The power of a slogan
'We want bread and we want roses too' became known as a rallying cry when textile workers in Lawrence, Massachusetts (USA) chanted those words during their 1912 strike.
Bread stood for fair wages and better working conditions. Roses for everything that makes life more than just survival: culture, education, nature, equality—the right to a beautiful and fulfilling existence.
Since then, the slogan has grown into an international symbol of social struggle.
Make your voice heard: what do we stand for? Bread & Roses Today?
More than a hundred years later, we give the floor to you. What can Bread & Roses What does it mean today? What new dimensions does the slogan take on in light of current societal and global challenges?
Make your voice heard. Write a piece that surprises, challenges, and inspires with innovative ideas about justice, dignity, and hope in the 21st century.
How do you participate in the competition?
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Assignment: write a Dutch text of maximum 2.000 words with your vision on Bread & Roses.
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Form: completely free – from an essay to slam poetry, anything is possible.
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Deadline: 18 Januari 2026
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Submit: email your text as a PDF to
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
What can you win?
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A cash prize of €500.
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A publication of your text in Bread & Roses, the magazine of Amsab-ISG.
The winner will be announced during the 30th anniversary celebration Bread & Roses in VIERNULVIER in Ghent on Friday, April 24, 2026
The jury
Entries will be judged on originality and writing style by:
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Bieke Purnelle - Director of RoSa, the Knowledge Centre for Gender, Feminism and Equal Opportunities, and columnist for De Standaard and MO*
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Layla El-Dekmak - Journalist, radio, documentary and podcast maker
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Filip Rogiers - Writer and journalist for De Standaard.
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Paule Verbruggen - Director of Amsab-ISG and editor-in-chief of Bread & Roses
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Martine Vermandere - Public Relations Coordinator of Amsab-ISG
What are the rules of the game?
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You are at least 18 years old.
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You write in Dutch.
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Your text must contain a maximum of 2.000 words.
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Your text may not have been previously published.
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You submit your text as a PDF.
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Since all submissions will be read blind by the jury, we ask that you only mention your name in the file name of the PDF.
Also watch this match on writerspoint.nl en worthreading.com.
