Turning Tragedy Into Happiness
Jul 29, 2022 12:00 PM
Ferry Zandlviet
Turning Tragedy Into Happiness

“Turning the tragedy of surviving a terrorist attack into happiness by befriending the family of one of the shooters.....and more.” At our meeting this week, you will meet Ferry Zandvliet, a Rotarian from The Netherlands. On Friday, November 13, 2015, Ferry attended a concert with three friends in the Bataclan theater in Paris. During that fateful evening, terrorists shot 89 people. It was a horrible ordeal of course. Ferry's story is not about misery--it is about survival, friendship, and enrichment. It describes his fight against polarization. In true Rotarian spirit, Ferry's has made it his life's mission to use the experience of that tragedy to make the world less angry, and show people that it makes no sense to victimize yourself.