THE HAGUE - "Am I allowed to be here?" was the poignant question at the heart of the event "Empowering my Caribbean Identity," organized by the WeConnect Foundation. The educational foundation brought together around 50 Caribbean students in The Hague on June 28 to discuss racism, discrimination, and feelings of exclusion. It was an open dialogue where people showed vulnerability while also demonstrating their strength.
Painful
The question "Am I allowed to be here?" was part of a sketch conceived and performed by two WeConnect staff members. "Do they see me or just my color?" they asked the attentive audience. Several young people shared their often extremely painful experiences: being questioned about their loyalty to the Netherlands during a job interview, not being taken seriously as a doctor because they're from Curaçao, and then being challenged on their neutrality. Always having an empty seat next to you on the bus even if others have to stand.
Resilience
Durwin Lynch, a lecturer and master's coordinator in Health Science at the Free University in Amsterdam, led the substantive part of the event. He encouraged students to discuss moments when they felt strong or not. "Embrace yourself," he urged encouragingly, and be authentic. "We wanted to strengthen that resilience by providing the young people with a safe environment to express themselves. It is beautiful and moving to see how they do that," explained WeConnect manager Tanja Fraai.
Action Point
One of the attendees was Rabin Baldewsingh, who has served as the National Coordinator against Discrimination and Racism since 2021. He also appeared on the infamous lists from the Dutch tax authorities that were part of the childcare benefits scandal, he shared. When asked what concrete action he would suggest to support these Caribbean youth, he said, "It would be great if the Dutch government worked towards canceling student debts." This suggestion earned Baldewsingh loud applause.
Commemoration Year
Roald Lapperre, the Director General representing the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, was personally present. He expressed being impressed by the stories shared. This meeting was part of the commemoration year, which focused on the abolition of slavery. Various activities have been organized in both the Netherlands and the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. This commemoration year will conclude on July 1st this year, with the celebration of Keti Koti.