A Dutch Priest who worked in Sri Lanka from the late forties to early sixties. He worked mainly with the young Christian Workers movement. His influence was enormous. His working style was simple. He started a tea boutique inside the workers centre for workers who passed the place to Colombo harbour and other places of work. He and this co-workers just sat there and listened to any one who dropped in to have a cup of tea. Schram, that how he was popularly known, was always there to listen. In fact, he just help others to discover themselves and to play their part. It was the participatory approach which came naturally. He was considered controversial in many instances. He encouraged the church not to resist school take over, he opposed a coup attempt in which some military leaders who were Catholics were alleged to have played a leading part. He wanted to be seen as an ordinary man who saw the vital place of ordinary men in democratic movement. On his return to the Netherlands he became a prime mover for third world movement of the country.

To a young Dutch man who was going to Asia to work and who came to visit Schram for advice he gave the following advice, which the young man related thus. " He held me by shoulder and said, ‘son, they do not need you there. If you go there, just hang round and try to see how, they do things. After sometime you may find something useful to do’."

During his time human rights language has not become so common. However, essentially what he did was promotion of human rights through deep participatory approach.

He died on 9 October 1984.