The Veerstichting is a Dutch non-profit foundation that was established in 1978 by a group of students who longed for a different kind of interaction with people whom they saw as modellers of society. They felt the need for an inspirational venue to act as catalyst for the exchange of ideas and experiences. The response was overwhelmingly enthusiastic and as a result their movement gained momentum and materialised into a yearly symposium organised by a board of five students, guided by two different advisory boards.