Aruba also has a history of slavery. A few months ago, minister of Culture, Xiomara Maduro presented a special program to reflect on the topic of slavery in Aruba seen from the perspective of freedom. The program was well-received in Aruba as well as in sister islands Curaçao and Bonaire.
The topic of slavery is current within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, as we are approaching 160 years since the abolition of slavery in the kingdom. For this occasion, minister Maduro met with Mr. Luc Alofs in order to work on the necessary awareness for Aruba on the topic of slavery.
Knowledge for improvement
In order to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past, it is important to know our history. As a country and as a kingdom, we must deal with what was wrong and recognize the good parts that might resulted from the shared history of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
In Aruba, a lot of people do not know the history of slavery here, and it is time for us to also review this difficult part of our kingdom. It is about reaching a moment of acceptance, apology and reparations for the damage caused. For this last aspect, it could be the development of a network of knowledge between the University of Aruba, Archive and Museum, a place to commemorate what happened like an artwork and investigation of the social and cultural inheritance that slavery carries with it. It’s important to review our past with the intention of improving as people, country and kingdom.
Agenda to inform and create awareness
Minister Maduro together with Mr. Luc Alofs is working on an agenda in order to provide more information on the subject of slavery in Aruba. For this, more people and organizations will be approached within the community in order to count with the necessary participation and knowledge regarding this topic in Aruba.
