Towards a new narrative on South Africa and the Netherlands
We cordially invite you to participate in the first expert meeting of ‘Towards a new narrative on South Africa and the Netherlands’.
The background
On 1 July 2023, King Willem-Alexander apologised for the slavery in the name of the Dutch state. He asked for forgiveness and he concluded: ‘After acknowledgement and apologies, let us work together to foster healing, reconciliation and recovery.
[1] But the King implicitly and Prime Minister Rutte in his apologies on 19 December 2022 explicitly did not make a ‘global’ gesture. They were primarily directed to the enslaved and their descendants in Suriname and the Antilles, the victims of the Atlantic slave trade.
[2] Thus, no apologies for the victims of the Indian Ocean slave trade, no apologies towards descendants living in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and South Africa (and all the other parts of the world where the Dutch traded in people).
The fact that monarchs, presidents and prime ministers are dealing with this past is due to the tireless and longstanding efforts of descendants, activists, journalists, historians and other scholars to put the history of the slave trade, slavery and other forms of forced labour, as well as the power relations behind them, on the (inter)national agenda.
It is a missed opportunity, however, that Dutch dignitaries focus almost exclusively on the Atlantic slave trade and its long felt consequences, and only provide funding for this purpose. Let’s look beyond this narrow focus and include others whose ancestors were victims of the system of slavery that was maintained for centuries in the name of the Dutch state. Why are the Indonesian, Sri Lankese, Indian and South African enslaved and indentured ‘labourers’ and their descendants left out while apologising?
Who, why and what
The Zuid-Afrikahuis in Amsterdam, Expats & Immigrants B.V. and Restorative Justice Nederland join(ed) hands to work towards a new narrative about South Africa and the Netherlands.
From the perspective of Transitional Justice and the International Redress Movement we focus on the beginnings of healing, reconciliation and recovery, to create a narrative that acknowledges the terrible past and looks forward with hope to the (shared) future of the children and grandchildren of South Africa and the Netherlands. We want to do this in unity with South Africans and the Dutch.
In doing so we look first at the shared histories of South Africa and the Netherlands. The narrative recounts the painful history of Dutch material expansionism in South Africa, with a focus on contemporary apartheid and poverty in South Africa. It then outlines a new perspective that offers the prospect of recovery, equal citizenship and possibly even reconciliation.
For the expert meeting on 29 February 2024 we try to bring people together from different backgrounds and different fields of expertise, both from South Africa and the Netherlands.
Developing a new narrative is not a one-off exercise. Our aim is to create a multi-year follow-up that builds on the narrative. Think about organizing dialogues and restorative circles, rewriting history, writing children’s books and developing cultural heritage together, in line with the intention of the Faro Convention.
If you would like to participate in the creation of this overarching narrative for South Africa and the Netherlands, as well as a framework that serves as a prelude to overarching services and products, we hope to welcome you on 29 February 2024 from 14:00-17:00.
Expats & Immigrants B.V. – Carl H.D. Steinmetz
Restorative Justice Nederland – Anneke van Hoek
– Gina Lafour
Zuid-Afrikahuis – Angelie Sens
[1] https://www.royal-house.nl/documents/speeches/2023/07/01/speech-by-king-willem-alexander-at-the-commemoration-of-the-role-of-the-netherlands-in-the-history-of-slavery
[2] https://www.government.nl/documents/speeches/2022/12/19/speech-by-prime-minister-mark-rutte-about-the-role-of-the-netherlands-in-the-history-of-slavery
