot — however has happened only by in one the or world in 10 friends. years, milestone with family and friends. I am 

I am grateful to still be here and in good health — 

but not a great deal for pancreatic cancer grateful to still be here and in good health – 

two per cent. 

here’s to another 10! 

outcomes We are though, beginning to see here’s to another Teamfoto 10! Pancreatic action 

greater levels of public awareness of the 

disease thanks in main to the high impact 

campaigns Pancreatic Cancer Action has run, 

and we are starting to see a slight shift in fiveyear 

survival – however only by one or two 

per cent 

139

SHEBA MEDICAL CENTER, 

TEL HASHOMER 

ISRAEL’S VISIONARY LEADER IN INNOVATIVE AND INTEGRATED MEDICAL CARE. 

Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer was born 

together with the State of Israel in 1948, and 

today boasts an all-encompassing medical city that 

produces Israel’s modern-day medical miracles. 

Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer exemplifies the best of 

Israeli innovation. Israel’s leading hospital is at the forefront of 

medical treatments, patient care, research and education that 

are transforming lives across the Middle East and the world. 

OVERVIEW 

Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer is a tertiary referral 

hospital that proudly serves as the largest medical center in 

the Middle East. As a university teaching hospital affiliated 

with The Sackler School of Medicine at Tel-Aviv University, 

we welcome people from all over the world indiscriminately. 

Prof. Yitshak Kreiss Haiti humanitarian mission 

A GLOBAL APPROACH TO CARE 

140 

One heartbeat at a time 

Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer’s exceptional 

physicians are committed to providing vital medical care 

to people within and beyond Israel’s borders, and rapidly 

mobilize expert medical teams to provide rescue and 

emergency medical services to victims of human disasters 

and terrorist attacks around the world. 

Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer also welcomes 

patients from nations that lack diplomatic ties with Israel. 

Beyond Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer’s active 

global humanitarian successes, including international

elief, medical training and medical project management in 

dozens of countries, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer 

runs on-campus humanitarian projects such as The Safra 

International Congenital Heart Disease Project, which 

brings children to our facility for specialized heart surgery. 

LEARN HOW OUR UNIQUE STRUCTURE IS 

SECOND TO NONE 

and endocrinology institutions, IVF services, maternal-fetal 

medicine and an infertility division. 

The Diagnostic Imaging Division includes a masterful 

imaging center, along with a national school for M.R.I. 

technicians that also trains physicians and technicians in 

imaging for other hospitals. 

The Laboratory Division is comprised of all known 

laboratories in medicine, including a high number of 

research laboratories, especially in the field of 

malignancies. 

INSIDE OUR REHABILITATION HOSPITAL 

Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer houses both Israel’s 

largest acute care hospital and its national rehabilitation 

hospital; we are the only medical center in Israel that 

combines these two critical components of healthcare on 

one campus creating a seamless continuum of care. This 

unique combination is also rare globally, and does not yet 

exist in the U.S. 

INSIDE OUR ACUTE CARE HOSPITAL 

The Division of Internal Medicine includes cardiology, 

oncology, bone marrow transplants, neurology, dermatology, 

and all other institutions related to medical diseases. 

The Children’s Hospital includes a special rehabilitation 

department for children up to 16 years of age, a large 

hemato-oncology department, an eating disorder 

department, a special institute for children with rare genetic 

diseases, and all related institutions in Pediatrics, including 

a Child Development Center, and a kindergarten for autistic 

children. 

The Division of Surgery includes open heart surgery and 

neurosurgery, in addition to all regular surgical departments. 

The Gynecology and Maternity Center is coveted for its 

premier newborn department specializing in the care of 

premature babies, and also boasts highly impressive genetic 

As Israel’s national center of rehabilitation, we offer 

expert long-term and life-long treatment and rehabilitation 

programs in areas including orthopedics, neurology, 

respiratory, psychiatry, geriatric and trauma. We proudly 

hold the national responsibility for the long-term treatment 

and care of the most difficult and complex cases in Israel, 

such as injured soldiers and terror victims. 

Through our pioneering role as a global leader in 

rehabilitation technologies, our world-renowned specialized 

laboratories and centers develop innovative technologies 

in rehabilitation medicine. Among the innovative medical 

technologies pioneered at the Rehabilitation Hospital are: 

the Virtual Reality Training Facility, the Computerized 

Motion Analysis Laboratory, and the Isokinetic 

Laboratory. 

The Rehabilitation Center is highly sought after by patients 

seeking treatments involving orthopedics, neurology, 

respiratory, psychiatry, geriatric, trauma and spinal cord 

injuries. 

The Psychiatry Center is home to Israel’s only department 

for adults with eating disorders, and includes a special 

section for severe psychiatric patients, and patients suffering 

from PTSD. 

The Geriatric Center offers extraordinary and compassionate 

care for elderly patients with varying needs such as dialysis, 

post-stroke treatment, orthopedics and more. 

REVOLUTIONIZING THE FUTURE STANDARD 

OF MEDICAL CARE 

A global pioneer in medical innovation and education, Sheba 

Medical Center, Tel Hashomer is internationally renowned as 

a medical-scientific research powerhouse. 

141

in medical care and research together with leadership. 

Our remarkable, visionary staff is determined to produce 

the next generation of unmatched medical leaders ready to 

anticipate and address the challenges of tomorrow. 

This unparalleled motivation is supported by Sheba 

Medical Center, Tel Hashomer’s status as one of only two 

medical centers in Israel that holds the U.S. Department 

of Health Federal Wide Assurance (FWA) designation — 

a classification that makes Sheba Medical Center, 

Tel Hashomer eligible for U.S. federal research grants 

involving human clinical trials. 

SHEBA MEDICAL CENTER, TEL HASHOMER IS 

A TRAILBLAZER IN THE FOLLOWING MEDICAL 

TREATMENTS: 

MSR Cardiology internal 

Our sought-after scientists and clinicians work in synergy 

with Israeli and international bio-tech and medical industries 

to develop and test new life-saving medical technologies and 

drugs. 

Our state-of-the-art facility and premier physicians offer 

unparalleled compassion coupled with the most advanced 

medical services and biotechnological and clinical products 

to 1 million+ patients annually. 

We provide a hospital environment where clinical treatment 

and medical research are closely intertwined in proximity to 

the patient, for the direct benefit of the patient. 

Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer established MSR, the 

world leader in Simulation-Based Medical Education (SBME) 

and patient safety training. 

• Cancer, including hematology 

• Oncology 

• Cardiovascular diseases 

• Rehabilitation 

• Obstetrics, gynecology and genetics 

• Pediatrics 

• Extensive surgery services: neurological, pediatric, heart 

and maxillofacial 

• Gastroenterology and liver diseases 

SHEBA MEDICAL CENTER, TEL HASHOMER 

IS HOME TO BASIC AND APPLIED MAJOR 

RESEARCH CENTERS IN: 

• Extensive oncological research 

• Human stem cell research and regenerative medicine 

• Genetics, onco-genetics and fertility 

• Diabetes and metabolic diseases 

As Israel’s exclusive national medical simulation center, MSR 

employs advanced simulation-based training modalities that 

enable healthcare professionals to effectively improve their 

clinical and communication skills. MSR trains physicians, 

nurses and paramedics from Israel to prepare them for urgent 

disaster and critical incident response. MSR also collaborates 

with simulation centers around the world. 

142 

Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer is home to the Talpiot 

Medical Leadership Program, which was founded to ensure 

the continuity of educating Israel’s future medical leaders. 

We employ Israel’s top physicians, who combine excellence 

Labo

• Neuroscience for adults and children 

• Autoimmune diseases 

• Gynecological and surgical oncology 

• Cardiovascular diseases 

• Intestinal Bacteria – Microbiome 

Israel’s exclusive leader in healthcare and health policy, 

Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer embraces its national 

responsibility to fully assist and support Israel’s other 

hospitals and medical facilities, especially in peripherallysituated 

locations. 

We are currently establishing the radiotherapy center in 

Tsfat, cardiology center in Tiberias, and rehabilitation 

hospital at Aleh in the Negev. Sheba Medical Center, 

Tel Hashomer is home to most of Israel’s national health 

institutes: 

• National Center for Medical Simulation 

• Main Rehabilitation Hospital including 

• Terror Victims and IDF Wounded 

• National Burns Center 

• National Center for Cystic Fibrosis 

• National Center for Glaucoma 

• National Center for Health Policy and Epidemiology 

• National Center for Hemophilia 

• National Center for Newborn Screening 

• National Center for Spinal Cord Injuries 

• National Center for Tay Sachs 

• National Virology Laboratory 

Professor Yitshak Kreiss, Director General Sheba Medical Center 

SHEBA MEDICAL CENTER, TEL HASHOMER 

Israel’s #1 hospital, and one of the most sophisticated 

medical facilities worldwide, saves more lives, discovers new 

cures, and educates the next generation of physicians and 

medical researchers. 

Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer is the only debt-free 

medical center in Israel. 

eng.sheba.co.il 

Main Hospital Building 

143

WOMEN AND INNOVATION 

A FEMALE TRANSDISCIPLINARY 

ECO-SYSTEM FOR EUROPE 

Brussels Creative is a platform for the Brussels 

based Creative and Cultural ecosystem gathering 

citizens, political leaders, researchers and business 

people helping our Region towards more cross-over 

innovation and new socio-economical initiatives 

having an impact on our daily lives. 

In monthly meetings it is actively promoting diversity and 

organizing serendipity. Both ingredients are crucial to foster 

cross-over innovation in Brussels Region but those meetings 

are also important to build bridges, friendship and trust 

amongst change agents. 

“Disruptive and innovative ideas thrive within a strong 

supportive framework and team. The biggest challenge in a 

multi-cultural and multi-professional society is to find a 

song, to which we can all sing along. 

It is categorization, competition and judgement which 

can keep big visions of necessary eco-systems forever in a 

theoretical realm. 

Our way out there as women in innovation is to activate 

the built in curiosity and solidarity in our genes and move 

away from individual competitiveness and towards empathic 

collaboration with diversity and inclusion as generators for 

a greater and powerful future. 

Transdisciplinarity celebrates the individual skillset of 

each team member with different professional expertise 

and background as much as it does achieve an impressive 

common strength, which increases and accelerates 

innovative energy. 

My goal is to fertilize a ground for our future global society 

where it is no longer my skin colour, my height, my body 

weight, my haircut, my gender, my nationality or my status 

which makes a difference, but my urge to create and actively 

participate in innovation together with a support system 

of likeminded beings. This plants the seed for personal 

evolution and constructive societal participation. 

Brussels as capital of the European Union should take a 

leading role in creating a smart and diversity supporting city 

and eco-systems with sustainable approaches.“ 

MARTINE-NICOLE ROJINA AT BRUSSELS 

CREATIVE MEETING FOR WOMAN AND 

INNOVATION AT BOZAR LAB IN SEPTEMBER 2017 

144 

Alain Heureux and Martine-Nicole Rojina at Brussels Creative Meeting 

for Woman and Innovation at BOZAR LAB in September 2017 

In September Women and Innovation were at the centre 

of attention inviting a large community to gather, inspire,

Brussels Creative Meeting for Woman and Innovation at BOZAR LAB in September 2017 

reflect, talk and exchange along with a visit and presentation 

of the freshly opened BOZAR LAB and a tour through the 

exhibition TENDENCIES, which aims to place emphasis 

on works which question scientific and technological 

innovations as much as they incorporate them. It wants 

to open up the field of reflection relating to these links 

and highlight structural analogies between the creators 

of distinct and complementary fields. For this second 

edition, it unveils and promotes the work of six emerging or 

established female artists who probe innovative protocols 

and paradigms in the domains of artistic, scientific and 

technological creation. 

focusing on transdisciplinarity and innovation at the 

nexus of Science, Technology, and the ARTS. STARTS 

unites renowned art & research institutions and innovative 

industries to jointly work on innovative projects where 

artists, scientists and engineers work together on radically 

different solutions. 

THE FOLLOWING INTERVIEW WITH EVA 

A. KAILI, MEMBER OF THE EUROPEAN 

PARLIAMENT, HIGHLIGHTS THE ASPECT OF 

WOMEN AND INNOVATION IN EUROPEAN 

POLITICS. 

Through a program of lectures, debates and workshops the 

BOZAR LAB would like to stimulate more interactions 

between artists, policy makers, researchers and citizens. 

This must lead to new visions & ideas for the future and 

critical approaches on contemporary scientific, societal 

and cultural developments. This program — in close 

collaboration with BOZAR AGORA — will involve many 

universities and research departments in Belgium and 

abroad. 

The European Union has recognized the urgency of finding 

hybrid solutions with the launch of the STARTS Program 

She is Head of the Hellenic Delegation for the Progressive 

Alliance of S&D, Chair Scientific Foresight Unit #STOA, 

Chair EU-NATO Delegation. 

Who are you and what are your core values on 

which your personality is built? 

The core values, which are guiding my choices as a person 

and as a politician, have been truth & speaking out, creativity 

(even a bit out of the box) and empathy (caring). Curiosity 

about what truth is, being creative in what I am doing and 

feeling empathetic towards people, have been my driving 

forces to enter politics since I was a teenager. Heraclitus 

145

concluded that: “Your values become your destiny” and 

I tend to agree with that quote. It has been my character that 

led me in politics and not politics changed me. 

in politics, women in leadership positions are keen to 

be inclusive and more compassionate when dealing with 

political issues of utmost importance. 

What advice would you give to your younger self 

at the beginning of your career? 

As the first child and the oldest sister, I feel that I have 

been very conscious, with a sense of accountability and 

respecting the balances of my surroundings. I guess that 

reflected also on my career decisions. I rarely regret, 

I could only remind to my younger self and any young 

person to enjoy more the benefits of that certain age, 

when the mistakes are more easily pardoned and the 

consequences are more easily corrected. (And as much as 

you try to have free time, tomorrow will not be less busy ... 

so I would advice me to make more time to spend with 

family and friends). Still, I believe that as soon as we shape 

a vision about how we would like our future to be and work 

hard for this, life will allow us to have options and the power 

of decision. 

Do you recognize a strength or unique “function” 

in the European Parliament, which stands out 

because of being a female leader? 

The European Parliament stands out as one of the most 

“gender equal” parliaments in the world. More than 

one third of its 751 Members are women and there are 

countries like Sweden, Finland and Croatia, which have 

more female MEPs than men in their delegations. Many 

of the Committees of the European Parliament are 

chaired by women and I have also been elected to chair 

the Parliament’s delegation for the relations with NATO 

parliamentary assembly but also the first woman chair of 

Science and Technology Committee. From my experience 

Furthermore, I would say that in general women are 

more empathetic towards minority issues and are more 

determined to stand up against discrimination. 

How do you think innovation is and will be 

positively influenced by a higher contribution 

of women? 

A study on entrepreneurship has found that start-ups led by 

women tend to perform better (First round capital report, 

2015). High technology firms that have at least one woman 

as co-founder have more chances to survive and be highly 

profitable. All these data are more and more accurate and 

proven in real life. I read recently in an article that the main 

reason behind all this is that women are found to be more 

resilient to setbacks and persevere in the face of adverse 

outcomes and this is something I can confirm from my 

personal experience. 

What categories/labels/prejudices in society would 

you like to overcome considering innovation? 

Prejudices are pre-existing categories of ideas usually 

regarding situations and experiences we haven’t experienced 

personally. In that sense innovation cannot thrive in a 

mind-set full of prejudices. It can however, help in the 

transformation. 

I would like to see more trust in the younger generations 

and women. I feel blessed and grateful for the trust of 

the voters, since my first attempt in politics, however 

I see that this is an exception, at least in most countries 

or corporations. Innovation provides concepts and means 

where inspiration is fundamental and the powerful elements, 

not the gender, the age or the nationality. For example, 

the pilot project of EIT that was implemented in Greece, 

during summer, the “Coding Girls”, it has been an amazing 

experience with a very strong content: to give to girls the 

tools of creating code and this in the future could be their 

path to professional independence, working from anywhere, 

for anyone they choose. This is innovation. 

146 

Eva A. Kaili in the European Parliament 

It would be irresponsible not to mention also the power of 

innovation in providing means to integrating vulnerable 

groups and refugees. Innovation is the most democratic 

field of action nowadays, where strong minds compete, not 

strong prejudices. Rilke phrased it nicely …

Eva A. Kaili in the European Parliament 

”That is the only courage that is demanded of us: to have 

courage for the most strange, the most singular and the 

most inexplicable that we may encounter”. And may I dare 

to add … “and if not us, then someone else may do it for us, 

despite our resistance ...”, referring to the innovators and 

to those politicians who are ready to push the boundaries 

and take the blame! Honestly, by the work being done in 

the European Parliament, I stay optimistic and I realize it 

may take time, but we win small battles against intellectual 

blindness and intolerance. I feel we are doing better, 

every day. 

Why do you consider a female eco- and supportsystem 

worth implementing? 

In the heart of the society stands the woman, a truth 

that is scientifically proven. Women create “systems” of 

relationships and dynamics around them that have impact 

to every small element and detail of society’s progress. The 

confidence and well being of women, create a chain-reaction 

that affects everybody. This is a wisdom that ancient 

matriarchic societies had discovered, but for complex 

reasons, this wisdom was abolished. 

The example of the Scandinavian countries is a modern 

model of provenance and supporting systems for females. 

Many people, even women themselves were against support 

schemes and measures, such as quotas in electoral lists or 

governing organizations and companies, but the experience 

shows that they are necessary, at least until they become 

a norm in the societies. Nowadays we see that in those 

countries, female support systems have produced great 

results. In Icelandic parliament for example almost 50% of 

the MPs are female. Attitudes change to the better. 

Recently, science observed that a female brain is 

way more active than a male brain ... what do you 

think is processed differently and creates that extra 

activity? 

Well, it is maybe the circular pace of female body structure 

that creates these dynamics of excessive brightness and 

efficiency! It is in the genetic code of a female to survive 

and protect, to invent and move on, progress. Empathy is a 

more familiar to women characteristic and this is a natural 

enhancement of intelligence. But seriously, these scientific 

results have to be communicated to the public with facts 

and figures! 

Looking at a future full of challenges on an 

environmental, political and societal level, how do 

you think women and innovation can change it to 

the better? 

Innovation and prosperity cannot be achieved by leaving 

women — half of the world population — behind. More 

women are needed in academia and scientific research as 

147

Martine-Nicole Rojina, Peter Friess, Jasna Rok and Eva A. Kaili at the STARTS exhibition at the NET FUTURES 2017 conference 

in Brussels 

well as in politics, but let’s just not neglect that cooperation 

with men and acceptance as equally competent are of 

utmost importance. We shouldn’t focus in improving 

the participation of women only in percentages, but 

also in qualitative facts. Women, with the unique vision, 

personality attributes and most importantly, by working and 

cooperating with men, we can find solutions to all those 

challenges. We need respect and equality in order to thrive. 

direction and I try to get involved and speak publicly about 

them. 

Interview and contribution by Martine-Nicole Rojina 

for MPATHY STUDIO 

How can you personally contribute to make 

it better? 

In my capacity as an elected representative of men and 

women of my country, I am putting all my efforts to 

represent the best way I can the interests of society, guided 

by my core values mentioned before. 

Working collectively with citizens and my colleagues in the 

European Parliament, and with an open mind, is the best 

way I can contribute to tackle the future challenges. 

148 

I am amazed by the extent and the depth recent 

developments on innovation have reached. I try through 

my work and during my personal time to communicate and 

raise awareness on the impact that current developments of 

innovation will have in our lives, our personal choices our 

children’s future. I try to support initiatives that share this

Antonio Caro 

Mata Maiz 





149

INNOVATIVE ARTS POLICY IN THE 

PUBLIC SECTOR: THE CASE OF NATO 

It is time to bridge the cultures, to reintegrate the 

insights of the Arts with the discovery of science. 

Europe has other thought-leading examples such 

as CERN. The EU begins to support the field but 

must do more. In Brussels, one striking example is 

emerging right now: how NATO have reached out to 

art as a privileged partner to the core business of the 

organisation. This article explains how. 

150 

BACKGROUND 

The handover from Belgium to NATO of the new NATO 

Headquarters in Brussels in 2017 offers the opportunity 

to develop an innovative art policy in the public sector. 

NATO established an International Staff Art Committee to 

coordinate art contributions from NATO member countries 

to the new NATO HQ in December 2014. The notion of art 

at NATO HQ is not new. The launch of an art programme 

was foreseen in the past in the context of the move to the 

new NATO HQ at Porte Dauphine in Paris. The move to 

the new NATO HQ in Brussels presented the opportunity 

to re-consider this idea. A comprehensive inventory of the 

artworks displayed and stored in the current NATO HQ was 

conducted in April 2015. Immediately afterwards, a private 

art consultant was appointed to develop a framework to 

manage art and artefacts in the new HQ. The framework 

was approved by NATO member countries in April 2016. 

OBJECTIVE 

The objective of this report is to recognize and explain the 

innovative art policy developed by NATO, in the context of 

the transition to the NATO HQ. 

The approved framework sets criteria for future art donations 

and loans from NATO member countries. These criteria 

follow four work streams and two themes, in order to 

provide overall coherence. 

The work streams take into consideration the decision of 

NATO countries to preserve and transfer the existing art 

collection to the new NATO HQ and the desire expressed 

by several nations to contribute new artefacts in the future. 

THE FOUR WORK STREAMS ARE 

DESCRIBED BELOW: 

• NATO Arts Heritage Project: a permanent display 

in the visitors’ area of the new premises to exhibit a 

selection from the current NATO HQ art collection. 

Digital displays will provide information about the 

individual artefacts and their relevance as a historic 

donation to NATO. 

• Commemorative Project: permanent displays of 

artefacts that commemorate a significant event in 

the donating member country’s history with NATO. 

The artefact will be enhanced by an information 

tool, accessible to visitors, which will constitute 

the platform to discover, through innovative digital 

systems, historic information about the artefact and 

its relevance to NATO. 

• Interactive Media and Fine Arts Project: a 

rotational project including both interactive 

and real-time art and artefacts reflecting NATO 

activities and fine arts. A permanent digital support 

structure will be the platform for presenting the 

interactive art and artefacts produced on a regular 

basis. 

• Performance Arts Project: a rotational project that 

will celebrate the cultural diversity of the Alliance 

by offering areas of the new NATO Headquarters as 

the stage for concerts and performances, as well as 

the opportunity to connect to cultural events from 

NATO member countries remotely.

Unveiling of the German and US donations to NATO 

The proposed work streams serve the purpose of supporting 

member countries in defining a possible contribution to the 

new NATO Headquarters, and in making decisions on the 

previously donated artefacts. Each member country can join 

any number of work streams. 

The work streams have been developed around two 

themes: history and dialogue. The Arts Heritage and 

Commemorative projects focus on the historic aspect, the 

relevance of a key event for a member country in NATO 

history. The Interactive Media and Fine Arts and the 

Performance Arts Projects focus on dialogue. Multi-layered 

cultural exchange through art will support dialogue and 

consultation which are at the heart of NATO’s mission. 

Dialogue will start within the member country by engaging 

national art institutions that will donate, lend or commission 

new artefacts and/or recommending visiting artists (e.g. 

museums, foundations, art academies, artistic collectives). 

NATO, through the Art Committee, will accept 

contributions from Nations that fit into one of the work 

streams, and will be responsible to recommend a suitable 

location for each donation to be displayed. 

The case of NATO in art policy development is remarkable 

for several reasons. On one hand, it develops an innovative 

framework, on the other, it reinforces the importance of 

the consultation process through mutual cultural exchange. 

This is crucial for a public institution that builds trust, 

enhances security and prevents conflicts via dialogue and 

consultation. Interactive art and digital tools in this context 

enhance NATO’s effort to fulfil its mission. 

Name: CAM (XX-XXI), “Committee on women in the NATO forces, 

25th anniversary, 1976-2001” 

Author: Unknown 

Origin: Presented to NATO’s Military Committee and its International 

Military Staff from the Chair’s Nation 2000-2001 

The Netherlands 

The article is contributed, with the permission 

of the NATO authorities by a key leader in the project, 

Luis Miguel Girao (Artshare) and Martine-Nicole Rojina 

151

DELEGATION FROM LIVING 

TOMORROW ON ECONOMIC 

MISSION TO INNOVATIVE TEL AVIV 

When you think of innovation, you think 

of Living Tomorrow. The Brussels marketing 

and demonstration platform that 

for more than 20 years has been working 

on innovation could not be absent from 

the renowned DLD Innovation Festival. 

Its management, along with its partners, 

embarked on an economic mission to the 

“start-up city”, Tel Aviv. 

152 

TEL AVIV, A SURPRISING CHOICE? 

The region between Tel Aviv and the port city of Haifa 

has rightfully been called Silicon Wadi. A comparison 

with its American counterpart is not wide of the 

mark. All major American tech companies, such as 

Microsoft, Apple, IBM, Facebook, Google, etc. are 

concentrated in that area. Many of them even have 

a substantial R&D department there. What is more, 

nowhere in the world are there as many start-ups per 

resident as in Israel: more than 7000 in the past ten 

years alone! That is quite a bit more than in Japan, the 

UK or Canada. 

The entrepreneurial spirit is truly part of the fabric. 

And the results are impressive. Some of the largest 

tech companies in the world had their beginnings in 

Tel Aviv: the website designer Wix, the GPS app Waze 

and Viber, the counterpart to Skype. 

Israeli policy has thus succeeded in retaining all that 

talent, as a result of which Tel Aviv and its surroundings 

have become the innovation hub. Meanwhile, 

Chinese investors with venture capital have also found 

there way here. The decision by Living Tomorrow to 

head over there with its start-up partners Forganiser 

and ApicBase is thus hardly surprising. At the DLD 

Innovation Festival, they were given the chance to discover 

potential business opportunities, make contacts 

and exchange knowledge with Israeli companies. 

FOODTECH & CLEANTECH 

In the areas of FoodTech and CleanTech, there is a 

good deal of know-how to be found in Tel Aviv. Living 

Tomorrow CEO Joachim De Vos followed the Clean- 

Tech path with visits to the world-renowned Rambam 

Health Care Campus and the leading Technion university, 

among others. 

E-health, digitization, advanced technologies in the 

areas of recycling, etc., are each items on which Living 

Tomorrow is also working. 

COO Patrick Aertsen, for his part, drew the FoodTech 

card. Innovation in the food sector are crucial in order 

to give our restaurant and catering sector a boost. Living 

Tomorrow start-ups Forganiser and ApicBase are 

fine examples of this, in fact. Forganiser has developed 

an effective software tool for the employment of flex 

workers. ApicBase, a start-up in food photography, has 

developed a camera with which chefs can, in a matter 

of seconds, photograph their creations, save them and 

share them on social media. 

Such companies are showing that they are the future, 

and Living Tomorrow wants to support them in their 

initiatives.

MEETINN, THE NEW POPIN 

MEETING CONCEPT AT LIVING 

TOMORROW 

Living Tomorrow in Brussels is a symbol 

of innovative entrepreneurship. The 

complex itself offers an inspiring setting 

for organizing meetings, press conferences, 

events and seminars. The future-oriented 

image will be a welcome extra! 

Living Tomorrow is now launching a 

brand-new meeting concept: the Meet- 

Inn. 

MEETINN: THE NEW POPIN MEETING 

FORMULA 

Are you driving along the Brussels Ring and decide at 

the last minute to meet up with a colleague. Or do you 

have a bit of time left before your next appointment 

and want to get some work done in a pleasant setting? 

Do you want to set up a brief meeting but don’t 

want to rent expensive premises for half a day? In that 

case, the Meet-Inn offers the solution! The Meet-Inn 

is designed to be a flexible meeting space which you 

can use without reservation. The concept is made up 

of meeting boxes, American Diner nooks, comfortable 

seating areas, etc. for smaller meetings. Guests 

purchase a Meet-Inn Card with credits from reception 

and can check in and out whenever they wish. Ideal, 

in other words, for a quick meeting ‘on the road’. A 

drinks buffet and snacks are included in the price. 

The excellent location right next to the Brussels Ring 

and the ample parking are much valued assets in the 

extended Brussels area. 

153

GASTRONOMIC DELIGHTS IN THE 

BISTRONOMY 

If you would like to combine your visit to the Meet- 

Inn with a lunch or dinner, then you are most welcome 

to The Bistronomy. The gastronomic restaurant is 

located in the Living Tomorrow buildings, and is open 

to the public every day. Top chef Marc Clément mans 

the stove himself, pampering you with his refined 

gastronomy with a nod to the future. In fine weather, 

you can enjoy the tastefully decorated terrace. For the 

restaurant, reservations are recommended. 

CHARGING STATION FOR EDRIVERS 

Drivers of electric cars can recharge their car during 

their meeting or meal at the SolarFast Charging Station. 

The station fits with the total concept of electric 

driving that has been realized at Living Tomorrow. 

See you in the future at Living Tomorrow. 

Living Tomorrow 

Indringingsweg 1, 1800 Vilvoorde. 

Tel.: 02 263 01 33 

info@livingtomorrow.com 

www.livingtomorrow.com 

154

8th Annual 

8th Annual 

E N D O 

R 

S 

E 

D 

E V E N T 

13-14 November 2017 | Climate Action Dome, Deutsche Post DHL | Bonn, Germany 

13-14 November 2017 | Climate Action Dome, Deutsche Post DHL | Bonn, Germany 

Where the Policy-Makers and 

Climate Where Technology the Policy-Makers Innovators and Meet 

Climate Technology Innovators Meet 

Join global leaders for the largest business-focused forum 

Join global alongside leaders for COP23 the largest negotiations business-focused Bonn forum 

alongside COP23 negotiations in Bonn 

Now in its 8th year, the event will gather 

together 600+ carefully handpicked delegates, 

Now in its 8th year, the event will gather 

including: Ministers of Energy and Climate 

together 600+ carefully handpicked delegates, 

Change, Blue Chip CEOs, Mayors, Responsible 

including: Ministers of Energy and Climate 

Investors, 

Change, 

Development 

Blue Chip CEOs, 

Banks, 

Mayors, 

Green 

Responsible 

Entrepreneurs Investors, Development and media, Banks, for two Green packed days 

of capacity Entrepreneurs building, and networking, media, for two collaboration packed days 

and of deal capacity making building, that will networking, galvanise collaboration and fast 

track and the deal green making economy. that will galvanise and fast 

track the green economy. 

Headline Partner Official Venue Partner Platinum Sponsors 

Headline Partner Official Venue Partner Platinum Sponsors 

8th Annual 

8th Annual 

E N D O 

R 

S 

E 

COP23 

Bula Zone 

COP23 

Bula Zone 

D 

E V E N T 

Gold Partners 

Gold Partners 

Silver Partner 

Silver Partner 

Strategic Partners 

Strategic Partners 

Exhibitors 

Exhibitors 

600+ 

Attendees Attendees 

60+ 

Sponsors Sponsors & & 

Partners Partners 

75+ 

High-Level High-Level 

Speakers 

Register now www.cop-23.org 

Join conversation on Twitter via via @Climate_Action_ or #SIF17 or #SIF17 

155

THE ERASMUS PROJECT: 

A FRAMEWORK FOR EUROPE 

Through my Renaissance studies, I discovered 

that Erasmus and Thomas More were the first 

thinkers to spread together the idea of parliamentary 

democracy as the best political system for all states 

in Europe. 

156 

Most explicitly through Utopia, the book they conceived 

jointly, and that Erasmus had found inspiration for 

these ideas which he handed over to More, in the Duchy 

of Brabant with Brussels as one of its four capitals. 

Representatives of these capitals held veto powers in the 

Duchy’s representative assembly, the Estates of Brabant, 

and in Brussels the craft guilds’ masters whose apprentices 

were organized in precursors of trade unions and able to 

steer the policies of their masters, were involved in political 

affairs and government of the city. On the Brabantine 

constitution named the ‘Joyous Entry’, providing the Estates 

of Brabant with the constitutional right to depose the 

Duke of Brabant and assign a new one, the Estates-General 

with representatives of several Low Countries based in 

the Act of ‘Verlatinghe’ of 1581 legally the Dutch Revolt 

and the deposing of Philip II as ruler of the Burgundian 

Netherlands: an event generally respected as a first broad 

manifestation of representative/parliamentary democracy. 

The political institution of the Dutch Republic of Northern 

Netherlands was further developed on this constitutional 

heritage, influencing throughout the seventeenth century 

culturally and politically the country across the Channel: 

England, where the over celebrated Magna Carta had given 

the right to only 23 barons to oppose a king who did not 

please them, to occupy his castles and resist him militarily, 

and where the real start of parliamentary democracy 

happened in 1688 with the Glorious Revolution allowing 

Dutch William of Orange, until then stadtholder of the 

Republic of the United Netherlands, to cross the Channel 

with a fleet and court and to become only by grace of the 

English parliament the new English king William III. For 

these reasons I proposed to consider the Joyous Entry of 

Brabant the Conception Act of parliamentary democracy. 

And not only parliamentary democracy, but also religious 

tolerance and freedom of belief and expression, social 

care reconciled with market economy, collective defense, 

double identities inside a double layered state, peaceful 

coexistence of neighboring states with a supranational 

organizational entity, are European values of which the 

origins can be traced back in the Low Countries of the late 

Middle Ages and Renaissance, defended by the Christian 

humanists — in close contact with these Low Countries — 

for the first time on a truly European scale. At the heart of 

the Low Countries was the Duchy of Brabant with indeed 

Brussels (today’s capital of Europe), Antwerp, Leuven 

and ‘s Hertogenbosch as its four capitals. The present 

successors of the Burgundian Low Countries, the Benelux 

countries (also institutionally formed as union in 1944), 

played a leading and mediating role in the start and further 

development of the European project and integration: 

did their political frontrunners in those and later years 

remember their national history classes? 

In 2014 a broad search for a ‘New Narrative for Europe’ 

was launched as an official EU Project. In October 2015 

European Symbols was published, the first Latin manual 

for all students in Europe for which I had been invited to 

write the Belgian contribution, and for which I assisted the 

editors in advocating and arranging introductory notes by 

leading officials of the European institutions who pointed 

in these notes to the importance of our cultural heritage for 

the success of the European project. In the same month 

I had offered the European Commission my services and the 

rhetorical force of my research in the upcoming campaign 

to keep the UK, with a history loving public, inside the EU: 

PM David Cameron had however the European institutions 

not allowed to campaign openly in the UK against a Brexit. 

In the weeks before the referendum, the Magna Carta 

was indeed used as an efficient, but historically incorrect 

argument, by the Brexiteers. In 2016 the European Project 

for a ‘New Narrative for Europe’ was relaunched. On 8th

June 2016, two weeks before the Brexit vote, the European 

External Action Service and the European Commission 

released jointly a ‘joint communication’ on cultural 

diplomacy in which culture is described as the ‘hidden gem 

of European foreign policy’. 

In his first large interview for 8 European newspapers, 21st 

June 2017, President Emmanuel Macron expressed his 

intention as newly elected president to lead ‘a European 

Renaissance’. On 7th September 2017, President Macron 

elaborated this plan in a speech on the Pnyx in Athens, 

pleading to refound the European Union through culture 

and an increased attention for the origins of European 

democracy and sovereignty and to refind there the Soul of 

Europe. In a famous speech for the European Parliament 

in Strasburg, Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel tried in 2007 

also to find and formulate the Soul of Europe, focusing 

on liberty and diversity and recognizing in these values 

the basic principle of tolerance: one of the best known 

Erasmian ideals. In her accepting speech after receiving 

a joint honorary doctorate in January 2017 from both 

the universities of Leuven and Ghent, she celebrated 

expressively Erasmus of Rotterdam. First and former 

permanent President of the European Council, Herman 

Van Rompuy, stated on 21st September 2017 in an interview 

with Euractiv that the European Union needs in his view 

the formulation of a framework for the concrete goals of the 

Union itself, the articulation of its over-all project for which 

‘storytelling is needed’. 

As such Framework for Europe, I would like to offer 

and propose here the Erasmian ideals and an updated 

articulation and confirmation of the Christian humanist 

principles from which the most European societies turned 

tragically away already shortly after these ideas’ first 

brightest cultural appearances, blocking the European 

countries in deadlock and military self-destruction 

for centuries: a baroque chaos and war of by excesses 

and lack of internal reform provoked reformation and 

counter-reformation led to the over orderly structuring 

of neoclassicism, leading to an over passionate rule of 

suppressed emotions with romanticism and nationalism, 

ending in the horrors of the twentieth century. Therefore 

I propose as the over-all framework for the European 

Union, the realization of an actualized version of Erasmus’ 

program for Europe, the dual realization of Erasmian 

Republic(s): the antipode of what Europe would have been 

if it had stayed under Nazi dominion and suppression. 

References to Erasmus and More are also welcome in a 

time when ‘sweeping Henry VIII powers’ are again gaining 

power in other countries and will also prevent extremist 

and populist parties to claim or monopolize the rhetoric 

strength of (misrepresented) history and crucial historical 

figures, as positive arguments are the ideal complement to 

negative warnings related to the world wars: AfD intended 

to name its civic organization the ‘Desiderius-Erasmus- 

Stiftung’ and should not be able to connect personally and 

philosophically with the cultural figurehead of Europe, the 

EU is entitled by sense and spirit to make this personal, 

philosophical connection. 

From 2007-2013, the European Project renEU had already 

tried to connect the basic European values and foundations 

with achievements of Italian, French, Polish, Portuguese 

and Spanish Renaissance and to start in this way ‘a new 

Renaissance’ in Europe. This project stayed however 

too much touristic and anecdotal and lacked actualized 

connections to the present day political and institutional 

working of the EU and knowledge of the newly made 

discoveries about the political thought of Erasmus and 

Thomas More and the significance of the related political 

culture in the Low Countries during the Renaissance. 

The Nazis bombarded the entire historical center of 

Rotterdam and thus also the birth house of Erasmus, not 

for direct military purposes but to force the Netherlands 

to capitulate under the threat of an imminent series of 

similar complete destructions of historical city centers: a 

ruthless and horribly successful tactic. In the bombarded 

city center of Rotterdam, the 1622 statue of Erasmus 

had survived the bombings and was brought to a nearby 

museum where it was hidden during the entire war, after 

which it was placed again at the center of a public square. 

For similar reasons, I would like to propose to place a statue 

of Erasmus on the Place Royale in Brussels, instead of the 

present statue of Godfried of Bouillon, one of the leaders 

of the first crusade that conquered Jeruzalem and murdered 

the Jews, Muslims and Christians living there. Under the 

pavements of this square are the foundations of the Palace 

of the Coudenberg, where Erasmus gave a Latin oratory in 

honor to Philip the Fair, published later as Erasmus’ first 

important political work, the Panegyricus, in which he urged 

Philip, Duke of Burgundy and Brabant, to respect the Joyous 

Entry of Brabant. The Brussels Avenue between the European 

Quarter at Place Schuman and the Parc du Cinquantenaire 

with a Triumphal Arch as the stone representation of a joyous 

entry into the city of Brussels through a large symbolized city 

gate, is named Joyous Entry Avenue. 

157

158 

Presently, the headquarters of the European Commission 

are located in the Berlaymont building referring by name 

to a convent that stood there previously, financed by the 

Berlaymont family of which a prominent member (the 

father-in-law of the lady founding the convent), Charles de 

Berlaymont, was at the start of the Dutch Revolt a councilor 

of the governor of the Low Countries, Margareta of Parma. 

When she received a delegation of noblemen with a list 

of legitimized concerns and complaints related to the 

disrespect of Spanish king Philip II for the Netherlandish 

political and religious cultures of representative democracy 

and religious tolerance, this councilor Charles de 

Berlaymont advised the governor Margareta of Parma to 

‘not be afraid’ and to ignore their complaints and requests, 

because these men ‘were only beggars’: ‘N’ayez pas peur, 

Madame: ce ne sont que des Gueux’. Therefore I propose to 

change the name of the headquarters from Berlaymont into 

Erasmus. 

In a connected way, the participants in the most popular 

and successful EU Programs, Erasmus and Erasmus+ 

Programs, can become a real corps of cultural-diplomatic 

actors, following the example of the European Solidarity 

Corps, by making during their program a small but effective 

practical contribution to the illustration and dissemination 

of the Erasmian values as core values of the European 

Union, all reaching small parts of a wider European public 

in all member states. As the ‘Renaissance Society of 

America’ canceled in the latest years the European Union 

as the biannual location of its yearly big conference, an 

interdisciplinary/multiprofessional ‘European Renaissance 

Forum’ (ERF) can bring yearly actors together, operating 

in the field of European, Cultural and Renaissance 

studies: high school teachers, students, artists, politicians, 

journalists, diplomats, officials of cultural houses, museums 

and historical sites, librarians, scholars and academics. 

Further research on Erasmus’ Republic of Letters with both 

humanists and political actors from almost every European 

country and not only active for literary but also for worldly 

political projects, as a proto-union trying to defend 

and realize collectively their common ideals through a 

transnational network with far going implications for 

respective European countries, has still to be done and 

I propose to undertake and coordinate this research in the 

coming years. 

Next to this research, I intend to update the program 

of Erasmus and defend this framework for Europe, this 

narrative or binding story, this soul of Europe, also widely 

publicly throughout Europe as a public intellectual with a 

presentation of the European Union as an Erasmian Union, 

the opposite realization of a Nazi Third Reich where twisted 

philosophies of Nietzsche, widely spread in Germany of that 

time, gave wings to the plans and ambitions of an even more 

twisted man with strong rhetorical skills. 

And in this cultural-diplomatic context, it is completely 

coherent to support a process by which the next President 

of the European Commission will be elected by a majority 

of the members of the newly elected European Parliament 

in 2019. In 2014 it was a major realization of the first 

permanent President of the European Council, Herman 

Van Rompuy (who named himself also ‘a Brabantine’, 

reacting on the first results of my research I sent him as a 

student, next to best wishes at the start of his first term as 

European president) to reconcile the European Council 

of that time having still a legal saying in the choice of the 

EU Commission President by a qualified majority vote as 

provided in the Lisbon Treaty, with the election process 

of ‘spitzenkandidaten’ developed at the core of European 

Parliament; and so to make possible the first manifestation 

of parliamentary democracy ever on the European 

level, between the European Parliament and European 

Commission. 

I plead for the continuation of this political system at the 

core of these two depended institutions — about which 

the European Council will again have to decide with the 

Summit planned by President Juncker in Hermannstadt 

or Sibiu in Romania, one day after the official date of 

Brexit, on 30th March 2019 — next to the existence of a 

different president of the European Council appointed by 

the European Council also by qualified majority vote, as 

also for Erasmus and his circle of Christian humanists, 

Europe meant both an intergovernmental and supranational 

responsibility and solidarity. 

THIS PROJECT IS DEVELOPED BY 

MAARTEN VERMEIR FOR DIPLOMATIC WORLD. 

Further reading: 

M. Vermeir, ‘Erasmus’ Joyous Entry into political culture’ in 

Glatz, Peter and Thiel, Andreas, European Symbols: United 

in Diversity, Euroclassica & Amici Linguae Latinae, 2015 

M. Vermeir, Brabantia, decoding the main characters of 

Utopia’, Moreana, Vol. 49, 187-188, p. 151-181 

M. Vermeir, The Prince of Utopia, Thomas More’s Utopia 

and the Low Countries, Morus — Utopia e Renascimento, 

v. 11, n. 2 (2016)

Rirkrit Tiravanija 

Untitled 2017 (here there is no why) 






The phrase of Rirkrit Tiravanija’s stencil is borrowed from an anecdote from Primo Levi’s famous memoir of Auschwitz, Survival in Auschwitz. 

Levi, a young prisoner in Auschwitz suffering from thirst, noticed an icicle through his cell window but when he sought to grab it 

a Nazi guard knocked it out of his hand. “Warum?” (“Why?”), asked Levi. “Hier ist kein warum” (“Here there is no why”), 

answered the guard in a phrase that became symbolic of the Holocaust’s careening away from rationality itself. 

159

“THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I SEE 

MY CHILDREN SO HAPPY AFTER 

THEIR ARABIC LESSONS…” 

(MOROCCAN MOTHER) 

“ARABIC LANGUAGE COURSES, A TOOL FOR BETTER INTEGRATION 

IN THE BRUSSELS URBAN COMMUNITY” 

Jan Cornelis, Cultural Attaché CIDIC, Professor Emeritus at VUB (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) 

I met Sami Azar for the first time on March 18th 2016. 

At that time, I was Vice-Rector, International Policy, 

at VUB and Sami, a Syrian refugee, responded to a 

vacancy announcement at VUB. 

The profile for the vacancy was “administrative 

support of the International Relations and 

Mobility Office — IRMO”. 

During the interview, my interest was immediately raised 

when Sami Azar mentioned that — as a non-religious Syrian 

— he had founded his own private school which he had 

served as the director. 

Sami (2017): “I remember the interview for the VUB 

vacancy very well. I was talking about refugees and how 

I could help them, but Jan started asking me about my 

school in Syria. I went back in my memory … to my 

school and my students and I linked the answers to all the 

interview questions to this nice experience.” 

Sami (2017): “I was very honest but I felt myself sinking, 

and I could not say any word without mentioning my 

school”. Although Sami made every error you can make in 

a job interview, it was his passion for his school that saved 

him. He got the job and after a short period of supporting 

the events organized by IRMO, Jacqueline gave up on her 

administrative support, and the team started a marvelous 

adventure, coordinated by Sami Azar: “Arabic language 

classes for children aged 6 to 15, in neighbourhoods in 

Brussels with high concentrations of Arab populations, and 

decoupled from mosques and religion”. 

160 

I remember that Jacqueline Couder (Director of IRMO) 

brought us back to reality. Jacqueline (2016): “It’s good 

that you told us about yourself, your skills and your school, 

but you did not tell us how you would manage the job to 

meet the vacancy profile”. Sami took the printed version of 

the vacancy’s profile and started reading, very slowly: … to 

welcome people … to organize events … to support language 

round tables and open up VUB to Southern Mediterranean 

countries … Sami Azar: “As a school director, I had to 

welcome the parents … at my school, I organized parties for 

my students … language tables yes, but like in my school in 

Modern Standard Arabic .” 

Universities are increasingly embedded in societal 

innovation, knowledge transfer and community services 

and they are ideal places for out-of-the-box thinking. Which 

other type of organization would consider Arabic language 

courses as a primary tool for better integration in Brussels? 

Jacqueline Couder: “Children learn French, English and 

Dutch at School, and parents are sending them to the 

mosques to learn Arabic. We consider our Arabic language 

offer as a tool for cultural identity building, accelerating 

integration, counteracting risks of radicalization, fostering 

critical thinking, providing employment for refugee teachers, 

and serving as part of an urban living lab supporting our

esearch in sociology, criminology, linguistics, urban studies, 

… a perfect match with VUB’s credo of open-mindedness 

and commitment to community services in Brussels.” 

Indeed, the university operates in perfect symbiosis with the 

city of Brussels. The on-campus diversity of nationalities 

(129 countries) reflects the cosmopolitan nature of the 

city. Some courses and major events are voluntarily 

organised off-campus in the city centre. Also for the Arabic 

language courses, we consider that proximity to the main 

concentrations of Arab people in Brussels is needed. 

Three different locations were selected, minimizing the 

transport burden for parents and students and, thanks to 

our collaboration with Scholengroep Brussel, we were able 

to ensure a professional environment for implementing this 

proximity objective. Jacky Goris (Director of Scholengroep 

Brussel): “Education, as conceived by the Flemish 

Community in Brussels, aims to keep Muslim children out 

of the radical Koranic schools through organised Arabic 

language lessons that provide an alternative to the language 

courses currently followed by many children in small 

Koranic schools where they are immersed in strict Islamic 

rules”. VUB prefers a more cautious formulation: “We offer 

Arabic language courses, decoupled from religion, and the 

facts and figures prove that this is a unique niche in Brussels 

with an enormous demand.” 

course, religion and Islam can be discussed in the school, as 

these are part of our cultural heritage and today’s daily life, 

The university setting yielded immediate high credibility and trust, even without active 

but the 

advertisement, 

courses 

mainly 

themselves 

because of the 

should 

neutrality of 

be 

the 

strictly 

learning platform 

neutral 

and its 

and 

primary 

objective of learning about Arabic and European culture in the native tongue, but also because 

independent of religious beliefs”. 

of the monitoring by academics of the content, didactic methods and learning outcomes. The 

success of the school’s success is illustrated by the student numbers: 2016-2017, 164 students 

(83 boys and 81 girls) from different origins (see pie chart) and in 2017-2018, 250 students (133 

boys and 117 girls), although whereby the number should have been had to be limited to 200 

Quality due to Assurance insufficient financial is constraintsresources. a unique selling point of our Arabic 

language courses and we’re developing a Quality Assurance 

handbook. VUB developed the curriculum in collaboration 

with experts in Arabic linguistics. Sami Azar: “One of the 

teachers, an Iraqi refugee, has a PhD in Arabic literature. 

Also, the other teachers are highly qualified refugees 

Also, parent’s’ testimonials are indicateing that there is a high demand for Arabic language 

from Iraq 

courses 

and 

independent 

Syria. 

of religion 

Grammar, 

(see enclosure 

vocabulary, 

1). A question One 

and 

of them 

spelling, 

coming from a 

Moroccan mother caught was catching my attention, “Can you teach some basic religion in your 

class, just something about good moralities?”. I asked Sami about this and he replied it. Sami 

as well as speaking and writing the language fluently, are 

Azar: “Of course, religion and Islam can be discussed in the school, as these are it is part of our 

cultural heritage and today’s daily life, but the courses themselves should be are strictly neutral 

important but also playful learning, such as Arabic songs 

and independent of religious beliefs”. 

and games, Quality Assurance is part is a unique of the selling curriculum.” point proposition of our For Arabic example, language courses and we’re 

developing a Quality Assurance handbook is under construction. VUB developed the curriculum 

now in collaboration with some experts course in Arabic linguistics. books Sami that Azar: will “One of be the illustrated 

teachers, an Iraqi 

refugee, has a PhD in Arabic literature. Also, the other teachers are highly qualified refugees 

with cartoons. 

from Iraq and Syria. Grammar, vocabulary, and spelling, as well as speaking and writing the 

language fluently, are important but also playful learning, such as Arabic songs and games, isare 

part of the curriculum.” For example, we’re now developing some cCourse books that are under 

construction, they will be illustrated withby cartoons. 

The university setting yielded immediate high credibility and 

trust, even without active advertisement, mainly because 

of the neutrality of the learning platform and its primary 

objective of learning about Arab and European culture in 

the native tongue, but also because of the monitoring by 

academics of the content, didactic methods and learning 

y setting yielded immediate high credibility and trust, even without active 

t, mainly because outcomes. of the neutrality The school’s of the learning success platform is illustrated and its by primary the student 

arning about Arabic numbers: and European 2016-2017, culture in 164 the students native tongue, (83 boys but also and because 81 girls) 

ring by academics from of the different content, didactic origins methods (see pie and chart) learning and outcomes. in 2017-2018, The 

e school’s success is illustrated by the student numbers: 2016-2017, 164 students 

250 students (133 boys and 117 girls), although the 

81 girls) from different origins (see pie chart) and in 2017-2018, 250 students (133 

girls), although whereby number the should number have should been have limited been had to 200 to be due limited to financial to 200 

cient financial constraintsresources. 

constraints. 

Also, parents’ testimonials 

indicate that there is a high 

demand for Arabic language 

courses independent of 

religion (see enclosure 1). 

A question from a Moroccan 

s’ testimonials are mother indicateing caught that there my attention, is a high demand “Can you for teach Arabic some language 

endent of religion basic (see enclosure religion in 1). your A question class, just One something of them coming about from good a 

ther caught was catching my attention, “Can you teach some basic religion in your 

moralities?” asked Sami about this and he replied : “Of 

ething about good moralities?”. I asked Sami about this and he replied it. Sami 

rse, religion and Islam can be discussed in the school, as these are it is part of our 

ge and today’s daily life, but the courses themselves should be are strictly neutral 

ent of religious beliefs”. 

ance is a unique selling point proposition of our Arabic language courses and we’re 

Laura and her brother Toni; Sami and his sister Sara – 

Laura and her brother Toni; Sami and his sister Sara – designed by Norbert Van Yperzeele 

designed by Norbert Van Yperzeele 

An extra benefit, corroborated by scientific research, is that stimulation of multi-lingual 

language skills among children at a young age improves communication skills and social 

inclusion, while and knowledge of different cultures and intercultural interaction leads to 

greater more respect and tolerance. 

An extra benefit, corroborated by scientific research, is 

that stimulation of multi-lingual language skills among 

children at a young age improves communication skills 

and social inclusion, while knowledge of different cultures 

intention to follow Dutch or French language courses. 

and intercultural interaction lead to greater respect and 

The target public is composed of three main categories: 

tolerance. 

The expected societal outcomes also include also an improved communication within the family, 

especially with parents and grandparents, the creation of a community of children (and parents) 

where all topics can be discussed, children who that are critical and open-minded, more easiery 

return to their home countriesy if needed/wanted (e.g. for refugees), employment of refugee 

teachers which helpsing them to keep their market value and increase their employability. 

While waiting to pick up their children after the classes, several parents expressed their 

- the children of newcomers (e.g. refugees) who which usually have an underdeveloped mother 

tongue. They cannot express themselves well, they talk at home about their emotional 

experiences and have elementary conversations about the daily activities in Arabic. At school, 

The another expected language is used. societal But also in outcomes Dutch or French also they are include handicapped improved 

with respect to the 

other pupils. Some of them start mixing up languages and a lot of children start using Dutch 

communication words in Arabic dialogues. within Their Arabic the is not family, rich enough especially any more. Older with children parents can perhaps 

speak fluent Arabic but have issues with reading or writing, since they are immersed in the 

and language grandparents, of the school. the creation of a community of children 

(and 

- the children 

parents) 

from Moroccan 

where 

origin 

all 

or 

topics 

Arabic origin. 

can 

The 

be 

Moroccan 

discussed, 

population 

children 

is the second 

largest community after the French one in the Brussels Capital Region. Theose children can 

who speak are Arabic, critical although their and accent open-minded, is different from standard easier Arabic. return There is to a need their for them 

to learn how to read and write Modern Standard Arabic fluently. 

home countries if needed/wanted (e.g. for refugees), 

- the children from mixed background, or interested in to learning Arabic. A recent initiative was 

launched taken by the French speaking secondary school (typical student age: 12-18 years) in 

employment 

Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe 

of refugee 

- a commune 

teachers 

in the Brussels 

which 

Capital Region 

helps 

- where: 

them 

Arabic 

keep 

language 

their market value and increase their employability. While 

waiting to pick up their children after the classes, several 

parents expressed their intention to follow Dutch or French 

language courses. 

161

162 

The target public is composed of three main categories: 

- the children of newcomers (e.g. refugees) who usually have 

an underdeveloped mother tongue. They cannot express 

themselves well, they talk at home about their emotional 

experiences and have elementary conversations about 

daily activities in Arabic. At school, another language is 

used. But also in Dutch or French they are handicapped 

with respect to the other pupils. Some of them start 

mixing up languages and a lot of children start using 

Dutch words in Arabic dialogues. Their Arabic is not 

rich enough anymore. Older children can perhaps speak 

fluent Arabic but have issues with reading or writing, 

since they are immersed in the language of the school. 

- the children from Moroccan origin or Arab origin. The 

Moroccan population is the second largest community 

after the French one in the Brussels Capital Region. 

The children can speak Arabic, although their accent is 

different from standard Arabic. There is a need for them 

to learn how to read and write Modern Standard Arabic 

fluently. 

- the children from mixed background, or interested in 

learning Arabic. A recent initiative was launched by the 

French speaking secondary school (typical student age: 

12-18 years) in Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe — a commune 

in the Brussels Capital Region — where Arabic language 

courses will start in September 2017. The director: 

“After French, Dutch and English, Arabic is the fourth 

language in Belgium. In Brussels, almost 350.000 

inhabitants can be connected to the Arabic language 

family.” If these types of initiatives are multiplied, there 

will be a much greater possibility for our current target 

age category (6-15 years) to continue with Arabic language 

courses in secondary education (12-18 years) and later on 

at the university. 

Dividing the children into a reasonable number of age 

categories, and taking account of their existing language 

skills, is one of the most difficult and important tasks of 

the Arabic language teaching project. For the current pilot 

phase of the project, the number of categories was fixed at 

four per location. Currently the frequency of the courses 

for the children is 4 hours/week on Saturdays or Sundays. 

The participation fee is kept low to ensure that there are no 

financial thresholds hampering the access — 80 euros/year. 

As you have understood, I am very enthusiastic about 

the objectives of the Arabic language courses as sketched 

above, but I have a serious concern … the sustainability. As 

it is now, the teachers are volunteers, and the cost of the 

project is covered by unspent funds of past projects. The 

operational costs of the Arabic language project do not 

fit directly in the classical government funding channels, 

whether those of the Ministry of Education (it does not 

fit in Higher Education because of the age category of the 

children, and in Brussels only Dutch, German and French 

lessons for foreigners are supported), or in the budget 

of the Brussels Capital Region (which primarily focuses 

on short term priorities), or in the budgets of classical 

investment funds (there is no direct financial return on 

investment). The classical non-profit organisations have 

confined their interventions to a priori limited niches 

to ensure tangible impact and visibility of their actions. 

Therefore, the viability of the Arabic language project is 

inevitably dependent on a sustainable mix of private and 

public funding. I am convinced that once the financial mill 

starts turning, both will mutually reinforce each other — 

see Enclosure 2 

Chances of success of new university initiatives that are 

not deeply rooted in the university’s DNA are minimal. 

Through its objectives of identity recovery and societal 

integration, the Arabic language project, as well as the 

Student-Refugee Programme, fit perfectly into the strong 

commitment of VUB to create societal impact. Moreover, 

multilingual education is key in VUB’s vision statement. A 

survey among our current students showed that 80% of the 

521 respondents would like to follow a minor in Arabic in 

the official curriculum and 85% would also be interested in 

an extra-curricular course. 

This is the story of an Arabic language teaching project. 

It is running now, but still under construction, and some 

of the outcomes are at the stage of hypotheses that remain 

to be verified. For many, it is quite a controversial project, 

since the first thing that usually comes to mind when 

people hear about the project is that the children should 

be embedded in Dutch or French language. But they are 

embedded, five days a week already. This project has aims 

that reach beyond Arabic language acquisition, but for 

which this language is the basis. The project fully fits in 

the era of cosmopolitan nomads, large-scale migration 

and vulnerable refugees who have crossed their nation’s 

frontiers. Sami Azar, whom I encountered for the first time 

some two years ago, has become a ‘school director’ again. 

I am sure he will make a new generation of children happy 

and better prepared for the global world we live in.

ENCLOSURE 1: SOME TESTIMONIALS 

OF THE SCHOOLCHILDREN’S PARENTS 

• This is what I was looking for… an Arabic course 

without religion (Lebanese father). 

• Before I enrolled my child online, I wanted to come to 

get a direct confirmation from you that no Sheikh will 

come and give my child a religious speech (Iraqi mother) 

– Note: “Sheikh” is the name of the Muslim priest. 

• Can you teach some basic religion in your class, 

just something about good moralities? (Moroccan 

mother). 

• My child went for four years to a Quranic school 

to learn Arabic, but I can see that after one year in 

your school he improved his Arabic more than in the 

previous four years (Moroccan mother). 

• This is what I want, I want my child to be able to read 

Arabic by himself, not to recite some verses from the 

Quran by heart without understanding (Moroccan 

mother). 

• Can you teach Arabic eight hours per week instead of 

four hours? (Moroccan mother). 

• Four hours per week are not enough to learn Arabic. 

Can I enroll my child in two of your centres to bring 

my child more in contact with standard Arabic? (Iraqi 

mother) 

• This is the first time I see my children so happy after 

their Arabic lessons, and that they really want to learn 

Arabic. I tried several Quranic schools before and I 

always faced the same problem. The teachers there 

hit the children if they made a mistake when reciting 

a verse by heart or for any other small mistakes 

(Moroccan mother). 

• The teachers in the previous Arabic school could not 

speak Arabic very well, so how can they teach Arabic? 

(Lebanese father). 

• My children can speak Arabic fluently because we 

speak Arabic at home. I want them to know how to 

read and write, but the teacher in the Quranic school 

speaks a Moroccan dialect, so my children cannot 

communicate with her in Arabic (Palestinian father). 

• It always depends on the teacher. Although the books 

of our Quranic school seem moderately radical, some 

teachers there give the children very radical ideas, and 

that was why I took my children out of that Quranic 

school, even before you started your project, although 

I am a teacher there myself (Egyptian father). 

ENCLOSURE 2: BE PART OF A UNIQUE JOURNEY! 

Needed: Innovative approaches to tackle radicalization … 

Money raised for the Arabic Language Courses by VUB 

will change lives! 

Do you wish to strengthen respect and tolerance in 

our society and ensure integration for newcomers and 

refugees? VUB started its unique Arabic Language 

teaching project together with the community. We know 

how to run the project, … you can make it sustainable 

through your financial support. 

The most urgent priority at this moment is the payment 

of the teachers who are still working as volunteers. 

We will keep you informed about the project’s progress. 

Donations of 40 euros and above are tax deductible. 

Please mention “GIFT4-Arabic language courses for 

children” in your bank transfer to account 

BE51 0013 6779 3562 of the VUB Foundation. 

www.vubfoundation.be 

163

IT IS A WORLD WHICH BRINGS TOGETHER 

OLYMPIC ATHLETES, GLOBAL DECISION 

MAKERS, MEMBERS OF ROYAL FAMILIES 

AND MILLIONS OF FANS. 

The entertainment plays out in iconic locations 

in capital cities and in beautiful Riviera destinations. 

Known as the “Formula 1” of equestrian sport, the 

Longines Global Champions Tour and Global Champions 

League are famous not just for delivering guaranteed toplevel 

sport for fans, but for a vibrant and chic social scene 

and fine hospitality. 

164 

At the heart of this international show jumping circuit are 

horses. But not just any horses. LGCT and GCL attract the 

superstars of the sport. These uber equine athletes, worth 

millions of euros, deliver ever greater levels of competition 

each season. And, needless to say, horse welfare is at the 

heart of everything with the best facilities in the sport to 

ensure top-level care. 

And now the sport is booming around the world with 

record-breaking prize money, a growing fan following, more 

media attention and more countries competing on the 

LGCT and GCL circuit. 

The Tour, established in 2006 by Dutch Olympic gold 

medallist Jan Tops, features individual competition at 

the highest level. Top-ranked riders and horses compete 

over 1.60m fences in a variety of arenas to determine the 

ultimate champion. All season rider and horse combinations 

jump in a variety of small and large arenas on sand and 

on grass surfaces by day and by night. The coveted crown 

can only be won by true all-rounders who perform with 

consistency through the season. 

Two years ago Global Champions League was launched 

by Jan Tops and US businessman and philanthropist 

Frank McCourt, introducing an innovative and modern 

new team format to show jumping. For the first time in 

the sport’s history, leading riders from different countries 

could join forces in turbo-charged team combinations. 

The new formula has seen formidable pairings such as 

Marco Kutscher (GER) and Ludger Beerbaum (GER) for 

the Cannes Stars team and Scott Brash (GBR) and Kent 

Farrington (USA) riding for Georgina Bloomberg’s Miami 

Glory team. Georgina believes that the GCL will bring 

another dimension to the sport and the future is bright for 

those involved: “When we first heard about the team concept 

it was something that was very intriguing to me and something 

that I believed in — it’s going to be great for the sport of show 

jumping.” 

Global Champions League is also heralding a new era in 

record prize money in show jumping as the sport enjoys 

growth around the world. Next year there will be an overall 

prize fund of €35 million and a thrilling new playoff event 

in December with big winnings up for grabs. Adding to 

the excitement of the championship race all year, the 

new playoff will see the most successful teams lock horns 

in a new venue with the winning squad taking home an 

unprecedented €3 million. Global Champions League is a 

transformation in show jumping to ensure the sport thrives 

in the modern sports era and attracts new spectators at the 

events themselves and a wider fan base watching on digital 

and on TV. Just as rugby, cricket, tennis and other sports 

introduced new concepts to stay relevant to fans,

GCL teams have cool modern signature music when the 

riders enter the ring, allowing fans to identify with their 

favourites. Their social media pages are busy with images 

for fans and the teams attract sponsors. 

Jennifer Gates’ team Paris Panthers were new on the circuit 

this year and has already attracted top brands as sponsors 

including Lululemon, Maui Jim and NetJets. GCL launched 

in 2016 with 12 teams and quickly increased to 18 teams for 

the 2017 season. 

With a strong commitment to developing the grassroots and 

the talent of the future in show jumping, Global Champions 

League teams must have an under-25 rider. 

also very important to have under-25 riders in the teams giving 

opportunity to the young talent to grow and experience top-level 

events. 

“When I launched the Tour back in 2006 I had been in show 

jumping as a rider for many years and I knew the sport had 

to change and come into the modern era. I wanted to raise 

standards across the board so that all stakeholders benefitted. 

We raised the bar across all areas from better facilities for 

riders and horses, including very important investment in the 

best possible welfare at the events for the horses. We worked 

hard to increase TV and media coverage of the sport and 

improved hospitality for guests to enjoy the experience of a 

show jumping event. 

LGCT President and GCL Co-Founder Jan Tops said: 

“We want to ensure a sustainable and healthy future for our 

sport and it was an important part of our strategic growth 

to introduce this new team concept. Show jumping is going 

through a boom right now with more riders from different 

countries wanting to compete on our championship circuit. 

The League has introduced a fantastic new dynamic where 

fans can see incredible combinations of the best riders from 

different countries competing to win together for the first time. 

It’s fresh and exciting and the team competitions take place 

at all the incredible locations we have on our calendar. It is 

“We have been pioneering and introduced a lot of change to 

show jumping. One of the key steps was to take our sport to city 

centres and to bring show jumping to more people to make it 

more accessible to grow our fan base. 

“At the heart of what we do will always be top sport, but we 

also deliver a superb experience for fans and guests who are 

new to show jumping and want to enjoy a great day out.” 

And the current top riders who star in the spotlight agree. 

Scott Brash, Olympic Gold Medallist and two time LGCT 

Champion of Champions spoke of the evolution of the 

165

sport: “I think what GCT has done over the years has always 

been at the forefront of developing our sport. GCL is the next 

chapter in that, and to develop our sport, we need to embrace 

change. Everything GCL is doing, from the new team sport 

concept, to the communications, to making show jumping more 

accessible to more people around the world means that we’re 

moving in the right direction.” 

Fellow rider, top German hero Marcus Ehning echoed 

Brash’s sentiments, praising the hard work and passion 

put into making the Championship series so universally 

successful: “It is one of the biggest improvements in the sport 

in the last 20 years for all of show jumping worldwide — for 

other shows it’s a big goal to come close to the Global Tour. 

I think over the years you could see how the sport improved, 

and what kind of countries we have now with all the stages. 

It’s amazing what Jan did and I think for the sport it could 

not be something better.” 

The power and precision of the horses and the skill of 

their riders is taking the calibre of competition to ever 

greater heights. It is a captivating cocktail for fans and 

VIPs who gather in exquisite locations where the events 

have become part of the social calendar. Tour Title Partner 

Longines appreciates the association with a top-level 

equestrian sport highlighting precision and elegance. Other 

brand partners include Massimo Dutti, BMW, Hermès, 

Range Rover, Miasuki and Mercedes. Guests include Bill 

Gates, Anuncio Ortega, The Father Emir of Qatar Sheikh 

Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani and Sheikha Mozah, Michael 

Bloomberg, Queen Noor of Jordan, Twitter Founder Suhail 

Rizvi, Netscape Founder Jim Clark and supermodel Elle 

MacPherson. The Monaco event is under the Patronage of 

HSH Prince Albert and Princess Caroline of Hanover and 

Charlotte Casiraghi are honorary supporters of the show. 

In 2017 the prestigious circuit totalled 15 events with horses 

being flown to four of the events. A strategic expansion to 

new territories in recent years has seen the championship 

series take place in China and The Americas stretching its 

global footprint further. New US and Asia destinations are 

planned for the future and Stockholm has been confirmed 

as the latest capital city to join the circuit. 

Consider the logistics. On the white sands of Miami Beach, 

next to the dunes and the Atlantic shoreline, 200 sport 

horses arrive each April to delight tourists, residents and 

guests in this sensational event. The European horses fly 

from Belgium to the USA on special cargo planes with 

spacious air-conditioned stalls. They head straight from 

Miami International Airport to their stables and some 

early exercise next to the Ocean. The LGCT and GCL 

organisation is highly specialised at organising these world 

class events in thrilling but logistically challenging locations 

from Miami Beach to Monaco’s famous Port Hercule 

harbour, from Shanghai to Paris in front of the Eiffel Tower. 

The show gets on the road from April to November heading 

to The Americas to Asia, Europe and the Middle East. 

Other desintations include Mexico City, London’s Royal 

Hospital Chelsea, the state-of-the-art Tops International 

Arena in Valkenswaard, Rome’s Stadio dei Marmi and 

Berlin’s Sommergarten. 

In it’s debut year, the LGCT of Miami Beach was celebrated 

not only for it’s top level sporting action, but also for the 

impact it had on the City. Michael Bloomberg, who attended 

the show, commented: “I think this is a wonderful thing for 

Miami and for the economy of Miami. This could become like 

the Formula 1 is to Monaco and in places like that it’s not only 

about the people who come to watch the show. The people who 

support it, the people who work in the hotels where we all stay, 

the restaurants, it is amazing the hard work that goes into this.” 

LGCT made history with an important ruling allowing 

international sport horses into China for the first time ever. 

Even during the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008, the 

equestrian competitions were held in Hong Kong not on 

166

Charlotte Casiraghi, Jennifer Katharine Gates, Caroline, Princess of Hanover, Bill Gates, Melinda Gates 

mainland China. But after years of patient work with the 

European Commission and the Chinese Government, 

Longines Global Champions Tour won permission for 

special quarantine arrangements and a new event in 

Shanghai’s Pudong District joined the circuit. The Shanghai 

Longines Global Champions Tour has quickly evolved as 

a popular event both for sport and the social scene, with 

spectators and guests are dressed as if for Royal Ascot. The 

event has spawned a new army of fans who are enjoying 

show jumping as an aspirational past-time and more and 

more equestrian clubs are springing up across China. 

As with all events on the circuit, horse welfare is imperative. 

Veterinary facilities are second to none with high-tech 

diagnostics equipment and round-the-clock care on site. 

Safeguarding horse welfare is a top priority in the series 

and ground-breaking high-tech equipment is pushing the 

boundaries of care on the circuit. Every event weekend a 

team of experienced vets are on standby as hundreds of 

horses descend to the championship series showgrounds 

around the world, with a unique state-of-the-art mobile 

horse clinic in attendance for the welfare of the equine stars 

of show jumping. Top-class diagnostic and care facilities 

— including the Human Tecar Therapy technology which 

is also used on Formula 1 drivers — are accessible at every 

event and 24 hours a day and the array of services and 

machines continues to evolve using the latest technologies 

and ideas. Alessandro Centinaio, FEI Veterinary Delegate: 

“We use the same machines as you do for human athletes; 

scans, x-ray, blood testing, everything.” 

When it comes to show jumping it is all about finding the 

perfect mix of horse power and rider talent in a sport where, 

unusually, men and women compete against each other 

on a level-playing field and receive the same prize money. 

Leading Australian rider Edwina Tops-Alexander is a two 

time LGCT Champion of Champions, and was the first 

rider to win more than €1 million on the circuit. Edwina 

has always attributed her success to her horses, and the 

pivotal relationship between horse and rider: “What I love 

most about this sport is when you know you’ve got that really 

special horse and you know you’ve got a good chance to win. 

And you know that when things go in the right direction, all 

that time and effort that you’ve put in will start to pay off.” 

And competing at the highest level in the sport? Edwina brings 

it back to a level playing field: “In showjumping, the horse is 

the athlete, so everybody needs to have a very good horse. 

I don’t see it as me competing against men. I see it as horses 

competing against each other.” 

There have been a variety of Champions throughout the 

twelve year history of the Tour. As well as double champions 

Brash and Tops-Alexander, past winners include Rolf-Goran 

Bengtsson with his much loved stallion, the now retired 

167

Casall ASK, Luciana Diniz, German hero Marcus Ehning 

and recent Rio Olympic Gold Medallist Nick Skelton. 

The high octane 2017 GCT season saw Flying Dutchman 

Harrie Smolders pulled ahead of the pack to make history 

at the penultimate event in Rome in September to take the 

individual championship. His victory leaves a major battle 

for the top podium places and the climax of the Global 

Champions League race which will all play out in November 

at the extraordinary state-of-the-art AL SHAQAB venue in 

Doha, Qatar. 

www.globalchampionstour.com 

www.globalchampionsleague.com 

168

Raqs Media Collective 

Lost in Search of Time 






While leaving an unattributed fragment of stenciled graffito on walls in cities from Varanasi to Santa Marta, Raqs Media Collective 

admit to a condition that they suspect they share with most people in the world today, of being lost, in search of time. 

169

BOXING IMPACTS YOUR LIFE! 

Barry Robinson Jr. is a boxing coach who grew up 

in New York. He joined the military as a young man. 

While in the Navy, Barry learned not only efficiency 

and discipline but most importantly attention to 

detail and accountability. 

170 

By travelling all over the world he became World famous for 

his specific approach and AMSB training system (A Million 

Styles Boxing). To Barry boxing is an art. He respects it and 

studies the sport with true dedication. 

Stijn Hufschmitt is a boxing coach that grew up in Brussels. 

He joined the Fire Brigade in the city, after he has been 

working in schools as a Physical Education Teacher. 

He travelled the world in search of the Fundamentals 

of boxing and has trained with the most famous boxing 

coaches on the planet. 

Passionate about Boxing and Communication, Stijn sees the 

importance of expressing oneself honestly as a key to evolve 

in Boxing, as well as in life! 

In what aspect can one benefit from boxing? 

BR: When you have a conversation with someone about 

boxing for the first time, they make a motion with their 

hands and think about someone getting hit. They don’t 

think about the footwork or being able to think under 

pressure. That’s unfortunate. 

There are other sports like tennis, basketball, golf, football 

etc. that get more mainstream support & excitement from 

people, mainly because boxing is seen as a dangerous sport. 

People don’t take into consideration that you must do the 

same exercise or training for boxing. 

“Boxing is a sport of the mind, it is more like fencing. You 

must be able to think, be efficient (be smart), hit and don’t 

get hit. 

Boxing can be seen as just fitness and also as a way to build 

confidence, solve problems and build confidence to solve 

problems. You don’t have to fight to train boxing. 

How can boxing and communication find a 

connection? 

SH: Imaging what a better World we could create by 

empowering people mentally & physically. 

Nowadays we have plenty of media to communicate with each 

other and still people don’t communicate enough or in a proper 

way. Boxing is a physical & even more a mental sport where 

you can’t hide your own expressions and can’t look for excuses. 

That’s why we need to train the mind not only the body. 

“Through mental and physical resistance your self-awareness 

grows and this can help you to improve your self-expression 

and communication towards others.” 

Why do you say ‘Control is fun’? 

BR: It might sound aggressive and it doesn’t just apply 

for boxing but literally for everything. It applies to health, 

money, business, emotions etc. 

When you are not in control, you are not having fun. 

SH: Today’s boxing coaches don’t train defensive 

responsible skills. Maybe because it is boring to train drills 

and it’s a challenge to motivate it. 

“There is nothing cool about getting punched in the face”. 

Floyd Mayweather Jr. 

Do you consider boxing as a therapeutic solution? 

BR: People go to all kinds of therapies but what’s fact is when 

you throw a punch in the boxing gym you feel so confident all 

of a sudden. After a hard work-out in the boxing gym, people’s 

body language changes. Their shoulders come back, they walk 

a little bit taller and they feel better about themselves. 

SH: People lack the spirit of “I can”. What I know for a fact 

is that every growth or progress is built on resistance. In our 

society people get used to easy participation trophies. As a 

result the challenge of winning is not special anymore. How 

do you motivate a kid if everyone wins a medal anyway? 

Medication is so often prescribed to control burn outs, 

hyperkinetic behavior, autism, depressions etc. However 

medication doesn’t always solve the root of the problem. 

Out creating the problem does. By creating a positive 

mindset through an intense mental and physical workout, 

success is inevitable. This is based on my daily experiences.

Stijn Hufschmitt, Barry Robinson and Nicolas Styfhals 

“The feeling of pushing yourself to the limit is the best 

therapy in life”. After expanding those boundaries, everything 

becomes easy work. 

How do you see the fact that The World needs 

strong Men & Women? 

BR: Strong people create and think! Even if they don’t they 

still communicate about ideas. 

SH: Strong people reunite and help each other instead of 

bringing each other down. Look at nature a lion will not 

attack an other lion because he knows that’s bad for his 

survival. 

How do you emphasize a stimulation of more 

responsible thinking? 

SH: The demonstration of success and truth will inspire 

others to come out of their comfort zone. Everything starts 

with giving. We can´t be selfish by waiting until someone 

makes a move. We have to invest in the future & be 

responsible now. We empower young people and teach them 

the sportsmanship of true gentlemen by giving them the 

right example as a coach. By demonstrating our true values 

of honesty, respect, dedication and discipline. By sharing 

our own daily habits on multimedia we hope to inspire 

people and to enforce their new thinking. 

Boxing does develop quick response skills under pressure.” 

“Our brain is a problem solving machine’’. Arash Dibazar 

Would Charity boxing be a nice idea? 

BR: That would be a very nice idea to organize a charity 

boxing event like White collar boxing. What happens is that 

Business men from 2 companies come together to do boxing 

for charity. They take complete beginners and train them for 

3 months in the gym. Wouldn’t it be nice to organize one 

globally? 

Off course all the required security measurements will be 

taken into account to guarantee the safety of the contenders 

(big gloves 16 Oz., helmet, mouth piece etc.) 

CONCLUSION 

SH: I like to compare the effect of a boxing training to the 

sharing of a cold water bottle on a hot and joyful summer day. 

That blessed feeling that power still lives in everyone of us. 

We contribute to change the image of boxing. 

AMSB – A Million Styles of Boxing, Barry Robinson 

Boxingimpact Sports, Stijn Hufschmitt 

VISION STATEMENT BARRY ROBINSON 

AMSB – A MILLION STYLES OF BOXING 

I envision my life to be a living example to all young 

men and women, that they can create anything they 

dream. I believe that by using logic, defying logic at 

times, and smart work almost anything is possible. 

A Million Styles Boxing, is a system about learning 

self-discipline, self-esteem, and self-motivation through 

boxing. Boxing training can be life enhancing as a 

supplement to one’s personal and professional life. 

AMSB’s goal is to teach these values globally online 

and in gyms around the world. 

171

172 

Apichatpong Weerasethakul 

Untitled 

Silkscreened banner 



Photograph: Sébastien Delire

“Satisfying and exceeding 

your expectations” 

Choosing Executive Lane means selecting genuine top-of-the-range chauffeurs, 

trained to the standards of luxury, whose sole aim is customer satisfaction. 

Our limousines, reaching from the classic Mercedes-Maybach for 2 passengers to the Setra 

with its 21 seats, were designed to achieve the highest level of finish and unmatched comfort. 

+352 50 55 65 - 5000 

executive-lane.com 

2017_09_Ann EL_DW_230 x 300 UK.indd 1 18/09/2017 09:48

YOUR PERFECT PARTNER: 

AC BRUSSELS DIPLOMAT SALES 

If you are a diplomat or have tax-free status at an international organisation, 

a special scheme from Volvo means that you can buy a premium car 

at favourable prices - and gain many benefits besides. 

Finding somewhere to live and buying a car are often two top priorities for 

diplomatic and embassy staff when they begin their posting. 

We are privileged to serve tax-free personnel at: 

EMBASSIES & CONSULATES | UNITED NATIONS 

EUROPEAN UNION | INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS 

Direct Service Contact: 

T: +32 474 107 550 E: c.romao@acbrussels.be 

www.acbrussels-diplomatsales.be 

ACB Louis Brussels: 

Leuvensesteenweg 381-383 

1030 Brussels 

02 743 81 83 

ACB Zaventem: 

Leuvensesteenweg 430 

1932 Woluwe - Zaventem 

02 712 60 24 

ACB Overijse: 

Brusselsesteenweg 343 

3090 Overijse 

02 686 05 55 

Diplo World S90 02_17 ACB FINAL.indd 1 02/02/2017 12:38

Diplomatic World nummer 54

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?