de Ander

In a world increasingly divided by screens and preconceptions, how can we truly connect? Nami is building “De Ander”—a digital platform inviting people to step into unfamiliar lives, fostering empathy and unity through heartfelt storytelling.

Mission

Our society feels more divided and disconnected than ever. Digital echo chambers, polarized debates, and diminishing human interactions contribute to deepening misunderstandings. Nami’s mission is clear: reduce polarization by fostering genuine, empathetic connections between people from vastly different backgrounds.

Approach

We are in the process of developing an innovative storytelling platform: “de Ander / the Other.” Through powerful humanly real-life stories, users can immerse themselves into lives they might never otherwise encounter—bridging divides and fostering empathy at scale.

On the website, visitors encounter greyscale portraits of strangers, each an untold story. Clicking on a portrait transforms it into vibrant color, representing understanding and connection, and leads to a personal, authentic video story that brings the person’s world vividly to life.

Insight

Behavioral research shows us that prejudices and misunderstandings dissolve when people genuinely listen and share stories face-to-face. In the digital age, face-to-face opportunities are rare, yet the need for them has never been greater. By enabling intimate digital storytelling experiences in a safe distance to lower the threshold, we leverage human curiosity to overcome barriers of misunderstanding and fear.

Idea

“De Ander” presents a mosaic of authentic, human stories from a diverse spectrum of the Dutch society. We want to bridge gaps like urban vs. rural, young vs. old, religious vs. non-religious, affluent vs. disadvantaged, native vs. migrant, healthy vs. ill, and even freedom vs. imprisonment. Each story is designed to inspire openness and learn from each other.

Visitors navigate the platform and engage with videos that humanize what was once distant. The result: a digital landscape slowly filling with color, representing the transformation from strangers to human connection.

Our wild future plans include expanding this powerful concept into a documentary series, interactive community tools, dialogue starters, games to foster real conversations, and live events bringing diverse groups physically together to experience events they normally wouldn't be able to experience because it's outside of their cultural circle.

Call to collaborate

The project is currently in development, and we are looking for all kind of people/organisations to join us! Together, we can amplify empathy, understanding, and unity at a crucial moment in society.
🎤 Want to share your story, or know someone who should?
🎥 Are you a researcher, filmmaker, storyteller, or editor?
🎬 Are you a producer looking to make an impact?
🎨 A creative thinker ready to push boundaries?
🏢 An agency excited to collaborate?
💻 A web developer or designer ready to bring this vision to life?
🤝 An organization or fund passionate about positive change?
🌟 A brand interested in championing this cause?

Let’s connect and discuss how we can build bridges together. Reach out via info@wearenami.com. Together, we’ll color our world with empathy, one heartfelt story at a time.

Extra content

Credits

Client

Nami

Agency

Nami

Production

Waves Video Agency

Director

Ilia ten Böhmer

Interviewer

Judith Odink

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in touch

Office
Manitobadreef 7C 3565 CH Utrecht The Netherlands

Postal Address
Manitobadreef 7C 3565 CH Utrecht The Netherlands

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