NABUUR’s history: how it started
Why did Siegfried Woldhek found NABUUR?
Hear him telling the story in his own words here.
A brief history
Siegfried Woldhek and Philipp Kauffmann started the NABUUR foundation at the end of 2001.
During 2002 the necessary elements to make the concept work were identified, namely: Local Communities, online communities, website, Local Representatives, Facilitators and Virtual Neighbours. Also a Board for the Foundation and an Advisory Board were formed.
In the following year the validity of the NABUUR.com concept was successfully tested with 7 initial Villages. It proved to be possible to engage strangers via the media and mobilize them as virtual Neighbours via the Internet.
The focus for 2004 and 2005 was to solve the basic problems around self-organization and get concrete results on the ground, while slowly increasing the number of Local Communities. Lack of funding hampered the progress considerably and called for drastic measures from time to time.
Considerable progress has nevertheless been made: several concrete results on the ground were obtained; the number of Villages grew to 150 in 2006. All in all, NABUUR.com is well on track.
My experience as a Neighbour
When you move up in this world, you should take others up along the way'. I see joining NABUUR.com as a good start to bring this principle into practice.
Wytske Bottema (1970), Facilitator - the Netherlands
Clinton on NABUUR
"Quote Clinton"
“We need to find ways to come together, organize, to do things. NABUUR has been a big part of the Clinton Global Initiative and the work they do is wonderful. I appreciate the fact that you support them and their work with villages around the world.”