Rootedness doesn’t stop with the individual. What we learn together with our community about identity, migration and belonging, we also want to bring into the broader societal conversation. As a thought leader, as a partner for policymakers and organizations, and as a movement that gives voice to rooted stories. This is how we contribute to a society in which everyone can feel at home, without having to leave parts of themselves behind.

We are a thought leader on belonging

Rootedness isn’t an abstract concept for us, but a methodology: eight dimensions, grounded in academic literature and years of practical experience. We actively share that knowledge with the outside world.

Our founder Noor Cornelissen gave a TEDx talk, titled ‘Where I am, I belong – rethinking home and identity’, bringing the Rooted philosophy to a wider audience. Together with Rooted community member and speaker Philisiwe Twijnstra, she will take the stage to Brainwash Festival in 2026, to share more about our philosophy on rooting versus integrating.

We’re also building a growing group of ambassadors. Through our speaker pool we connect personal stories to broader societal questions in organisations, at events, and in the public debate. They are agents of change who spread the conversation about rootedness further than we ever could alone.

We help shape the public conversation

Beyond the stage, we bring the Rooted perspective into print and audio. Our stories and ideas have appeared in outlets such as Trouw, Happinez and Psychology Magazine. We publish personal stories from our community in Nieuwe Grond, our own magazine, not just to make individual experiences visible, but to tell a collective story about what it means to feel at home in a society that keeps becoming more diverse. We took the conversation into audio too, with a podcast with Anum Farooq of Odyssey Global Media, bringing the Rooted perspective to listeners beyond our own community.

From 2026, we’re entering a multi-year partnership with Pakhuis de Zwijger. Together, we’re developing a public series of ten events that deepen the conversation about identity, belonging and living together. This brings the Rooted philosophy to a wider audience and creates space for new perspectives on belonging in a super-diverse society.

We advocate for a different perspective on integration

The public debate about living together is often narrowed down to an individual task: the newcomer must adapt in order to belong. We believe it can, and should, be different. We make that voice heard where policy is made.

In 2026 we submitted a letter to the standing parliamentary committee for Social Affairs and Employment, in response to the legislative debate on integration and social cohesion. In it, we argue for approaching integration as a collective process rather than an individual achievement, and for recognizing multidimensional rootedness as a policy goal alongside language and work. Rooting instead of integrating.

As a result of our letter, we are currently in conversation with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment on possibilities to learn from our methodology and scalability for broader policy.

Want to meet us, invite us, or collaborate? Get in touch.