Costs: By giving a donation as ‘Friends’ of the Quest for wisdom foundation.
We hope for € 45,= per year – though we welcome everyone’s donation according to their means on IBAN number NL14TRIO0777827654 of the Quest for wisdom foundation in Weesp.
Naturally, the QfWf foundation greatly appreciates each donation, making the QfWf activities possible!
“It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us — onze diepste angst is dat we buitenmatig krachtig zijn. Het is ons licht niet onze duisternis die ons het meest bang maakt…” — Marianne Williamson in: A Return to Love.
“Let freedom reign. The sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement!” — Nelson Mandela, 1994.
Leidschendammer Lounge Meeting
Each year the Quest for Wisdom organizes Circles to cocreate an intercultural programme on an annually changing theme of social relevance, to be presented bij the Soul Circle on the Annual Meeting Day. The wider QfWf-Circle is invited to contribute with blogs, essays and artistic materials to be published on the Golden Ratio website as well as in a Golden Ratio Yearbook, thus making on a small scale the QfWf-World Dream come true. In 2024 the theme “Global Citizenship” was documented in Amor Mundi and in 2025 Amor Fati, highlights the cocreative and playful way how the QfWf realizes its vision of the Wheel of the Intercultural Art of Living for an inclusive cosmopolitan culture, in which all people may feel at home and in harmony with all living beings:
“Global Citizenship is open communication between people, without being judgemental.
Respectful to each other, acknowledging that however different we are, we can stay connected, and are able to share!”
A world dream emerges when we start dreaming together. By sowing seeds of love in our own circles — instead of going along with reflexes of indifference, aggression and fear — so that a smile elicits laughter, warmth is answered with embracing. How valuable are the differences between people to create a meaningful world and to make (working) life more colourful and fascinating — whith people developing an eye for (inner) beauty. How beneficial when people are opening up so that en open space between people creates an inclusive society.
World Citizenship – Nour Kayali
A world we dream of is created by dreaming. By not forgetting our ‘childishly naive’ way to be open and confident. And let us not forget that the most beautiful things are born from our hopes and dreams. The most beautiful dreams and positive emotions empower ourselves as communities, by an ethos that reaches to the stars and can change the world – these dreams begin with powerful dreamers like Harriet Tubman and Martin Luther King. Like John Lennon sings “I’m a dreamer and I’m not the only one…”. Let’s start dreaming together about a world where each can find shelter and people around to feel at home, by starting small actions in our own circles so that our world-dream-power comes alive. With small steps that are big and loving deeds that are contagious. Weaving threads of soft forces that connects us as global citizens and living beings on Mother Earth, flowing with the stream of life….
Platform for the QfWf yearly theme — Global Citizenship
QfWf-event on Global Citizenship
The QfWf has launched the digital platform De Gulden Snede in 2024 in order to present the development of the — by the Cultural Participation Funding honoured — project “Global Citizenship of the streat”: through different artistic media and channels the QfWf develops a yearly intercultural programme on a social relevant theme. In 2024 the QfWf-projectgroep created an artistic programme, to give voice to intercultural perspectives and an harmonizing view against the hardening migration policies by contrasting their own positive experiences of intercultural encounters. This was done in words, images and music, expressing the central idea and value of inclusion, embodied in a ceramic sculpture: the Rainbow Bird of Paradise with the Cosmic Egg.
Quo vadis: Becoming who you are
Hey you, being on two feet, wandering around the world … Dazedly dividing Mother Earth into mine and thine: Is this commandment of possession mayby theft and the greatest venom by which you have to prove with a document to be a human ‘citizen’ in order not to be treated as undocumented stranger and pariah?
Beyond the boundaries of the nation-state lies the cosmopolis: there, all beings-with-a-heart-that-can-bleed are welcomed and are asked for their names and stories, sitting around the fire with connecting scents, transcultural spices and honey wine in colourful company, where you as stranger and ‘other’ are welcomed.
World citizen where are you? As a fugitive from inner affairs in danger of losing the most precious thing, that is covered by status and power You split the world into friends and enemies, us and them, and your heart becomes hard – yet you feel a nomadic yearning for paradise with melancholy and sorrow.
Angela Gilds draagt voor in OBA Reigersbos
The 2025-theme is “Practices of Global Citizenship“, in which artists, philosophers and professionals highlight their practices and visions as global citizens through artistic expressions, blogs, podcasts and videos. The launching of the programme took place on Saturday afternoon, the 25th of January 2025, at the Amsterdam Public Library Reigersbos. With the reopening of the Amor Mundi travelling exhibition of artistic expressions on Global Citizenship, as well as the book presentation of Amor Fati! The QfWf-Soul Circle celebrated global citizenship with many stakeholders from the circles around the Quest for Wisdom foundation, together with visitors of the library: in presenting the QfWf-book with Playing Wisdom for the Cosmopolis the quintessence was stressed of seeing each other as humans instead of state(less) and (un)documented persons. Angela Gilds from the intercultural project group and the QfWf Editorial Board:
The indigenous Surinamese cultural group Wehpokamanong
“World citizenship is open communication between people without judgment. Dignity toward each other, knowing that no matter how different we are, we are in connection with each other and can share this feeling together. Getting to know each other, transferring knowledge and experience, recognizing and acknowledging each other’s qualities. Beautiful journey to undertake together.
Last year was a wonderful year with several workshops aimed at connecting with each other through the art of living. Yodeling, modeling, painting, word art, dance, singing. A rich experience that we will continue and pass on this year. Let your light shine. You are unique!”
Practices of World Citizenship will be highlighted with visual and musical expressions, philosophical and professional perspectives. Contributions for The Golden Ratio in 2025 are forthcoming by Angela Gilds, Chiquita and Michel Odjo Seymonsen, Erik Hoogcarspel, Giovanni Rizzuto, Greg Suffanti, Harm Jaap Hartmans, Mitra Muijen, Nivedita Yohana, Tycho Muijen, Wim van de Laar and more wisdom seekers from the QfWf circles.
Quest for Wisdom Foundation (QfWf) stimulates the Intercultural Art of Living in a Globalized World!
The QfWf wants to contribute to a culture of openness and to cultural diversity (inter-esse) by tapping into one’s own and shared historical intercultural roots and wisdom traditions.
The QfWf programs have been honored twice by a cultural fund:
Storytelling programma Animal Wisdom in 2020-2021
With a subsidy from Prins Bernard Cultuurfonds i.s.m. Fonds zuidoost, awarded in 2020, the QfWf has developed a storytelling-Project- around animal wisdom in storytelling traditions from the four corners of the world. The purpose of this program is to bring ancient wisdom into new forms for contemporary ears, which has led to the development of the website Animal Wisdom and the development of an Intercultural lesson for elementary education.
The “Global Citizenship of the streets” project in 2023-2024
Start of the project with world cafe dialogues – photo Marc Broens
With a subsidy from the Cultural Participation Fund, the QfWf has realized the “World Citizenship of the Street”-project in 2023-2024 in the form of a triptych in 3 phases. Reflecting on the history of slavery (phase 1) and collecting intercultural ingredients of collective and individueal dreams of global citizenship in images, music, dance, stories and other expressions of (inter)cultural heritage (phase 2) culminating in a social experiment with collaborating partner organizations (phase 3) for global citizenship. The result is an intercultural program with the wisdom and beauty from the four corners of the world.
The QfWf does this by using Art as a magic and collecting it as ingredients in book form, under the title Amor Fati and Amor Mundi, on a digital platform The Golden Ratio and in a co-creative programme; developed and implemented in collaboration with the Cultural Dream Weavers Foundation and the Curinesa Foundation, independent artists, and with the Wehpokamanong association, which preserves the cultural heritage of indigenous groups from Suriname in the Netherlands and passes it on to young generations. This culminated in a final event in the fall of 2024.
First there was the presentatation of Amor Mundi, the exhibition and the presentation of the QfWf-documentation book in the Pubic Library of Amsterdam (OBA) in Weesp on the 28th of September 2024. Especially the series of aquarelles of Greg Suffanti, in which the harsh (anti) migration policy is denounced and migrants are presented as persons like you and me and their human stories. Also Robin Stemerding, Nour Kayali en Louis van Marissing have contributed to the exhibition. Then the final event was organised on the 19th of October 2024 together with the residents of the Regenbooggroep, the organisation that gives shelter to migrants, refugies, homeless and people in need: sharing an intercultural programme with music, dance and sharing food from each others cultural kitches. A ceramic statue, made by Camile Smeets was presented: this Rainbow Paradise Bird with Cosmic Egg incorporates the world dreams of the intercultural project group. On the 25th of Januari 2025 the exhibition Amor Mundi was reopened in another OBA location, Reigersbos, together with the presentation of the book Amor Fati by giving previews of the seven chapters, in which life themes as world citizens are discussed and portrayed. Read more in Angela Gilds review on intercultural meetings.
The need for an intercultural art of living
Being able to deal effectively with our differences is a delicate matter in our current times.
The objective of the foundation calls for an intercultural art of living as developmental path of ‘the multicultural society’ and visualises its mission with the Wheel of the Intercultural Art of Living.
The QfWf sees Global Citizenship as the right answer facing the collective fear for strangers, migrants and ‘the others’. Instead of hatred and agression we follow dialogical and spiritual traditions, that see ‘otherness’ as a call for openness and inclusion.
The intercultural art of living is the ability to move as nomads between cultures and to be able to see the beauty of cultural differences. To enhance the art of living as world citizens the QfWf-Soul Circle organises every year around a social relevant theme an intercultural programme and presents this on its digital platform de gulden snede as well as by living encounters such as the yearly QfWf-Meeting Day.
Just like the beauty of the Golden Ratio in natural forms such as the rhythmical growth of leaves and snail shells, as well as in cultural expressions such as the principles how cathedrals are built and the musical harmony in chords.
This QfWf-vision and mission to contribute to a cosmopolic world order and culture of inclusion is the core of our
Quest for Wisdom, meandering along
Quest 1 — the Wisdom web with wisdom from all corners of the World and a digital platform to exchange ideas.
Dealing with differences has been raised as a social issue by Paul Scheffer, in his controversial article Het multicultural drama (2000). Before that, the international debate had been heated up by Samuel P. Huntington’s terrifying perspective on the Clash of Civilizations (1996). Since then, there has been a heated political debate in many lands with multicultural populations, and the social debate in the social media is getting louder and more troubled ….
The QfWf wants to play a role in tilting the debate
Diagram met de 17 duurzame ontwikkelingsdoelen
The QfWf wants to help turn the polarized debate about migration, refugees and religious strife from a problem for ‘political experts’, to a relevant issue for all of us, making an ethical appeal to everyone, from the current administration to our neighbours on the street.
How do we deal with, and how do we want to deal with ‘the strange other’?
That strange other can be the foreigner, the outcast, the fringe figure, the refugee and sometimes ourselves …
In order to tilt the debate, the QFWF sees it as a call to recalibrate the awareness of who ‘we’ are as citizens of the cosmopolis: nomads with intercultural identities.
These geopolitical landslides affect all of us as co-inhabitants of our shared planet Earth.
That is why the QFWF addresses this issue as a question, an ethical issue of a practical, social and political nature:
Museo Nazionale Archeologico di Taranto, Italië — foto Joke Koppius
How do we not exclude the other and the others ― the ‘stranger’, of a seemingly different nature ― but to see them as part of us, as ‘the strange other(s)’ in ourselves?How do we create growth inducing inter- and transcultural connections, instead of a divide and rule philosophy, us versus them mentality and an increasingly aggressive environment, as can be heard in the cry: “Who does not belong to ‘us’ (culture, race, religion, ethnicity) is against us …?”
By stimulating the recognition of the beauty of our differences and shared commonality, instead of a fear of ‘otherness’.
The world of the arts and (inter-)cultural expressions create space both in and between people and establish meaningful connections between cultures!
Creating inter- and transcultural connections
QfWf-event in the Library of Amterdam – photo Michel Odjo
The QfWf aims to collect artistic, philosophical and practical forms of cultural wisdom from East and West, North and South and to further develop them into useful forms that inform and inspire the intercultural art of living … so that people interact as willing players in an in-between space (as defined by Hannah Arendt) and also keep in touch with their core selves, so that we can fully develop and happily share our world with each other in a spirit of cooperation, openness and hospitality.
Hospitality, respect and openness and other shared values of humanity are what truly connect people as sisters and brothers ― open to a common playing field for all!
Objectives and Policy Plan stem from the QfWf Mission and Vision:
The Quest for wisdom foundation was founded on the 10th of October 2016 by Dr. Heidi S.C.A. Muijen with the mission of fostering a culture of openness to inclusion and cultural diversity. The QfWf does this by collecting and further developing cultural expressions of wisdom traditions from North and South, East and West.
The QfWf activities continue to take place together with a growing circle of stakeholders, who share the mission of the foundation – as visualized and expressed in the ‘Wheel of the Intercultural Art of Living’.
The QfWf chooses as its course in tipping times the good life by developing world citizenship. To this end, artistic programs are cocreated by paying attention to the cultural-historical contexts of stories, rituals and symbolism from wisdom traditions on the one hand; on the other hand, by bringing into the globalizing society transcultural values, like hospitality, emapthy and humanity through music, visual arts and other intercultural expressions.
The need for an intercultural art of living
Being able to deal effectively and ethically with our differences is a delicate matter in our current times.
The objective of the foundation calls for an intercultural art of living as an answer to the fear of ‘the strange other’ and appeal of ‘the multicultural society’ by means of:
historical awareness of the (inter)cultural roots of wisdom traditions;
interest in other cultures and wisdom traditions and
living encouters and cross-pollination between cultures
Dealing with differences
Dealing with differences has been raised as a social issue in the international debate by Samuel P. Huntington’s terrifying perspective on the Clash of Civilizations (1996). Since then, there has been a heated political debate in many lands with multicultural populations, and the debate on social media is getting ever louder and more troubled ….The geopolitical landslides affect all of us as co-inhabitants of our shared planet Earth.
That is why the QfWf addresses this issue as a layered and multidimensional question, an ethical issue of a practical, social and political nature:
How do we deal with, and how do we want to deal with ‘the strange other’?
That strange other can be the foreigner, the outcast, the fringe figure, the refugee and the privileged citizen …How do we not exclude ‘others’ ― the ‘stranger’ and people of a seemingly different nature ― but to see them as part of us, as ‘the strange other(s)’ in ourselves?
The QfWf wants to play a role in tilting the debate
Diagram met de 17 duurzame ontwikkelingsdoelen
The QfWf wants to help turn the polarized debate about migration, refugees and religious strife from a problem for ‘political experts’, to a relevant issue for all of us as world citizens, making an ethical appeal to everyone, from the current administration to our neighbours on the street.
In order to tilt the debate, the QfWf sees it as a call to recalibrate the awareness of who ‘we’ are as citizens of the cosmopolis: nomads with intercultural identities, transcending differences in culture, race, religion, ethnicity, gender,….
By stimulating the recognition of the beauty of our differences and shared commonality, instead of a fear of ‘otherness’, through artistic and (inter-)cultural expressions, the QfWf seeks to create space both in and between people and establish meaningful connections between cultures!
Hospitality, respect and inclusion and other shared values of humanity are what truly connect people as sisters and brothers ― opening a common playing field for all!
The members of the board do not receive any remuneration for their work. They are, however, entitled to reimbursement of costs incurred in the performance of their duties, such as, for example, a travel allowance.
Board members cannot dispose of the assets of the institution separately. There is a separate bank account in the name of the QfWf. In addition, an annual financial overview is drawn up by the treasurer of the QfWf. This overview is discussed and adopted during an annual board meeting (at which at least 3 members of the board are present).
9: Report of the Activities Performed
In 2021 as well as in 2024 the QfWf received funding, due to the cultural and social relevance of her activities. The first subsidy was given for developing an intercultural storytelling programme during the Corona lockdown which was presented on a specially designed website Animal Wisdom including an educative offer with a series of ebooks.
The second subsidy in 2024 addressed the theme of Global Citizenship and resulted in the fusion of the three Quests as the Golden Ratio Quest around a yearly theme of the intercultural art of living. Hereby,the QfWf has restructured its working method around the three Quest for Wisdom goals: through the Wisdom Web; Quest 2 ― Golden Ratio of Educative Materials; and Quest 3 ― Meet, by means of Annual Meeting Days, Workshops, Masterclasses, Newsletter ‘Spinning web’ and the Video channel.
From 2024 onwards the three Quests are integrated focussing on the enhancement of world citizenship by developing every year an intercultural artistic and educative programme which is presented on the Yearly Meeting Day as well as on the digital platform The Golden Ratio.
Awarding Cultural ANBI-status
Toekenning Culturele ANBI-status
Since its foundation in 2016 the QfWf celebrated on 6 July 2018 that it has been recognized by the Tax Authorities as a Algemeen Nut Beogende Cultural Instelling (cultural ANBI-status) with its objective and activities with retroactive effect since 1 January 2018.
See below the reports of QfWf-policy for activities in chronological order:
The QfWf Wisdom Collection was born from the wisdom of wildhaired QfWf authors, who open up the richness of cultures worldwide with stories, music, visual arts, philosophical and spiritual traditions to a wide readership in their own way. They show wisdom from North, South, East and West in breadth, in multifaceted and artistic forms. Collections that go into more depth and highlight specific artistic wisdom from cultural traditions will also appear in the QfWf Wisdom Collection.
These (e)books are published in the Dutch and/or English language; and sometimes multilingual. The proceeds of these (e)books will entirely benefit this programme and upcoming QfWf projects. We hope for a wide and interested audience for this entire varied series.
The first three books in the QfWf Wisdom Collection will be published in a physical form, partly due to a grant awarded in 2023 by the Cultural Participation Fund for the ‘QfWf Global Citizenship from the Street program’.
The fourth and next publications in the series are all ebooks (pdf).
The series opens with Amor Fati: Spelende wijsheid voor de kosmopolis in which Heidi Muijen explores the question of global citizenship through the Wheel of the Intercultural Art of Living. The book thus highlights both the vision of the Quest for Wisdom foundation and the background for the board game of the same name developed by her, which addresses mythical-philosophical symbolism from the four corners of the world. A Greg Suffanti telling about his aquarelles for Amor Fati
series of watercolours, Chinese brush paintings, drawings and collages by Greg Suffanti, Agnes Roothaan, Louis van Marissing, Annelie van Steenbergen, Caroline Young, Nour Kayali, Klaske Rehorst, Josee Tesser, Elin Maljaars, Maya Plas & Mitra Muijen depict intercultural themes as a common thread throughout the book. (NL, EN, 2024, ISBN 978 90 441 3970 9)
The second book (Post)Koloniale wa(a)r(d)en by Fred de Haas contains layered reflections on (post)colonial history: the author mirrors the Caribbean and Meso-American identity in poetry and literature, also with poems written by his own hand. Josee Tesser has enlivened this charged history with portraits of poets and historical figures in striking and humorous black-and-white drawings. In addition, the approximately 100 clickable links to musical interpretations bring the intercultural identities of Central and South American peoples into experience. (NL, 2025, ISBN 978 90 441 3973 0)
The editoral board of the third book Amor Mundi — Heidi Muijen, Klaske Rehorst en Robin Stemerding — documents the QfWf project ‘World Citizenship of the Street’ with art, poetry, images, raps, intercultural and philosophical reflections of the Quest for Wisdom Soul Circle how the world dream of the cosmopolis is developed into artistic forms for current contexts. (NL, EN, 2024. ISBN 978-94-92-127-198)
Hans van Rappard expertly explains the fascinating Chinese and European wisdom traditions in an intercultural-philosophical manner in e-book 4, Walking Two Roads, Accord and Separation in Chinese and Western Thought (EN. 2023. ISBN 978-94-92-127-204)
In e-book 5 Russische Zigeunerromances, Fred de Haas opens up a hitherto little-exposed genre of Gypsy Romances with its rich intercultural and historical sources. The (90!) clickable links to beautiful old and newer renditions, including the musical renditions of Fred de Haas (guitar and vocals) and Ralph Kreuter (balalaika), are surprising. (NL, RU, 2023. ISBN 978-94-92-127-211)
In e-book 6 Middeleeuwse chirurgie in woord en beeld, Marcel Reyners makes this invaluable combinations of the drawings of Şerefeddin Sabuncuoğlu (1385–1468) with the text of ‘The Method of Medicine’ of Albucasis (936–1013). about illuminated medieval surgery available to a broad Dutch-speaking audience – drawing on his years of life, travel and work experience with his richly flowing and literary pen. (NL. 2023, ISBN 978-94-92-127-228)
E-book 7, Ik ben iemand die intens leefde… — Bloemlezing: gedichten en illustraties by Marianne H.B. van Halewijn contains a large collection of poems and digitised mandalas bequeathed by the author to the Quest for Wisdom foundation. This colourful anthology expresses an intensely felt cosmic connection. (NL, 2024, ISBN 978 94 92 127 174)
E-book 8, Knipoogjes: Korte en luchtige tijdreisjes in gezelschap van Henry Bergson, consists of columns in which essential issues are light-heartedly addressed by philosopher Rosalie de Wildt. The illustrations, watercolours by Greg Suffanti, add a humorous, colourful and intercultural layer to Rosalie’s philosophical outings. (NL, 2024, ISBN 978 94 92 127 181)
E-book 9, Het duurde maar even … – Gedichten die mij raakten by Fred de Haas contains about 60 poems with translations and adaptations by about 40 poets in Creole, German, French, Galician, Papiamento, Portuguese, Spanish and Russian…. (NL, multilingual, 2024, ISBN 78 94 92 127 242)
E-book10, Eye of the Tiger – Colorful Heritage of the Far East contains a unique collection of Chinese brush drawings by Caroline R. Young, interspersed with historical and mythical stories from the Far East. (EN, 2025, ISBN 978 94 92 127 259)
The financial benefits from these (e)books and other educational materials – which are all realised by volunteers – will entirely benefit this programme and upcoming QfWf-projects.
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In addition in helping to realize the intercultural 
With a subsidy from 
