Celebrating Flanders Day in New York City

Last evening, June 20, we had the pleasure to celebrate Flanders Day with the General Delegation of the Government of Flanders in the USA with an after-work cruise around New York City. We were thrilled to spend time with our friends and partners from the Flanders House and to learn more about Flemish culture. We were delighted to reconnect with Nicolas Polet, Hilde Platinck and Laurence de Wolf, who made the collaboration between Flanders House and the Roma Peoples Project both fruitful and exciting. Their warmth, openness to other cultures and engagement in producing good quality cultural events is inspiring to us.

Luckily, the rain that took over New York in the past weeks stopped just as the ship, the Royal Princess, set sail. As the boat sailed past panoramic views of New York, the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge, it was a good time to reflect on the multitude of cultures in New York and the many ways in which we can cooperate and respect each other. Seeing the Statue of Liberty in the solemn sunset light—on what happened to also be World Refugee Day—was a good reminder of the values we stand for and the work that is ahead of us.

We at the Roma Peoples Project believe that the Flanders House in New York is an example of diplomacy at its best, and we encourage our community to learn more about the Flanders House and attend their public events and initiatives in New York and the United States.