Bert Mulder, Amsterdam / Bussum/The Hague, in Memoriam

Dear ECP friends, we have a very sad message for you all:
 
One of our most active and respected Members, Bert Mulder passed away in January 2020, after some five months fight against cancer. We, all colleagues of the European Cultural Parliament, wish to express our heartfelt condolences to his wife and family.
 
Bert Mulder was deeply essential to the work of the ECP. From our Genoa Session 2005 and through almost all subsequent sessions he was the indispensable Master Draftsman of our annual ECP Declarations. With his unique linguistic and psychological sensibility, he always quickly helped us find the right words, even in situations of political tension during the drafting sessions. His contributions were always praised and appreciated by all participants.
 
Many of us will also remember Bert´s broad, interdisciplinary thinking and his visionary contributions to our debates. A few years ago, for instance, he made an exciting debate introduction about “EUROPE AS A CULTURAL CATALYST”:
 
“What if”, he said… “What if Europe’s cultural paradigm could act as a catalyst for a new quality of reflection contributing to a creative diversity, sustainable development and a vital society? What would then be the role of artists, institutions, policymakers and politicians?”
 
This question, of course, comes very close to the very core of our ECP vision. Wouldn´t we all have loved to continue thisfascinating discussion with Bert Mulder?
 
Bert has been a key member of the ECP.
He was born in Zwalle, Netherlands, in 1952.
His main cultural areas were design, information technology and cultural strategy.
He was a member of the Advisory Board of Industrial Design at the University of Art and Design in Helsinki, Finland.
He was a board member of Stifo, a foundation for cultural programming, in the Netherlands.
He worked a lot with media, including TV and Radio.
He was the founder of the innovative De InformatieWerkPlaats
He was a very appreciated lecturer at the Highschool of the Hague.
 
We, the ECP Senators and Members will always keep Bert Mulder in
thankful memory for his friendship and valuable contributions to the ECP.
 
Pär Stenbäck / Karl-Erik Norrman