A Syrian young man honored by the Dutch king

The Syrian young man Yusif  Darwish started his speech with North Press saying, “the aim is to support the refugees to achieve their ambition and fulfil their aims through studying or working”.

Yusif , who was honored with his team by the Dutch King Willem Alexander and his wife Queen Maxima, emerged through volunteering activities of the civil society.

Yusif  Darwish is 21-year-old, from Aleppo, and he has been living in the Netherlands for four years, and speaks Dutch, English and Arabic fluently.

The young man is preparing to study aeronautics, and works with several civil organizations, including “uossm” and “Elan Art”, and met the latter in 2016, while he was at a refugee camp.

“Elan Art” is an organization that concerns with refugees issues, and works to strengthen relations, enhance communication, and achieve the optimal integration of refugees into their new society.

“The organization believes that the refugees in the camps have a strong human potentials, that could be benefited from within Dutch society in a perfect way,” Darwish cleared to North Press.

He worked with the organization as an interpreter, and then joined a theater team, then after receiving temporary residence, he joined the organization’s team to “follow up the young and the qualified people of the camps to meet their needs and to support them as much as possible.”

Dutch university students are participated in the activities with the organization, and some of the young from refugee camps visit Dutch universities, and participate in the activities there.

The Dutch royal family supports the non-profit civil society organizations, through an institution called “oranje fonds,” Yusif  Darwish pointed out.

 

The institution had organized a competition of hundreds of organizations, “Elan Art” won the third-place, as one of the best Dutch non-profit organizations, that support the community and refugees, and it was honored by the Dutch king and his wife a week ago.

Darwish described his happiness with his activities within the organization, and expressed his pride in the values of citizenship, respecting for freedoms, pluralism, diversity of cultures and peaceful coexistence.

It is worth to mention, that “Elan Art” organization was founded in the Netherlands in 2012, and it is currently administrated by Massoud Raha’i, an Iranian, had come to the Netherlands 27 years ago as a refugee, and he acquired Dutch citizenship with an executive director named Lena Franken, who is Dutch in origin and nationality.