It might seem a bit awkward to write about my youngest secretary on the World Day for Decent Work. This is a regular job, and she likes it. But one of the criteria for ‘Decent Work’ is also the possibility to have a job of your own choice, and that’s my first point. Sari was working as a cashier of a supermarket, when she applied to work at my tribunal. She had the ambition do do something ‘more’, and finally ... had to settle for a damage claim of her employer: if he wouldn’t “free” her immediately, she couldn’t take her job here on time. And she paid him, just to be able to quit for a better job....  Not many employees in this country pay their employers (it seemed a bit the world upside down to me), but she wanted to work here, so she did.

Since August 2009 now, Sari arrives here almost always first, she leaves with the last, and at noon her break is a blitz. Always a volunteer to help, a quick laugh, and inspiring for us all.

So now, she took the next step: studying at university on top of a full time job. She enrolled at the KULAK Law School in Kortrijk, bought the books, and started. This will be though, as she will almost never meet her professors till the exams, but she has the drive to do it, to land an even better job in the Justice Department. Congratulations already now Sari, and good luck: nil volentibus arduum !

Wat u vast niet gemist hebt - Ce que vous n’avez certainement pas râté - You didn’t miss this one did you ?

07 10 2010 Le parquet général estime la garde à vue non compatible avec le droit européen (Le Monde)

A quote a day, keeps the doctor away ;-)

“If women are discriminated against their chances for professional education, as they still are in many parts of the world, should we see this as an issue of justice or care ? If a parent hurts his child through his insensitivity, is this an issue of care or justice ?”

Virginia Held, ‘The ethics of care. Personal, Political, and Global’

Uitnodiging studiedag Armoedebestrijding 14 10 2010