In Germany, he’s known as Otto Normalverbraucher; in America, Joe Sixpack. We had Jan Modaal in our own country, and a certain image associated with him. But the familiar Jan Modaal no longer exists; he has fragmented, scattered, searching …

The armed forces demand discipline, selflessness, and loyalty to the Netherlands from their personnel. A nation increasingly populated by people of diverse backgrounds, it is also a country where questions of identity – of belonging and sac…

An increasing number of successful, well-integrated Turkish-Dutch individuals are choosing to leave the Netherlands. Within the middle class, the notion that Turkey offers a more promising social and economic future is gaining traction. How…

The inherent challenge of democracy lies in its potential for self-destruction through the will of the majority. Theoretically, a democracy could also institute the sharia law. This makes Turkey a compelling case study for political comment…

Hoogvliet, a satellite town just outside Rotterdam, doesn't immediately present itself as remarkable; it’s one of countless such places in the Netherlands. Constructed in the 1960s as a dormitory for Shell workers and port employees, Hoogvl…

Nearly half of all deaths in the Netherlands occur following a medical decision. Nowhere else in the world are the dilemmas surrounding death discussed so openly. Yet, this openness does not diminish the weight of these questions. *Tegenlic…

Adolescents have always possessed a world of their own, believing themselves to be the experts and desiring little interference. This is hardly a novel observation. Yet, a significant distinction separates today's youth from those who came …

Since Princess Máxima's speech at the presentation of the WRR report "Identification with the Netherlands," the topic of identity has exploded in the media. Some are even venturing to use the term 'global citizen.' Yet, the ensuing heated d…

A distinctive two-part portrait of a company consumed by brazen greed and moral decay. The collapse of the American energy giant Enron in December 2001 sent tremors through the global economy, evolving into one of history’s most significant…

A distinctive two-part portrait of a company consumed by brazen greed and moral decay. The collapse of the American energy giant Enron in December 2001 sent tremors through the global economy, evolving into one of history's most significant…

A revolution in the Netherlands was sparked by the Tegenlicht program "Afval is Voedsel," broadcast in October 2006. In it, chemist Michael Braungart and architect William McDonough demonstrate that prosperity for people and the planet, and…

The less flattering terms for hedge funds – scalpers, locusts, drainers, wreckers, strippers – circulated widely at the close of summer. This followed the acquisition of another leading Dutch institution, ABN-Amro, by a prominent hedge fund…

The initial four episodes of the *Tegenlicht* series on New Entrepreneurship explored seemingly negative trends, including acquisitiveness and venture capital, as well as other developments such as highly sustainable business practices.

What connects supermodel Gisele Bündchen and rapper Jay-Z with major investors like Jim Rogers, as well as political figures in Iran, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, and China? Doubts about the dollar and a preference for the euro. Why? A growing awar…

Each Sunday evening, millions of Arab men and women tune into the bold talk show *Kalaam Nawael*, literally "women's talk." The show’s four distinctive hosts discuss current affairs weekly, unafraid to tackle sensitive subjects. Issues such…

What does the future hold for our plates? Will it be crafted by hand or manufactured industrially? Will it be quick or deliberate? “I would simply eat what my great-grandmother would recognize as food,” states the influential American journ…

Garry Kasparov, a chess grandmaster who had conquered all available prizes, had for the past two years redirected his battle from the chessboard to the political arena. There, too, he aimed for the ultimate victory: the opposition leader in…

March 22, 2003. The advance toward Baghdad has been ongoing for three days. In the press center of U.S. Central Command in Doha, Qatar, the Coalition of the Willing appears alongside Commander-in-Chief General Tommy Franks on the podium for…

Baghdad: a city of peril. At Tariq Bin Ziad High School, four young men – friends and classmates – begin their final year. Amidst the backdrop of suicide bombings, roadside bombs, kidnappings, and power outages, they remain, first and forem…

The practice of war games has been employed by figures as far apart as Frederick the Great and Louis Napoleon, as well as more recent leaders like Dick Cheney and George W. Bush. The purpose is not amusement, but rather to refine strategy f…

Increasingly, those who search the internet – and who doesn't? – are directed to Wikipedia. This free online "encyclopedia of the people" has been the fastest riser on lists of most visited websites for the past two years. But do we truly u…

Amidst a rising tide of anti-Islamic sentiment in the Netherlands, young Muslims are grappling with fundamental questions about their lives. The founders of the Imam training program offer a path toward understanding. In the documentary *Te…

Last Thursday, Dick Berlijn relinquished command of the Dutch armed forces. Barely a day later, the Netherlands was shaken by the news that two Dutch soldiers had died in an attack in Afghanistan. One of them was the son of Berlijn's succes…

In the West, the concept of 'truth' is inextricably linked to the Enlightenment. As the final installment in a series of four episodes exploring truth, Tegenlicht confronts the foundations of Enlightenment thought. Dutch philosopher Rob Wij…

The documentary *Tegenlicht* offers a portrait of the lives shared by displaced, radical religious settlers and the original, secular socialist members of the kibbutz. It explores their shared past and differing hopes for the future within …

A poignant portrait of the family of Ibrahim Mouazzi, a seasoned Hezbollah fighter who perished in the summer of 2006 during the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. The Party of God expects his widow and children to find solace in his de…

The United States, Europe, and a significant portion of Western public opinion are firmly against engaging with terrorists. Yet, Alastair Crooke, who has dedicated decades to this approach, argues the opposite. Terrorist acts and military r…

On the Dutch television program *Tegenlicht*, Joris Luyendijk engages in conversation with Lebanese author Amin Maalouf about his homeland, Lebanon, and the right to belong to multiple cultures.