Before the evening begins, Jorien Mesu-Minderhoud arranges the chairs in a circle. No tables. No lectern. No rows of seats like at an information evening. In the centre, she places a few candles and a simple wooden talking stick. Soon it will be passed from hand to hand. Whoever holds it speaks. The others listen.<\/p>\n
Outside, dusk is slowly falling over Middelburg. Inside, the first participants are trickling in. A retired neighbour. A young student. An entrepreneur. A healthcare worker. People who would normally probably never meet, let alone strike up a conversation.<\/p>\n
This is exactly what Jorien began dreaming of a few years ago when she founded the Baobab Circle.<\/p>\n
\u201cI noticed how often conversations these days turn into discussions, she explains. \u201cEveryone has an opinion, but people are listening less and less. Yet it is precisely in listening that so much wisdom lies.\u201d<\/p>\n
That idea forms the basis of the Baobab Circle, an initiative of The Holland Road Foundation. Inspired by the Ubuntu philosophy \u2013 \u2018I am because we are\u2019 \u2013 the foundation organises campfire conversations in which connection is more important than being right.<\/p>\n
Once everyone has found a seat, Jorien opens the gathering with a simple question:<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen was the last time you felt truly heard?\u201d<\/p>\n
There is a moment\u2019s silence.<\/p>\n
In many gatherings, such a silence would be awkward. Not here. Silence is allowed. It\u2019s part of the rhythm of the evening.<\/p>\n
Then one of the participants begins to speak. About a conversation with a neighbour. About the feeling that nobody really has time to listen to one another anymore. Whilst she speaks, nobody is looking at their phone. Nobody interrupts her. There is no debate. No solutions are put forward.<\/p>\n
People are listening.<\/p>\n
Slowly, something magical happens. Stories give rise to new stories. A young participant talks about the pressure of social media. An older resident recognises the feeling of loneliness that lies behind it. Differences in age, background and experiences turn out to be less significant than expected.<\/p>\n
These are precisely the moments when Jorien recognises why the Baobab Circle works.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve become accustomed to debate,\u201d she says. \u201cBut many social issues don\u2019t call for quicker answers. They call for better questions. For curiosity about one another.\u201d<\/p>\n
That conviction didn\u2019t develop overnight. Through her work, she saw how people were increasingly finding themselves at odds with one another. On topics such as quality of life, wellbeing, poverty, education and community life, it proved difficult to have a conversation that allowed for nuance.<\/p>\n
With the Baobab Circle, she wanted to offer an alternative.<\/p>\n
In 2026, that idea took physical shape in Middelburg. Thanks to funding from various organisations, a pilot project was launched featuring public campfire discussions for residents, guest lessons at secondary schools and meetings for organisations.<\/p>\n
Already after the first meeting, the demand proved greater than expected. Schools got in touch. Social organisations showed interest. Companies, too, saw opportunities to use the method within their own teams.<\/p>\n
For Jorien, this came as no surprise.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce people experience what it\u2019s like to be truly heard, they want that more often.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the end of the evening, the candles are still burning softly in the centre of the circle. The participants stand up, pour themselves another cup of tea and chat. No decisions have been made. No policy documents have been written. No problems have been solved.<\/p>\n
And yet, almost everyone goes home a different person from the one they were when they arrived.<\/p>\n
With a greater understanding of another perspective.<\/p>\n
With new insights.<\/p>\n
With the feeling of being part of something greater than themselves.<\/p>\n
A place where people reconnect with one another.<\/p>\n
Perhaps that is the most important outcome of the Baobab Circle. In a society where speed, opinions and polarisation often take centre stage, Jorien, together with her participants, creates a space where something rare happens.<\/p>\n
People meet one another again as human beings.<\/p>\n
Not as representatives of a viewpoint. Not as supporters or opponents.<\/p>\n
But as human beings.<\/p>\n
Just like that, in a circle.<\/p>\n
Around a fire.<\/p>\n