The first day of July marks the 158th anniversary of the abolition of slavery across the entire Kingdom of the Netherlands. This event is popularly commemorated as 'Keti Koti' in The Netherlands and its former colonies. On June 30 our university is going to lay wreaths at the Lloydkade in honour of freedom and human dignity.
This event has particular resonance for EUR as an institution given our unique relationship with our city, contributing significantly to our unique values and academic community. Our Erasmian values are undeniably informed by Rotterdam's place as a diverse, entrepreneurial world city. For that reason, Keti Koti is a celebration of a legacy of freedom, diversity, and openness offered to all of us.
On June 30 our university will join with other institutions and city leaders at the Lloydkade to lay wreaths in honour of freedom and human dignity. Both executive board member, Ellen van Schoten and Chief Diversity Officer Semiha Denktaş will be in attendance. This small action serves as a reminder of our shared legacy and our shared commitment to overcome discrimination, hatred and oppression for the benefit of all.
Today 1 in 8 Rotterdammers have ancestors who were enslaved
Research has shown that the first Dutch slave vessel had a Rotterdam connection and colonial trade with the Dutch East Indies contributed significantly to Rotterdam's growth towards a world port. Today 1 in 8 Rotterdammers have ancestors who were enslaved, and many of these people touched the lives of people today.
Connecting to our past
EUR Outreach officer Peggy Wijntuin is the initiator of Slavernij Monument Rotterdam and the research into Rotterdam's slaving and colonial past. Her great-grandmother Krotu Ma was an enslaved woman in Suriname who experienced abolition on July 1, 1863. Mrs Wijntuin highlights that there are still many people alive today who knew and lived alongside survivors: "It’s not that long ago. I'm only the third generation born in freedom and the very first to be given a free choice to go in the direction I wanted."
These individual stories of hard won freedoms, stand alongside the structural effects on our society. Our legacy of colonialism and racism remains part of the structural inequalities that persist today, for example in education.
These common challenges are precisely the shared societal challenges that we at EUR look to address every day, for example in our Connecting our Future programme. For Mrs Wijntuin that is a source of pride; “There is still a lot of work to be done, so I am proud to be part of EUR's D&I team that is making a strong case for equity, inclusion and justice."
- More information
For more information about EUR initiatives regarding inclusion please consult the Diversity & Inclusion pages