Interview with youth candidate - Julia Kleinrensink #7

Who are you and where are you from?

I am Julia. I am doing my master's degree in administrative and organisational sciences, and before that I did the bachelor's degree in general social sciences. I moved to Utrecht 6½ years ago, when I started studying. My third and current place to live is in a Socius project, where elderly and young people live together.

I am originally from Voorschoten, but I was born in Kenya. That's where my parents lived at the time, because my father worked for Foreign Affairs. Unfortunately, I don't remember anything about it, as I moved back to the Netherlands at 2½ years old. I actually want to go back once more to see what life is like there, to see where I grew up for part of my life and also because in such a different situation you start thinking again about things that are so obvious in the Netherlands.

Why did you choose to study General Social Sciences (ASW)?

I knew in high school that I wanted to do something social. I went to many open days then, but with many social studies I felt I was missing another piece of the story. The stereotype that people can't choose at ASW is totally true for me! I wanted it all in there. The idea that you cannot look at a social problem from one angle, but that you need multiple facets to do so appealed to me a lot. So you have to look not only at parenting, for example, but also at society. I really support this and that is what I like about it.

It is also very useful for the city council, that learning from different perspectives. I have found that it really adds value. Last year in my administrative year, for example, I was the one who always wanted to highlight several sides. There is always a “on the one hand and on the other”. For me, it's normal to include everything in a decision. So I am very happy that I chose ASW.

Where did you do your board year?

I did an administrative year at the Landelijk Overleg Fracties (LOF). That's a foundation dedicated to co-determination at universities; it sits in the office of the National Union of Students (LSVb). It is important that students themselves can also have a say in their education. We therefore supported co-determination, so, for example, letting councils and study programme committees know what their rights are and what they can do with them.

What is your master's thesis that you are currently writing about?

I am writing my thesis on debt relief. The reason for this was that I wanted to know more about it. There is a lot of focus on debt relief these days and solutions are quickly put forward, but it is a very complex problem with many sides to it. Before I have an opinion on it myself, I want to know more about it.

I am doing research on Mobility Mentoring, which is an intervention from America. In the Netherlands, many municipalities are positive about this intervention and in my thesis I investigate whether you can just use an intervention from a completely different context in the Dutch context. I also shadowed debt relief workers myself and that was very instructive. Here I noticed what kind of student bubble I am walking around in.

Why do you think debt relief is so important?

I have always had a strong sense of justice. I it myself was given a lot of opportunities. I grew up in a middle-class family, in a village, good school. Not everyone takes that for granted. I just find it very unfair that not everyone gets those same opportunities and that what you get depends so much on where you are born. That shouldn't be necessary as far as I'm concerned. If you are unlucky, you should be given the opportunities to move on. Debt is the ultimate example of this. People in debt are often already in dire straits for one reason or another. If people can't pay their rent because they are ill or have very high healthcare costs, you shouldn't say it's their own fault and they should just work harder. That can make me so angry. Sometimes things happen in life that are just rotten and then there should just be an opportunity for you to recover from that and get on with it. The feeling that not everything is possible for everyone makes me really angry. Something needs to be done about that.

What has been your first experience with DWARS?

The first time was a get-together not so long ago. There is a very accessible atmosphere at DWARS where everyone can join in. It is a warm bath with pleasant people where you immediately feel at home and I really enjoyed experiencing that. What I also really like about DWARS is that there are many young people who are so socially involved and have a developed opinion. When I was as old as these DWARSers, I was very involved in politics, reading the newspaper every day, and debating, but I hadn't got to the point where I had figured out that you could be a member of a political party and be active there. So now I see that there are people who, at such an age, are already so involved and thinking about how to make the world a better place. I think that's just really cool.

How could DWARS add to your candidature?

I think DWARS has a lot of focus on the young candidates. It is nice to see that there is so much focus on that and so much personal attention. I think DWARS does that professionally. It is also very good to appeal to young people and that you encourage them to at least vote for their future. I think it's important to have students participating in door-to-door campaigns. It often really works better when there is someone your own age in front of you coming to tell you that it is important to vote. I think DWARS fulfils that role very well here in Utrecht. I also admire you all for doing that alongside your studies.

What binds you to the city of Utrecht?

Now that's mainly the university, because I study here. But when I just started studying, I also wanted to live in the city. It is a very pleasant city where there is a lot to do, but on a small scale. There is a lot of culture, there are so many events every weekend and there are bands everywhere you can go to. The variety in it is also nice. It's a nice city to have a coffee, walk through, cycle through. It is just a beautiful city where there is a lot to see and do.

What would you like for Utrecht?

I would love to see even more focus on there being space for everyone. The city is now quite dominated by people who are highly educated, have a good job and can afford to go somewhere for coffee. I think we should not lose sight of the fact that there are people for whom that is not self-evident. I think Utrecht is already doing a good job of that. For example, Utrecht is one of the few places where Dutch is taught in asylum seekers' centres. I think that's a really good step and I also think it's very characteristic of Utrecht that we are working on it in this way, but we still need to go further. Poverty is still a problem we have to deal with. We have to make sure there is a place for everyone and that those people with a small income are not driven further and further out of the city.

GroenLinks is now working on additional social housing, I think there is a very important point there. It is a popular city and we need to make sure that people with smaller wallets are not forgotten. Personally, I think it's very important to make sure you can participate at a young age. If you start with children, it will have an effect for another 80 years. This means good support in language skills. The other day, when I went to eat with a Syrian family through the Eet mee! I met a 15-year-old boy who likes history and philosophy best. He was such an intelligent boy and he just comes into his own best at university. That just because your Dutch is not good enough at the moment is a reason to drop out in the school system already, I find very distressing. These people should also have the chance to go through the whole system and come out where they belong.

Why is GroenLinks the party for you?

I'm in the social corner of GroenLinks myself. Injustice is something that makes me run ten times faster and that I can talk about for hours. GroenLinks is also very much into that and endorses that piece in a very positive way. It's not just wanting things to be different, but also thinking about how to do them differently. I think that is very important. They are not just a countermovement, but help think of a constructive solution.

What has been your biggest challenge in your political career so far?

A lot! I think it takes a lot of getting used to the fact that your political opinion is so well known to everyone. I've never been secretive about it, but now everyone knows before they me Knowing. Suddenly am your GroenLinks. You have to think sometimes now what you say to whom and why. What I'm very curious about in politics is how you make sure it stays real. That you are really engaged with why you ever started doing it and don't go all in that mill, forgetting your ideals and making concessions because “that's just the way it works in politics”. I really want to watch out for that and still be able to look myself in the mirror in four years' time and say that I have been working towards a fairer Utrecht and a more beautiful Utrecht.

What do you want to do in the municipal council in the coming period?

It depends on which portfolio I get. I am very much looking forward to being involved in content and thinking “okay, we have this city, how are we going to make it even better?”. I hope to be particularly involved in the social domain and making sure that regardless of your background, you can get where you want to go. Subjects like youth, work and income, WMO are now entirely in the hands of the municipality, so for me those are portfolios that are very interesting from an administrative point of view and where you are also doing social work. So I would really love that.