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Jack & Jill Politics Heads To Europe: London And Amsterdam

Baratunde Thurston

So JJP co-founder Cherly Contee has already written extensively about her trip to London to cover the G20. Jack & Jill Politics was selected by G20Voice (founded by Oxfam) to bring diverse new media voices to this global meeting of economic powerhouses. You can follow all of Cheryl and JJP's coverage of the G20 by reading anything tagged "G20" on the blog.

Now for part two. At the same time that Cheryl is in London, I'll be in Amsterdam. My flight leaves tonight, and I'll return next Monday morning. I'll be traveling with 20 fellow New York City activists, artists and engaged citizens as part of a program called Pioneers. 

Pioneers

The trip has two basic goals:

  1. It is part of the Dutch government's celebration of the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's arrival in New York City
  2. Exchange ideas, techniques and inspiration for creating healthy, diverse cities. We'll go to Amsterdam now, and in November the Amsterdam contingent will come to NYC
According to the website: 

The Pioneers 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.

We'll be participating in workshops run by fellow Pioneers from NYC and Amsterdam, talks by people like Jeff Johnson ( BET), Andrew Rasiej ( techPresident), Naema Tahir ( activist and lawyer) and others. 

As many of yall know, the Dutch have a special challenge when it comes to integrating a homogenous 400-year old society. The exploitation of its colonies, "improvements" to the slave trade and rough importation of migrant labor have created massive amounts of tension between Muslim communities and the wider society. And I don't have to repeat America's own challenges for most of yall.

I'll be posting as much as possible to JJP and my Twitter account. You can see the full program at the Pioneers blog. I won't have a lot of free time, but if there's someplace or someone in Amsterdam you think I should hit up, let me know.

There's something truly amazing about both me and Cheryl (Jack and Jill) deploying to Europe at the same time. Black folk have a history of "global travel." We'll be there to learn and listen but also represent those who can't go with us.