Humanity House to open in The Hague

The Hague Municipal Executive (college van burgemeester en wethouders) has approved a plan for the Humanity House to open at Prinsegracht 8 in The Hague. The building is expected to open to the public in the autumn of 2010.

The Municipality of The Hague made the building on the Prinsegracht available to the Netherlands Red Cross as an information centre for expositions and debates on humanitarian issues. The information centre, called the Humanity House, will be intended for a broad audience and expects some 50,000 visitors annually.

The Netherlands Red Cross aims to make the Humanity House a spot where people can come together for discourse, discussion and information.

The Municipality of The Hague and the Netherlands Red Cross worked closely together to set up the Humanity House. A European subsidy of € 2 million was made available to the project through the ‘Kansen voor West’ programme.

Topical

Deputy Mayor Bert van Alphen (Public Health, Welfare and Emancipation) is pleased with the official decision. ‘The displacement of refugees is always topical. Even if it seems that the problems of people fleeing their country are far removed, it affects all of us. The Humanity House fits in well with The Hague’s image as City of Peace and Justice.’

The centre will look at the dilemmas faced by people in these situations and what it means to them personally. Visitors will get the personal story of the people, both in the Netherlands and abroad, who are affected by disasters, conflicts or isolation. Aid issues will be presented in an accessible and approachable way.

Human story

The Humanity House will serve visitors who are curious about the human story behind the daily newspaper headlines. The Prinsegracht building will house the Humanity House for a five-year period after which a decision will be taken on whether to extend the project.