True Story: a panel conversation about new journalism with leading journalists from Turkey and the Netherlands in Mediamatic PARK

What happens when the mainstream media fails? This question was discussed between Dutch and Turkish journalist  in the moderation of  Thieu Besselink. From Turkey we spoke with Engin Onder and Cem Aydogdu of 140Journos, a twitter-based citizen journalism platform that became the most reliable source of information during the Gezi protests; and Emin Özmen, the leading Turkish photo journalist.

From the Netherlands we spoke with research journalist Eric Smit and Mark Blaisse, who shared his experience with critical journalism under oppressive regimes. This event also marks the premiere of Özmen’s documentary film Witnessing Gezi, and the opening of the Agence le Journal photo exhibition.

Location: Mediamatic Fabriek, VOC-kade 10, Oostenburg Amsterdam.  16 Nov 2013 / 15h

At the Open for Change event, Hivos brought together change makers from around the world to share their stories, experiences and tools.

 The first day and the second day of the event

Participants attempted to uncover unusual perspectives and reflect on what has worked – and what hasn’t – to mobilize people to play part in the change they want to see.Social change towards justice and prosperity cannot do without openness. Yet openness and democratic institutions are no guarantee in themselves for equality and social cohesion. Issues of identity, societal norms and the question of whose voice counts characterize deep polarizations in our societies, whether in the South or the North. While openness in itself would be of great benefit to those suffering from social taboos, such as in the sphere of sexuality, dividing lines continue to exist and need to be addressed differently.

Innovative approaches are not only necessary, they do exist, too. Have a look at the initiatives and speakers within the different tracks: Triggers for Change, Test the Tools, Tough dilemma’s and Trial and Error for your shot of inspiration! And do get in touch with us if you have an idea, a project or an initiative that contributes to the open society – ‘a society that fully embraces its own imperfections and unexplored opportunities’.

THE IGNITE

On 10 October 2013, the Ignite event took place and it was a great success. You can visit the event’s web page for the photos.

Back-to-back with the two-day Open for Change event, an Ignite event took place in the afternoon of October 10th, 2013, in the Van Nelle factory, Rotterdam. Fifteen speakers presented daring perspectives and inspiring thoughts on how people all over the world are actively shaping their societies. These stories in part came from the city of Rotterdam as well as the far away places where Hivos works, such as India, Central America and Uganda. Rotterdam, World Port World City, is a young, dynamic, international city which keeps reinventing itself at a rapid pace; redefining and expanding its identity on a daily basis. We exchanged stories of social innovation, heard about new strategies and methods and critically reflected on all this during the two following days. The question to what extent these initiatives trigger social change at large were also further explored during the Open for Change event on 11 and 12 October.