Europe's [not so] Secret Vice: Part 1

Introduction

I'm standing in the ridiculously long line to enter Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican as I write these first words. It's hard to believe that a continent with beauty such as this can also house the ugly reality of sexual exploitation within its borders. Millions of tourists pass through cities like Amsterdam, Vienna, and Rome every year, and the majority are entirely unaware of the crimes committed in their midst. Even in a city like Amsterdam, known for its red light district, residents and tourists alike believe that the regulations in place protect prostitutes from the kind of violence I am studying. I have found, though, that this problem is no secret. It may be hidden from those who come to Europe to see the sites, but one does not have to step far off the tourist's typical path to find a multitude of exploitative examples.

You merely must ask the right questions.

A Story of Hope: Jewelry for Moldova

Aren't they lovely? These are some of the bracelets I had the opportunity to help make last week in Amsterdam. One of the girls who hosted me, Mariska, invited me to a jewelry party with her friends. She explained that the bracelets would be sold to help fund the education of a girl who was rescued in Moldova from a very vulnerable situation. Of course I was immediately interested because of my fellowship, but I also have always loved making jewelry. This was a really exciting opportunity for me to do something to help and meet some wonderful people!

A Story of Hope: Corrie ten Boom

The ten Boom home and shop

Most of the stories of hope that I will feature here will be modern ones. Today, though, I want to share one that is decades old, but no less inspiring.

About twenty minutes west of Amsterdam is a city called Haarlem. There lived a family called the ten Booms, and they owned a very successful watch and jewelry shop. The shop is still existence, as you can see, but the home above and behind the shop has been transformed into a museum in order to honor the sacrifices of the ten Boom family - particularly Corrie, during World War II.

I had the opportunity to travel to Haarlem and see the home in person. Though I already knew the story, seeing the home in the context of my fellowship was extremely impactful. I highly recommend visiting this museum if you are ever in the Netherlands (it is free!), but in the meantime, here is Corrie ten Boom's inspiring story of hope:

Organization Spotlight: CKM

Image courtesy of CKM

This past Monday, I had the privilege of visiting with Annemarie Heeringa, who works as a legal project manager for CKM. In English, the organization's name means "Center for Child Trafficking and Human Trafficking." This organization is a non-profit that was born out of a government-funded organization called Fier. Their parent organization, Fier, helps victims of all types of violence in dependency relationships, but CKM specifically assists minor and adult victims of sexual violence and exploitation. Fier has many shelters around the Netherlands, two of which house victims receiving services from CKM. This center has only been in operation for a few years, but Fier has been around for decades.

 

A Reflection on My First Week Abroad

It's hard to believe it's been a week, and I mean hard to believe in that strange, paradoxical way where it feels like an eternity and a split second simultaneously. So far I've had some incredible conversations with people that are doing very important work here in The Netherlands. I will be featuring their work in posts very soon to come.

In the meantime, though, here are four of my fairly unorganized, off-the-cuff reflections on the time so far:

1. You never really outgrow culture shock.

I thought that, with the amount of time I've spent overseas, I wouldn't experience culture shock any more. That's not at all true. Now, I do know how to recognize the signs of culture shock more accurately and respond to them more quickly. This does not, however, mean that I don't experience them. Culture shock is really just an increase in stress due to the drastically different environment you experience when moving to or visiting another country. However, this is often combined with jet lag, distance from loved ones, and high activity levels, which may make the symptoms even more severe. Because of my rescheduled appointments the first week here, though, I was forced to take care of myself. That was serendipitous when I realized that I was experiencing some symptoms of culture shock.

Holland? The Netherlands? Dutch?

Ever wonder why sometimes people use "Holland" and "The Netherlands" interchangeably? This video explains the confusing names perfectly. Happy Sunday!

Learning how this fellowship works...

All of my life I've been a student, and to be honest, I have gotten pretty good at it. I usually know how much time it will take to finish a paper, study for a test, or complete my reading. Until beginning this adventure, I didn't realize how comfortable I had grown in this role.

Now all of that has changed. Though I am still associated with an educational institution and my job is to learn, this is nothing like being a traditional student. Even my first few days have been humbling as I have realized that the next nine months are not at all going to be what I expected.

There are no assigned readings. There is no syllabus. There aren't even office hours to ask questions when I'm confused about a topic!

Instead, I must create the opportunities to learn. Not only that, but I have to do so in a new culture where they speak a different language. The Michael B. Keegan Traveling Fellowship is intended to grow an individual as a global leader, by allowing them to travel abroad, studying a topic of their choice. What is meant by "studying," though, is not reading books, but by meeting people and asking the right questions.

Country Overview: The Netherlands

It's so nice to finally have time to sit down and write a post about my time in the Netherlands! My first two meetings this week were rescheduled, unfortunately, so nothing much to report in that area. However, I have stayed extremely busy fighting jet lag and exploring the amazing city of Amsterdam.

During my 18-day stay in the Netherlands, I am living primarily in Amsterdam, but many of the organizations I will be visiting are spread out in different cities in this small country. Here's the overview of the country based on my research and first impressions.