A blue logo with a white N. Today I see it everywhere in Brussels. And actually, I've seen it my whole life. For many people, it's simply the logo of the Dutch-language network of the Flemish Community Commission. For me – and for thousands of Brussels residents – it means much more. It stands for opportunities. For doors opening. For a community that has shaped me.
When my mother chose Dutch-language education 25 years ago, it was not an obvious choice. This was long before Dutch-language schools in Brussels became so popular. In our family, it was sometimes met with laughter. At family gatherings, I would sometimes hear: “Stupid Fleming.” Or: “You speak Dutch?” I was sometimes even ashamed to speak Dutch.
What I didn't know back then was how much that choice would pay off.
The first school years were not easy. If you don't yet have full command of the language, you don't always understand the teacher. But still harder is that the teacher sometimes doesn't understand you either, especially when you are frustrated as a child and can't find the right words.
During a parents“ evening, my mother was once advised: ”Ilyas must watch Karrewiet every evening.” We came home and first my mother had to find that channel. That lasted a week. Maybe two. After that, she looked for homework support. That’s how we ended up at Foyer, one of the few organisations that offered Dutch-language support at the time.
From there, a new world opened up.
At my first Dutch-language sports club, Atlemo. During the two months of summer playground activities. At the youth service. For the first time, I also spoke Dutch after school. That blue logo with the white N kept reappearing everywhere. Project after project, I discovered it wasn't just a logo. It was a network. A network that made me stronger.
Slowly the shame disappeared. The boy who was once laughed at for speaking Dutch became proud of that language and everything it brought him.
Today I'm on the other side.
As a Brussels Parliamentarian and member of the Council of the Flemish Community Commission, I regularly visit schools, youth organisations and associations. Each time I see the same richness: Brussels children from the most diverse backgrounds learning, playing and growing up together in Dutch. I see teachers, youth workers, librarians, coaches and volunteers who create opportunities every single day.
On 11 July, we often think back to the historic Battle of the Golden Spurs. That history deserves its place. But in Brussels, this commemoration takes on an extra meaning for me.
Flanders isn't just about history or identity. Flanders is primarily about the future here. About social mobility. About giving children opportunities. About a language that brings people together.
That's why I also believe we need to be careful about defining who is and isn't a “Flemish” person in Brussels. I understand the debate about priority rules, because it should be a given that Dutch-speaking parents can send their children to Dutch-speaking schools without all the stress that comes with it. But I sometimes feel less engaged when the impression is given that Flanders in Brussels only applies to certain groups of people. It is precisely this openness that has made our model so strong.
The greatest strength of Brussels' N-network is that it is not an exclusive island for Flemish people. It is an open network where people from Brussels of all backgrounds meet each other in Dutch. At school, in the library, in youth clubs, in sports clubs or in cultural centres. It proves every day that a language can connect people without pushing them into an identity box.
On 11 July, I'm not just celebrating history. I'm especially celebrating all the opportunities I've been given thanks to that network.
That's why I also ticked the Dutch-language role with great conviction for my own children. That's why I will continue to commit myself to a strong, open and ambitious Dutch-language network in Brussels. A network that does not ask where you come from, but that helps children to get ahead.
Ultimately, for me, that's the most beautiful definition of July 11th in Brussels: not building walls, but opening doors.
Ilyas