Our team has been working remotely for a long time and often alongside our work and study, where team members from Suriname, Curaçao and the Netherlands work together. While this poses challenges, such as coordinating across time zones, we as a team have found ways to work together effectively on our common mission. Recently we finally got the chance to meet with a few physically, which was a valuable moment for our collaboration.
Hilde Neus, team member Our HERmitage and researcher at the Anton de Kom University in Suriname, came to the Netherlands for two notable events: the Voices of Resistance conference in Utrecht and the Konmakandra event. These meetings were crucial not only for our work and to meet as a team in person, but also for the broader purpose of OurHeritage, which is committed to the preservation and a new perspective on heritage in relation to colonial gender history and resistance.
From left to right of Our HERITAGE: Hilde Neus, Fausia S. Abdul. Rashid Dossett.
From left to right of Our Heritage: Rashid Dossett, Hilde Neus, Fausia S. Abdul.
The Voices of Resistance The conference (11-13 September 2024) was about the long history of resistance to Dutch colonialism, from the 1600s until today. This conference provided a platform for intellectual exchange on anti-colonial resistance, often centred on marginalised voices.
For Our Heritage this was an important moment because it allowed us to enter dialogue with other researchers and activists who are also engaged in unravelling the complex colonial legacies but also want to add other perspectives to the various projects and studies. Something that is directly in line with our objectives. Fausia and Rashid, were also there to network, but to support our team member Hilde Neus. She gave a lecture about a group of coloured free women who in the 17th century successfully sued the Burgerwacht in Suriname. You can find the entire lecture here.
"It was incredibly valuable to finally meet as team members in real life. It makes the cooperation more tangible and gave us the opportunity to exchange ideas on a more personal level. These encounters have further strengthened the ties within our team across an ocean and will only help us to achieve our goals in the future."
Our Heritage founder Fausia S. Abdul, Actress and all-round star Gerda Havertong, team member and researcher Hilde Neus.
In addition to this conference, there was also the Konmakandra of the Surinamese Genealogy Foundation to share stories about colonial and postcolonial issues, where both Hilde and Fausia were present. During the Konmakandra there were contributions from renowned experts, including Rosemarijn Höfte, who spoke about life and work after slavery, and contract work on plantations such as Mariënburg. There were also opportunities to buy books and to eat delicious food to finish afterwards with an impressive performance by Gerda Havertong.
Prof. H.E. Lamur and Our Heritage Fausia S. Abdul
During these same weeks our team member was Fariel Soeleiman in Suriname where she was Tanya Sitaram, our team researcher in Paramaribo and participant Jane Badoodla who had also been interviewed on holiday there. More about that follows!
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