According to D66 MP Salima Belhaj, Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s apology on behalf of the cabinet for the Netherlands’ history of slavery is an important first step. “It’s a kind of recognition and an opportunity to look to the future.”
According to the deputy, there are many people who ‘couldn’t look to the future at all’ because they feel held back, ‘but there are also people who don’t want to know anything about the past. They just wanted to look forward and kept thinking an apology would never come.’
Belhaj thinks Rutte’s apology will trigger a lot in many families. “Now we’re slowly seeing more and more of this,” he says. «Especially with the families of which little was said. You see it most often in important places. So I think there will be a lot of talks, and what is very important is that the cabinet has announced that they will talk about what the recovery will look like.’
Concrete plans
For example, the Cabinet is planning a fund for social initiatives, aimed at impacting the past of slavery. “There will also be further investment in anti-discrimination, recognition and rehabilitation for Curaçao resistance hero Tula, who has been well received as far as I understand.”
According to Belhaj, there is also a risk that families will impose reparations. ‘This is possible, because we are a rule of law. But it’s hard to prove that, as you can see in other countries as well,” he continues. ‘But in most of the conversations I’ve had about it, it comes out that people like to see things happening around education, the arts, hero recognition, publications, et cetera. So most people want to invest in the recovery for the public good. Of course there will be people who want to do the legal thing, and that too is possible, but I dare not say much about how it will work.’
Source: BNR
Fernando Dowling is an author and political journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. He has a deep understanding of the political landscape and a passion for analyzing the latest political trends and news.
