Dear reader, follower, MasterPeacer,
I am happy to write you this blog about the activities we organize in Maastricht for MasterPeace. Every two weeks either Maarten Derksen or me will write you a blog about the events we organize, and our thoughts about (Master)Peace.
With this post, I want to tell you more about MasterPeace043 and my personal involvement.
It was just before Christmas last year when Maarten Derksen and me, decided to bring together 9 enthusiastic students and take the initiative to sit together and brainstorm about peace. Just a few weeks before, I saw Ilco van der Linden (Creative Director MasterPeace) speak at a TEDx conference, and I realized that I could not step back from making use of the opportunities MasterPeace offers to make people get involved into peacebuilding and a new positive way of looking at things. I am convinced that my generation, will play a crucial role in changing the path that society is taking, from conflicts and intolerance, to co-creation and mutual respect. If I want to contribute to this change, I have to become part of it! I see it as an unique opportunity to work with motivated and positively-minded people and built links between interesting people and initiatives, that together will create understanding and eventually peace. It is not directly in our power to stop armed conflicts around the world of which, unfortunately, we have many examples. It is about creating the foundations for a better dialogue about peace, teaching young people in classrooms about what other people have to experience under hard conditions of war and destruction, working together on fun and new projects to create awareness…that is what we can do!
For me, peace movements are not about 60’s-like hippy-protests or hard negotiations between political forces of opposing powers, it is about what all of us can contribute, and if we all take a share, albeit a tiny share, in the great venture we call MasterPeace, we can say to everyone we created something together, no matter where we come from or what we do in our lives. I am more than willing to help building up this venture with all of you, I am looking forward to being a social entrepreneur!
Back to MasterPeace043: now, almost two months after my first ideas about MasterPeace, we know that the process of creating ideas about peace is called “Peacestorming”. Following this process has given birth to “MasterPeace043”, bundling several MasterPeace activities in Maastricht and surroundings. Personally, I was convinced that Maastricht is an ideal city to host MasterPeace events, as it is an international and diverse community (young/old, international, students, entrepreneurs), and historically valuable city.
What will we do in the upcoming months? MasterPeace043 will be action oriented! Meaning that we want to organize impactful events, that require significant action, and hence need involvement from people. In the first few weeks of March MasterPeace will be around Maastricht during the Ragweek activities beginning of March. The Ragweek Maastricht is a fundraising event for charity. Therefore, connecting to the Ragweek will be valuable as both of us underline the importance of supporting society in making a better future. During the Ragweek we will be able to do fundraising for MasterPeace as well. Later, we will organize our first event on May 5th in the city center of Maastricht. On national liberation day, we will organize Maastricht celebrates MasterPeace, with several cultural activities in the city. Next blog will tell you more about this.
To end this post, I would like to report to you that I have been at the MasterPeace Café last week in Amsterdam, where I met Ilco van der Linden and Mohamed Helmy (Managing Director) as well as many more very active MasterPeacers. As MasterPeace043, we saw very inspiring talks and connected to other great MasterPeace initiatives. This will definitely help us to create more impact for peace in Maastricht! Especially, the feeling of togetherness and unity was felt during the Café meeting, as there was a room full of inspiring people that want to be active in creating peace, together. But also, we see projects popping up in other parts of the world. Which is of enormous importance to MasterPeace as a global initiative. Building upon this global movement is what we want to achieve in Maastricht as well. Will you help us, become a volunteer or MasterPeacer, or will you set up your own project? Let’s get in touch via Facebook, Twitter or email (
info@masterpeace-043.nl). And, like I said in the beginning of this post, creating peace is not only happening at round tables or next to campfires, it is happening within the reach of everyone’s abilities. Take part, take responsibility!
I hope to meet you soon!
Karel van Eechoud