Since becoming a member of ENIEC, I have experienced a strong connection with both national and international networks and collaborations. My first ENIEC trip took me to Finland in 2024, where I met Alara and Renske from Kokon Architecten: two young, dynamic professionals with whom I discussed my work and my ambition to develop a culturally sensitive form of housing for older adults with a migration background.
They work with a method in which older people themselves are central to articulating what matters to them. That encounter marked the beginning of a valuable collaboration. Back in the Netherlands, I invited them to organise sessions in Hengelo with Turkish and Suryoye older adults. These gatherings provided essential insights into what older people themselves truly value, free from professional assumptions and system logic.
In 2025, the ENIEC Annual Meeting took place in Nijmegen, where I was part of the organising working group. During this event, I attended an inspiring workshop by Prof. Dr. Masi Mohammadi, which left a strong impression on me. This kind of knowledge exchange and the ability to connect around shared issues illustrates, for me, the power of ENIEC.
Now that I am organising a symposium in Almelo on behalf of my organisation IMEAN, we are once again experiencing the value of this network. There has been an enthusiastic response to our invitation to participate. Alara and Renske will be running a workshop, Prof. Dr. Masi Mohammadi will give a lecture, and Yvonne and Jeanny will take part in the panel discussion. Without ENIEC, these valuable connections would likely never have come about.
Sevilay Luiken-Dalli
