The national commemoration of Remembrance Day in the Netherlands takes place on 4 May, at 8pm. At that moment, two minutes of silence are observed throughout the country to commemorate Dutch victims of war. During this special edition of Hague Talks we commemorate war victims worldwide. Dancer Michaela DePrince from Sierra Leone, Artist Samer al-Kadri from Syria and Grant Dawson from the OPCW will tell us how they are committed to a safer and more just world. And what you can do yourself for victims of war. At 20:00 we will observe two minute silence together.

About the speakers

• Kenneth E. Miller, Ph.D., is a psychologist, researcher, and writer who has worked with war-affected communities since 1991. He currently works at War Child Holland where he develops and evaluates mental health interventions, with a special focus on Syrian refugees. His most recent book is War Torn: Stories of Courage, Love, and Resilience.
• Syrian artist and publisher Samer al-Kadri believes in the power of a good book. He fled from Damascus to Istanbul. There he set up PAGES, the first Arabic bookshop in Istanbul; a community place where young Arabs in exile can not only buy, borrow, or read all kinds of books in their own language, but also where they can meet each other, discuss ideas and escape the isolation of refugee life. Samer currently lives in the Netherlands. In cooperation with the Prince Claus Fund and the Amsterdam Fund for the Art he will set up a new branch of Pages that opens in Amsterdam on 12^th June, 2017.
• Grant Dawson currently works as the Principal Legal Officer of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Previously, he has served as a Legal Officer of the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and an Assistant Attorney General. He has published a number of scholarly works, lectured on international law, is a member of the bars of New York and Washington, DC, and earned a Juris Doctor Degree from Georgetown University Law Centre and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Classics at Columbia College in New York City.

Want do something already?
Then sign the petition of War Child and call on the new Dutch government to include psychosocial support for children as a permanent component in international emergency relief.

Join the conversation and stay up to date via our Facebook event.