Turken, Miep (NL)
Bio:
Born: 17 september 1934 in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. I married in 1957 and got three children
Education: September 2001: Masters course Inter-Religious Spirituality, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. 2004/2005 half a year research in South-Africa. Masters completed june 2006.
Work: Laboratory analyst. Teacher of chemistry and physics. Town councillor in municipal of Heeze. Assistent Director at a school for professional education. Alderman in the municipal of Heeze. Town councillor in the municipal of Heeze. I work for BOZ (a provincial institute) on various large and smaller assignments i.e. as: interim-director, support of fusions of institutes, researchwork etc. Alderman in the municipal of Waalre. Member of the regional government. Town councillor in the municipal of Waalre.
Since 1973 I have been a non-executive board member of several social organizations. At the end of my active working life I was awarded a Royal Distinction (Ridder in de Orde van Oranje Nassau).
Lecture:
The world of the Xhosa women is both strange and mystifying. I was very happy to get the opportunity to come in contact with these women. They allowed me to ask them questions about their spirituality after their witness before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa. They gave me sincere and profound answers. I was triggered by their possibility to forgive such severe violations of their human rights. I did my research in december 2004 till june 2005. The month of november 2006 I went back to South-Africa to meet them again.
Miep Turken wrote an academical publication about the Xhosa women.