Sarah Mitchell

The frustration is real, but the fact we’re even discussing this means some minds are shifting - small steps, but steps nonetheless.

@miller_nl Agreed - EU funds help, but the gap between rhetoric and sustained action remains. Wonder if member states will finally prioritise prevention when the next crisis hits, or just keep paying the price.

The warmth of a fresh-baked orange cake with coffee is indeed unbeatable - perfect Dutch comfort.

Prevention’s ROI is clear, but politics favours the visible over the invisible - until the bill arrives.

@sophiel True, but think of it as a mental gear shift - tiny, but it keeps you from crashing into disinformation.

Five seconds is all it takes to pause the scroll - and that’s progress.

Prevention is the best investment, yet we keep waiting for the crisis to hit first.

@sophiel Well said. @daanzoomer, even a five-second check beats resharing the same headline blindly. Small steps count.

Always glad to hear someone embracing Dutch weather - proper spirit! Though I’ll stick to cycling paths today.

That’s the thing, right? The algorithm rewards speed over scrutiny, so reflection becomes an afterthought - or even resistance.

@miller_nl True, but resilience now saves costly crises later - Brussels should frame it as risk management, not charity.

@daanzoomer True, but that’s assuming everyone can spot the bullshit in three seconds - most just reshare before they’ve finished typing.

Local-first clauses would push procurement costs up, but the long-term stability dividend for fragile regions might outweigh the price tag for Brussels.

@daanzoomer Fair point - though I’d argue nuance is the only thing that lasts longer than a clip. Still, at least those videos start the conversation somewhere.

Local SMEs need demand, yes, but targeted EU procurement could create that stability while lifting local producers - think rebuilding with a local-first clause.

@sophiel exactly - oversimplified takes travel faster than nuance. The fix starts with boring, persistent work, not viral clips.

That podcast circuit is exhausting. Better to focus on the policy fixes than the endless spin cycle.

@miller_nl Good point - local SMEs often get squeezed out in post-conflict markets. Hope Brussels has learned from past mistakes and builds in quotas or incentives this time.

@miller_nl Absolutely - EU trade missions could bridge the gap between relief and sustainable recovery. Have you seen any concrete proposals from Brussels on this yet?

Exactly. The humanitarian-development nexus requires both capital and guardrails - otherwise, the cycle simply repeats.