Joanie de Rijke

Speaker
Dutch
English
Photo of Joanie de Rijke

Who is Joanie De Rijke?

This past year, Joanie stood where it happened, from the first day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. She reported from Kiev during the first days of the war, when almost no one dared enter, and then spent five weeks reporting across the country. The coverage was featured in De Morgen, via video reports in The Appointment, The Seventh Day and on Radio 1. Joanie traveled back and forth to Ukraine many times in 2022 to bring reports. Among others, she spoke with the mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klichko, Maikhail Podolyak, advisor to Zelensky, and she was the first European journalist to visit a camp for Russian prisoners of war in Ukraine. In February 2023, she will be featured on Streamz in the documentary series War Junkies, about her work in a war zone.

Journalist Joanie has already visited several war zones, but in 2008 things go wrong when she is kidnapped by the Taliban in Afghanistan. For six days, she bravely fights for her life until she is released. Upon returning home, she writes a book about her experiences.

Despite this traumatic experience, she continues to work as a journalist in the region and writes another book, Pakistan, the most dangerous country in the world, a revelation in Dutch-language journalism. As a reporter, mainly for the weekly Knack, she continues to travel to Asia, the Middle East and the Balkans. She encounters brutal war, but also the human side.

Although we are often confronted with images of war zones, we can hardly imagine them. On her travels, Joanie gets to places most of us would rather stay away from. In 2017, renowned Dutch investigative and war journalist Arnold Karskens named her best Dutch war reporter of the year. She recounts her experiences in a fascinating and moving way.

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    Women and war

    War is mainly men’s business. They are the ones who fight, commit acts of terrorism, plunder and rape. What happens to women in times of war? What role do they play? Women in wars tend to be reported in extreme circumstances. They are either victims, heroines or monsters. But things aren’t so clear-cut in practice.

    Like most men, women's main aim during war is to survive, to look after their children and family, and to put food on the table. But some women also fight, often as hard as their male counterparts, and find themselves on the front lines. On the other hand, some women are taken captive, raped, sold and abused. While others devise plans and fight in the resistance.
    Joanie has spoken to women from various war zones. About their fears, hopes, illusions and disillusions, and the roles that they play.

    War Journalism

    War journalism is an outsider in the field. Not many people want to do it, and we often hear clichés like “adventurers” or “adrenaline junkies” about those who do.

    Undoubtedly there are guys in conflict areas who do it 'for kicks', but the journalists who have been traveling the world's hotbeds to report for years can hardly be categorized as cowboys who are mainly out for excitement.
    In 2022, there are a lot of solid and experienced reporters on the front lines every day whose main motivation consists of reporting the news, of what is happening at that moment, in that place. Some risk their lives for it. It certainly doesn't get any easier for journalists. Not in general and certainly not for war reporters. In Ukraine alone, more than 20 journalists have been killed this year.

    Why does someone choose this profession and how does it work? Joanie de Rijke talks about the fascinating world of reporters on the frontline.

    March 22, 2016: the attacks in Brussels

    Following the attacks in Paris and in other European cities, Belgium is also not escaping the terror of Islamic State (IS). The explosions took the lives of 35 people. More than three hundred were injured.

    For this book, journalist Joanie de Rijke and physician Tine Gregoor set out to find those involved in this black day. Brussels went on lockdown, the threat level in the country was raised from three to four. Who doesn't remember where they were when the news broke? How do the victims and their families look back on this day? How does Indian flight attendant Nidhi Chaphekar, whose photo went around the world after the attacks, feel about Belgium? Has Beatrice de Lavalette, who lost her lower legs at age 17, been able to pick up where she left off? How did the gigantic mill of relief work that started after the attacks go? And what did security people and policymakers learn from Belgium's 9/11? Drawing on dozens of interviews, de Rijke and Gregoor outline both a look back and a look forward. Or how hellhole Brussels was demonized at the time and got back on its feet.

The lecture by Joanie de Rijke flowed perfectly. A nice presentation and a pleasant chat afterwards.

Annie Vanmarcke

Inner Wheel Mandel-Leie

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Joanie de Rijke's lecture, ‘Oorlog in Syrië en vluchtelingenstroom’ (War in Syria and the refugee train) is the story of someone who has experienced everything from close by; someone who views the positives as well as the negatives; balanced but also captivating.

Luc Graindourze

GROS Sint-Tuiden

Joanie de Rijke's lecture, ‘In de handen van de Taliban’ (In the hands of the Taliban) received nothing but positive reactions. Very well done.

Christian Loosvelt

Gezinsbond Rekkem

Everyone was very enthusiastic about the lecture by Joanie de Rijke. A top speaker with a fantastic story.

Kelly de Plecker

Artemis Noord-West-Vlaanderen

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We heard the lecture by Joanie de Rijke this morning. In one word: FANTASTIC! Our members hung on her every word. Thank you once again for the great collaboration.

Nadine De Knock

editor - for VIE (Vrouwen In Evolutie) Ghent

We are very pleased with the lecture by Joanie de Rijke. She presented the perfect mix of travel stories, travel suggestions and political context in the countries concerned. Our audience really enjoyed it.

Annemie Arras

Bree library