On the 21st, the International Day of Peace, Peace was celebrated by Dutch Youth. During the “Night of Peace” youth from all parts of society came together to participate in debates, workshops, a network lounge, and many other festivities. To open the event, former Prime-Minister and Earth Charter Commissioner Ruud Lubbers presented the launch of the Dutch version of the Brazilian Earth Charter television spot.
On the 22nd, the Dutch premiere of “The Age of Stupid” took place in the Amsterdam Tuschinsky theatre. This enormously ambitious drama-documentary-animation hybrid stars Oscar-nominated Pete Postlethwaite as an old man living in the devastated world of 2055, watching “archive” footage from 2008 and asking: why didn’t we stop climate change while we had the chance?
Immediately after the film, the Dutch Earth Charter video was shown on big screen as well. Closing words by Earth Charter Commissioner Awraham Soetendorp inspired the whole audience.
On the 27th, the festival Seeds of Change is the closing event of the Week of Peace. The theme of the second edition of this annual festival is “Towards a new climate of peace”. With various cultural activities, this event raises attention for all four principles of the Earth Charter.
Two short films featuring Earth Charter Commissioners and Worldconnectors Ruud Lubbers and Awraham Soetendorp were made during the “Nacht van de Vrede” (Night of Peace) and the premiere of The Age of Stupid. Both have English subtitles and can be watched on the Worldconnectors website.
More information about all the events can be found on the following websites:
www.ageofstupid.net
www.worldconnectors.nl
www.nachtvandevrede.nl (in Dutch)
www.seedsofchangefestival.nl (in Dutch)
www.earthcharter.nl