Dragstra, Dirk Theunis
June 19, 1946
Married, 3 children
Present position
• Partner in Webword
• Dept. director of the WageIndicator Foundation
Key qualifications
• Experienced foreign correspondent, working for press, radio and television
• Documentary filmmaker
• Experienced media trainer and trainer for public speaking
• Writer/Editor
• MA non-western sociology (1981 University of Amsterdam)
• School of Journalism (1970 Utrecht)
• Interpreter Dutch-German (1966)
• Other languages: English, Polish, French, Spanish
Professional experience record
1970-1977: after studying journalism radio reporter and editor of magazines, while at university
1977-1980: freelance correspondent in Warsaw, coverage of Eastern Europe for the leading Dutch daily NRC Handelsblad and for broadcasters in Holland and Belgium
1981-’88: roving reporter for Dutch television
1988-’93: first spokesman of Dutch Rail
1993-1997: self employed writer, trainer, coach and counsellor
1997 onwards: partnership company ‘De Woorden’, i.e. The Words with Paulien Osse, renamed WebWord (in 2002), reflecting their new focus on the worldwide web.
Selected topics
1977-1980: Solidarnosc in Poland
At the end of the seventies (1977-1980) dissident groups sprang up. Once Karol Wojtyla was made pope in 1978, he was back in Poland in no time as an active agent of change. The crumbling of the Soviet empire began in Poland there and then, ten years before the Berlin wall came down. The political opposition at first disguised as the Solidarnosc trade union: under totalitarian rule opposition has to find creative solutions.
1981-1988: roving tv-reporter international affairs
For the television weekly on international affairs ‘Panoramiek’, covering major world events and trends with background features. Travels in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as South- and Southeast Asia, China and Japan. Interviews with heads of state and government, ambassadors, policy makers and - watchers. Director of camera crew in the field, of the cutting and editing process, writing for television.
1987-1997: bridging the east west gap
Coaching a Polish entrepreneur with ambition to ‘go west’, i.e. export manufactures. Today his award winning products are sold all over the world. Involvement consisted of translation and participation during initial negotiations, advising both parties how to handle their differences in concepts and outlook due to the different economic environments they grew up in.
1988-1993: pr-officer
First spokesman of Dutch Rail (NS), advisor to the board and head of the press department.
1993- present: trainer/coach/counsellor/writer
From 1993 onwards self-employed writer/editor of policy papers; coach and counsellor in public awareness campaigns and interactive planning processes; media and presentation trainer. Clients include government bodies and their agencies, ngo’s and as well as commercial companies.
1997-present: going web
Both in theory and practice: paper on e-retail, contribution to web training modules, training for the web.
Publications of historical interest
• Editor of ‘The Polish way to Solidarity’ (De Woelrat, 1981), a contemporary history of the dissident movement as reflected in samizdat documents.
• The impotence of omnipotence – a comparison of the collective and private sectors in Polish agriculture