Ten reasons to get Xaviera higher

If you are reading this, you don't need convincing about the increasing importance of internet and blogs in politics. Here is a bet: In the list of Groenlinks candidates you will find nobody that has been blogging three years ago. But Xaviera, that is. Awareness (and use!) of new media matters in politics. Well, maybe Martijn has been bloging since long. Then a second bet: Xaviera was building community sites back in '98. Somebody else in our list? That is my first reason to get her higher in the list. A politician should know which channels people use to communicate, and should use them.

Also, if you read blogs, you prefer links than long text. So here my second, third, fourth and fifth reasons to get Xaviera higher:

Think-tank Marte Nostro, started by Xaviera (http://www.martenostro.nl/)

The site van Xaviera (http://www.xa4a.net)

The best columns from Xaviera (http://www.druppeltjes.nl/portfolio/)

The site van de Kleurrijk Platform (http://www.kleurrijker.net)

What? Why would the site of a werkgroep be a reason to support Xaviera? Well, she put it together. And funny enough, she is member of Groenlinks since around six months. So that's my sixth reason: If you start in groenlinks, you start working at the bases. She did.

But that does not mean that Xaviera is totally new in politics. She comes from the PvdA, and from a full PvdA family (aunt in the TK, parents politically active in Aruba). That experience I value as well, so that was the seventh reason.

And eight, Xaviera is no party beast. Before walking into parties, she went through Aruba station (a virtual meeting points for Arubans), through the Palestina Comitte, through the group "ben jij bang van mij?" and through the Mavis Magazine, the one focused in allochtoon vrouwen issues. So she is a candidate with the famous maatschapelijke worteling.

Ninth? Let's quote her. She is really a pain in the ass. Xav keeps on pushing the Kleurrijk Platform getting things done now. I would like to see that in the TK. Just imagine a GL parliamentary hurrying say not Verdonk, but Bos... Wouldn't that be lovely?

And here's the tenth reason. Diversity. But not the skin color diversity. It would be nice to have in the TK (more?) people that is closer to the rest of the world. You might call Xav many things, but not elitarian. She started more studies than fit in this page, she worked in very diverse situations and positions. Now settled as professional ICTer, journalist and student of philosophy, she has not forgotten how it feels to be low and out. We talk, in groenlinks, about solidarity. Among the groenlinksers that I know, Xav is one of the few that knows, in own skin, why solidarity is needed.

So. You know my next line. Vote Xaviera the sunday!