Who are we and what does the Amsterdam Participation Act Advisory Council (
What is the Participation Act Advisory Council and why does it exist?
The Amsterdam Participation Act Advisory Council is a group of residents who advise the municipality on issues related to work and income. We represent the voices of Amsterdam residents who fall under the Participation Act to the mayor and aldermen and to the Work, Participation, and Income department of the municipality of Amsterdam. This is important so that they are well informed about the issues affecting the people concerned. The municipality is legally obliged to take this advice into account when making decisions.
The recommendations cover topics that fall under the Participation Act, such as social assistance, reintegration, and working with a disability. The aim is to translate feedback from Amsterdam residents into recommendations for civil servants, so that this can be taken into account in providing better support to unemployed Amsterdam residents.
The Participation Act stipulates that every municipality must have a Participation Act Advisory Council.
About us: who is on the advisory board?
The Advisory Board consists of Samar Shaalan, Didi Luijckx, Edgard Gommeren, Richard Janse, Gijs Heuff, Willem Lubbersen, Ron Rövekamp, and Muriël Richard.
The members meet on the first Wednesday of the month, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Cliëntenbelang Amsterdam. The meetings are open to the public. Please send an email via the contact form if you would like to attend a meeting. We come from different parts of Amsterdam and each bring our own knowledge, experience, and perspective to the table. We have experience with both the legal and practical aspects of the Participation Act. We discuss various topics and organize meetings to gather feedback. We listen to the experiences of Amsterdam residents.
What exactly does the advisory board do?
The Advisory Council provides the municipality with solicited and unsolicited advice on the Participation Act. We listen to people's voices and experiences. We do this through conversations and meetings with them. We do this voluntarily and independently. We hope that our efforts will also benefit you.
The municipality is then legally obliged to take this experience into account in its new plans. These plans may also work to your advantage!