Dream & deed: “I find it hard to give substance to my concerns”

But he did not kill, because between dream and act
there are hindering laws and practical objections

(from: Willem Elsschot, The Marriage)

Pension may be considered as something for the distant future by generation Z, yet they are the generation of the future. What are their dreams? What are they doing to achieve these? And what is standing in their way? This series is intended to let young people speak about the way now and later on is perceived by them.

Maarten Paauwe (25): “We have to live much more in harmony with nature.”

Who: Maarten Paauwe (25), born and raised in Zeeland. He studied engineering management in Tilburg and married Talitha three years ago, whom he already knows for ten years. “Promising each other to be faithful, is a beautiful thing in my opinion. We were pretty young when we got married, but why wait when you know you are meant to be together?”

Lives: In Gorinchem, where they ended up after a scheduled journey around the world fell apart due to the pandemic. “We sat down with a map of the Netherlands and asked ourselves what would be a nice place to live. Most people only know Gorinchem because of the traffic jams, but it truly is a great old, fortified town.” They are currently renovating the house they bought here in its old style (it was built in 1880). The house will be partly transformed into a bed & breakfast.

Works: At a green contractor, providing green management for municipalities, counties and the Netherlands Department of Public Works.

Enjoys: DIY, reading (mainly newspapers, history and philosophy) and trips to old cities.

What do you dream of?

“I dream of all of us living much more in harmony with the world and nature. Take the IPCC report, for instance. All evidence suggests that we live increasingly more distant from nature. I think this is something we could improve at different levels. On the one hand by means of better landscaping as we shouldn't adjust our planet to our demands. The topic ‘green’ now is the balancing item: we continue to build at every possible location and we plant a few trees should any space be left. This should be the other way around: nature first and some space for human beings here and there. Just look at a schoolyard for example, that almost entirely consists of concrete. Children should already be given the message that we are only guests when it comes to nature. I think humankind should focus more on that, also because it's simply better for our health. The average person is overweight, eats a lot of meat and consumes a lot of dairy products: that's not the way nature is arranged.”

How do you envisage your future?

“On the basis of things, I already have everything I want. I am happily married, own a house, have a great family and enjoyable work. In terms of work, I would like to manage a company someday, so I can implement my vision in a large-scale manner to the green industry. I would like to sit down with policymakers and make the Netherlands more sustainable. In my opinion, the company I am working for now is literally making the world a bit more beautiful by constructing green areas.”

What does your dreamed of pension look like?

“First of all, I hope to be healthy and energetic for a long time, so I can still make a contribution to society in the future. I am wondering if we will ever get a pension though. Many people my age want to become FIRE (Financially Independent & Retire Early), start investing or buy properties in order to be able to retire as early as possible. I don't think that is a healthy way of handling pension, given the costs we already have as a society. Moreover, all evidence suggests it is much better to continue work as long as possible. Albeit at a slower pace, not from eight to five in an office job. You can also contribute to society being a volunteer. So, I hope to be able to do so myself, but I also hope that this will be what society aims for in the future. Older people have so much talent and experience which will all go to waste if they just sit at home or are travelling the world. Of course people should enjoy their freedom, but I truly believe that we, as a society, draw insufficiently on those skills and abilities. I also think it would be great to remain relevant. You could still call it pension if you work twenty hours per week to leave a better society to the next generation. We shouldn't consider work as an obligation, but as something great.”

What is your dream for the Netherlands?

“I would like the Netherlands to become a healthy society, in the broadest sense of the word. We have to commit to a healthy planet, a healthy ecosystem and a healthier bio-industry. The way we are treating animals right now just isn't okay. I read an article a while ago, stating that if people would be slaughtered at the same pace as we slaughter animals, the entire global population would be extinct within seventeen days. I hope the Netherlands will become a frontrunner and shows there is another way to do things. The Dutch could also live a lot healthier. While we are living longer, we also live unhealthier. And finally, I dream of a healthy economic system. The mountain of debt is getting higher and higher. Study loans, national debt; it all increases. That is cause for financial stress. Wouldn't it be great if our country could demonstrate that it's unnecessary to accumulate debts in order to ensure continuity?”

What do you believe goes well in our society?

“One of the greatest things of the Netherlands is that the opportunities here are huge. That also applies if you grow up in a less favorable neighborhood, if your parents have a non-Dutch background or if you were born into a poor family. Everyone here is able to get an education.”

What could be improved in the world?

“Equal opportunities. Talitha and I visited slums in India and that truly is another story. If you grow up there, there's no chance whatsoever to make something of your live. Here, in the Netherlands, hard work usually pays. In India, you can work as hard as you'd like without achieving anything. Isn't that a sad fact?”

What are your matters of concern in view of the future?

“That we still don't seem to recognize the urgency of certain issues. Take, for example, the climate report of the IPCC. Climate change will eventually become irreversible, but when will we realize this? Everything is happening so slowly. I am also worried about the increasing polarization. An endless amount of information is available, we are able to communicate with one another all over the world, but we hardly ever do that. We take more and more refuge in our own bubble. Forum voor Democratie (Dutch political party) wants to start its own society with its own crypto currency, dating app and schools. When I hear that, I think we are truly losing grip on each other. This way we return to a fragmented society. And we should furthermore not forget a generation proud of its cancel culture, in which people are cancelled at the slightest lapse. That leaves us with a cramped society in which everyone chooses their words carefully and is afraid to speak openly, because we are trying to avoid insulting someone. We could take ourselves a bit less seriously. Tolerance is harder to find these days.”

What makes you angry?

“What especially makes me angry is that many things are well arranged in the Netherlands, but that 'we’ don't really care about everything that's going on beyond our national borders. We construct oil pipes in the Middle East, but not water pipes where it's much needed. We use large chunks of land to feed the cows, but we prefer not to do the same for another population. Moreover, what I find particularly disgusting when it comes to the corona policy, is that we buy all vaccines in massive quantities in the West and start vaccinating young people, while vulnerable people over the age of 60 in India are begging to please be vaccinated. And, of course, the pharmaceutical companies are not releasing their recipes. There are more crooked things. I recently read an article stating that the prices of healthy food are rising faster than the prices of unhealthy food. This makes it more difficult for people with a low income to buy healthy food, while that's a basic need.”

What is standing in the way of realizing your dreams?

“Not so much when it comes to my personal dreams. I will mainly have to work hard to realize everything I dream of. I do notice that there are all kinds of things that annoy me, but I find it hard to give these issues substance. I don't know where to turn to with my combativeness. Would it be possible for me to join some sort of climate committee? Are there more younger people like me, full of energy and activism, facing the same problems? Could we debate about these topics together and commit ourselves to make society a better place to live? I am eager to take action, but how do I get in touch with the right people to really accomplish something?”

What is your own contribution to a better world?

“I drive an electric car and I am vegan. That was a deliberate choice as I am trying to demand as little as possible from our planet. Due to that choice, I often discuss the impact of our meat and dairy consumption on the climate with others. It is not my intention to force anyone to become vegan - if you have barely anything to eat, like in some African countries, you just eat what's available - but meat and dairy are not necessary in the Netherlands.

Besides that, I use my talents at a company that's contributing to a better world. It would be very difficult for me to work for a company such as Shell for instance. This is my way to do my part at a small-scale. It would be fantastic should I be able to address these issues on a larger scale, together with others.”