FINDING WILLEM is a project that aims to make people in the Netherlands aware about the life of Willem Geertman, a Dutch volunteer in the Philippines, and the social values that he advocated. Every year, several young people from the Netherlands will be sponsored to go on an educational trip to the Philippines to visit areas where Willem worked, to see the projects that Willem had been involved in, and to meet people that Willem had helped. When they go back to the Netherlands, they are encouraged to organize activities where they can tell their stories and show images of their experiences in the Philippines. We hope to gather these stories and turn them into a graphic novel about Willem. We believe that this will strengthen the bond between the people of the Netherlands and the Philippines.

Willem Geertman, his advocacy was the inspiration behind the Linangan Foundation. One of the main projects of the foundation is the Willem Geertman Art and Culture Network, named in his honor.

But who was Willem Geertman?

Willem Geertman was a Dutch volunteer worker to the Philippines. He dedicated himself to serving the most exploited and oppressed Filipino people. He gave up the relative comfort and opportunities in the Netherlands, and chose to live with the poor. For nearly three decades, he worked tirelessly with workers, peasants and indigenous people in the province of Aurora and the Central Luzon region. He was also actively involved in relief and rehabilitation operations for victims of floods and typhoons in that area.

On July 3, 2012, Willem was murdered. The case remains unsolved. One of the assasins has been arrested, but the masterminds and others who were involved in the murder remain at large. Many believe that Willem was killed because of his support for the striking sugar cane workers of Hacienda Luisita (owned by the family of Philippine President Aquino), and the indigenous people’s struggle against big mining companies.

Willem was an outstanding model of a dedicated advocate of genuine development, environmental protection, social justice and liberation. He was a firm defender of the rights of the poor and the oppressed.

These are the same values that LINANGAN wants to nurture and cultivate.

Wie was Willem Geertman?

Willem Geertman was een Nederlandse vrijwilliger in de Filippijnen. Hij wijdde zich volkomen aan het dienen van de meest uitgebuite en onderdrukte Filippijnse mensen. Hij gaf zijn betrekkelijk geriefelijk leven en mogelijkheden in Nederland op en verkoos het leven onder de armen. Gedurende bijna dertig jaar werkte hij onvermoeibaar met arbeiders, boeren en inheemse volken in de provincie Aurora en de regio Centraal Luzon. Hij was ook actief betrokken bij de noodhulp en wederopbouw werkzaamheden voor slachtoffers van overstromingen en tyfoons in dat gebied.

Op 3 juli 2012, werd Willem vermoord. De zaak blijft nog onopgelost. De opdrachtgevers en de moordenaars lopen nog vrij rond. Velen geloven dat Willem werd vermoord vanwege zijn steun aan de stakende suikerrietarbeiders van Hacienda Luisita (eigendom van de Filippijnse president Noynoy Aquino) en aan de strijd van de inheemse volken tegen de grote mijnbouwbedrijven.

Willem was een uitstekend voorbeeld van een toegewijd voorvechter van werkelijke ontwikkeling, milieubescherming, sociale rechtvaardigheid en bevrijding. Hij was een sterke verdediger van de rechten van de armen en onderdrukten.

Deze waarden wil ook LINANGAN koesteren en cultiveren.

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