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Shoulder to Shoulder during the National Commemoration of the History of Slavery

July 1st 2026 | National Slavery

Monument, Oosterpark,

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Shoulder to Shoulder during the National Commemoration of the History of Slavery

On Wednesday 1 July 2026, the 24th edition of the National Commemoration of Slavery takes place. During the commemoration ceremony, we reflect together on the abolition of Dutch trans-Atlantic slavery in Surinam and the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands: Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten. Six speakers will take the floor and wreaths will be laid. This year’s central theme of the ceremony is Shoulder to Shoulder. With this theme we call on everyone to keep standing side by side, even when we think or experience things differently. Standing shoulder to shoulder means listening, making room for different stories and not letting go of one another. In this way, remembrance is not a single moment but a shared task, in which we give meaning to the past and build the future together. The ceremony takes place from 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm at the National Slavery Monument in the Oosterpark in Amsterdam and is open to all. The National Commemoration is broadcast live on NPO1 by the NOS. The National Commemoration of Slavery is organised by the Slavery Memorial Committee in collaboration with the National Institute for the Study of Dutch Slavery and its Legacy (NiNsee).
Inaugural speech by Francio Guadeloupe

12 March 2026 | Amsterdam
University of Amsterdam (UvA)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Inaugural speech by Francio Guadeloupe

Professor Francio Guadeloupe will deliver his inaugural lecture at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) on Thursday, March 12. With this lecture, he officially accepts the chair in Public Anthropology of Kingdom Relations, which is funded by the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK). Guadeloupe was born in Aruba and works at the KITLV and the UvA in Amsterdam.

In his work, Guadeloupe explores themes such as identity, mobility, and inequality within the Kingdom. His inaugural lecture will focus on the way in which people in different parts of the Kingdom shape their lives, often moving between the Caribbean islands and the Netherlands.

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Shoulder to Shoulder during the National Commemoration of the History of Slavery

National Slavery Monument, Oosterpark, Amsterdam

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Podcast ‘De Verdieping’

The Slavery Memorial Committee has launched a new podcast: De Verdieping. In this podcast series, chair Astrid Elburg and podcast maker Nicole Terborg talk with various guests about current topics that touch on the history of slavery, its ongoing impact in the present and its meaning for the future. This first episode focuses on a…

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Join a local committee

URGENT: Local committees are looking for volunteers

In more than 25 places across the European Netherlands, local 30 June-1 July committees are busy preparing for the commemorations, celebrations and educational programmes in 2026. Many of these committees are looking for new board members and additional volunteers to strengthen this important work. Interested in contributing? Then fill in this form.

Agenda & News

Upcoming events and commemorations

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Shoulder to Shoulder during the National Commemoration of the History of Slavery

Inaugural speech by Francio Guadeloupe

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Join a local committee

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