As I mentioned earlier, I have developed a deep love for international exchanges. I am fortunate to work for the Council of Bodegraven-Reeuwijk, which also values international knowledge sharing. The Council of Reeuwijk, one of the predecessors of my current council, participated in a study tour to the Czech Republic in 2007. In 2008, we organized a trip to France, for which I was responsible. During that visit, we visited the European Parliament and the International Court of Justice.

In 2011, Reeuwijk merged with Bodegraven to form our current council, and our commitment to looking beyond borders continued. In 2016, I organized our council trip to Belgium, where we conducted an exchange with the town of Schilde. That partnership was further strengthened when their council visited us, and from time to time we still see each other.

Also in 2016 and 2017, we engaged in exchanges with the Danish town of Ikast-Brande. They visited us in 2016, and we returned the visit the following year. During these exchanges, our council learned a great deal about modern environmental techniques and digital public services.

In 2019, we conducted our most recent international exchange, this time with the town of Waltham Abbey in the UK. Together with former Region XI Director Kathryn Richmond, we facilitated roundtable discussions and gained valuable insights by sharing our differences and commonalities.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily halted our exchanges, but we are already planning our next one to Belgium next year. There, we hope to gain new perspectives on citizen participation and further strengthen our international connections.