The dream and the Karoo
It began with a dream that felt almost too big to touch. A vision of young South Africans gathered on the vast plains of the Karoo, a massive, desert-like expanse in the heart of South Africa. Future leaders from every corner of society, transcending the boundaries of color and background to truly see one another. That was the ambition behind The Initiative. I’ve written before about how this plan first came to be. And there we were, in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by mo
May 122 min read
Virus
I’ve bumped into a virus again. The last time this happened, I could blame myself. I had been careless, ignored my own rules, and ventured unprotected into danger zones. This time, it came out of thin air. Literally. It’s always difficult to pinpoint exactly where it happens, as the incubation period is usually about four days. So, I have to look back in my calendar to find that one dangerous moment. This time, I was just in Cape Town, and the weather was beautiful, warm, and
Apr 303 min read
On the road
The sun sinks behind the horizon of the West Coast, the sky still glowing in layers of deep orange and dark blue. I am driving along the R27, the road that leads me back from Langebaan to the city. Directly ahead, in the first true darkness, the familiar guides emerge: the Southern Cross and the Centaurus. Stars that point the way south. And then, in the distance, I see the contours emerge that always make my heart beat faster. The contours of Table Mountain. A massive, dark
Apr 273 min read
My African GP
When I first set off for South Africa, it was with the begrudging permission of the Academic Medical Center Amsterdam, "my" hospital. They sent me off with a small package of emergency pills. Just in case… Because Africa is far away, dark, and scary. It is the land of traditional healers, herbalists, and dangerous diseases. "Stay away from there" was the underlying message. But I had been to Cape Town many times before and loved the crisp skies and the blue sea. To me, it fel
Mar 304 min read
A Dog's Life
I have always had dogs in my life. It began when I was eight years old with my dachshund, Winky, and ended a few years ago when mother Bonnie and daughter Bubbels moved on to the eternal pooping fields. In between lie many precious memories of dear four-legged housemates. The void left after the Labradors passed away was vast. Especially Bubbels—who was a "special" little dog and struggled to truly bond—had managed to do just that in the end. We miss her terribly. Here in Cap
Mar 294 min read
The Initiative
The Mountain and the Dream: The Birth of The Initiative About five years ago, I had a dream. One of those crystal-clear dreams that lingers in your memory for days. In that dream, I was the instigator of an ‘academy’ situated on a mountain - a school for the next generation of earthlings. It was an inspiring environment where young people from all over the world met and, like a rolling snowball, jointly developed a platform for ethics and leadership. An incubator for positive
Mar 114 min read
Quarterly Report
On my previous blog, I used to publish so-called "quarterly reports": short summaries of what has been happening in my life lately. Although this new blog isn’t strictly intended to document my daily routines, I often get asked "how things are going." So, I’ve decided to revive the tradition. To do this properly, I need to look back a bit further than just three months. Let’s start with Italy. As you might have seen in the interview with Ivo Niehe , we are working on a beauti
Mar 46 min read
