RfD | October: Mental Health, Climate Anxiety, and Climate Litigation 🌎
Welcome to the first Room for Discussion newsletter of the academic year! A big welcome to our new subscribers, and a warm Welcome back to our returning readers. We're excited to kick off the year with a bang, and we have plenty of engaging events and discussions in store for you. In this newsletter, we'll provide a glimpse of what's on the horizon for October, and we'll also recap the exciting events we hosted in September to give you a taste of what Room for Discussion is all about.
P.S. If you're interested in becoming a part of the RfD team, applications are now open ;)
Future Interviews
What’s coming up in October?
Voorzitter of the GGZ: Ruth Peetoom -- 10th of October, 13:00-14:00, E-Hall, Roeterseiland (English)
97% of Dutch students experience stress, out of which 50% have psychological complaints, such as feelings of anxiety and sadness. In recent years these numbers have been on the rise, which is one of the topics we will be discussing with Ruth Peetoom, chair of the Dutch GGZ, the representative body of mental healthcare providers. Before that, she was chair of the CDA, the Christian-Democrat party, and a preacher in her earlier years.
What is her take on being mentally healthy, why are the waitlists so long, and are we only going to be talking to AI-psychologists in a few years? How has COVID impacted mental health, and why is everyone suddenly doing drugs? We’ll talk about all this and more on World Mental Health Day, the 10th of October, from 13:00 - 14:00 with Ruth Peetoom, chair of the Dutch GGZ 🗓️.
Director of Milieudefensie: Donald Pols -- 11th of October, 13:00-14:00, E-Hall, Roeterseiland (English)
What do you think of global governance’s failure to comply with the Paris Climate Agreement? What do you think of the court decision that ordered Shell to reduce all emissions by 45% by 2030? And if we live in a world where the Dutch government spends €37.5 billion on fossil subsidies on a yearly basis, does this mean that we need more Climate Activism? And if so, in which way?
On October 11th, from 13:00-14:00, Room for Discussion will interview Donald Pols, the director of Milieudefensie. Notorious for their court case against Shell, their research on fossil subsidies and their efforts to “hijack” the shareholder meetings of large multinationals, Milieudefensie has been leading the forefront of climate activism. Join this conversation in which we discuss a roadmap for Climate action and activism.
Room for Discussion is HIRING
The fall application round is officially open for room for discussion, and the deadline is October 3rd. We are looking for both interviewers and a marketing officer.
Do you want to interview world-leading CEOs, Journalists, Diplomats or Politicians? Or help with marketing promotions, including crafting creative posts and updating social media feeds to grow our audience? Then become part of Room for Discussion!
You are still unsure? Check our Instagram, Facebook, or Website for additional information and questions!
Past Interviews: What happened in September?
Kees van Rij -- 27th of September, 13:00-14:00, E-Hall, Roeterseiland (English)
Interviewers: Elias Marseille & Nayantara Ranganatha
Room for Discussion was pleased to have Mr. Kees van Rij join us on our stage for the first interview of the year. As former special advisor to EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solano, Mr. Van Rij shared stories of his encounters with Putin behind the negotiating table, and explained how the roots of the current war were already visible when discussing the EU’s Neighbourhood Policy in the early 2000s. Having served as Dutch ambassador to Greece for the first four years of the 2008 financial crisis and representing the Netherlands in Spain, Turkey, and Brazil in the years after, Mr. Van Rij was able to provide unique insights into the realities of diplomacy in fragile contexts.
We were happy to count with a large and engaged audience. Many stayed behind after the interview and had the opportunity to speak to Mr. Van Rij personally.
Rahul Gandhi -- 10th of September, 11:00-13:00, Wijnhaven at Leiden University, The Hague (English)
Room for Discussion co-hosted a two-hour panel discussion and Q&A with Indian opposition leader and Member of Parliament, Rahul Gandhi. The event took place on a Sunday morning at The Hague campus of Leiden University. Rahul Gandhi shared the stage with Mr. Sam Pitroda, a leading figure in the Indian telecommunication and technology revolution. Mr. Gandhi and Mr. Pitroda first spoke of India’s role in a changing world. Mr. Rahul Gandhi then took audience questions, ranging from the state of Indian democracy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Bharat Jodo Yatra, his stance on Caste politics, and the situation in Kashmir.
The event counted with 530 attendees. Rahul Gandhi decided to add The Hague to prior plans to tour Brussels, Paris and Oslo. Room for Discussion was glad to help make his visit happen.
Quotes of the month
“If you push someone into a corner and you win, next time you will have an enemy.”
- Kees van Rij on how pressuring in diplomacy works
“When you have to deal with regimes which are very complicated, you need to always find an exit.”
- Kees van Rij on negotiating with authoritarian regimes
That is all for this month! Stay tuned for our upcoming line-up as we celebrate Room for Discussion's 15th birthday, a milestone that we can't wait to share with you. In the meantime, we wish you a great month ahead. We look forward to seeing you all at our next interview!
All the best, Room for Discussion Team