De perceptie van Nederland in de wereld

[Herman Beun]

REPLY TO: D66 at nic.surfnet.nl

Mark Giebels wrote:

> Nederland is de laatste jaren de tolerante voorbeeldfunctie
> in de wereld flink aan het verspelen....

<knip CNN/Reuters-artikel>

Soortgelijke artikelen vandaag bij de BBC en de Financial Times, en
steeds weer verbazing over de tegenspraak met "the Netherlands' tolerant
and liberal reputation" (FT).

Positieve berichten zoals het onderstaande, waarin Nederland samen met
Zweden, Finland en Denemarken wordt aangewezen als toekomstige
broedplaats voor innovatie en talent, lijken ook meer op die reputatie
gebaseerd dan op de ontwikkeling die Nederland sinds een paar jaar
doormaakt. "They attributed Nordic countries' pre-eminence to their
generally open immigration policies, liberal attitudes and wide use of
the English language." - dat gaat dus op twee van de drie punten alvast
niet meer op voor Nederland.

/Herman

============

Nordic nations have means to attract the most talented
By Anna Fifield in London
Published: February 17 2004 4:00 | Last Updated: February 17 2004 4:00
(Financial Times)

Nordic countries have the potential to attract the world's most talented
workers, giving them the competitive edge and eventually spurring
stronger growth, according to a report published today.

It suggests these countries are challenging the economic power of the US
and "old Europe", and could become "talent magnets" for innovative
immigrants deterred by the US's increasingly hardline entry policies.

"The key to competition in the future is who can attract creative people
on a global scale," said Professor Richard Florida of Carnegie Mellon
University in Pittsburgh, who conducted a similar study in the US.

By measuring the "creativity" of European Union countries, Prof Florida
and his colleague Irene Tinagli found Sweden was the most creative place
in Europe - scoring better than the US - followed by Finland, the
Netherlands and Denmark.

The report judges the countries on "the three Ts of economic growth" -
talent, technology and tolerance - that the authors say indicate a
country's creative potential and bear a strong correlation to economic
growth.

They attributed Nordic countries' pre-eminence to their generally open
immigration policies, liberal attitudes and wide use of the English
language.

The report is predicated on the idea that the ability to compete and
prosper in the global economy goes beyond trade and capital flows, and
increasingly turns on a nation's ability to attract, retain and develop
creative people.

A third of workers in the advanced industrial nations work in the
"creative sector" as defined by the International Labour Organisation
(arts, music, culture and design); in science, engineering and research;
or in the knowledge-based professions of healthcare, finance and law.
Although the US is the world leader in technology and its ability to
attract top talent, the authors said this cluster of northern European
nations appeared to have the technological capabilities, creative talent
and values associated with attracting outside creative talent.

The researchers said the US was squandering its advantage with "overly
aggressive" policies on security and immigration that discouraged
creative people.

But the report also suggests that the traditional European powers,
especially Germany and France, are losing ground to their northern
neighbours. Italy, Spain, Austria, Portugal and Greece scored lowest on
the creativity index.

>
> Groeten,
> Mark Giebels
>
> CNN - headline news today:
>
> Dutch: 26,000 asylum seekers to go
> Tuesday, February 17, 2004 Posted: 11:55 AM EST (1655 GMT)
>
> THE HAGUE, Netherlands (Reuters) -- The Dutch parliament
> approved plans
> Tuesday to expel up to 26,000 failed asylum seekers, a move that would
> be unprecedented in Europe and that has triggered large protests and
> threats of hunger strikes.
>
> The plans would force the failed applicants, many of whom
> have lived in
> the Netherlands for years, to leave over three years, while some 2,300
> others would be granted amnesty.
>
> Parliament rejected a series of motions Tuesday intended to soften the
> plans by the center-right government, which a spokesman for
> Immigration and Integration Minister Rita Verdonk said meant the
> policy had been approved.
>
> Long renowned for their tolerant and open society, the Dutch
> have become
> more hostile toward foreigners in recent years and voted in droves in
> May 2002 for the anti-immigration party of populist Pim Fortuyn just
> days after he was shot dead.
>
>
>
>
>
> **********
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