Not just for profit

I want to propose a return to caring about the basic needs of newcomers and to find common interests between „economic migrants”, refugees, people from former colonies, children of „guest workers”, locals and the new type of Erasmus student or European citizen all sharing space in the city of Amsterdam. Bridge gaps in education, social class, identity and wealth, and deal with creating a diverse, curious and open society that can fully benefit from its many voices and backgrounds. Integration at all cost is not the goal. What’s important instead is offering people coming from other countries or cities and ending up in Amsterdam, the chances to get to know the place they live in and also to get to care about how they live once they get here.

Priding itself on being a multicultural city, Amsterdam welcomes all nationalities to live and study, taking full advantage of the ubiquity of English as a lingua franca. The city though takes few provisions as to how the students can, during their studies and after, contribute to the place they live in. An isolated system within the larger urban system is formed, which doesn’t give as much as it could and also can't receive.

I want to propose giving mental and physical space to a new generation in the city and to allow it to meet what’s already here, allow it to experiment and take risks. Amsterdam is a community and we can together be a part of it.

Alina Lupu, Candidate List number 33

Candidate for the position of advisor in Bos-en-Lommer, Amsterdam West