Boris van der Ham
Encyclopedia
Boris van der Ham is a Dutch
politician
and former actor
. On 23 May 2002 he has become a member of the Dutch House of Representatives for Democrats 66
(Democraten 66), a social liberal party
. In November 2006 he has also become vice-Parliamentary group leader
. He focuses on matters of education
, drug policy
, culture
, mass media
, economic affairs
, environment and energy, social equality
, democracy
and freedom of speech
.
at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences before being admitted to Maastricht Academy of Dramatic Arts. After graduation he worked as an actor for various theater groups. Van der Ham was a member of the Young Democrats
from age 15. From 1998 to 2000 he was their chairman.
Together with members of GreenLeft
and the Dutch Labour Party he drafted the bill that led to the first Dutch referendum
in 2005 in two hundred years. It concerned the European Constitution. He drafted several bills for equal rights, for abolishing the ban on blasphemy
in the Dutch Law, and a reform of the formation of the government. In 2007 he wrote a book Voortrekkers en Baanbrekers ('In the front row') about the role of the Netherlands in the European Union after the referendum of 2005
.
Since January 2010 he has a weekly vlog
on YouTube
about freethinking and liberalism
. On 9/11 2009 he made his first English spoken Freethoughtvlog about the Ground 0 Mosque.
.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and former actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. On 23 May 2002 he has become a member of the Dutch House of Representatives for Democrats 66
Democrats 66
Democrats 66 is a progressive and social-liberal political party in the Netherlands. D66 was formed in 1966 by a group of politically unaligned, young intellectuals, led by journalist Hans van Mierlo. The party's main objective was to democratise the political system; it proposed to create an...
(Democraten 66), a social liberal party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
. In November 2006 he has also become vice-Parliamentary group leader
Parliamentary group leader
The leader or chairman of a parliamentary group holds an influential political post in a parliamentary system with strong party discipline...
. He focuses on matters of education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, drug policy
Drug policy of the Netherlands
The drug policy of the Netherlands officially has four major objectives:# To prevent recreational drug use and to treat and rehabilitate recreational drug users.# To reduce harm to users....
, culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
, mass media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
, economic affairs
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
, environment and energy, social equality
Social equality
Social equality is a social state of affairs in which all people within a specific society or isolated group have the same status in a certain respect. At the very least, social equality includes equal rights under the law, such as security, voting rights, freedom of speech and assembly, and the...
, democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
and freedom of speech
Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...
.
Biography
Van der Ham studied historyHistory
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences before being admitted to Maastricht Academy of Dramatic Arts. After graduation he worked as an actor for various theater groups. Van der Ham was a member of the Young Democrats
Jonge Democraten
The Young Democrats is the social-liberal youth organisation of the Netherlands, founded in 1984. With over 5000 members it's the largest non-Christian political youth organisation of the Netherlands...
from age 15. From 1998 to 2000 he was their chairman.
Together with members of GreenLeft
GreenLeft
GreenLeft is a green political party operating in the Netherlands.GreenLeft was formed on 1 March 1989 as a merger of four left-wing political parties: the Communist Party of the Netherlands, Pacifist Socialist Party, the Political Party of Radicals and the Evangelical People's Party...
and the Dutch Labour Party he drafted the bill that led to the first Dutch referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
in 2005 in two hundred years. It concerned the European Constitution. He drafted several bills for equal rights, for abolishing the ban on blasphemy
Blasphemy
Blasphemy is irreverence towards religious or holy persons or things. Some countries have laws to punish blasphemy, while others have laws to give recourse to those who are offended by blasphemy...
in the Dutch Law, and a reform of the formation of the government. In 2007 he wrote a book Voortrekkers en Baanbrekers ('In the front row') about the role of the Netherlands in the European Union after the referendum of 2005
Dutch referendum on the European Constitution
The Dutch referendum on the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe was a consultative referendum that was held on 1 June 2005 to decide if the Netherlands would ratify the proposed Constitution of the European Union....
.
Since January 2010 he has a weekly vlog
Vlog
Video blogging, sometimes shortened to vlogging or vidding or vidblogging is a form of blogging for which the medium is video, and is a form of Web television. Entries often combine embedded video or a video link with supporting text, images, and other metadata. Entries can be recorded in one take...
on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
about freethinking and liberalism
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
. On 9/11 2009 he made his first English spoken Freethoughtvlog about the Ground 0 Mosque.
Personal life
Boris van der Ham was raised a Remonstrant but turned an agnostic later on. He is openly gayGay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
.