Rethinking Resolutions: Setting Intentions for a Meaningful New Year

Were you there too? Over 200 internationals joined Volunteer The Hague, ACCESS, The Hague International Center and Holland Park Media at the Hague Tech to find out all about who within the international community may vote for Dutch city council elections, for which parties and candidates and how. Twenty political parties are on the ballot on on March 18, 2026, eleven of which were present to answer questions from internationals who were still researching which council member they wanted to vote for. This English-language event is unique in The Hague for its scope and scale. Expertly moderated by journalist Tom Lash, the evening highlighted the strong interest of the international community in The Hague in shaping the future of our city. It was great to witness how courteous candidates were with one another and could clearly articulate their differences and common views on a wide variety of topics that affects The Hague residents. Sarah Feid from The Hague International Center gave a very informative overview of the requirements and processes for internationals to vote. Each party pitched their program and answered many questions from the international audience. By the end of the evening all the guests stated that they would vote and had a much clearer idea about which candidate they would choose. After the Q&A session, everyone went to the stands and could speak to party representatives at their stands. The evening concluded with some drinks and networking between visitors and between candidates and visitors. Event organisers Ali Parpaei from Holland Park Media and Deborah Valentine from ACCESS were pleased about the high attendance and visibly enthusiastic interactions between visitors and candidates. Feedback about the event from a political party 'It’s great to hear that many people appreciated the event. Connecting the international community with local politics is really valuable, so thank you for the work you are doing to make that happen. We thoroughly enjoyed the evening and especially appreciated the chance to speak with people both before and after the debate. It seemed like a very useful and engaging format from our perspective as well.' Partij voor de Dieren Den Haag Feedback about the event from an international who may vote during The Hague city council elections 'It really helped me narrow down who I wanted to vote for after listening to parties' views on women safety at night, about building enough housing for students and people on a low income and better understand the core values of their campaign programs. I spoke directly to several candidates and chatted with a couple internationals at the end. I went home better informed!' Sasha from the UK.

Stichting Wool for Warmth is organizing a multilingual book market this week! Stock up on books for a very moderate price, your money will help the homeless. When? from March 17 till 22, 2026. At what time? from 9.30 to 17.00 Where? Wilhelmina van Pruisenweg 55 in The Hague (1 minute's walk from Hollands Spoor train station) All profits will go directly to Stichting Wool for Warmth, a non-profit organization that transforms scrap wool into winter gifts for the homeless in the Netherlands. They collect wool and organize knitting groups that knit hats, scarves, blankets and socks for the homeless. Can't attend the book market but want to help out? You can Scan their flyer to make a donation Volunteer for Stichting Wool for Warmth. They regularly post volunteer vacancies on the Volunteer The Hague website.

Are you an international partner, spouse or recent graduate living in South Holland and looking for a job? Do you wish to prepare yourself for the Dutch job market? Join the career workshops from EURES organised together by Work in South Holland and the international centres of The Hague, Leiden and Rotterdam! During this multi-day programme with several workshops, EURES trainers will provide practical assistance to navigate the Dutch labour market. The workshops provide international job seekers with help for CV and cover letters, guidance on networking and job interviews and tips for job searching. EURES, the European Employment Services, is a network that helps jobseekers to find work in EU/EEA countries and Switzerland. In the Netherlands, UWV is the coordinating office for this organisation. The workshops Workshops will take place in April and May, on 13/04/2026, 20/04/2026, 04/05/2026 and 11/05/2026, from 9:30 until 12:00. The first workshop is located at The Hague Humanity Hub and the remaining workshops will be held at City Hall in The Hague. The workshops cover: Personal branding CV and cover letter Networking and LinkedIn Job interviews Participation The workshops are limited to a maximum of 10 participants. Participants must be able to attend all sessions. Eligibility Please note that Dutch nationals, Ukrainians, asylum seekers and status holders can report to their municipality for more extensive guidance. Orientation year permit holders having studied in the Netherlands, can still use the career services of their own university after graduation. You can apply for joining the career workshops if you meet the following criteria: You are a spouse with EU nationality or with a residence permit as partner of highly skilled migrants, researchers, entrepreneurs or EU citizens. You must be allowed to work in the Netherlands; You moved to the Netherlands as a recent graduate or researcher with an orientation year permit or with EU nationality; You live in the province of South Holland; You have lived in the Netherlands for at least 3 months; You have not worked in the Netherlands before; You understand English at least at B2 level. Contact For questions about the career workshops you can reach out to [email protected] This webinar is organised by EURES together with Work in South Holland and the three international centres in South Holland: The Hague International Centre, Leiden International Centre and Rotterdam International Center.