Evenzo Consultancy

History has a purpose beyond culture, education, remembrance and research.

I am in constant awe of history. It amazes me how endless it is, and thus it’s potential to inform and inspire us today. It’s the big, universal, history of increasingly complex ways in which matter processes energy that helps you to compare brains, to galaxies, to beehives to cities. It’s the unexpected perspective on human norms which emerges in the present that enables to look differently at past decisions by individuals, and their intended or unintended consequences. It’s that old building in your neighborhood that used to house craftsmen of practices long-gone. It’s the technology you are using to read this text as well as the heaps of collective learning that has gone before this moment to derive meaning from symbols. Heck, it’s even the conversation with your nostalgic elders as they go down memory lane and seek to arrive at an understanding of the present. In short, for me, rooting concepts in the past is not just about having some context, or background. It is about inspiring connections and waging conversation.

But I am also deeply concerned with the ease with which it is used for telling simple stories of “us” and “them”. I fear for the future of the two societies to which I am personally connected: Israel and The Netherlands. The former being stuck in an ironically cruel mix-up of history, identity, purpose and conflict. The latter rediscovering the political capital in nationalism that rejects the realities of globalized society.

Yet, I am driven by all those who not only engage with the past (through research, preservation, commemoration), but also seek to utilize its potential in society; teachers, researchers, story-tellers, and soon.  I have seen, followed and supported the tremendous efforts of many history teachers in and around EUROCLIO, who struggle to accomplish just this on a daily basis. In building bridges across communities of historical consciousness, those educators have taken up a responsibility to raise future citizens that are able to think for themselves and question authority.

I create and contribute to endeavours that take history, and the conversation around it, as glue between people, between groups and between where we’ve been and where we’re heading.

We can work together! There are four main things which I could be doing for you:

1 – Create new collaborations

I like to connect dots and advice people and organisations on the opportunities they have in networking outside of their comfort zone. I am imagining, for example, that you:

• Have an interesting heritage asset (e.g. a collection, a building, a story).
• Are looking to develop this asset (e.g. upscaling, disseminating, investing, etc.).
• Need reliable partners in new contexts (e.g. other countries, sectors, socio-cultural demographics)

Guess what?There are many out there who need you as much as you need them. Let me help you with that! I have worked with many different people and organisations all over Europe and beyond and can help with:

• Vertical collaborations between policy and practice, for example between intergovernmental policy framework makers and local implementers, and vice versa.
• International partnerships in the fields of history education, cultural heritage and remembrance.
• Project-based assembly of teams in the fields of conflict transformation, education, ethics, history,international policy making and relations.

2 – Smart Fundraising

All actions need resources and most of us aren’t fortunate enough to have the wallet needed to realise our ambitions. So we raise funds. But often we go blind into the game. We don’t know the field. We see a deadline and we dive headfirst into the paperwork – while we actually don’t have any time! We don’t know the expectations or the ideas behind certain opportunities. Often a time-consuming and stressful process unfolds. Due to over a decade of work with many different donors and projects, and with lots of trial-and-error, I’m able to help with:

• Conceptualising your ambition (concept notes, position papers, etc.);
• Identifying relevant policy and funding frameworks (opportunities index);
• Proposing concrete fundraising,networking and advocacy actions. (strategy papers, road maps);
• Co-creating and coordinating the development, review and delivery of a full proposal, or partial steps (e.g. Policy/literature referencing, Logical Framework, Theory of Change, Gantt, Pert, etc.)
• Reviewing and quality assessment of ongoing proposals for maximum alignment to donor priorities and references policies.
• Advising on formation of fair and high quality consortia for complex proposals.

3 – Training and Capacity-building

If sharing is caring, then training is building capacities. I am very glad to share my professional experiences with different target groups through dedicated, and tailor-made training. In particular I can be of value in:

• European Union: advocacy and programming
• Fundraising: concepts, methods,leads
• Leadership coaching
• Professional development for historians

4 – Talking and Moderating at Events

I like talking and from what I’ve heard, people don’t mind listening to me. Have been appointed Ambassador by EUROCLIO, and am a comfortable public speaker at events related to my fields of knowledge and interest. I am also a happy moderator which puts both the audience and speakers at ease while keeping a good eye on the time, conversational technicalities and take-away’s. In particular I am glad to moderate talks at international events.