Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam Spotlights Dutch Colonial History at United Nations Panel
The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam recently played a central role in a significant panel discussion at the United Nations, focusing on museums, slavery, and colonial history. Held at the UN's Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on March 30, 2023, the event gathered over 700 attendees, including students, UN envoys, and members of the public. This panel marked the conclusion of the museum's "Slavery. Ten True Stories of Dutch Colonial Slavery" exhibition, which had been on display at the United Nations Headquarters for five weeks.
General Director Taco Dibbits and Head of History Valika Smeulders represented the Rijksmuseum on the panel. They were joined by other experts, including Alissandra Cummins from the Barbados Museum & Historical Society and Richard Benjamin of the International Slavery Museum.
Rijksmuseum's Commitment to Historical Inquiry
The panel discussion was part of a broader program that began with a lecture by Bryan Stevenson, a human rights professor and director of The Legacy Museum in Montgomery, USA, also the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative. The conversation further included contributions from Dutch citizens Susi and Simba Mosis, who are descendants of Surinamese maroons—enslaved Africans who resisted and escaped Dutch plantations in the 17th and 18th centuries. Visitors interested in understanding these discussions can access the lecture and full panel conversation online.
Exploring Dutch Colonial Slavery: The Exhibition's Journey
The exhibition, "Slavery. Ten True Stories of Dutch Colonial Slavery," was hosted by the United Nations as part of its Outreach Programme on the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery. Supported in part by the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the UN and the Consulate General in New York City, the exhibition provided tens of thousands of diplomats and visitors with insights into Dutch colonial slavery. Following its showing at the UN Headquarters, an adapted version of the exhibition is slated for display at other UN offices globally until December 31, 2024. For those wishing to learn more about this exhibition, additional details are available on the Rijksmuseum's website.
This engagement underscores the Rijksmuseum's dedication to exploring complex historical narratives and contributing to international dialogues on significant social issues.
To discover more about the Rijksmuseum and other prominent cultural institutions, you can browse museums in Amsterdam on Musemap (musemap.art). You can also explore what's on in the city.
