Last Friday, the Latin American Centre for Orientation C.L.O. Eindhoven celebrated its 25th anniversary at the Muziekgebouw. C.L.O. is a foundation that has supported Latin American integration in the Netherlands since April 2000.
The board of directors, volunteers, family members, and city partners of C.L.O. were present. “We were honoured by the warm words from the Mayor of Eindhoven at the opening. Mr J. Dijsselbloem and Mrs Gerda Grave” exclaims Ms Piccinini.
“C.L.O. is a dream that began with a simple but powerful idea: integration is not imposed; it is built, and no one should have to walk alone in a new country. We launched this project in the late 1990s due to the influx of Latin American migrants in Eindhoven. This group stood out regarding qualified job training, self-identity, and positivity,” says Ms Maldonado, the chairperson of C.L.O. The Latin American organisation has accompanied, supported, and welcomed Dutch Latino-American families, e-students, workers, and professionals from 20 countries of the Latin American continent.
C.L.O. has built bridges between Latin Americans and Dutch citizens and has been a refuge for migrants over the past twenty-five years. Connections have replaced isolation, and enthusiasm and integration have replaced nostalgia. Indeed, the culture of these migrants has been showcased.
For 25 years, with the same objectives, the foundation has changed its strategies and activities in line with the new migratory flows and enriched our city’s multicultural space. They offer guidance to newcomer, ensuring their arrival has a “soft landing.” They have also created a networking platform with local social assistance organisations and migrant groups.
The C.L.O. leads several city-wide projects, including the organisation of International Women’s Day for the past 11 years, Hola Eindhoven, which showcases Latin American culture to the city, and the Mid-Autumn City Festival, which celebrates autumn and diversity with music and dance in an international atmosphere.
In the city of Eindhoven, we belong to a network of organisations that work together to enrich diversity. We also promote this network by creating our “meeting points”—spaces for information exchange and networking. We express our special gratitude to the organisation’s support and comments, Ms Raedts.
“This anniversary is not an endpoint, but a new beginning. Let us move forward together,” gushes Ms Llerena.
Courtesy: www.cloeindhoven.nl
