Novib established as a protestant, catholic and humanistic initiative

International solidarity after aid to the Netherlands

In the 1950s international solidarity became a more prominent topic in Dutch society following the influx of international aid to the Netherlands after WWII and the North Sea Flood of 1953. These were the early years of government-funded development cooperation. Simultaneously, in civil society, movements occurred along the pillarisation of society across religious lines that was prevalent at the time: catholic, protestant, and humanistic. This led to the establishment of the wide and cross-religious organisation the NOVIB.

New organisations and solidarity

In 1952, the Foundation Ecumenical Aid (Stichting Oecumenische Hulp, SOH) was established by 13 churches with the goal to provide emergency aid beyond the reach of its churches and national borders. An early establishment of such an organisation, of which the Netherlands would see many more.

Despite government reluctance, the call for international solidarity started to emerge, with two prominent events. Firstly, the post-WWII development aid provided to the Netherlands and other European countries for reconstruction after the wars served to show that development aid could work, and thus, gave the Dutch the experience of being at the receiving end of international aid. During this period, over one billion U.S. dollars were allocated to the Netherlands for this purpose (more than 12 billion U.S. dollars today). Secondly, early February of 1953 saw many dykes breach in the Netherlands because of the North Sea Flood, leading to a high number of fatalities (over 1600 lives were lost), flooded lands, and other damages. Within days, emergency aid was allocated for this cause. This was later followed by large sums of aid destined for reconstruction. Read and watch more about the North Sea Flood of 1953 here.

These experiences led the director of the weekly magazine Vrij Nederland, Johan Winkler, to publish a magazine on the 7th of March 1953 with the title ‘And now us’ (En nu wij). In this edition, the important link was made between aid to the Netherlands and Dutch aid available to the world for the sake of international solidarity. The undeniably positive and long-lasting impact of the assistance received after WWII and the flood influenced the Dutch, leading many to believe that the government should substantially boost its foreign aid to countries experiencing hardship.

Following this period of need, Johan Winkler, with Protestant dominee Hugenholz founded a committee that advocated for the start of an emergency plan for development aid. The following year, Catholic Father Jelsma started preaching at het Plein in the Hague every Saturday about international issues. He focused on the inequity and poverty that was present in the world. From his regular preaching sessions, the ‘Square group’ (de ‘Pleingroep’) emerged. The Square movement was promoting open minded discussions between people with different religions and ideologies, focusing on international issues like promoting peace and justice, including options for peaceful co-existence between East and West, control of the nuclear arms race, strengthening the anti-Apartheid struggle, limiting repression and poverty in general and defending the necessity for the allocation of Dutch government funding for development cooperation to enable poor countries to reach their socio-economic take-off phase. Jelsma and Hugenholz advocated for the establishment of an organisation concerned with support to developing countries in ‘the Third World’. In May 1954 Jelsma wrote about the unfair differences between the rich and the poor. For an interview with him, click here.

In 1955 Queen Juliana holds a speech in the Pieterskerk in Leiden at an event organised by the Dutch Youth Community (de Nederlandse Jeugd Gemeenschap, NGJ) and the Dutch Student Council (de Nederlandse Studentenraad) titled ‘The Wealth of the World as a Common Responsibility’ (‘De Welvaart Der Wereld Als Gemeenschappelijke Verantwoordelijkheid’). In this speech, she called for more attention to global problems, like poverty and the unequal distribution of wealth. She stated that there is a need for more international solidarity and mentions the Netherlands has a debt of honour following colonisation as well as duty to wield its ‘technical abilities and wealth’ for the development of the rest of the world. Furthermore, she also stressed the importance of macro-economic planning for economic development. As such, her speech was aligned with the modernisation thinking of the time. She ended her speech with the following (translated) statement:

"But fundamentally, it's not about giving so-called developed areas and receiving so-called underdeveloped areas. The developed areas, although, through their technical abilities and wealth, have the greatest responsibility to build up so that the accusation can no longer be heard: "You have food and I do not. If it were not for all your knowledge, I would not exist. Give me food now too." But the Eastern countries must also build up. They have a new sense of responsibility and a new sense of mutual solidarity that makes this task easier for them.

However, it is the case that, the whole of humanity has a common task, a common mission, a responsibility with each other, which is primarily for each other. Because only a real mutual interdependence can bring salvation. A responsibility for each other that goes down to daily bread. Make the body and soul of man and humanity healthy, so that no divisive element can affect it anymore.

It concerns every individual personally, it cannot be obscured in a vague mist of indifference, it is a direct appeal to everyone."

Source: A15399 in the NICC collection, (emphasis added).

Novib established

Hugenholtz and Jelsma and others gather wide support for the establishment of an organisation that was concerned with problems in ‘the Third World’. Among their support base were political parties, unions, and several ministries, among which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On the 23rd of March 1956, the Novib (Netherlands Organisation For International Development Cooperation, de Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Internationale Bijstand) was established. It consisted of various societal pillars among which Catholics (Father Jelsma and Geert Ruygers (PvdA)), Protestants (Dominee Hugenholz), and prominent figures like future ministers like the future first minister for Development Cooperation H. Bot, later Nobel-laureate Jan Tinbergen (see more on him in the next bullet), and Prince Bernhard, who became the first general chair of the Novib, serving in this position until 1971.

Novib’s goals at the time of its establishment were [translated from here]:

‘The promotion of international justice and solidarity by providing technical, economic, and financial assistance where necessary in consultation and cooperation with relevant international organisations’
‘To encourage the people and government of the Netherlands to make a fair contribution to the alleviation of these needs’
‘By informing the Dutch people in a broad and objective sense about the needs of other peoples or groups of people, wherever in the world’
‘By designing and implementing, promoting and coordination actions aimed at achieving this objective’

As such, its goals were not solely material – organising and collecting funds for financial assistance to the South – but also psychological: raising awareness among and educating Dutch people about the need for aid and solidarity. Simultaneously, the economic imperative of the development of ‘the Third World’ was also a motivator. However, as a civil society organisation Novib is initially membership based and consists of people who voluntarily make a percentage of their annual income available to support poor people in developing countries.

In 1957 the Novib holds its first national action for projects in Sudan and Greece, for which 100,000 guilders were raised (circa 860,000 euros today). In April of the same year the Novib published the first edition of its magazine ‘Onze Wereld’, read it here.

One major campaign of Novib was ‘Guest at the Table’ (‘Gast aan Tafel’), launched in 1963. Many households put a little box on their dinner table to donate a meal. This activity contributed considerably to a feeling of Global Citizenship among the Dutch people. Read more here.

Although the Novib was a cross-pillar organisation, it did not stop the further pillarisation of civil society development organisations. Most civil society actions concerned with ‘the Third World’ resulted from a religious motivation and cross-religious effort for the world beyond national borders. In the 1960s more protestant, catholic, and humanistic organisations were founded. Early examples are the Section International Aid Provision (Sectie Internationale Hulpverlening, SIH) founded by the Hervormde Kerk in 1956. In 1960 the Gereformeerde Kerken start with a similar institution to the SIH, their Wereldhulpactie (World Help Action). A year earlier, in 1959, the Komitee Steun Onderontwikkelde Streken (Committee Aid Underdeveloped Regions), later S.O.S. Wereldhandel (S.O.S. World trade) is founded, read more about this in the fair trade timeline.

For more about the 1960s, go to the next bullets.

Sources and further reading: