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Himalaya Archief Nederland is a non-profit, independent, Dutch NGO set up to inform the people in the Netherlands about the Himalayan region, a region several times the size of Europe. Apart from trekking books, there's hardly any information available in Dutch. As the publishing market here is very competitive, we translate and publish books on a small scale; the books are primarily sold to libraries. Besides translating and publishing books on the Himalayan region, staff members of Himalaya Archief Nederland give lectures at libraries using audiovisual material to illustrate the topics.

Thanks to the availability of excellent films and documentaries as well as a very positive response from the filmmakers, we started organizing the Himalaya Film Festival in 2003. In 2003 and 2004 46 films were screened, and in 2005 71 films. Each festival boasts a ‘Himalayan Lecture’ on, of course, a Himalayan issue, which is given by someone with an outstanding reputation. The Himalaya Film Festival is a way to inform people on the Himalayan region, but also on global issues throughout the region, such as geo-environmental issues in the broadest sense . All kinds of issues are addressed and the films and documentaries find their way to other festivals more easily now. Yet, as we hope to show, the true faces of the Himalayan region remain hidden unless we try to get behind the stereotypes and to look further than our own ‘national interests’. Furthermore, we have a vast network of people supporting us: academics, filmmakers and journalists from many countries. http://www.himalayafilmfestival.nl/

The Team & Foreign Partner:

The Team organizing the Himalaya Film Festival mainly consists of volunteers, but some are professional translators or web designer who are paid for their work:

Dr Glenn Mitrasing: Team leader, medical doctor, GP and doctor in Tropical Health.(He worked for five years as the general secretary of ICFON: International Council for Friends of Nepal, the Netherlands)
Dr J.W. Wirds: Secretary, medical doctor, anaesthetist
Jan Duin: Designer (worked for Sony, nowadays for a number of Dutch papers)
Jan Boot: Executive Director, Engineer in daily life.
Mathijs Vrieze: Web designer of www.12design.nl
Marianne Palm & Nicole Seegers: Translators
Niek Rouw: Public Relations, Lawyer in daily life

*The Foreign Partner:

Himalaya Archive Japan (NPO (nonprofit organization))

Kunihiko Tanaka (the Representative, video Journalist & filmmaker)


Bylaw

In legal terms we are a foundation. That means that our legal status and regulations (statutes) are examined and confirmed by Dutch Law through a notarial act at a notary's office.

We are also a member of the regional Chamber of Commerce where our rules and regulations are deposited in conformity with the law. It's a prerequisite for all activities such as opening a bank account, subsidy applications, sponsorships, selling books to libraries, tickets sale.