Greetings from The Netherlands

Warm greeting from Holland

First of all excuses for writing in English. Although I have no problem in reading French, an active use of the language at the moment is not my daily bread.

With interest I try to follow the proceedings of the meeting in Burkina Faso and I try to compare the processes you are going through with similar processes I have in Latin America!! However, I find it very difficult to reflect, or to give input directly on your experiences, due to the fact that I am not participating actively and ‘face to face’. Wiki is a very interesting medium(!) but most important remain the meetings between people.

However, I will give it a try:

I like metaphors. They often say more than facts. They open new windows on the world.

I read in the documents about the metaphor of the construction of a professional house. Interesting!!!

When I’m discussing with organizations in Latin America I often use a similar metaphor, the metaphor of a pub or a tavern. A place where everyone is welcome, to rest, to meet with friends, and/or to make plans (very important in programmatic working). I use this metaphor because there is a saying that more politics are made in taverns than in government and or parliament! With my line of working (Democratization and Peacebuilding) an interesting way of looking at the world.

Also important for me is the connotation that in a tavern you can come to rest, that it is a meeting place. We don’t have to work always! In the tavern there can be a balance between creation and recreation. Programmatic work and ‘programmatic rest’. We come to receive energy from friends and to giver energy to others.

Also very important: we are between equals. Eventual leadership grows context-driven or theme-driven and functions as long as necessary. Tomorrow, another can or has to take the lead.

And there is the innkeeper to create the base-structure, the entourage, for us.

Some words I read in your reports inspire me. Therefore I give you the above reflection in exchange.

I wish you a lot of success and inspiring moments in the remaining tine of your conference!

Piet Posthuma
(chargé de programme Amerique Latin)