Oxfam Novib celebrates 5 years of impact during hybrid event

From cocoa bean to chocolate bar

Where does the cocoa bean for your favorite chocolate bar actually come from? And does everyone who contributes to it receive a fair wage? The five-year FAIR for ALL program by Oxfam Novib focused on precisely those questions: how do we ensure fair value chains where human rights are respected at every step?

Together with fair trade partners, a lot of hard work has gone into driving change over the past five years. For instance, they managed to get four major Dutch supermarkets to achieve a fairer income in their private-label chocolate supply chains. A great moment, therefore, to celebrate successes, share knowledge, and connect.

Maxime Boumans, Knowledge and Learning Specialist at Oxfam Novib, shares: "For the conclusion of Power to Voices, 120 participants from home and abroad came together. From NGOs and partners to the ministry. In addition, 35 participants joined online. A hybrid setup for the event was therefore required. And that was possible at Museon-Omniversum."

The museum as part of the program

Museon-Omniversum had been on Maxime's radar for a while.

"Not only because of the unique location and great accessibility, but primarily because of the thematic match. Sustainability, science, and the way we treat each other and the world: these are subjects that matter to both of us. For example, vegetarian catering is a must for us and goes without saying at Museon-Omniversum."

The common ground also became apparent during the event.

"The learning labs took place right in the middle of the museum. Along the way, participants walked past an exhibition on recycling, which tied in with one of the sessions on Fair Wear. In this way, the museum became part of the program."

Hybrid technology without worries

For Oxfam Novib, it was important that remote participants could join just as well as the people at the venue. This allowed them to limit air travel while still bringing everyone involved together. In the auditorium, the plenary sessions, panel discussions, and online participants all came together in a single hybrid setting.

Technical partner ATNEM provided the technical support. "The technical team was fantastic and super flexible. They made sure all presentations and laptops worked and professionally guided the online portion. That way, we could focus entirely on the program and the participants."

From plenary session to learning labs

The various spaces made the event varied and versatile. The plenary sessions and panel discussions took place in the auditorium. In the learning labs, participants worked in smaller groups on different themes. And in the foyer, participants sat at long tables for a delicious Indonesian lunch.

"The reactions from the participants were positive," Maxime says. "The program and the location were enthusiastically received. During the event, participants also got to experience a part of the exhibitions. This way, the environment and the content reinforced each other, and we came together around one shared goal: making the world a little bit better."

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