Walter Groenen (1967) is the managing director of CJP (NL: Cultureel Jongeren Paspoort) since 2006. With a background in business economics and marketing, Walter began his career at ING Bank and later joined the Dutch public broadcasting company (NPO) as the marketing communication lead for three public TV channels and the online community. In 2004, he took on the role of business director at the International Film Festival Rotterdam before returning to Amsterdam in 2006 to assume his current position at CJP. Walter previously served as a board member from 2008 to 2011 and recently completed his term from 2020 to 2023.

In my capacity as the managing director of CJP Netherlands, I have been actively involved with the organisation since 2006. I served as a board member from 2008 to 2011 and more recently as a group board member for group 3 from 2020 to 2023. During my tenure, CJP Netherlands hosted the 2011 conference and facilitated several bilateral visits from member organisations. Notably, in March 2023, we welcomed our member Allianssi from Finland.

CJP Netherlands has a longstanding commitment to promoting cultural development as an integral part of youth upbringing, which has remained our primary objective for over 60 years. In the past decade, we have sought to expand our goals by incorporating cultural development into broader developmental initiatives. Initiatives like the Young Impact Programme and integrating cultural development into Dutch government policy programs have been important steps towards achieving our objectives. We have also invested in communication and transactional platforms to effectively engage with young people. In this regard, we draw inspiration from similar concepts in France and Germany. As an organisation, we value the exchange of knowledge and experiences, and I am eager to contribute my insights to the forthcoming Board discussions.