Diversity, the synonym for Amsterdam

The City of Opportunities

Amsterdam is a city of 750,000 people and an iconic centre of Dutch national culture, with its canals, its distinct architecture, and its museums full of work of the great Dutch artists such as Vermeer, Rembrandt and Van Gogh. For all its distinctiveness, however, Amsterdam is also a remarkably cosmopolitan city. Maybe the synonym for this city could be diversity



By CLAUDIA GABRIELA MITROFAN
from Bucharest, ROMANIA


The synonym for Amsterdam should be diversity. The city is not only old as it was founded around 100 A.D, but it is also very young, dynamic and modern. The buildings in Amsterdam show how it has transformed from an old medieval city into a modern, high-tech city. In the centre of Amsterdam you'll find the canals with typical Dutch houses. But as well as its architecture, the city has more to offer. Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, and also the biggest city of the country and as such both nationally and internationally important. National and international companies and organizations have settled here. It is a city where education, research, public domain, culture, arts, profit and non-profit organizations work together. It s very creative city with an exciting blend of everything that a diverse city can offer.

Being such a lively place, it has been attractive for people from all over the country and the world. This has been so for centuries. Historically people have come to Amsterdam either because it was a liberal city or because they could express themselves. So whether you go to Rijksmuseum, Albert Cuyp Market or their universities, you will see that diversity is a way of life in Amsterdam. People with different backgrounds, skills, talents and interests have always lived and worked together. That is what made their city so prosperous, and still does. I hope that you will be able to experience it as fully as I did.

Amsterdam is a city of 750,000 people and an iconic centre of Dutch national culture, with its canals, its distinct architecture, and its museums full of work of the great Dutch artists such as Vermeer, Rembrandt and Van Gogh. For all its distinctiveness, however, Amsterdam is also a remarkably cosmopolitan city. A city on the water... Ethnic minorities now make up 47% of the population of Amsterdam (which means that very soon the word "minority" may have applied to its Dutch inhabitants, too) - 176 nationalities in all.

Amsterdam prides itself on its tolerance. In 2001 the Netherlands was the first country in the world to legalize same sex marriages. In the area of cultural and religious diversity, this tolerance has been somewhat tested in recent years; immigration and multiculturalism are currently much debated subjects. At the same time, you'll find initiatives such as Muslims versus gay football matches and other events aimed at bringing different communities into contact and dialogue with each other. It is this willingness to debate, discuss and develop that makes Amsterdam such a vibrant and vital place; setting the trend in a world where negotiating diversity has become a matter of practical necessity as well as principled good governance.