The Walk of Wisdom Foundation is a small foundation with big plans based in Nijmegen.
We are inspired by the connection between people and the world. That’s why our big plan is a global pilgrimage route. We are independent of any religion and work with volunteers as much as possible. In addition, we think it is important that the route is accessible to people with a small budget.
Read the Charter with our basic principles.
The coordination is in the hands of Manja Bente and Damiaan Messing.
Manja has been co-developer of the Walk of Wisdom since 2011 together with pioneer Damiaan Messing. Manja came up with, among other things, the characteristic pilgrim’s lace and bird rings. She is also a lecturer in nursing at an R.O.C.
Damiaan came up with the concept of the Walk of Wisdom as a result of a bachelor’s thesis in the Ritual Studies course at Radboud University Nijmegen. He works as a companion for elderly people with mild dementia in Amsterdam and lives as a ‘free religious’ in the monastery studio Broeder Damiaan in Amsterdam.
The board is unpaid and consists of four members: Monica Boschman (chairman), Jan Alers (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. www.monicaboschman.nl.
Jan works as a strategic advisor at a housing corporation in Arnhem. He has a passion for nature and has been involved with the foundation since 2016 as an advisor and member of the supervisory board, in the story and return day for pilgrims and as a route marker.
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.
In daily life, Angélique Vermeulen is the headmaster of a secondary school. 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.
Statutes Walk of Wisdom dated 12 April 2021
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, Quinta Buma, Jon Wouda, Anne Louman and Petra Bloemendaal (Louman & Friso Design Agency)
Route keeper Monique
Markings and GPS
Route management in general (our “route keeper”) Monique Zoon.
Markers: Jan Alers, Jasper Koedam, Annet Kooijmans, 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 Valkhof Chapel
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 Lineke 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 several 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 STEVENSKERK FOR THEIR HOSPITALITY, YOU ARE OUR START AND END POINT!
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.
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. All three are no longer involved in the board.
Damiaan was a pioneer of the route until June 2020. He then spent a sabbatical with Buddhist forest monks in England. Since July 2021, he has been helping to further develop the pilgrimage tradition.
Our very first advisor and inspirer: prof. 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.
As of July 2014, Richard Engelfriet is an advisor to the board. Richard is a trainer and chairman of the day and writes thought-provoking, positive intelligence-inspired books such as How do I catch a rat? and Passion! or more recently : It can be as simple as that.
Furthermore, the foundation is advised by Erwin Akkerman, project manager at the Regional Tourist Office Arnhem Nijmegen. Erwin advises, among other things, on the coordination between the municipalities in the region through which the route runs.
All our advisors are unpaid.
For information on funding and remuneration see link.
Strategic plan International pioneering and deepening phase Walk of Wisdom 2021-2024: link.
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)
More information : contact the foundation and ask for one of the coordinators Manja Bente (06 109 48 951) or Rob van Sprang: mail.
