We, the EUNIC Netherlands committee and its members want to express our solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and its protests in the US, Europe, the Netherlands and elsewhere. We stand in solidarity in the condemnation of the racial oppression that permeates our societies, and in the demand for just and equal treatment of black people and people of colour. We see racism as an enduring problem that can only be fought by similarly enduring outspoken opposition, and we want to add our voice to that chorus.
As a European cultural organization, we aim to represent and further an ideal of European cultural exchange and cooperation that truly does justice to the motto “United in diversity”. Supporting racial, cultural and ethnic diversity in the arts is a crucial part of achieving that ideal. This is especially relevant in the Dutch cultural field, which increasingly claims to uphold diversity as a value, but is not always able to do so, as expressed in this open letter by a large group of artists and creatives of colour.
We recognise that we too have to do more in promoting such diversity and inclusion. Therefore, we are currently investigating how to best use the EUNIC Netherlands cluster as an instrument to support racial equality in the arts and beyond, and to truly live up to our European ideals.
