Machiavelli Foundation
 Machiavelli Foundation(Dutch prize committee for most successful propaganda)    | |
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| Headquarters | Netherlands |
The Machiavelli Foundation (Dutch:Stichting Machiavelli) is a Dutch foundation giving awards for successful PR-work, including to The Dutch Safety Board (2015) because of their report on the MH17, and Bellingcat (2019).
Contents
History
The Machiavelli foundation was founded in the late 1980s. Its board consists of politicians, military, central journalists and editors, communication (PR) experts and scientists. The walls that naturally exist between these professions are pulled down for the duration of the board meetings.[1] The present board has a representative from the armed forces, the Director of Communications at the Ministry of Defence.
The Machiavelli Award
The main activity of the foundation is to present a yearly award: the Machiavelli award. This award is granted to a person or organization who has excelled in public communication. The political philosopher Machiavelli makes one immediately think about his principle ‘the end justifies the means’. The Machiavelli award is granted to the person or organization who has been the most effective in putting this principle into practice.[2] ("Always in a positive way and for a positive cause" is the disclaimer, but this can mean just about anything).
- The prize winner in 2019 was Bellingcat
- Former winners include the The Dutch Safety Board (2015) because with their report on the MH17 "they have – where possible – given clarity to [..] the world in general. The way in which the Safety Board has done it provides a good example of outstanding communication." (the end justifies the means...)
Machiavelli lecture
The presentation of the yearly Machiavelli award is traditionally accompanied by a yearly Machiavelli lecture. Past lecturers include:
- 2018 Pete Hoekstra, US Ambassador to the Netherlands, deep state operative whose lecture was entitled The Threat of a Lost Generation
- 2017 Emily Bell, Guardian journalist, professor and founding director of the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism who spoke on The Global Crisis of Local News
- 2014 Tom Middendorp, Commander of the Dutch Armed Forces.[3]
Financing
Sponsors include Public Matters, a Dutch PR-company specializing in Strategic Communciations to influence policy developments [..] and effectively manage stakeholders and media.[4]
Board Members
Marja Wagenaar Director Leadership int. (chairperson)
Wim van der Weegen Director of Communications at the Ministry of Defence (secretary)
Fons Lambie Political correspondent at RTL Nederland
Wilco Boom Political correspondent at NOS.nl
Marjan Hammersma Secretary-general of Media and Culture at the ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW)
Jan Hoedeman Political editor at the newspaper Algemeen Dagblad
Carla Joosten Political editor at Elsevier
Peter van Keulen Director Public Matters
Tom van der Lee Member of parliament GroenLinks
Ivar Nijhuis Directeur Communicatie Ministerie van Justitie & Veiligheid
Stephan Schrover Director-general at the Government Information Service (RVD)
Sjoerd Sjoerdsma Member of parliament D66
Remco Meijer Political editor at the newspaper De Volkskrant
Roos Vermeij Director Pension Fund PME
Harry van der Molen Member of parliament CDA
