Embassy of Safety

The Embassy of Safety has the ambition to make society safer by deploying designers. This is driven by the major security challenges of our time, such as online crime, subversion and polarisation.

We create trust, and trust makers

This year the Embassy is focusing on the theme ‘Trust’. Trust is important for our well-being. Mutual trust is an important building block for social cohesion in society. It makes for better cooperation and increases willingness to help others. However, unfortunately, countless painful examples show that trust in fellow human beings and institutions is under pressure. The pandemic and the war in Ukraine have made painfully clear the risks of spreading disinformation online. We have also seen confidence in politics in the Netherlands fall due to the difficult cabinet formation and the childcare benefit scandal. 

Creative makership

For current security challenges – such as subversion, online security and polarization – trust is the key to change. Designers play an essential role in this. They put urgent topics on the agenda to increase awareness of security risks, conduct empathetic research and are open to people’s subjective experiences. A sense of security and trust depends on who you are, and what experiences and values you have. A different approach to an issue requires a fundamentally different view, thinking and action by those involved. Designers make new proposals for this that fit in with a specific context and with what those involved consider important. They design action perspectives that show how everyone can relate to the issue and test this. At the Embassy of Safety, we believe that change in people, based on ownership of an issue, must take place and can lead to systemic change. We are the system. 

The Embassy of Safety is a journey of discovery to make the Netherlands safer as its basic premise. Our efforts to achieve this include starting Embassy Labs, where we work on themes such as undermining and combatting ‘young influx’: how do we protect young people against serious crime? 

The mission of the Embassy is to find new behaviour and new relationships that contribute to this. Our compass is increasing trust. The destination (and certainly also the moment of reaching it) is unknown. But with the right course and a sharp eye, we recognize quality and unforeseen value creation when it presents itself. We are looking for as many travel companions as possible. Will you join us?

Also have a look at what we did in...

Social designer Tabo Goudswaard is committed to making the repertoire of creative makers play a larger role in the way we shape society.

Tabo leads Studio Goudswaard. He designs new ways of dealing with social issues. In doing so, he seeks to connect to people’s everyday behaviour and designs new concrete action perspectives with and for those involved.

In addition to being the Creative Lead of the Embassy of Safety, he is co-founder of the Sociaal Creatieve Raad, a lobby group for new values and imagination. It is a council of fifty representatives of various social networks who join forces with artists and designers to shape our future.

Programme

Embassy of Safety
Projects
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Ontwapens

12 Oct 2022

This is not a drill

12 Oct 2022

All Cops Are

12 Oct 2022

IJmuiden Staat Op

12 Oct 2022

Mes Less

12 Oct 2022

Vanavond niet

12 Oct 2022

Building synergistic collaborations

12 Oct 2022

WITTE WAS®, Crimineel Goed!

13 Oct 2022

Makers Collectief

19 Oct 2022

Past events

Updates

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Editiorial

Building synergistic collaborations

Editiorial

2022 Retrospective: Embassy of Safety

Editiorial

Safety: trust in the makers

Editiorial

WDE Spotlight: Yuri Veerman

Video

Curator Tour: Trust the maker in you at Embassy of Safety

News

Embassy Labs at DDW22

Editiorial

Relying on the power of creation for a safe society

News

These are the Labs of the Embassy of Safety

Editiorial

WDE Spotlight: The Night Club

News

Probation Service Netherlands seeks social designer for permanent position

Video

Watch the WDE Talk: How can design and policy come together in the safety domain?

Editiorial

Retrospective 2021: Embassy of Safety

Editiorial

WDE Spotlight: What The Studio

Video

Curator Tour: Tabo Goudswaard shows surprising safety

News

Surprising safety told by ex-juvenile criminal and cyber agent Roozy

News

Embassy of Safety at DDW

Editiorial

Surprising safety at the Embassy of Safety

Dutch Design Week
News

This is what the Embassies will present at Dutch Design Week

WDE Talk
Video

Watch the WDE Talk: How do we design a safe and inclusive society?

Embassy of Mobility
News

What if Lab and World Design Embassies join forces with Embassy Labs

News

Designing with inmates

News

In conversation with the Social Design Police

Retrospective 2019: Embassy of Safety

Partners of Embassy of Safety

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