As everybody already knows, this year’s Spring Agora is taking place in the Dutch city of Enschede. For you The AEGEEan interviewed the Mayor of the city Mr. Peter den Oudsten. Here are some brief information he shared with us:
The AEGEEan: What was your first reaction when you were told about a student event that could bring more than a thousand students from all over Europe to Enschede?
Peter den Oudsten: Great! We have more than 22.000 students in our city. We are used to a lot of youngsters who give our city its lively character.
The AEGEEan: What positive effects do you think the Agora will bring to your city? And to your country?
Peter den Oudsten: Enschede is an international city with more than 160 nationalities within the population. I hope that sustainability and solidarity will be the key for mutual understanding of all the participants of the Spring Agora Enschede.
The AEGEEan: On the other hand, what will the students who attend this Agora benefit from?
Peter den Oudsten: Enschede is a lovely city, especially during springtime. All the visitors can enjoy its beautiful surroundings. The students can also enjoy the activities on the campus.
The AEGEEan: One of the issues that will be treated at the Agora is youth unemployment. Statistics like Eurostat state that the Netherlands is the country with almost the lowest youth unemployment rate in Europe. Could you give an example of successful policies where your city hall was involved?
Peter den Oudsten: We help youngsters who have no job with courses. You go to school or you find a job.
The AEGEEan: A cultural aspect your country is very proud of is tolerance towards other nationalities, ethnicities, sexual minorities and religions, and that is also one of the focus areas of AEGEE. What do you think about this issue? If possible give an example of what the city has achieved in the past.
Peter den Oudsten: The situation with the Jewish people in Enschede during World War II is what we call the Twente paradox. Because Jewish inhabitants suffered during the beginning of the war, the inhabitants of Enschede experienced the true character of the German army. So people took measures. A lot of people helped to hide Jewish people. This is an example of what we call in the local language “Noaberschap”. People in Enschede try to become real neighbours; people who look at each other.
The AEGEEan: Changing the topic, for many of the students it will be their first time in the Netherlands. What do you recommend to foreigners? And what do you like the most about your city and its residents?
Peter den Oudsten: Enjoy the inner city, de “Oude Markt” with its cafés and theatres. But also go by bike and see the beautiful landscape.
The AEGEEan: Something that will delight many students is your local beer “Grolsch”. Do you think it’s better than the omnipresent Heineken? And your citizens, what do they think?
Peter den Oudsten: There is only one answer: Grolsch is the best! A true “tukker” (an inhabitant of the Twente region) drinks local beer. Every season another flavour: “Lente Bok of Herfst Bok”.
The AEGEEan: Finally, would you like to add a final thought?
Peter den Oudsten: I hope that the international students see Europe as their homeland. The integration of European countries is necessary for mutual understanding and peace for now and the future. There are problems now with the Euro, but there is only one future: being a European.
Thank you very much for your time Mr. Peter den Oudsten, and I hope that although the Agora is short, we will get the feeling of “’Noaberschap”, and of course feel the pride of being Europeans.
Written by Álvaro Morán, AEGEE-Bilbao
Picture provided by Mr. Peter Den Oudsten