Project
Pioneers!
Bringing together innovative thinkers at the frontiers of active citizenship in Amsterdam and New York.
The Pioneers Sessions will celebrate the common values of creativity, diversity and entrepreneurship in Amsterdam and New York City and the two cities' shared history of urban greatness that began 400 years ago with the journey of the Dutch ship "Halve Maen," commanded by Captain Henry Hudson across the Atlantic in 1609.
The sessions will bring together a group of selected Pioneers-today's cutting edge thinkers and entrepreneurs in diverse professional fields-for a transatlantic dialogue into the frontiers of civic engagement and social entrepreneurship in Amsterdam and New York City. Participants will be young professionals drawn from a broad range of fields including academia, the arts, business, health, education, government, grassroots activism, media and technology. Pioneers will gain knowledge and inspiration from exploring how innovative thinkers from different cities and disciplines are meeting the challenges of urban, social and civic engagement.
The Pioneers will participate in two meetings with recognized experts in Amsterdam (April 1-3, 2009) and New York City (November 19-20, 2009). The sessions will explore several key questions, rooted in the unique histories of both cities.
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What are the specific qualities of urban life in Amsterdam and New York City that create the conditions in which today's Pioneers thrive?
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How do aspects of history, politics, social traditions, cultural heritage, diversity and demography in Amsterdam and New York City provide both the tensions and inspirations for civic engagement in multicultural cities?
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In which ways do global forces-technological change, economic recession, migration patterns, religious expression, and increasing diversity-present challenges and opportunities that today's Pioneers can act upon at the local level?
The Pioneers Sessions will be a mix of workshops, seminars, site visits and informal, off-the-record conversation. Following each conference, there will be a public celebration in both cities to engage a wider and diverse audience of all ages in thinking about the frontiers of active citizenship.
Beyond the sessions in Amsterdam and New York City, Pioneers will continue their dialogue through a virtual network and participate in drafting a manifesto, a vision statement for their two cities, based upon insights drawn from their experiences during the sessions. This approach will guarantee a wider and sustained impact of the meetings beyond the individual participants.
Information: www.pioneers.nu
Pioneers is an initiative of the Felix Meritis Foundation in Amsterdam and Humanity in Action in New York City and is part of the NY400.NL celebrations. Pioneers is financially supported by the Directorate for Citizenship & Integration of the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment of The Netherlands; the Ministry for Youth and Families of The Netherlands; as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Netherlands.
