September 28, 2023
On September 28, HLE Network's chair of the board attended the "Drongo Partner meeting" at het Huis van Europa in The Hague in celebration of the European Day of Languages, with guest speaker from the European Commission. HLE Network was invited to participate because we are actively involved in the Drongo platform.
What is Drongo?
Drongo is an online platform that raises awareness about multilingualism in the Netherlands. The platform shares news and information about education, parenting, healthcare, economics, and culture. Their website also has an agenda featuring events that have to do with multilingualism. Drongo further organizes online and offline events that spark dialogue and debate. HLE Network has had a partner page on the Drongo platform since 2022.
The first Partner Meeting
The first "Partner Meeting" of Drongo took place on September 28 at het Huis van Europa in The Hague. More than 40 people attended, from organizations in the fields of compulsory education, healthcare, and language education -- including our board chair, Diana Angelova.
The program included Drongo director Maaike Verrips and Emma Hartkamp of the European Commission sharing some words about the importance of collaboration to promote multilingualism. The keynote speaker was Anna Solé Mena, from the European Commission's Directorate General for Education and Culture, who pointed out that in Europe, students are being offered foreign language education earlier and earlier - except in the Netherlands. She also reported that there are currently not equal opportunities for foreign language education. The program also included special guests from the Gelijke Kansen Alliantie at the Ministry of OCW and the professional association BVNT2, as well as healthcare activists who aim to arrange more interpreters within healthcare.
Remembering HL education
We were able to ensure that heritage language education is not forgotten in the discussion of multilingualism. Diana was sure to share one of our tote bags with the slogan "Laat alle talen stralen" with Ms. Solé Mena at the event, containing informational leaflets about the efforts of HLE Network.
Expanding our network
Congratulations to the team at Drongo for this successful event, and many thanks for the invitation to participate. We are fortunate to be able to expand our network at events like these, and we look forward to continued collaboration with Drongo.
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