More Female Partners at the top 10 lawfirms

Breaking news: finally there seems be an increase in the number of female partners at the large law firms in the Netherlands. The total number of female partners has increased at the top 10 law firms from 57 last years to 61 this year, whereas the total number of partners decreased in that top 10 from 450 to 430. These data are published in De Stand van de Advocatuur 2010. On 26 March the first copy of this document will be handed over to Saskia Stuiveling, president of the general Court of Auditors and member of the Council of recommendation of the Dutch order of lawyers.

There is also less good news for the champions of diversity: at the top 10 last year  a total of 865 female lawyers worked, this year that number has decreased to 808. Also the number of male lawyers decreased, from 1,211 to 1,168. In terms of percentage the proportion male and female lawyers now amounts to at the top 10 of offices 59.4% for 40.6%, in contrast to last year 58.9% and 41.1%.

This text has been translated from: http://www.advocatie.nl

OBA (the Bieb)
Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam
Oosterdokskade 143
1011 DL Amsterdam

Happy New Year
This is your chance to come borrel with the Amsterdam board.
Ideas, brainstorm, feedback, questions are welcome.

We’ll all be on hand to talk with you about the organization, logistics, planning, future board positions, what’s happening with the federation, and how you can help to grow and to sustain the organization with your participation. “Club business” and updates.

We will meet in the New Library – next to Amsterdam Centraal Station
(same as last year). Join us on the top floor at the bar for tapas and beverages in the La Place Restaurant.

We have also reserved a meeting room – on the 6th floor.

We really enjoyed the productive discussions last year in this format.
Please join us again!

New Year, New Chances.

Proost!

In our training sessions, we regularly receive this type of question from participants: “Why is my Russian colleague always so negative? Is it something I did wrong?” asks Tom from London. Our answer is: “On the contrary Tom, your Russian colleague trusts you enough to share his concerns with you. Actually he is trying to be friends and bond with you.”

Bonding by complaining

In Western Russia, many Eastern European cultures and various cultures in Southern Europe and Latin America, people try to bond with others by complaining. Complaints about the boss or about tasks to be performed or simply about the food, places people ‘together’ in a common situation in which they can relate to each other - bonding with the suffering majority. These complaints are usually expressed with emotion. However, it is passive and is not followed by an action to change the situation that is complained about. An outsider will get the impression that something terrible has happened and that the complainer is deeply unhappy. This however is not the case. There are many reasons for such behavior depending on the context. Some of the underlying reasons may be uncertainty, risk avoidance, xenophobia, fatalism and the feeling of not being in charge as well as being unable to create or accept change.

Launched right before Christmas of this year, our brand new newsletter is another great way for you to keep up with the latest news of EuropeanPWN-Amsterdam.

The newsletter will feature highlights from the website, notify you of upcoming events, and keep you updated on our latest initiatives.

To subscribe, simply fill in the form on our subscription page.

Sign up now to ensure you receive the next newsletter. In the mean time, read our first issue from December 2009 here.

Happy New Year Den Haag!

This year’s NewYear’s Borrel will take place on January 5, 2010 at the ‘Pasta Company’ in Scheveningen Harbour. We are looking to make this a joint EuropeanPWN/Connecting Women event members & all guests are welcome! The official time of the borrel will be from 7-9 pm. It will include drinks and nibbles.

So far the cost of the EPWN Hague Borrels have been around 10 euro a person. Those who drank more have been kind enough to pitch in extra. Since this is a special evening to celebrate the New Year, we have made a special arrangement with the PastaCompany.

This time the cost will be 12,50 euro per person – this will include a glass of bubbles to toast, tapas and one more drink. You pay this upon arrival to either Erika or Karin and you will be given a token, which you can use at the bar for your second drink. Anything after that will be at your own costs.

We know that the tapas will be quite substantial, however, you are most welcome to stay for dinner afterwards. Do check out their website www.pastacompany.nl for their menu.

The Pasta Company is located in the Harbour of Scheveningen, and although the address is Dr Lelykade 24a, for those of you who don’t know Scheveningen well, it’s best to go to the Schokkerweg and then take the stairs down to the restaurants;the Pasta Company is the last one in the row, after Het Brouwcafe, De ZouteZoen, De Dagvisser, Lemongrass and then the Pasta Company. There is plenty of free parking at the restaurant and if you are coming by public transport, take tram 11 to the Duinstraat stop.

Please make sure you register your attendance via the EuropeanPWN website (click on register above this post) or send an email to Erika at erika@bothassistanceandsupport.nl.

Please de-register if you are not able to make it after all; we need to confirm the number of attendees with the Pasta Company 48 hours in advance.

We are looking forward to seeing you all and have a sparkling evening!

Warm regards,

Erika Both & Karin Bosscher

EuropeanPWN / CW

RaaR beginning 19:00 in the Hague

How to Improve Your Relationships at Work Using ‘The Work’ of Byron Katie by Sagar Simon

“My Boss doesn’t listen.”
“No one does what I ask.”
“My boss doesn’t appreciate me.”

Thoughts like these enter our minds throughout the day and cause us to experience stress, anger, fear, depression, and other negative emotions. When we live with these thoughts, our lives become difficult, painful, and confusing. Whether you are having difficulty with someone in your life, or simply tired of feeling anxious about seeking love, approval, and appreciation from others, this workshop is for you.

This workshop is designed to give you the experience of applying the work of Byron Katie’s four questions and turnarounds to your stressful thoughts in your work place, about relationships with co-workers, employers and employees that lead to anxiety, anger, depression, and an inability to act with clarity.

The Work, is a way to end confusion, miscommunication and frustration in the work place. Through 4 simple questions and a turn around, you will learn to free yourself from stress and feelings of being unappreciated or the daily unhealthy frustrations of work situations. You will learn to apply this technique to any situation that arises. Come and join me for this evening if you want to challenge your thinking.

This workshop is about identifying and recognizing thoughts that cause us stress at work. Most of the time we recognize the emotion or the feeling but you don’t recognize the thought that drives you.

PLEASE NOTE: This evening is not for everybody. Some people don’t agree with the work of Byron Katie. To find out if it is something for you, please download and read the excerpt of her book, Loving What Is , before you sign up for the event.

Also, if possible, fill out the Judge Your Neighbor worksheet before you come to the workshop. And there will be time to fill it out at the workshop.

You can find valuable information:

• about me at: www.changeyourmindchangeyourlife.org
• on The Work at: www.thework.com
• additional resources found here: Byron Katie - More Resources

ONLY TWO TICKETS TO THE OPERA LEFT
CALL ME IF YOU WANT TO JOIN FRIDAY NIGHT

We’ll arrange the boats in Akkrum. We’ll host you at our home or nearby (depends on the number of folks that want to sail). Please indicate if you are qualified to skipper a boat yourself or if you prefer to crew. Both Mireille & myself are qualified sailing instructors so the two of us can manage a total of 8 folks ourselves: more if we get more skippers.

Come for the weekend to Friesland.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON (21 August)
We’ve picked an out-of-doors Opera in a nearby nature preserve for Friday evening. You are responsible for the tickets independent of the sailing. Please contact them directly before the 20th of July in
Amsterdam and do let us know you need a sleeping place.

Opera details:
De Parijse schilder van Domenico Climarosa 18:15 arrival to Friesland means you need to be out of the city by 15:30

*Dutch* Language Opera – performed out-of-doors in the Nature preserve Rottige Meente in Nijetrijne.
Produced by Yvon Scheper

Make your own reservations on line www.opera-nijetrijne.nl
Email : info@operanijetrijne.nl

TEL: 020-6646454

Voor 20 juli graag bellen naar: 020-6646454
Na 20 juli graag bellen naar: 0561-481690

tickets (including some refreshment) 62.50 paid directly to the Opera folks

SATURDAY (22 August) Mid Day SAILING 12:00
We’ll begin with an easy brunch and walk over to the harbor.
This will also give folks a chance to arrive from Amsterdam (2.25 hrs by train, 1.75 hrs by car).

SATURDAY Evening Dinner

SUNDAY Morning sailing again for the die-hards.

SUNDAY Afternoon/Evening departure back to Amsterdam

Join Nicole, Commodore of the St. Nik Boating club and borrel host Anna for a fabulous evening on an open boat on the Amsterdam Canals. Bring a sweater/windbreaker. We’ll meet rain or shine at the Boom Chicago Bar on the Leidseplein by 19:30. Early birds can join us for a pre-sail cocktail beginning 18:30.

You get sea sick just looking at boats? but want to network, then join after the trip for a night cap beginning 21:45 back at the Boom Bar.