What’s new at Stichting VIA?
This article has been written by volunteers at VIA (Vrijwillige Internationale Aktie), the Dutch branch of SCI. VIA promotes peace, intercultural understanding, solidarity, social justice, sustainable development and respect for the environment.
What have we been up to this September?
Artivism, Resistance Through Expression from Youth Act Netherlands – Olga Nefedova
At “Artivism” on September 13th, Olga opened her canvas with No Borders, Just Fabric, an interactive space to stitch, create, and collectively imagine a more just world.
“We explored collaborative art as an act of building resilience. Particularly, we looked at textile art and how collaborative art-creation unites us in times of revelling disputes and instability. Together we stitched “the borders” of an artwork, while reflecting on the world’s recent events and how it affects us as a community. The canvas of the artwork met participants with questions about connection and what does a world without borders mean to them. And people opened up to the canvas with stitches, drawings and words of solidarity. United in slow making, we found our connecting threads and how they interweave in our resilience.”
– Olga Nevefedova
Monthly VIA Community Meet- Up
On September 20th, the VIA community met up in Amsterdam, bringing together volunteers from across The Netherlands and even all the way from Brussels! The event was a welcoming space where we got to share some amazing past events and lessons from those events, and upcoming events.
Reflections from our newest intern – Tayyibah Budullah
Only three weeks have passed since my first day as an Intern, but VIA already feels like home. Being based in Amsterdam, this internship is part of my third-year course at the Vrije University for my bachelor’s in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE). I have only just begun my journey in my five-month internship at VIA and already I feel as though I am discovering a new world within Amsterdam and The Netherlands. As part my internship, I am involved within the internal affairs of VIA and have also been participating in external events from organisations with similar values as VIA.
Within VIA, I help with upcoming events, and I have been learning about the amount of work and efforts going into every detail of an event, and the endearing and inspiring dedication of our volunteers. Most recently, I got to work on The International Week of Peace Campaign on our socials, which was a great experience. Additionally, I have been planning my first community event, an Open Dialogue on Climate Change, and with the efforts of our amazing team it looks like it is shaping up to be an amazing event. Thus far in my internship, the sense of community has been unmatched. I mostly work remotely but members of the VIA team have made sure to make me feel welcome. From weekly meetings with my lovely mentor Diana Chavez, to several zoom meetings with our current community officer Carina Herlo, and continuous support online and offline from all the volunteers in VIA whenever needed.
Outside of VIA, I have attended several external events from different incredible organisations. For the past three weeks, I got to participate in Feministas en Holanda’s Study Sessions on “The Palestinian Cause is a Feminist Cause”, and “Organising for Revolution”, both which have been incredibly eye opening and though-provoking. Earlier this month on September 10th, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung: Feminism & Gender Democracy had an online seminar “Reclaiming Tech: Countering Digital Violence Against Women Environmental Defenders in the Global South”, which introduced me to new sides of technology and its effects in our society. I also got the chance to attend SCI Peace Activism Campaign’s first training session on non-violence, which was enlightening, in line to my tasks relating to International Peace Day. On Sunday 21st September, I got the unique opportunity to visit the ICC during the Just Peace Day in The Hague and attend the outstanding Cultural Exchange Event from Tabaria Café in The Hague, which raised funds for various countries through food stalls and more!
The most incredible part of my experience so far is that I am rediscovering Amsterdam and The Netherlands. I am finding new spaces and environments to learn, developing a deeper understanding of activism and volunteerism and meeting amazing people, and all through the lens of VIA and with the support of an amazing team to guide me.
Look out for VIA’s upcoming events!
These past months, our volunteers have been hard at work bringing amazing events to life. For more information, make sure to check our Instagram page: @scinetherlands!
VIA will be hosting a variety of activities in the coming months, mostly for volunteers based in the Netherlands. Highlights include an online session, Talks Against War DRC, on 18 October at 13:00 – 15:00 CEST, which is open to everyone. You can register here.
Interested in VIA’s work? Read more about our past events in our 2025 Newsletter!
VIA has accomplished significant amount this past year, from community meetups and international exchanges to advocacy workshops and solidarity actions. We highlight the moments, initiatives and achievements that have shaped our work so far in our 2025 Newsletter.
Website: www.stichtingvia.nl
Instagram: @scinetherlands
Contact: info@stichtingvia.nl
