Foundation - Walk of Wisdom

Walk of Wisdom Foundation

The Walk of Wisdom Foundation is a small foundation with big plans based in Nijmegen.

We are independent of any religion and work with volunteers as much as possible. In addition, we think it is important that the route remains accessible to people with a small budget. The foundation does not receive any subsidy and is entirely dependent on donations for the starter packages, among other things.

Our inspiration is the life force of nature and the connection between people and with the world. As a symbol of that connection, we dream of a pilgrimage route around the world with the same symbols and values.

Read the Charter with our basic principles.
Photo: clean-up action Hatertse Vennen, Marja Hakkoer

Employees

The coordination is in the hands of Manja Bente and René Kwant

Manja has been co-developer of the Walk of Wisdom since 2011 together with pioneer Damiaan. Manja came up with, among other things, the characteristic pilgrim’s lace and bird rings. She is now a part-time coordinator and works as a nursing teacher at an R.O.C.

Damiaan Messing is the creator of the Walk of Walk of Wisdom based on a bachelor’s thesis in Ritual Studies at Radboud University. Damien works as a companion to seniors with dementia and lives as a ‘solo religious’ in a monastery studio separate from a religion.

René Kwant has been co-coordinator of the Walk of Wisdom since 1 November 2024. Throughout his life, he has been concerned with identity, meaning and spirituality in countless ways. In this way he wants to contribute to the growth of consciousness in which the richness and depth of life is revealed.

Manja Bente en René Kwant

Broeder

Board of the foundation

The board is unpaid and consists of three members: Monica Boschman (chairman), Willeke Peeters (secretary) and Angélique Vermeulen (treasurer). Ton Reijnders supports the board with advice and reporting.

Monica is a poet, journalist and writing teacher. With her words, she not only wants to give meaning, but also to be of significance. Nature is a source of inspiration for her poetry, photography and life. Going the way and moving with it, it brought her to the Walk of Wisdom.

Willeke works as a quality of life policy advisor at a housing corporation. She enjoys hiking in the mountains with her family. She also makes multi-day trips and has already walked several stages of the Camino. She is enterprising, creative, social and involved and likes to dedicate herself to the foundation.

Angélique is a secondary school headmistress. She loves walking, cycling and being outside. In addition to being treasurer for the Walk of Wisdom , she gives basketball training. Being meaningful matters in her life.

Ton was a mathematics teacher at a secondary school in Nijmegen and together with his wife was one of the first pilgrims to walk the Walk of Wisdom in 2015. He enjoys his early retirement together with his wife and walks a lot in Europe, including long pilgrimages.

Statutes Walk of Wisdom dated 12 April 2021

Monica Boschman, in het groen

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Ton Reijnders

Volunteers

Dream Team Starter Kits

The Walk of Wisdom could not exist without all the volunteers who make it possible:

Pilgrim’s Office
Tineke Hendriks and Salima Schipper. Replacement: Anja Steenbergen.

Starter packs (packing, tying shoelaces)
Maria Ludikhuize, Vivian Cremers, Lidia van Engeland and Henk-Jan de Vos, Ryon Groenen, Marliz Hustinx, Sytske Zwart, Bodorien Dubbens, Claartje Bos, Birgit van Onna, Joke Greep, Anja Steenbergen, Nellie Direks, Annemieke Dister, Marlies van Schaijk, Jacky Versteeg, Anja van Wegen, Nia van der Burgt, Nico Kroon, Ingrid Jansen, Jon Wouda, Anne Louman and Petra Bloemendaal (Louman & Friso Design Agency)

Route keeper Monique

Markings and GPS
Route management general (our “route keeper”) Monique Zoon.
Markers: Jan Alers, Jasper Koedam, Martijn Pel, Lidy van Lie Peters, Wim and Marianne Groos, Paul and José Noort, Stefan Schoofs, Marlou Elsen and Evert, Karen and Marlene Gloudemans, Riet van Koningsveld, Heli and Drikus Sanders, Anja van Wegen and Gerard van der Wielen.

Thanks to Frank van Soest for the GPS tracks, Conny van Beelen, Ryon Groenen and Ronald Baksteen and Machteld Meij for minor maintenance.

Wim: “It is satisfying to be able to help as a small cog, ‘n’ dot of humanity, in “giving direction” to their lives.

Accompaniment and music departure ceremonies
Valkhof Chapel

Departure ceremony Walk of Wisdom

Musicians: Mark Schilders, Jan Willem van Opstal, Marjolein Pieks, Janneke van Dijk (Goudreinet), Frank Drijvers. Masters of ceremonies: Lidia van Engeland (www.questieconsult.nl), Birgit van Onna, Manja Bente and Lieneke Akkerman.

With thanks to the Valkhof Society for making the 10th century Nicholas Chapel available free of charge.

Stevenskerk:

Ton Reijnders and Jeroen van Zuylen (Stevenspedel). Constantly changing readers. Thanks to our start and end point, the Stevenskerk, for the hospitality.

Accounting
Willy Kokke. Advice: Ger Peters.

Website design and technical management
Ivan Beemster: development and technical management of the website (lijndiensten.com). With the support of the Klei collective (Geertje Roling and others).

Silent walks
Marja Hakkoer and Vivian Cremers: coordination.
Guides: Hans Peerden, Geert Bos, Olga Bakers and various others.

Manage stay list
Olga Bakers, with the support of Gerard Gerritse (technician), manages the overnight list. Thanks also to Mieke Klaver for setting up this list.

Final editing
Damien Brass

SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL THE VOLUNTEERS OF THE STEVENS CHURCH FOR THEIR HOSPITALITY!

Founding Board

The Walk of Wisdom Foundation was founded on 10 October 2011 in Nijmegen by not only Damiaan, but also Huub and Adelheid Kortekaas and Martijn Messing. All three are no longer involved in the board.

Huub and Adelheid are visual artists and designers of the symbol of the
Pilgrim
route.

Martijn is a pioneer in sustainable energy and focuses on the energy transition in Brabant.

Kunstenaarsduo en ontwerper van ons symbool Pelgrim

Martijn Messing

Advisors

Our very first advisor and inspiration was Professor Ronald L. Grimes. The idea of the Walk of Wisdom was developed based on the work of Grimes, specifically Deeply into the Bone: Re-inventing rites of passage (2000), Beginnings in Ritual Studies (1984) and Rite out of Place (2006).

Read the Bachelor’s thesis with a review of his work here and the Dutch summary here.

prof. Ronald L. Grimes

Main partners

Huub and Adelheid Kortekaas (visual artist)
Theo van Stiphout and Sytske Zwart (Intermedi-Art Art Affairs)
Anne Louman (Louman & Friso Design Agency)

Funding

For information on funding and remuneration see link.

Future plans

Strategic plan International pioneering and deepening phase Walk of Wisdom 2021-2024: dangerous.

Foundation details

Business address: Pater Brugmanstraat 33, 6522 EH Nijmegen
Email: [email protected]
Bank account: NL56 TRIO 0254 4007 36
Chamber of Commerce: 53744829 Nijmegen
Tax number/RSI: 850999674 (exempt from VAT)

For more information, please contact the foundation and ask for co-coordinator Manja Bente (06 109 48 951).