Maastricht Musings

Photo: ©Bert Janssen for Pecha Kucha

Susan listens to Bob at Pecha Kucha Maastricht evening

I am keeping busy, teaching Management Principles for a sort of community college, conducting research for Maastricht University's new architecture and urban planning programme, writing for our online expats' newspaper, Crossroads, becoming involved in the tenant's board of my apartment building and most critically, becoming more involved in the discussion about the conditions for expats in the Maastricht area. Here's my latest entry:

Maastricht Region Expats: The good, the bad and the ugly

October 21, 2009  By Drs. Susan Schaefer

The issue:

There is a leadership vacuum to initiate a strategic, creative problem-solving engine designed solely to address the well-documented lack of services, spirit and support for the Maastricht region’s expat community. In a coincidental way, this is tied into Maastricht’s bid to become European Cultural Capital City in 2018. What a powerful opportunity exists to embark on meaningful and sweeping cultural change.

The existing belief:

“We’ve already studied this issue!” We’ve had a research team and they provided us with their findings.” “We’re opening an international or expat desk at city hall. We’ve heard you. We’re moving forward.”

The reality:

It is very different. Being a member of the expat community here, one hears the deeper, underlying issues. This is not solely ‘anecdotal’ (gossip). There are serious disconnects, gaps that have to do with many criteria. But an overwhelming consensus from the expat, or international, residents is that Maastricht culture is not ‘embracing’. Once you’ve had your dinner out, picked your kid up from a good international school, seen a wonderful exhibit, heard André Rieu, you’re alone with only the other internationals. Maastricht and the region open only so far. Basically it is a tourist-oriented society. Actions speak louder than words and they say: “You are welcome to use our wonderful resources but please don’t expect to become a meaningful part of our society.” Hang out the “closed” sign.

Charles Landry, the world-renowned author and expert on creating Creative Cities, (places where diversity is truly embraced, welcomed and integrated into the existing culture), was in Maastricht last week as keynote of the Creativity and Innovation Conference. Landry notes that it is not enough to have nice cafés, museums, galleries, shopping, educational systems, parks, transportation, etc. Not enough. Rather, there must be leadership that guides meaningful change. Leadership that helps the public sector, businesses, educational institutions, NGOs, not-for-profits, etc., become themselves the change agents - change agents that understand that it is essential not only to attract but also to keep talent and diversity. To do so, like the City of Liverpool has shown, the public and private sector must find ways to meaningfully integrate this vast pool of ‘outsiders’, (a terrible Dutch word for those not inside the mainstream culture, buitenlanders.)

What’s at stake?

Everything. People who come here from other places leave. They tell others, “Oh, it’s a gorgeous area but too hard to integrate. Forget it!” Even the university students leave. We know that shrinkage is a future threat to cities. Bringing in internationals can and will help areas combat this imminent scenario.

Local businesses depend upon talent from around the globe. Local businesses need these highly educated guest workers to embrace and enjoy their experiences working, living and playing in the Maastricht region. Even the term guest worker brings up another time when less educated individuals were invited to do the work that no one else wanted to, then, once they completed their ‘assignments’ they were hung out to dry – left to fend for themselves. Not nice.

On the surface, this stunning area of the world seems ideal and idyllic. Lovely natural surroundings, interesting and comfortable housing, international schools for the children, a location that permits relatively easy access to everywhere in the world, nice cultural institutions, excellent accommodations and culinary establishments, fairs, festivals…. What else could anyone ask for?

Audience, audience, audience!

“We already know everything”, said one member of a planning team recently looking at the expat problem. “All we have to do is showcase, market, and promote our assets as listed above. The employers already know what their expats want.” This is precisely the thinking that keeps the problem encapsulated in its tight, shiny little bubble. The problem is, as we have seen with the economic crisis, eventually all bubbles burst.

Ask the expats what works, what doesn’t and why? Ask them in multiple ways. Hold “World Café” style forums all around the region. Have individual companies do this and prepare their findings. Convene “Open World Café” forums for those who live here but don’t work for the big companies. Hire the people from Maastricht University to facilitate them. They have excellent teams of facilitators working with young, bright professors in the business school and faculty.

Make the research a public relations effort in itself. Be visible. Show the expat community you care. Meet, tell stories, and integrate your talented ‘guest workers’ truly into the society here.

Expats are essential ingredients to a viable Maastricht region economy and cultural capital endeavor. They are audience and stakeholder. They represent an opportunity to open a society that is attractive but closed.

Communicate, communicate, communicate

Expats hear nothing from the leadership. An expat forum was held almost two years ago. The results were published but in very limited quantities. Public engagement means engaging the public in two–way conversations and publicizing the results. Communication is NOT A ONE TIME EVENT!

Begin an English language section in all relevant media. Employers could advertise to support this. Stores, cafés, restaurants could also advertise their goods in English to attract expat shoppers. Use the newspapers, brochures, and signage as ways to keep the dialogue flowing. Expats who stay on will learn the local language, but until they do, it is a responsibility to help them.

Show leadership

Someone has to take the lead in this. What is everyone afraid of? The entire community will sink or swim if something isn’t done to address how badly the expat situation is being handled.

Hold a creative strategic session with a neutral facilitator to help you figure out who should do what, when and why and with what resources. Divide up the tasks. But, please, do something.

About the author:

Drs. Susan Schaefer, APR, guides clients to seek answers in unexpected places. Certified as a facilitator from the MIT-Harvard Public Disputes Program, accredited in public relations (APR), with dual Masters’ Degrees in English Linguistics and European Public Affairs, Schaefer brings dynamic perspective to client work. The former newspaper publisher and editor, and active university professor and writer, has over 30 years experience providing counsel to government, business, NGO and not-for-profit leaders from such fields as higher education, banking, environment, architecture, engineering, finance, and law. Schaefer has received numerous professional honors, including the highest tribute in the United States’ public relations field, the Silver Anvil Award of Excellence, and the Diamond Achievement Award in Humanities from Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which acknowledges intellectual achievement and the integration of a liberal education with social responsibility.

In September I hosted a reunion of my Masters in European Public Affairs class. We spent a weekend together. Pure bliss!

Here, in my Aunt Sybil's most enchanting garden sits my mother-in-law, Geri, enjoying a cup of coffee. 

My friend Sandra is now the executive director of the Netherlands Breast Cancer Society. Here we are at a pink ribbon event in Maastricht.

A new friend, Uli, gave me a tour of neighboring city, Aachen, Germany