Arnhem, Netherlands: Europe and the Arabs

The Dutch municipality of Arnhem is organizing its annual Evening of Courage for the second year running. This open forum brings together people from all backgrounds, both from Arnhem and beyond, and features diverse artistic performances. The focus will be on the stories, ideas, and initiatives of the participants. According to the official Arnhem website, the Evening of Courage was initiated by Mayor Ahmed Markusch at the end of 2014 in response to the unrest that followed the Maccabi riots in Amsterdam. The main objective at the time was to revive the spirit of courage together, through open dialogue—even outside our own bubble—but above all, by seeing each other as human beings.

On December 12, Arnhem will build upon the energy generated by the same audience last year. Mayor Markusch, of Moroccan descent, explains: “The need for a new gathering is perfectly clear to me. We live in a time of mounting challenges and major threats. Now more than ever, we must stand together. This evening aims to celebrate our coexistence and show that unity is possible, even in a society full of differences. Because exaggerating these differences into toxic polarization undermines what makes us strong: our solidarity, our resilience, and our shared values. Through this evening, we want to show how we can continue to find each other, even amidst the turmoil in the world around us.”

Therefore, the evening will be shaped by the initiatives of the participants. Everyone, whether they live in Arnhem or not, is warmly invited to contribute initiatives on how to strengthen our solidarity and how we can live together better. How not to ignore our differences, but to embrace them. How to transform polarization into healthy debate, instead of allowing it to become toxic.

The official website quoted Marcos as saying: “Perhaps good courage is needed more this year than ever before. The tragedies and conflicts around the world are affecting so many, and feelings of sadness, anger, and helplessness are seeping into our neighborhoods and homes. But these very feelings can be a springboard for solidarity if we transform them into initiatives and inspiration. This is the power of good courage: to search together for ways that allow dignity, respect, and humanity to prevail. I hope that on December 12th, we will once again see how rich our community is when people connect with one another, and I am eager to see if we can inspire people to inspire each other again this year.”

Everyone can contribute to the Good Courage Evening by submitting their initiatives, whether it be a text, video, spoken word, poem, or any other creative expression. Nothing is too much to ask.

These proposals will form the basis of an "Ideas Group" on December 9th, bringing together all the initiatives to explore ways to strengthen one another. These proposals will be presented during the Good Courage Evening, and submissions are open until December 3rd.

Dutch journalist of Moroccan origin, Noureddine El Omrani, reports that the city of Arnhem, at the invitation of Mayor Ahmed Marcouch, will host an important gathering of its citizens next Friday, December 12th. The mayor called for this event, urging everyone to contribute to building common ground through discussion and the exchange of ideas and opinions. He described it as a night of courage, aimed at overcoming and dissolving differences in service of the common good, a necessary condition for a resilient society capable of facing challenges, especially in the current climate of escalating conflicts that have drawn their legitimacy from difficult times. El Omrani added that Ahmed Marcouch emphasized that everyone feels this storm as a result of global developments. He stated that the Netherlands cannot, under any circumstances, remain detached from the reality of international conflicts, a fact readily apparent in the streets and in increasingly heated debates. He called for restraint and an end to shouting, arguing that such behavior is detrimental to our societies. He stressed the importance of caring for one another, which can only be achieved through positive courage and a selfless sense of responsibility.

According to the mayor, thousands of citizens are working silently, performing humanitarian acts that sow seeds of hope, the fruits of which are reaped by the community, helping to alleviate tension in Dutch society.

Therefore, the mayor invites everyone in Arnhem to attend the "Night of Courage" and participate in this collective creative endeavor by contributing videos, poems, words, and ideas, each from their own perspective, to enrich the city through their presence.