Malika Laziz, de vrouw die afgelopen dinsdag om het leven kwam bij een busongeluk van pelgrims in Medina, was lerares islamitische godsdienst. De zevenentwintigjarige Rotterdamse werkte onder meer op basisschool de Zonnekorf in Overschie. Op de Overschiese school is het rouwproces in volle gang.

Na de massale generositeit en het nationale saamhorigheidsgevoel van de afgelopen week was het weer tijd voor wat onheilspellende televisie. Vrijdagavond werd in ‘De leugen regeert’ uit de doeken gedaan hoe serieuze journalisten in de door de Tsunami getroffen gebieden voor het karretje van de televisieactie worden gespannen.

“Knowledge is power and thus our most important weapon against racism and hate”. This is main the statement of the Flemish web portal Kif Kif. And this peaceful weapon is indispensable, because in spite of the hundreds of television discussions and the increasing problemizing of for example Islam in northern Europe, the knowledge about other cultures is very scarce. KifKif.be organizes informative, opinion making, educational and leisurely initiatives to fill this lack of knowledge.

After four years of struggle with the Dutch ministry of culture De Nieuwe Omroep – The New Broadcasting Network – has finally succeeded. The network has been granted to make 100 hours of television and 450 hours of radio in 2005 on one of the national channels. In the last few years it has been publishing refreshing video reports, articles and weblogs about human rights, environmental issues and global proportions. Focussed on solutions instead of problems, De Nieuwe Omroep strives for practical idealism. “There are so many great initiatives out there”.

You don’t need many words to explain the function of Move your ass.tv. The Dutch media portal is exactly what it says. Encouraging young people to undertake action in making the world a better place. By informing, explaining and giving helpful tips. And they made the impossible possible by doing it in a really cool format. With 30.000 visitors a month, 50 articles and more than 100 video reports made, they are a fresh breeze through the foggy and dull landscape of ‘doing good’ sites.