- Resilient Rotterdam

AkzoNobel is joining forces with MasterPeace, a global peace movement, in an initiative to paint 100 walls in more than 40 countries. The ‘Let’s Colour Walls of Connection’ initiative aims to bring positive energy to cities around the world and make people’s lives more inspiring and resilient. The initiative will contribute to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

Today, we officially launched the first of 100 ‘Let’s Colour Walls of Connection’ in Rotterdam. Walls will be painted at the Albeda College, which is celebrating 25 years of being a hub of diversity in the city. The college invited its students and local communities to paint a wall projecting their dreams of “a more inclusive and embracing future for all”.

“With a little bit of paint and a lot of creativity, artists and communities are coming together to ‘color peace’,” said Annemieke Kievit, Director Public Affairs and Human Cities at AkzoNobel. “The painting will take place in 40 cities around the world, from Indonesia all the way to Brazil, involving hundreds of artists, AkzoNobel employees, MasterPeace teams and thousands of participants worldwide.” AkzoNobel employees will join forces with MasterPeace teams to paint the walls using community events.

MasterPeace, an award-winning global non-profit and non-governmental peace movement, operates in more than 45 countries and aims to mobilize people around the world to use their talents for peace building.

Aart Bos, MasterPeace Global CEO says: “We see that walls are being built around the world. We aim to turn those walls into bridges that connect people by using the power of color. We believe in the power of togetherness. Through connecting rather than dividing people, we also hope to change the walls we have built up in our minds.”

Ruud Joosten, AkzoNobel’s Executive Member responsible for Decorative Paints added: “The ‘Let’s Colour’ and ‘Human Cities’ initiatives are a great opportunity for us to engage with people around the world.

This is not the only initiative currently taking place in Rotterdam. Four other schools in the Rotterdam neighborhood Bospolder/Tussendijken have been painted to give their locations a cheerful make-over. In addition, the city started a pilot project to collect, recycle and reuse paint. This paint will be available for families depending on social assistance, community centers and sport clubs.

Follow and engage in the Let’s Colour Walls of Connection movement:
#LetsColour
#WallsofConnection
#HumanCities

AkzoNobel and MasterPeace join forces to color 100 ‘walls of connection’