Changes at Art.1, National Expertise Centre Discrimination the Netherlands

Rotterdam, 22 December 2011

Dear relation of Art.1,

Our foundation Art.1, the National Expertise Centre Discrimination in the Netherlands, aims at fighting and preventing discrimination. Part of our activities is financed by the Dutch government among other financial sources. Currently there are major government cuts. Art.1 will not be spared from austerity measures and budget cuts.

The sudden termination of the governmental subsidy precipitated Art.1’s search for new financial sources in 2011, in order to continue to finance our work: research, advice and training in the field of discrimination.

During the past year, Art.1’s entire team has investigated ways to ensure the continued existence of the expertise centre. We have successfully secured a number of larger and smaller assignments. Nevertheless, the lack of a structural subsidy will necessitate downsizing and modification of the working methods and the service package of Art.1.

We have also explored the possibility of collaborating with other organisations to secure the continued existence of our expertise centre. We are happy to inform you that we have found a suitable partner in RADAR, the anti-discrimination organisation for Rotterdam and its environs. RADAR not only shares our goals and objectives, we also foresee synergy effects in numerous areas.

We are confident that Art.1, in collaboration with RADAR, will be able to continue to fulfil her role in the future as an expertise centre working to prevent discrimination.

In the New Year, we will send you further details about the collaboration between Art.1 and RADAR.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish you a merry Christmas and a fruitful start to 2012,

The board and management of Art.1