DreamersNL

Imagine, you see an issue developing in society, right in front of you. But no one seems to notice? How do you ensure that you get your issue on the map and can implement the necessary changes to solve it?

At our office we call this 'Issuemaking', and a good example of this is the DreamersNL campaign by Start Foundation and partners. Dreamers are young people without the correct residence papers. They were often born and raised in the Netherlands, went to high school here, but have no passport or papers. Once they turn 18, their lives come to a standstill. Access to a study is difficult, work is impossible. With the current tightness on the labor market and the lack of well-trained personnel, isn't it too bad to let these young people come to a standstill?

Issue makers were asked to draw attention to this collective through a public campaign. The aim was to unite these young people and develop the campaign into a movement for and by undocumented young people, which has broad social support (employers, educational institutions, youth organizations, human rights organizations, classmates).

In the past year, the campaign appeared in various articles (AD, FD, Parool, NOS stories, and many more) and written questions were asked in the House of Representatives and at municipalities. The Issue is on the map. The first step has been taken. On to the next ones! Knowing more? Check: https://dreamersnl.org/