IIRE launches emergency repair campaign

In something like dog years, a twenty-year-old establishment in Amsterdam is really more like a 140-year-old person. While we have had some major repairs over the years - a new roof, painting the back of the building - we are now facing a whole number of repairs that are simply based on twenty years of wear and tear. These range from the need to replace the doorframes for the most used doors as the high power hinges have gradually pulled the wood away from the walls to worn out ropes involved in raising windows. As a school, we have to have heavy fire doors, which explains the need for the high-tension hinges. The window frames are increasingly out of square as the building shifts over the year and will also be need to replaced. Plus many other carpentry repairs of this type.

Sometimes we are faced with the impossibility of repairs and are faced with making a new purchase. For instance, we have a double-sided industrial stove in our kitchen. This was a top of the line model, as it had to be connected to a safety mechanism that prevents the stove from being accidentally turned on. After twenty years, these safety mechanisms are beginning to break and repair turns out to be impossible. So we face the prospect of needing to buy a 3000 euro stove - next month before the Global Justice School begins! We are checking on used industrial stoves or ovens but the fire and safety requirements may require purchasing a new stove.

Unfortunately, other equipment is also at the end of its life: the photocopier and the emergency lighting system that needs to be renewed and costs a lot. As we approach winter, our greatest worry is the central heating furnace which, as we say in Dutch, is "walking on its hind legs". We were able to have a temporary repair done a year ago but this gerry-rigged mechanism could fail at any time. The approximate estimate the heating service gave us was 11,000 euros to replace this furnace.

The IIRE is a beautiful building in a wonderful location and we very much want to give it the spruce up it needs. We would like to set a goal of 30,000 euros in the next three years. We hope that all of you will be sending donations to our fund drive and launching your own campaign to help us out.

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