Although my neighbours are all barbarians,
And you, you are a thousand miles away,
There are always two cups on my table.
                                                          Tang Dynasty 

In a world increasingly governed by free trade market imperatives there is a risk that cultural singularities vanish before people realise their loss. Living and working in Asia has stirred the interest of Huibert Boumeester in Asian cultures ánd has made him more aware of the dangers these cultures are facing. He also came to believe that enhancing peoples’ awareness of their cultural riches and those of other peoples will help to conserve these riches for next generations. This belief has led up to the establishment of the lt. general H.G. Boumeester foundation, named after one of the founder’s ancestors.  

The  lt. general H.G. Boumeester foundation aims to fund projects that will increase the understanding and thereby the conservation of the cultures, with an emphasis on the arts, of Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The foundation also supports projects that propagate these cultures by means of an exhibition, performance, concert or publication in countries other than the ones mentioned. Art related research into these cultures is also eligible for funding.

The lt. general H.G. Boumeester foundation, registered in the Netherlands, is governed by a Board of Trustees. The Trustees assess the applications for funding, guided by criteria that have been set after ample consideration.