World Pavilion
Venlo Greenpark and Floriade 2012
Permanent Educational Event Centre for Development Cooperation
(vertaling Désirée Driessenaar)
Thanks to the World Horticultural Fair, a permanent educational event centre will be founded in the north of the Dutch province Limburg. After closure of the Floriade, the centre will stay open as a national institute to promote global education for children, youths and adults. In the pavilion many subjects, such as development cooperation, millennium goals, fair trade, durability, cradle-to-cradle, solidarity and horticulture, will be taught in an entertaining way.
The World Pavilion is a unique centre where children, youths and adults will participate in interactive workshops in a replicated village, city and countryside of a developing country. Children experience in a life-like setting how their peers live, work and relax in other parts of the world.
The creation of the World Pavilion is a very important expansion for the growing tourism in North-Limburg. Tourists can experience an educational journey around the world in North-Limburg.
Floriade 2012
The Floriade is a World Horticultural Fair, which is organized in The Netherlands every ten years. From April until October 2012 its location is in the region Venlo (North-Limburg). The Floriade gives a national and international outlook on horticultural movements. ‘Be part of the theatre in nature, get closer to the quality of life’ is the central theme of this event. The organization expects two million visitors from The Netherlands (30%), Germany (30%) and the rest of the world. The World Horticulture Fair will be located in Venlo GreenPark. The aim is to realize as many permanent buildings as possible, which will keep their horticultural destination, also when the Floriade is finished. Realization of the World Pavilion fits impeccably with these aims.
Initiative
Using the Floriade as a platform for international cooperation has been initiated by the volunteer group Stichting Ontwikkelingssamenwerking (SOS) Meerlo-Wanssum. Due to this initiative, volunteers of several foundations in the region North-Limburg cooperate for a permanent World Pavilion. COS Limburg (Centre for International Cooperation) provides the expertise and put the shoulders to the wheel in order to realize this project. The region Venlo and the five local councils Venlo, Helden, Horst aan de Maas, Gennep and Venray support this plan, whereas the province Limburg gives a boost by supplying funding. Also the LLTB (agricultural alliance) supports this initiative. The schools in North-Limburg are enthusiastic about the plans, achieving a close cooperation already.
After many preliminary meetings with several community clusters a small group has further expanded on the idea. The group consists of Ronald Kohnen (Director COS Limburg), Peter Toonen (civil servant Venlo) and René Poels (chairman SOS Meerlo-Wanssum). In the meantime the Stichting Wereldpaviljoen has been founded and the website is operational: www.wereldpaviljoen.com
The World Pavilion
Well-known consultancy for leisure and culture Van Assendelft & Partners, based in Nijmegen, has created a concept which will inspire visitors, touch them and raise awareness in an enjoyable way. The World Pavilion is a futuristic building giving attention to Third World countries and their cultures in Africa, Asia and Latin America. From different perspectives many themes are discussed. It will be clear that not all countries can be put in the spotlights at once.
The central theme of the World Pavilion has been built around a child’s game from the Osani-tribe in Congo; the Circle of Love. Through a full-scale performance of the child’s game, visitors will be informed about global themes. The visitor follows the story of an African girl who has ambitions and grows up to become a successful market gardener.
An important part of the World Pavilion is the experience studio where a city, village and countryside from the south has been recreated and in which children can experience for themselves what it is like to live in such a country. Since many years these kind of experience studios are effectively operational in five Belgian cities through the organization Studio Globo.
Furthermore the World Pavilion will include a theatre and meeting opportunities in a world restaurant. Because of the location near the water the pavilion will have a unique feel to it. The garden will be designed exotically with crops and plantations. The experience will be enhanced by walking through this world garden. Visitors will be taught in an active way.
Platform
The World Pavilion focuses on one of the principles of Floriade 2012; i.e. horticulture is a determining factor of the quality of life. Horticulture as a green motor of the economy contributes directly and indirectly to the economic well-being; not only in The Netherlands but all around the world. The World Pavilion also concentrates on shared values and an open attitude towards the world’s offering of interaction and involvement. It informs and confronts the public with many opportunities to invest in global progress of durability, diversity and horticulture. In The Netherlands, Floriade 2012 and the World Pavilion create a powerful and unique platform for information and opinions about international cooperation, the structural fight against poverty in developing countries, millennium goals and our multicultural society. Furthermore it is a platform for Third World countries during and after the Floriade. Besides educational goals, experience and cultural immersion are fundamental. Much space is reserved for sharing knowledge and expertise between the available partners and the public.
The World Pavilion is a platform in which many activities are carried out. This is only possible if many partners cooperate. Organizations can forward their idea or plan. Not only regional or national organizations are welcome, foreign contributions are specifically invited.