Description of organisation

Loesje is an international free-speech non governmental organisation, established in the Netherlands in 1983. It is a writers and educators collective and a poster activist group. Named after a fictional character – Loesje, an 18 years old girl, who wants to change the world.
Loesje aims for a creative society based on own initiative and active citizenship, where the individual is appreciated for personal skills and talents rather than economical value. The objective is to exchange ideas and opinions. To stimulate people to create their own ideas. The medium Loesje mainly uses for that is posters with short but strong texts(one-liners) which shine a different light on a particular subject. Our main activity is to create such posters, together with our members, but also with people from other organisations. The posters are usually spread on internet, around the streets, community centres, schools etc. But we also publish books with these texts and some other products.
Loesje is a politically and religiously independent organisation, but it supports European humanistic values, self-initiative, creativity, independence, freedom, tolerance and peace.

Regular activities:
* Spreading of black and white text posters that colour life;
* Creating possibilities in which participants of Loesje activities can constantly start and support progressive social initiative. Within this a maximum possibility is given to the development of individual freedom and social concern of the mentioned participants;
* Supporting the different local and international Loesje-groups as well as the individual participant who takes part in Loesje activities;
* Encourage a global and social awareness and involvement: this through discussions about actual global and social topics, and writing creative texts about these topics.
* Sharing thoughts. Exchanging experiences with youngsters/other people from other countries by joining projects, workshops and training.

Loesje International cooperate with organisations and young people throughout Europe. The target group of our organisation is broad, this means: all people who walk the streets, surf the internet and can read our posters. But some groups have our particular interest: scholars, students, members of other organisations involved in social changes. The threshold for Loesje activities is very low, so people from all ‘levels’ of society can join in.