Writer and former politician Jan Terlouw

Writer and former politician Jan Terlouw writes a page for our pilgrim’s book and thus becomes the forerunner of the Walk of Walk of Wisdom. Terlouw was, among other things, party chairman of D66 in the House of Representatives, minister and deputy prime minister and Queen’s Commissioner in Gelderland. He gained great fame by writing children’s books (such as Pyotr and Winter of War). 

In recent years, he has been committed to animal rights and the transition to a sustainable society. He combines flair with wisdom and that still at an age that is nothing short of formidable! From a 2011 speech:

“Why am I here one night in Barneveld, with my old body? Because I think it’s important that more attention is paid to the introduction of sustainable energy in the Netherlands…

We are moving towards a sustainable society, from a linear economy to a circular economy, in which waste materials are the building materials for new products. The people who believe in it are the realists. The people who think: “No, you don’t have to, we can go on wasting, using up and so on” are the utopians, because that’s not how it is. That won’t happen! In 1900, there were 1 billion people on earth. By 2050, that number is expected to reach 9 billion.

My century, the last one, was the century of wars. The people’s job then was to dampen that. The task of the young people of this century is to ensure that by 2050 9 billion people will have good shelter, 9 billion people will have energy and 9 billion people will have a decent level of prosperity. Do you know what the sobering thought is? That your children belong to that 9 billion!