The Carnegie Wateler Peace Prize – named after the Dutch banker Johan Wateler, who amid the horrors of the First World War, donated the majority of his capital for peace – is awarded every two years to a person or an institution that further the cause of international peace through action pursuied through literature or the arts.

As a journalist for the Belgian public broadcaster VRT, Vranckx illustrated the effect of conflict on daily life with personal reports. Starting his career as a war correspondent in 1989 during the uprising against Ceausescu in Romania, Vranckx has over the past decades reported on wars and conflicts around the world – in Yugoslavia, the Middle East and North Africa; being one of the last European journalists to leave Egypt during the violence of the Arab Spring, and living through an attack in Syria that killed his French colleague.

Vranckx has also shown real personal engagement with the inhabitants of conflict areas. When he came across a music school in the Iraqi city of Mosul that was destroyed by IS in 2017, Vranckx started a collection of musical instruments in his home country Belgium to be sent over. 120 instruments were taken to the music school by Vranckx himself. He even followed up on the project by raising money for an organisation that provides music lessons to young refugees in Belgium.

The Peace Prize which was first awarded in 1931, has had notable recipients which include Dutch diplomat Sigrid Kaag, who is now the Dutch Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, and UN diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi. This year, the first Youth Carnegie Peace Prize will be awarded; being awarded for youth initiatives that are committed to a more peaceful world.

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Alas, like all things Belgian, there is never a simple answer to a seemingly straightforward question. The Brabançonne, as it is most commonly referred to, is the national anthem of Belgium – and it has four versions.

The anthem was created in 1830 and was to be sung in French, hence the French title: “Brabançonne”. Only in 1938 was it translated to a Dutch version. Then, a third German version came along – to compensate for the small German populace in Belgium’s eastern peripheries.

In any case, there is no “official” version at all, just as long as the tune and lyrical content remains the same throughout each language. So what do they sing as the football national anthem? Well, here is where the fabled fourth version comes in, the trilingual version! Every player on the team is meant to sing the national anthem in their own language. The team is almost always filled with only Flemish and Walloonian players, so the German part never gets a mention.

But where you can truly see this trilingual anthem is on Belgium’s national day – 21 of July. Every 2 lines, the language changes: from French, to Dutch, to German – and then the cycle repeats. It is no wonder that many people do not know the trilingual version, but it certainly makes for one unique sounding anthem!

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This article served to launch a new campaign to fight against certain clichés that can sometimes affect people from minority backgrounds. In Belgium, some leading media companies are accused of illustrating points on poor education and poverty by associating it with a photo of Black people and Arabs – connoting damaging stereotypes with those associated. In response, this campaign uses an elegant, constructive, humour filled and educational response to dispel this faux pas.

Creating 18 profiles of people with foreign backgrounds, we see a different and balanced reality.

Photos © Vaya Sigmas / Success Diverstory asbl

These profiles of successful entrepreneurs and self starters serves this campaign in its highlighting of role models for young people. But its aims are not only to inspire the young but to give a tangible space for them to come and meet these chosen role models and share their career paths at high schools and universities. To put in place the creation of educational sheets and forum to gather different peoples to work together in diversifying the networks and topics, and broadcast the overall theme of a sense of belonging beyond their race or community.

Google, BXL, and JCDecaux currently back the campaign, but this project requires both human and financial investment, so the initiative is extending the opportunity for others to get involved and help finance the work they are doing and bring the focus to the wider public and policymakers.

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Films like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, regarded as an absolute cult classic now, was glossed over when first released and didn’t even receive any nominations for the Oscars. So having recognition from a ceremony like this is a retroactive win, a righting of wrongs, an understanding that some films were ahead of their time through the longevity they still hold in our collective culture.

And this is how the system decides the winners of the list. James Rogers, the organiser of the awards, analysed each film according to their enduring popularity, critics ratings, sales, continuing relevance to younger audiences and whether they are still played and watched today. Final nominees in each category were then chosen by surveys of adults living in English-speaking countries around the world.

This year’s films were selected from each decade with the second number being 7. 97, 87, 77 and 67, with the three most recent decades having awards for best film, best actor, actress, and even soundtrack. As with the spirit of this event, there is not just an outright winner of these categories, but also a zeitgeist award, that marks films that changed the culture with their quotes, their styles or gags that we still reference today.

Of the five 1987 films nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards thirty years ago, not a single one made the shortlist for the Vintage Film Awards. This is because the VFA is an organisation entirely in its own right, not a copy of the Oscars. Instead, it looks where the Oscars didn’t, reexamining the perspective to present a totally new set of winners. Now, without further ado, here are this years Vintage Film Awards winners

This year’s awards go to:

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Patricia Marques aims to bridge that gap between Belgium and Portugal. Patricia is a Portuguese expat who has lived in Brussels since 1990. She began here by working for the Portuguese government in tourism and commercial promotion. This path lead her to learn the intricacies of wine in order to present the exports to Belgium and Luxembourg. So acquainted with the craft that when she left her government job in 2008, she decided nine years later that she wanted to continue her mission of bringing the wine to the country and so she started her own company in order to realise this goal.

What does your company do? 

It acts as the link between wine producers in Portugal and retailers in Belgium. I source wineries in Portugal who produce wine which I find to be good quality and then enter a partnership with them in which they add their products to our collection. I then go and find partnerships with companies in Belgium who would be interested in purchasing these wines in whatever capacity and continuity they choose. And we distribute ourselves these wines in some restaurants, wine shops and wine bars in Belgium.

Why did you want to export Portuguese wines?

When I was working for the Portuguese government here in Belgium, I got a great understanding of wine and learned to really enjoy the craft. In 2000, when I began to be involved in the promotion of wines and agros-alimentaire, I saw that Portugal has such unique flavours and quality. I wanted to help them to get the exposure they deserve, so I was sent on various courses to learn and learn I did.

At the time, the wine produced in the country was usually just for the domestic consumption but new opportunities appeared thanks to the EU. Namely in terms of exports. I wanted to take the chance and do a part of that job in Benelux.

How did you first start your business?

The first four years I was working with other two companies and running some events to gain exposure to both my company and to the potential wines we could offer.  After doing this for a while, we started gaining momentum and getting contracts. As of now, my company has now grown to be one of the most important in Belgium which offers Portuguese wine.

How has it been going so far?

It has been going well. I think that the new techniques and technology in the Portuguese industry has made for some fantastic wines and people are beginning to realise this. We have now connected distributors around Belgium with producers in Portugal, have an office and shop in Ixelles and have just started a partnership with Grand Chais de France for international distribution from a specific brand created in partnership with Joao Portugal Ramos Wines and Vinhos de Darei.  Since 2006, I have also helped the organization of the international contest « Concours Mondial de Bruxelles » which is the first one that features over 9000 wines from 48 countries. This year’s contest took place in Beijing. It was the first out of Europe, and the Portuguese wines won 324 medals out of 1062 wines!

What is your hopes for Portuguese wine in Belgium? 

I aim to bring the wine from the different regions in Portugal from various producers and have them widely available here in Belgium. Currently, more than 70% of wines consumed in Belgium are still French, with 80% of these wines bought from a supermarket. Although it seems like a cornered market, after success with the Horeca sector, we have now even managed to carve a space out for ourselves in retail. Now, the majority of Portuguese wines sold in supermarkets come from dealings with my agency.

What wines have been doing well?

Belgium was for a long time the biggest consumer per capita for port wine. They know the region of Douro from which it comes, and thus, they are quite interested in buying from that region due to experience.

As for the other variants, people have been a bit hesitant to try because they feature grapes that they’ve never heard of before. But they are now leaving their comfort zones to try these new wines from the country, but usually, they are preferred if they feature recognisable grapes blended with those native to Portugal. Wines from Lisbon and Alentejo are proving particularly prevalent in the supermarket, especially amongst younger consumers, who want a lighter and more fruity wine.

Good to know:

The Sol Ar
70, rue du Page – 1050 – Brussels
Phone: 02 537 78 47

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Size and density

London is exponentially bigger than Brussels in both population and size. It’s hard to measure the width of the actual cities side by side, as London is a far-reaching city that encompasses a large amount of the surrounding boroughs, whereas Brussels is a lot more confined. But as it officially stands, the Greater London area measures to be just under ten times bigger than Brussels. 1,572 km2 is the total area of London and Brussels is 161.38 km2.

The sharp contrast is of course in part due to the 8.6 million inhabitants that currently live in the Greater London area compared to 1.1 in Brussels. But despite having a lower population, it seems that smaller area of Brussels actually makes it more densely populated than London. Having a population density of 7025 people/km² compared to London’s 5518 people/km, Brussels ranks 10th and London comes 14th.

Cost of living

This is where Brussels gets a significant head over London as the cost of living is far cheaper the British Captial. On a price index, it is estimated that you would need around £3,235.69 in Brussels to maintain the same standard of life that you can have with £4,500.00. London also scores significantly lower on everything from restaurant dining, general consumer purchasing power, transport and rent.

Cultural offerings

A category in which both cities rank as high scorers. Brussels has some fine heritage and history that can be viewed at its various 89 renowned museums. However, London is the museum capital of the world, having more museums than any other city with 250 and with an added bonus of them being free – unlike Brussels. London also has 104 theatres, 99 more than the European capital, has 13 stadiums, with a difference of 11, and one more UNESCO world heritage site over Brussels’ three.

Standard of living

Measuring physical health, family, education, employment, wealth, safety, security, freedom, religious beliefs, finance and the environment, both score fairly poorly for being in highly developed European countries. The two cities suffer heavily from pollution, crime and personal safety. London is a largely more green city, though education is better in Brussels, but overall, the European capital has the edge this time, by even a significant difference – ranking 27th compared to London’s 41st.

The verdict

Overall, London and Brussels rank fairly consistently on most things, and your decision would come down to your own personal preference. London seems to offer more for those living there and gives its inhabitants a bit more space, but Brussels remains an attractive option due to its better standard of life and its cheaper cost of living.

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Stella hails from a brewery in Leuven. Despite the brewer operating as early as 1336, Stella as we know it was only released in 1926 and initially just as a Christmas beer in Belgium. However, after commercial success, it was released all year round. The second world war halted production on the brewery in Belgium, but by 1960, about 100 million litres of Stella Artois were annually produced. With Stella gaining a presence, the British company Whitbread made plans to brew it under contract and in 1976 the beer was first introduced to the nation.

“Stella’s for the fellas who take their lager strong”

This was the first slogan Stella used in advertising the beer in the UK. Domestic beer in England is and was low – with most beers running at 4% alcohol content. Although there were stronger beers on the market, they were not widely drunk or served in pubs as the beers were often of poor quality, too high in alcohol content (meaning people would drink less) and were often associated with alcoholics. However, when Stella, a triple filtered continental beer came onto the British market, the 5.2% alcohol content was higher than the average beer served. Nonetheless, it soon became available at pubs and stores across the UK.

The 80’s and 90s saw the company increase their presence in the UK with many high production adverts which were known for their distinct style of mimicking European cinema.

An ex-landlady from Kent, the UK, remembers the time when Stella began to get popular. “I would say it was about the late 80s and early 90s that you started to see Stella sold at most pubs,” she says. “You’d see all sorts of trouble on the streets on the weekends. It’s not uncommon for a night of drinking, but something had seemed to up the ante.”

The triple filtered process meant it largely didn’t taste any different from a normal 4% lager and thus could be drunk at a similar rate to it. After three 4% beers containing 1.4 units each, 1.2 units of excess alcohol remain in the system. By comparison, three 5% beers with 1.8 units leads to 2.4 units excess. This extra alcohol content would eventually accumulate throughout the process of someone drinking and lead to a higher level of inebriation which created more potential for people to act impulsively and irrationally.

A reputation is built

This reputation of getting people easily drunk actually propelled a lot of its consumption for people on nights out, and it soon began to be associated with a particular characteristic of a person. The nickname “wife beater” became synonymous with the drink after people who had reportedly drunk too much Stella would go home and be abusive to their spouses.

Ryan Williams from London witnessed these stereotypes first hand. “My dad, who has a bit of a problem with drinking, would often come home with a crate of Stella and after a few drinks he’d start arguing with my mum.” Despite its slogan in the early 90’s being “Reassuringly expensive”, the beer was often sold at many local corner-shops and leading supermarkets at discounted rates due to its high demand.

A new image

Having noticed the poor image it had garnered in the UK, Stella made efforts to rebrand its beverages and disassociate itself with violence. The company lowered its alcohol content from 5.2% to 4% in 2008, and lobbyists working on behalf of the now owning company of Stella even tried to have all references of « wife beater » removed from the company’s Wikipedia page.

The recent years have been far kinder to the brewer as most who know the beer as “wife beater” is from the generation gone by, and its association with violent and anti-social behaviour has by in large decreased. Whether the lowered alcohol content helped that or changing demographics, it’s hard to say, but one thing is for sure, many Brits now know it as the Belgian beer.

Posted with permission from Brelgium
Photos: © unsplash, wikimedia

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The member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) created the global event in 1987. The day has met with both enthusiasm and resistance around the globe from governments, public health organisations, smokers, and the tobacco industry.

Local clubs to city councils and national governments are encouraged to organize events each year to help communities celebrate and participate at the local level. These events have seen letter-writing campaigns to government officials and local newspapers, marches, public debates, local and national publicity campaigns, anti-tobacco activist meetings, educational programming, and public art.

Many governments use the day to start their implementation of new smoking bans and tobacco control efforts. Canada in 2008 World No Tobacco Day used it to introduce a section of the Smoke Free Ontario Act which banned tobacco « power walls » and displays at stores in the province and Australia used it to make all hospitals and government offices smoke-free in 2010.

So why not this year, take the the pledge here in Belgium, organise local events, and try to raise awareness of tobacco consumption and its potential dangers.

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The teams will have to beat Tunisia and Panama, both credible sides with nothing to lose and all to gain, to lead Group G. When these European giants meet it will be toe to toe action, with all their skills on display. So let’s take a look at both squads.

England’s expertise

We’ll start with England, who are managed by Gareth Southgate, a former England defender and midfielder. Southgate was capped 57 times and certainly has on the ground experience at a national level. He has revealed his 23 man squad which he describes as a balanced squad: “It is a young group, but with some really important senior players so I feel the balance of the squad is good, both in terms of its experience, its character and also the positional balance.” The selection process has been described as a method which took months of planning and based on improving team chemistry and keeping a momentum of high performance. The England squad consists of:

• GOALKEEPERS: Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope
• DEFENDERS: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Gary Cahill, Phil Jones, Harry Maguire, Danny Rose, John Stones, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker, Ashley Young
• MIDFIELDERS: Eric Dier, Dele Alli, Jordan Henderson, Fabian Delph, Jesse Lingard, Ruben Loftus-Cheek
• FORWARDS: Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Raheem Sterling, Danny Welbeck, Jamie Vardy

A strong start

England went through the qualifiers unbeaten, but the road to glory has many obstacles which now become ever closer and even more challenging. All three goalkeepers were selected over previously favoured Joe Hart, with Jordan Pickford the favourite to start in Russia.

On the back, England has an array of options which encompasses speed, youth and something all defenders need: a level head. John Stones and Harry Maguire are the favoured centre backs, both tall men who can win the ball in the air and send it up field, with Maguire having a knack for ball control and gaining ground. Danny Rose will be the best option for left back with former Tottenham team-mate Kyle walker at right back. The average age of England’s first team defence will be 26 years old, more or less, this is the prime age for fitness and physical strength needed to gain possession and control the pace. To support England’s backline defensive duo Phil Jones and Ashley Young will be able to use their experience to ensure any risks can be nulled.

In Midfield they have Eric Dier and Dele Alli, again two Tottenham players who can be relied on for getting the ball forward into dangerous positons, however Alli has seen his domestic form dip this season. Manager Southgate has also selected Jordan Henderson who has previously disappointed England fans expectations, yet he could possibly be wearing the captains armband or at least be deputy.

Up front is where England has variety and great options. Raheem Sterling is a player with agility, quick pace and good control; this goes hand in hand with Marcus Rashford a notorious name due to his pace he can trouble the very best defence. Harry Kane is domestically one of the supreme strikers, he also could be wearing the captain’s armband, however his performance in Euro 2016 was poor and he has yet proven to be effective in national games. Jamie Vardy can expect a lot of match time, as with his goal scoring ability, he has been regarded as fearsome player who can score in times where it really counts. Bringing in national experience is Arsenal’s Danny Welbeck, a surprise inclusion but will be able to offer advice to the younger players.

Belgium’s bringing top form

Now a look at Belgium, who’s manager Roberto Martinez formerly played as a defensive midfielder. He has become known for his managing capability leading Swansea City to promotion from league one, helping Wigan Athletic avoid relegation for three consecutive seasons, and winning the FA cup in 2013 – the first time in the clubs history.

With star player Radja Nainggolan out due a disagreement between the manager, Martinez is expected to display tactical flexibility. Belgium’s squad is also very balanced with some fantastic players so they must grasp the opportunity to win the world cup in Russia before their internationally renowned players succumb to age.

• GOALKEEPERS: Koen Casteels, Thibaut Courtois, Simon Mignolet, Matz Sels
• DEFENDERS: Toby Alderweid, Dedryk Boyata, Laurent Ciman, Christian Kabasele, Vincent Kompany, Jordan Lukaku, Thomas Meunier, Thomas Vermaelen, Jan Vertonghen
• MIDFIELDERS: Yannick Carrasco, Kevin de Bruyne, Mousa Dembele, Leander Dendoncker, Marouane Fellaini, Eden Hazard, Thorgan Hazard, Adnan Januzaj, Dries Mertens, Youri Tielemans, Axel Witsel
• FORWARDS: Michy Batshuayi, Christian Benteke, Nacer Chadli, Romelu Lukaku

An equal opposition

Belgium went through qualifying in an efficient manner, winning all but one (as they took a draw to Greece), and breaking a world cup qualifiers record with 43 goals scored. If they can keep up their momentum they will be sure to reach later stages of the world cup and could even be tipped to win.

With four goalkeepers, they have two British premier league talents, Thibaut Courtois (likely favourite to be the starting keep) and Simon Mignolet; and two shot stoppers Koen Casteels and Mats Sels. Manager Martinez also has a good selection for the back line: Tottenham duo Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweid, and of course the powerful Vincent Kompany. The remaining defenders Thomas Meunier, Thomas Vermaelen, Dedryk Boyata, Lazio left-back Jordan Lukaku, Christian Kabasele and veteran Laurent Ciman gives Belgium a very strong defence with tactical awareness and plenty of contingency in case of injury or bookings.

With Radja Nainggolan not selected to the surprise of Belgians, Martinez’s midfield is based on chemistry and Nainggolan could disrupt this moral. Nonetheless, Belgium’s key players are their midfielders and it is still a force not to be reckoned with; with Kevin De Bruyne bound to show his prowess and ability to pressure, Maroaune Fellaini to bring a physical advantage and Mousa Dembele will be working his hardest to stay relevant and secure wins.

Leander Dendoncker and Youri Tielemans will bring their youth to Belgium’s squad both players are sure to prove themselves on the world stage as talented midfielders. In attack Martinez for the past two years has developed a striking force which is cohesive, dangerous and frightening for all countries in the world cup. Eden Hazard, Dries Mertens and Romelu Lukaku seem to be an unstoppable power, with an average age of 27 these forwards have a great balance of experience and youth, and this is the perfect time to win the world cup.

The verdict

This game will be perfect for both teams as they are expected to pass the group stages and it is the last group game. It is probable this will be a fast paced game with plenty of attempts on goal. Overall, Belgium is looking like a better team with more experienced players. In fact, this year could be Belgium’s year, not only for this match, but to go on to win the World Cup. England are largely untested, so it may be difficult to know how they’ll get on, but if they don’t put pressure and allow Belgium space enough to find their rhythm, then they can edge this and secure a win.

Posted with permission from Brelgium
Photos: © unsplash, wikimedia

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Up to 6% of Belgians are Muslims and they will also be engaging in the feast. This means throughout the day, they are not permitted to eat or drink anything, smoking cigarettes or engage in any sexual activity, from dawn to sunset; Even if you take medication, you must swallow a pill dry (some exceptions are made). This is no easy feat, especially since summer has seem to come early this year in Belgium with this really hot weather over the past few weeks. However, when the sun has set and the evening comings, then they are allowed to and drink as they please, with many often feasting after a long day fasting.

Children and the elderly are excused from practising Ramadan as they may be too weak without the sustenance, and the kids will need the attention for their time at school. But for all those participating in this spiritual month, Ramadan Mubarak!

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