On May 4th, we will celebrate the anniversary of her birth in Ixelles, and a beautiful itinerary and project are organised for the occasion.

Rediscover the traces of this Hollywood icon with the support of the commune of Ixelles. Take a tour to discover her childhood home, her school and early show houses and learn more about her legacy as an actress, pop and fashion icon, a dancing queen and humanitarian.

Today Audrey Hepburn is still strong in our hearts. She is part of the rich tapestry of women who have become iconic with their beauty, grace and talent, such as Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly and Brigitte Bardot.

Audrey Hepburn was born on May 4th, 1929. Joseph Loute, her father, was the director of the Brussels branch of the Bank of England and it was here he met Hepburn’s mother, Ella Van Heemstra. They married in 1926 and moved to Ixelles at 48 rue Keyenveld, which was at the time, the Brussels municipality of students, artists and intellectuals.

While she was originally destined for dance before joining the theatre in the late 1940, the success of the play (Gigi) in 1951 on Broadway opened the doors of the cinema to her.

In 1953, at age 23, she received the Oscar for Best Actress for « Roman Holiday« . This started a spiral of success for her where she went on to win « Sabrina » (1954), « Diamonds on Couches » (in 1961), « Breakfast at Tiffany’s » (1961), , « My Fair Lady » (1964) and « War and Peace » after the novel by Léon Tolstoy.

After she ended her successful acting career, she devoted herself to humanitarian aid for children. She travelled multiple times to Africa and Latin America for UNICEF, becoming their ambassador in 1981.

Good to know:

• Four guided tours and walks will take place (10:00, 13:00, 15:00, 18:00).
• Other activities are planned during this day.
• A screening of a film « Breakfast at Tiffany’s » at Librebook at 18.30 hrs. Drink included.
•  Ixelles intends to restore the commemorative plaque at 48 rue Keyenveld in the coming weeks.

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The Islam Party is for « Integrity, solidarity, freedom, authenticity, morality« , so says the party, but those interpretations are of variable dimensions in the minds of its founders. They are hoping this rhetoric will help their 28 aspiring candidates around the country in winning communal elections.

Their program and manifesto is already extensively commented on – such as their perspective on sex-segregation on public transport.

The political landscape has actively taken interested in a sincere way to defy the fixed ideas of these ideologues, as Islam could make up the majority population in Belgium by 2030, and thus, finding a solution to these fringe ideas is pertenant.

But this party, just like other extremism, is revealed by its expression of an uneasiness. It shows a clear fringe of our populations who are exposed to socio-economic realities: educational deficit, deficit of the social fabric, lack of cultural and economic integration… It is here that a fertile ground for the blossoming of all absurd ideas, or even sordid ones which advocate inequality, the rejection, confinement, a dream of religious or ideological supremacy tinged with ethnicism and racism, are born.

In this respect, beyond calls for the prohibition, control, or even the rejection of a party, it is important that our democratic representatives take back their hands to provide a healthy representation of the aspirations of all citizens, and building a social project where everyone can find themselves at least partially, without exclusion, without caricature, without frustration or feeling of unfairness.

The post The Islam Party: A benign minority or a potential reality? appeared first on Brussels Express.

It is all the more important to underline the legitimacy of this vigil in remembrance of the decimated families of this planned savagery that created nearly a million victims.

Each year, the association IBUKA – Mémoire et Justice Europea – symbolically marks the long journey of pain to reconciliation, by its torch walk between the Place Royale and the courthouse of Brussels, with a thousand participants. The NGO also continues to fight with all of its forces against the ambitions of negating or forgetting national and international responsibilities in this genocide.

It has been supported since the beginning of this action by several associations representing peoples also affected by massacres and genocides, such as the Armenian community, the secular Jewish community Centre, and of course political bodies Regional and national governments, and the European Union, alongside the Rwandan embassy.

By 2000, serving prime minister, Guy Verhofstadt, had asked the Rwandan people for their forgiveness for the responsibility Belgium played in allowing the genocide by withdrawing their protection quota. In turn, Louis Michel underlined this April 7, 2018: « We must bear to the end the immense responsibility we carry in the name of an international community that is bent arrogantly on its dogmas, its taboos, its double standards… »

Until June, several cities in Belgium will follow Brussels in demonstrations of remembrance and homage to the victims of this barbarism perpetrated in the name of ethnic affiliations. It remains vivid among the survivors of the massacres, despite the growth and prosperity of the country, which is now seen as a model of economic progress in Africa, and stability in the heart of a Great Lakes region; yet still plagued by much deadly violence and guerrilla warfare.

There is no doubt that next year, on the occasion of the half-century that will separate us from this historical tragedy; and its remembrance is as indispensable for Rwanda as it is for the European countries that have been involved in this tragedy.

Good to know:

The various Belgian commemorations will take place in Liège on 14 April, Louvain-la-Neuve on 21 April, in Antwerp on 28 April, in Charleroi, on 5 May, in Mons on 12 May, and in the whole of Flanders on 19 May.

The post Rwandan Genocide – an ever remembered 24th commemoration appeared first on Brussels Express.

For a small woman, slender in appearance, hers is a personality that lacks neither confidence nor charisma. Françoise Schepmans, mayor of the controversial commune of Molenbeek, ensures the image of her commune, affirms a concrete multiculturalism when others theorize it, and responds with actions to the many challenges that animate her daily life.

This is without a doubt the reason for her nomination for the “World Mayor Prize” created by the City Mayors Foundation, who presents the prize every two years. Among the criteria for receiving the award: competence in managing the day-to-day affairs, acumen of the financial, business and economic affairs of one’s commune, honesty and integrity in decision making, and the representation of all the communes citizens.

Françoise Schepmans, Mayor of Molenbeek since 2012 is the only Belgian candidate for the prize among 38 others, representing 24 other countries. She had already won, by popular vote, the prize of “Bruxelloise de l’Année en 2016” for her exemplary management of the commune that made headlines because of its negative image as the point of origin or transit for the terrorist groups responsible for the attacks in Paris in 2015 and Brussels in 2016.

Pragmatic and combative, she has since multiplied the initiatives geared towards the integration of the population of immigrant origin, through culture and education, as well as actions to sensitize vulnerable youth to the dangers of religious radicalization. All this without neglecting the suppressive fight against the terrorist networks or ideologues in the commune.

The awarding of the prize will be coming this June. If she is awarded the prize, the Mayor of Molenbeek would succeed such emblematic figures such as Anne Hidalgo (Mayor of Paris) and Martine Aubry (Mayor of Lille).

To support the nomination of Françoise Schepmans, check the prize’s website

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Beyond the enhanced security measures (military presence in the streets, alert levels 3 pusi 2, on the territory), and stress still visible in the city, there is the desire to bring life together, and to perpetuate warm solidarity with the victims and their loved ones.

Two years later, we remain united in pain and sorrow with those who must continue to live in mourning or bearing the aftermath of these attacks.

The population is therefore invited to share a moment of meditation and support on March 22, 2018, in several places that have become symbolic of this cruel day for Brussels and the country.

The tributes to the victims will take place:

• At the Schumann Memorial, a small rue de la Loi, between the Schuman roundabout and the Avenue de la Joyeuse Entrance
• In front of the message board in Maelbeek metro station
• In front of the Olivier de Benoit van Innis in Maelbeek
• At the memorial to the 32 trees of the Sonian Forest
• In front of the sculpture of the Place Communale, in Molenbeek
• At the Garden Memorial at the entrance to Zaventem
• At the bus stop « De Lijn », Memorial Garden.
• In Loubna Square Lafquiri

This commemoration is yet another opportunity to express compassion for the victims, but also to demonstrate that the Brussels population of all origins and cultures, remains committed to its values as a unique, peaceful and common life model. Beyond the rejection of hatred and violence, this March 22 must be an opportunity for all to reaffirm solidarity and faith in a society based on respect, sharing, and dialogue.

Let us be numerous in these places of commemoration and express our empathy for the victims of these attacks, and our presence, our hope that obscurantism and violence no longer have the right to flourish in our city and our country.

The post Brussels Attacks: let’s remember together! appeared first on Brussels Express.

This enables the commune to measure the impact and the necessity of constructive dialogue with the population of Ixelles.

What are the dates, times, and locations for the next planned residents’ meetings?

• March 21^st at 7pm for the “Châtelain” neighborhood and its surroundings (rue Tenbosch)
• March 27^th at 7pm at the communal house for the neighborhood Place Fernand Cocq and the North
• March 28^th at 7pm at the school n° 8 for the neighborhood Boondael

Come one, come all, to debate and ask all of the questions you want to ask.

Ixelles needs you!

Furthermore, Ixelles really needs you to become more inclusive. We invite all Europeans and non-Europeans (who represent half of the electorate in Ixelles) to participate in local politics and to register to vote in the next municipal elections on the 14^th of October. In fact, these elections will have a direct impact on your quality of life: your street, your neighborhood, your children and your reception in the municipality.

For citizens from an EU Member state

• Be registered on the electoral lists (except if you were registered for the municipal elections in 2000, 2006 or 2012)
• Be at least 18 years old by the 14^th of October 2018
• Be registered in the population registry or the foreigners’ registry by the 1^st of August 2018
• Have submitted, at the latest by July 31^st, 2018, a request to be included on the electoral lists

For citizens of non-EU countries

• Be a resident in Belgium for at least 5 years.
• The criteria that follow is similar to those for European citizens.
• On the 14^th of October, 2018, give your voices, together, to choose the future of Ixelles!

Concretely?

Sign up before July 31^st, 2018, for the electoral lists for the elections on October the 14^th, 2018. It will only take you a couple of minutes by downloading this document.

Fill out the document and send it via mail, with a photocopy of your ID card, or hand it in directly at the municipal office.

Furthermore, the advisory council of Ixelles on European Affaires are organizing, on the 20^th of March at 7pm, an evening dedicated to the theme of the European elections and the vote of non-Belgians.

Is voting mandatory? Not exactly! Non-Belgians can de-register before any election by sending a simple letter to the commune.

The post What’s new at the Commune of Ixelles? appeared first on Brussels Express.

While UK news is in full swing and the post-Brexit shock is still felt in many Brussels municipalities, including Ixelles, the « European Commune » (which includes the most British citizens) has registered 90 British nationals as official Belgian citizens since the declaration of Brexit, with more requests underway. The Commune of Ixelles now registers an average of 4 to 5 requests for citizenship information a week.

In July 2016, 140 British citizens inquired about Belgian nationality and asked for the necessary documents to begin the procedures. The most common way of acquiring Belgian nationality is made possible by Article 12 bis & 1 of the nationality code. It states: “All persons living legally on Belgian territory for at least five years can obtain the nationality if they meet three criteria: at least one of three official languages and can prove his/her social and economic integration”.

Brexit has provoked a wave of contradictory feelings: the rejection of Europe in the UK has brought about the opposite reaction in Brussels, where the European project and European citizenship, has been put into perspective, with a not only a real willingness to defend the European ideal but also that of togetherness. The British nationals who have requested Belgian citizenship are apparent symbols of this.

On the other hand, as we know, the situation for British civil servants is not the same as their protocol card does not fit within the criteria that permit someone to obtain Belgian citizenship via this path, creating a judicial gap at this level.

The post 90 British nationals have become Belgians since Brexit appeared first on Brussels Express.

The 25th anniversary of her death is an occasion to rediscover who she was.

This exceptional woman born to Joseph Ruston, the Director of the Brussels branch of the Bank of England and Ella Van Heemstra. They married in 1926 and lived at 48 rue Keyenveld, Ixelles, which at the time was the commune for students, artists, and intellectuals. Much of her childhood was spent in Belgium, England and the Netherlands.

Thought she was initially destined to be a dancer, she took up theater at the end of the 1940’s. The success of the Broadway play Gigi in 1951 opened the doors to cinema for her. In 1953, at the age of 23, she receives the Oscar for best actress for her role in Roman Holiday. Some of her most successful movies are Sabrina (1954), War and Peace (1956) based on the Tolstoy novel, Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), and My Fair Lady (1964).

The success of the Broadway play Gigi in 1951 opened the doors to cinema for her. In 1953, at the age of 23, she receives the Oscar for best actress for her role in Roman Holiday. Some of her most successful movies are Sabrina (1954), War and Peace (1956) based on the Tolstoy novel, Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), and My Fair Lady (1964).

She gradually stopped her career as an actress to focus more on humanitarian aid. She traveled several times to Africa and Latin America for UNICEF, for whom she became a Goodwill Ambassador in 1981. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom  in recognition of her work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador  in December 1992.

A month later, Hepburn died at her home in Switzerland at the age of 63.

And so, to commemorate and rediscover the footprints of this Hollywood icon, with support from the Commune d’Ixelles, this past 14th of February the ASBL Itineraries brought us along to discover her childhood home but also through her relationship with fashion and dance. Three exceptional, guided tours took place. Additional tours are organized for the 4th of May.

The post Did you know that Audrey Hepburn was born in Ixelles? appeared first on Brussels Express.

Brussels is by nature a site of cultural intermingling, notably and originally between Latin and Germanic cultures. Its identity was developed and enriched through time with the influence of different cultures: Burgundian, Spanish, French, Austrian, and Dutch. But it was also shaped by the actions of its own inhabitants, with a notable part of immigrant and expatriate inhabitants.

During the 20th century, the number of nationals from bordering countries (France, Germany, Holland, United Kingdom) diminished. Other migrant flows took precedences, such as from Poland, Italy or Spain and gained a certain numerical importance. Then, starting in the 1960’s-70’s, the migration from the Maghreb region and Turkey appears, coming on the heels of the accords between Belgium and the countries in the region, as well as the Congolese diaspora linked to the colonial history of Belgium.

The last decade of the 20th century was characterised by a European emergence that was not particularly a surprise in a diverse city like Brussels. On the contrary, it reinforced the image of Brussels “the international” and the “melting pot” for its inhabitants. Brussels today resembles a vast agglomeration of cultural bubbles that combine themselves for a truly global vision for the city!

Stemming from the psychological shock created by Brexit, a tremor was felt in this capital of Europe, which brought into the minds of the inhabitants of various backgrounds the idea of universal « euro-citizen » belonging and democratic benefits, which everyone could actively take ownership of.

In this sense, Brexit had several beneficial effects: It made people aware of the advantages the union gave to everyday life: a common currency, free movement, Erasmus, job creation and image for the city, and the activities aim to improve life for its citizens.

The multiculturalism and plurality of expressions in Brussels are a strength, a lever for an original citizenry, unprecedented and exemplary of what an authentic continental union it can become. It reinforced the feeling of belonging to a common capital, founded on a more active community that is engaged in its destiny by the contribution of values and inspirations coming from all the global cultures that make up the city.

Today, these benefits constitute a base on which Europe can restore confidence, as well as recognition that it is all its citizens, near and far, and it’s all their diversity that really make its unity! Today, this euro citizenship in Brussels is first of all to know ourselves! We need to get past the concept of living together and on to building together with common projects and big transcultural and mobilising events!

The post Brussels: a Multicultural Hub Throughout History appeared first on Brussels Express.

The presence of the European and international institutions has a significant impact on the economy and employment of the city. Brussels has become a real economic hub, of which the EU institutions create 14% of the employment (65,000 people) and about 5 billion euros of value added to the GDP of the city.

Brussels hosts 20 organisations of the European Union, 42 intergovernmental organisations, and 29 international schools who welcome more than 23,000 students. It is the biggest diplomatic hub of the world and one of the biggest journalistic centres of the world; with more than 1000 journalists. 120,000 jobs are linked to the international sector, and the EU directly employs almost 40,000 people in Brussels. The EU occupies a million square meters of office space in the city.

In the end, Brussels is a great example of European citizenship, and this will spread to other European cities and communes. The city is a pillar that constitutes a hope which significantly puts into perspective the importance of the growing pains Europe has gone through.

In the current context, it is important that the numerous expat associations or cultural associations that group citizens of the same nationality can also be proud that they are “euro citizens” in Brussels, and to reflect that there are constant exchanges between the different cultural groups, internationals, and Europeans, present in the capital.

It is also important that this pride of affiliation with Brussels and Europe expresses itself through big, mobilising transcultural events, to advertise the real benefits of an intercultural Europe! Brussels is and should continue to be an example of the real euro-citizenship!

The post Just How Cosmopolitan Is Brussels? appeared first on Brussels Express.