The 18th of June 2019 will be the second Neurodiversity Pride Day, organized in the Netherlands by the Neurodiversity Foundation. Last year was focussed on ‘Neurodiverse Families’, but this year we switch the theme to ‘Neurodiverse Friends’, for there is a lot of that going around in the world, and it deserves celebration. We all have friends who are wired differently, and these are persons who’ve earned our friendship and trust. All of us have Neurodifferent friends that we appreciate, that we like for who they are, that add something to our lives, whether we are Neurodivergent or Neurotypical ourselves. On this day, we will show that, in friendship, bridging the gaps between us, is not so hard. And its worth it.
As an action, on this 2nd ever Neurodiversity Pride Day, we request from our friends, to mark this day in their calendar as Neurodiversity Pride Day, and use the Neurodiverse pride-emblem to show love, connection and support to all Neurodivergent people, by putting the emblem on their social-media profile pictures. The emblem has the ‘faded rainbow’ in it, which is the symbol for neurodiverse Pride, similar to the vividly colored rainbow being used a symbol for LTGB Pride. In this simple way, with this simple action, we create a wave of acceptance and appreciation, to be seen by all, as a message for a brighter future to come.
Note: The links to the social-media emblem will be placed on this page. This page will be updated.
About the 2018 Neurodiversity Pride Day:
NEURODIVERSITY PRIDE DAY – Celebrating Neurodivergent Uniqueness
In this world, there are no mistakes, only variations. We are all here for a reason, and there is quaint beauty beyond the mold of the majority. So it is with great pride that, on June 18th in 2018 in the city of Rotterdam, for the very first time in our nation, we will celebrate neurodivergent uniqueness, together with neurodiverse families in the Netherlands. In the event, there will be speeches and drinks, and we salute, those who accepted, appreciated or supported us being who truly we are. Those who helped us break the molds and the masks. Those who helped us accept ourselves. Those who support us, ‘in being flappy’.
Its a day of ‘neurominority pride’, to stand strong and mark the uniqueness that we are. Pride for being exactly who we are, in a world that may not understand us. A world that feels different from us, but that is still our own home, and the home of those we love. It is day to choose love, to choose connection, choose (self)acceptance. To shine brighter, regardless of the difficulties we faced.
And for some, its a day for coming out, to unmask, to discontinue the hiding, and reveal yourself unto others. Its a day to appreciate neurodivergents like, or unlike you, for who they really are. Its also a day of gratitude, where we honour those who helped us get us where we are now.
The event is in grattitude for those who supported us, and in preparation of a global Neurodiversity Pride event, for which we overtly invite ASAN, ANI & AE to join us & AF4 in 2019.
Speeches by Tjerk Feitsma, Lana Jelenjev, Omotola Bolarin and Eleonora Spagnuolo. If you want to be a speaker or presenter, send the foundation a message via the contactform. Access is free for all.
Support us? One way is to use this
facebook banner or this profile picture to boost the acceptance of this day in our collective calendar.
For this foundation, for this very first event, we, as a team, honour the Cor Wit Fonds with their generous gift of 200.000 to finance our researchprojects on autistic communication. Also we honour specific persons who have helped us on our path towards inclusion or understanding. Those that learned us something new. Those that showed us something we needed to see, by being something awesome themselves, wrapping a specific life lesson to remember and integrate in our daily choices, indirectly helping us to find our voice as a collective, as its growing, in numbers, in strength, and in decibels;
Marie-Jose van den Boogaard (KPN) Michael Amiable (MCF), Rob Basjes (Abena), Peter Seuntjens (PHS Fund), Daan Beukers (Authentict), Peter Brouwer (Autitalent), John Scholtz (consulting), Gigi Wang (ACE), Sjoerd van der Maaden (Specialisterren), Rens Stavorinus (KPN),
Online Department (010), Michiel Willems (H1), Jelle Dijkmans (TU), Aleksandr & Fons & Dennis (Gents), bestuur SHC & partners (SHC), Ruben Habraken (Ece) het voltallige bestuur van Cor Wit Fonds (CWF), Samsung, and the Neurodivergent Narwhals (and all at the Ed Wiley Autism Library).