What is Rooted?
Rooted supports people with a migration background in rooting in The Netherlands and mostly, in themselves. Rooting is about embracing your layered identities, dancing between them and authentically being a part of society. This leads to a deep sense of belonging and feeling at home – a basic human need and the foundation of a cohesive society.
“After Rooted, I feel more centered and my chin is up when I walk outside. I did not want this country to change who I am, so that I may fit. I felt I had to be something else, to be accepted or loved. But now I know, I am part of a bigger ecosystem. I belong here, too.”
Philisiwe, Rooted participant, roots in South Africa
Why Rooted?
About 28% of the Dutch population has a migration background, yet many people do not feel (fully) at home. Rooted exists because belonging is a universal need, whether you’ve come to the Netherlands for asylum, love, work, through your parents, or otherwise. Our methodology, grounded in research and lived experience, supports people across eight dimensions of rootedness. This unique and multidimensional method improves people’s sense of belonging, and thereby their agency in taking up space in society. After Rooted, people no longer see themselves as a temporary visitor or someone of whom only a certain part is welcome, but as a full-fledged member of Dutch society. This improves their well-being and strengthens societal cohesion.
Meet Rooted
What we offer
Group weekends
This is at the core of Rooted’s work. A multi-day program, full of workshops and sessions to strengthen your sense of physical, emotional, mental, social, temporal, spiritual, intergenerational and spatial rootedness. You sign up as an individual and become part of a community.
Workshops and in-house trajectories
We offer support for your community, organization or company, looking to build increased safety, inclusion and social cohesion. Ranging from 90-minute workshops to full-day facilitation and longer trajectories, we offer highly customized programs that leave you feeling transformed and strongly rooted, as an individual and collective.
Community-building and events
Beyond our core programs, Rooted organizes community events across the Netherlands, both virtual and in-person. Open to the public or former Rooted weekend participants depending on the event, these gatherings create space for connection and social rootedness. Ranging from small scale neighborhood gatherings to our large annual Rooted Festival.
Advocacy and speaker pool
On a societal level Rooted advocates for an inclusive and cohesive society, in which all people wholly and authentically belong. We publicly share our expertise as thought-leader on belonging to inform policy, build bridges and strengthen our capacity to live together in diversity. One of the ways we do that is through the Rooted speaker pool: bringing together community members with diverse migration experiences who share their authentic journeys from uprootedness to belonging. Through powerful, personal talks, these speakers inspire audiences at events across the Netherlands to embrace diversity as a source of strength.
Our Impact
We analyze our impact rigorously before, right after and six months after Rooted programming. Participants of our programming report:
- Feeling a stronger sense of belonging in the Netherlands
- Feeling more self-confident
- Feeling more connected to their physical environment
- Being able to show a more authentic version of themselves in the workplace
- Experiencing improved physical, emotional and mental well-being
- Feeling more acceptance of all their different identities
- Feeling a stronger connection to a social network
- Feeling an increased strength and motivation to contribute to society
- Experiencing more authentic and equal interactions
- Experiencing increased recognition of themselves in others
- Experiencing increased understanding of the position of others