01/07/2024
How do we look at the past and future at the same time?โ
The 1st of July every year marks the anniversary of the abolition of slavery in Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles. Referred to as โKeti Kotiโ โ meaning โBroken Chainsโ โ the day is an occasion to reflect back on peopleโs experiences under colonialism and recognize the continued influence of the past in society today.
Last yearโs Keti Koti began the Commemoration Year for the History of Slavery, culminating today, July 1, 2024. For Leiden University, this year involved reflecting on its colonial history and responsibility. Events and discussions, including a Keti Koti table, an exhibition on anti-colonial author Anton de Kom, and a research project on the universityโs colonial history, enabled critical discussions about our past and future.โ
What further steps can we take as an academic community to process the past? How do we create and give space to painful but honest conversations? We asked Leiden University students and staff to share their perspectives. The exhibition, โA Contemporary Past โ Looking Back and Forward,โ features 11 portraits and aims to connect everyday experiences with history, inviting reflection on our multifaced relationships with colonialism.
Demi Derks [pictured first], a history student and also a guide during the Anton de Kom exhibition, says in the context of discussions on colonial pasts that, โmany people havenโt learned to engage in this conversation with each other. Itโs important to learn how to engage with different perspectives on the world.โโ
Mara Constantinescu [pictured fourth], regional coordinator for Latin America at Leiden University, notes that as a university, it is important to recognize that โsystems of knowledge production and reproduction are fundamental in creating more just societies where everyone can flourish.โโ
What are your critical reflections on the universityโs history of slavery and its impacts on contemporary society? Visit the exhibition at the Academy Building to hear more from your fellow students and staff members, or even share your own perspectives on the topic by writing to [email protected]
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