Joost Kuitenbrouwer passed away

We were shocked to learn that our former colleague, Mr Joost Kuitenbrouwer, after suffering a stroke passed away on 15 May 2012 in the age of 80.

Joost had been a very valuable staff member of ISS since he joined the Institute in 1966. As a lawyer he was very interested in change processes in Latin America and Asia. He interrupted his time at ISS several times to act as advisor to the United Nations and he lived in countries such as Peru and Thailand.

ISS was the home of his career and in the early 80s Joost started, together with Emeritus Professor Bas de Gaay Fortman, the successful programme Development, Law and Social Justice.

Although Joost retired in 1992, we feel he never really left the ISS. He was still involved in all kinds of activities, not least with students, making them feel at home at ISS and in The Hague. Many of you will be aware of the fact that Joost had an extremely wide scope of interests and activities: he was very active in rowing, spiritualism and dancing. Even on the morning of 15 May he was rowing on the River Vliet.

We feel we have lost an immediate colleague and a true friend of ISS.

Joost was an enthusiastic narrator. A spontaneous meeting at the bakery can be watched on YouTube.

The funeral ceremony will be in Crematorium Ockenburgh in The Hague on Monday 21 May at 15.30 hrs.

Former close colleague Bas de Gaay Fortman wrote:

"Joost Kuitenbrouwer was one of the pioneers of ISS. Educated as a lawyer, he had transformed himself into a social scientist oriented towards processes of social transformation. His full focus was on social justice, both as a scholar and as a committed human being. To me, he has been a close companion for 20 years of that remarkable ISS programme entitled Development, Law and Social Justice. A genuine phenomenon! With all his abilities and peculiarities, beloved by everyone, both staff and students. By many attached to the worldwide ISS community, Joost will be remembered with lots of empathy and affection."