My motivation to be an Ambassador of One Planet-One people, is that I value the ancient knowledge of indigenous peoples. It is important that we see that in this era this must used again. I was also at the meeting of December 1-6 , 2015 in Millemont (alternative Earth Summit Paris) and have experienced there how substantial that is.
About Henry Mentink
My dream
I am enterprising and idealistic and know how to excite people to think about a different society. For many years I have been experimenting in the field of new economy and society.
As with many, thoughts about this started coming after a change in my life, in my case when I was around 10 years old. JF Kennedy’s assassination was the moment in which it became clear to me that peace was not obvious. Peace can emerge if we change the rules of living together on earth, so that a more dignified human existence can be created with respect for nature. I am not an activist, or am I? I take action by being the example. Especially on a small scale and starting with myself, like adopting a child in addition to the three own children we already had. In my working life I build the first professional fair trade shop in the Netherlands and set up the first carshare company. Peace is closely related to money and economy. This for me was a reason to write the book “Towards green money” in 1996. To me an economy of sharing is more than the smart sharing of products and services. Equally important is a different business model of an organisation, one that is better suited for this new way of thinking. When sharing cars, one should also share the profit and the responsibility. Another moment that changed my life was the encounter I had in 1991 with Pieter Kooistra, the man who came up with the idea to lend art and who had written a plan for a world basic income. His knowledge runs like a red thread through the things I have done since then. Currently I am in the process of setting up an international center for the new economy in the Veerhuis in Varik, the place where Pieter Kooistra lived. Here I like to explore what else can be shared besides cars and thus take responsibility collectively for a dignified human existence and peace on earth. It will also be the first Village Trade Center in the world. This requires, among other things, a new view on making a business plan. For Pieter Kooistra, I developed the concept of a business plan in a box: a box that invites to develop the inside and outside of an organisation in a balanced way. It is interesting to see what the ‘earning model’ on the inside looks like; the outside with Profit & Loss and balance sheet we already know. The death of my wife Heleen in 2004 was perhaps the most radical moment of change in my life. It brought a great earthly grieve together with heavenly happiness; life has its meaning beyond death. An awareness that gained meaning for me after the acquaintance with Damanhur in Italy. This remarkable community already practices peaceful human existence successfully for 40 years.
Main activities of the last 25 years
Grand Prize Winner at the National Idea line in 1993 with the insurance concept ‘People Linked’.
Director and cofounder of the Foundation for Shared Car use (in association with the Ministry of Transport, 1995-2005), working as director and secretary of the board. As such gained a lot of experience with the media (Nova, 2- Vandaag, RTL-nieuws, Blik op de weg, e.o.) and government on national (Lower House) and regional level (municipalities, provinces). The foundation was operating till the end of 2005; the Ministry of Transport stopped the subsidy after 10 years.
Grand Prize Winner of an artwork and ƒ 20.000 with the idea ‘Air Miles for waste’ of the Province Noord Holland (1996). This idea was derived from the project ‘Environment Participation Fund’, an assignment that was given to CAB by the Ministry of Environment. The NOW-savings card that is mentioned next is the practical implementation of this project.
Secretary and cofounder of the board of the Foundation Reward card: a reward system for sustainable products. Member of the steering committee for the introduction of the Now savings card in Rotterdam in 2002. The NOW savings card is a reward card comparable with Air Miles, only then aimed at the stimulation of sustainable, socially responsible and fair trade products.
Chairman of the Foundation The Fair trade shop Stede Broec. Involved in the Fair trade shop since 1991. Project leader in the early stages, designing, financing and building the first professional Fair trade shop in the Netherlands (1994). The store has been in the top 10 in terms of turnover ever since.
Chairman of the Foundation UNO-income. This foundation is the heir of the deceased artist Pieter Kooistra (1998). He was the creator and founder of the Kunstuitleen (art lending system) in the Netherlands. He also developed plans to stimulate a worldwide supplemental economy: a self-financing worldwide basic income. The inheritance rights have been transferred to the Foundation FEMI.
Director and founder of the car share organisation Wheels4all (Cooperative Association B.A.) in 2002. Started on 1 January 2003 with 6 cars used by 40 participants in a few places in Westfriesland, Netherlands. In 2008 Wheels4all won an encouragement prize of Foundation DOEN of € 100.000,-. The name changed to MyWheels when individuals got the opportunity to put their privat car on the site for shared use.
Director and founder of the Association for Shared Car use (May 2004 – present)
Member of the Supervisory Board (2000 – 2013) of the Fair Trade Organisation in Culemborg. The biggest importer of fair trade products in the Netherlands.
Member of the board (2001 – 2009) of the Martinus College (2000 students) in Grootebroek.
Received a Sustainable Ribbon together with Princes Irene from Minister Cramer (2009) on sustainable Tuesday. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3NF0ZndQOA)
International advisor for the Club of Budapest and their founder Ervin Laszlo
Board member of an administration/accountancy company Boqx0 in Utrecht
Chairman and co-founder of the Stichting EcodorpenNetwerk. Affliated to the Global Ecovillage Netwerk
Boardmember of the local council: Stichting Dorpstafel Varik/Heesselt.
Chairman and founder of the UNO-Foundation; the owner of the Veerhuis – www.veerhuis.nl. It was crowdfunded in 2015; see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NptZ5Zg6Eko&feature=youtu.be Own publications and productions
Books:
Organisatiecultuur en informatiesystemen, 1989 – Stenfert Kroese
Special issue: Milieumagazine, Cap Volmac 1993.
Self-published newspaper: Regional house-to-house newspaper to stimulate sustainable articles “Naturabon krant”, 1994.
Book: Op weg naar groen geld, 1996, Milieu Academie.
Production of a theater dinner on fair trade in association with theater company ’t Open Doekje, 2000.
Co-author of the recent book New Business Models by Prof. Jan Jonker, Professor at the Radboud University in Nijmegen (2014).
Speaker on various conferences / symposiums.