What is the Keti Koti Dialogue Table?

The dialogue table brings people with diverse backgrounds together and in conversation: acquaintances and strangers, people of different generations and cultures from different communities. Black people, white people and People of Colour (with non-white migration background) engage in conversation and share their personal experiences, memories and feelings in relation to racism and discrimination. 

Although the history of slavery and its aftermath are its occasion, its aim is explicitly not to have a conversation about historical and political subjects, quite the contrary. As such topics often give rise to heated and polarising debates, this facilitated dialogue aims to share different personal experiences and insights with each other. 

The conversations are structured according to a specially developed method that includes speaking, listening, and reflection in several rounds. The chosen theme for this dialogue table is: Speaking Out & Remaining Silent.

Why a Keti Koti Dialogue Table at UM?

By organising a Keti Koti Dialogue Table, Maastricht University - being a higher education institution - wants to contribute on fostering better dialogues with each other on prejudice, discrimination and racism and forging alliances for a more pleasant and inclusive university environment and society.

Programme - Tuesday 1 October

A Keti Koti Dialogue Table has a set structure including rituals and follows a special developed method that requires speaking, listening, and reflecting in multiple rounds. It is therefore important for attendees to remain present from the beginning to the end. The theme of this dialogue table is Speaking Out & Remaining Silent.

Programme timeline:

• 17:30 - Check-in, forming couples, seating
• 18:00 - Word of Welcome by UM President Rianne Letschert
• 18:05 - Start Keti Koti Dialogue Table 

• 21:00 - Closing

   

Between conversations, the Fri Yeye choir sings songs of mourning and liberation that were sung on the plantations during the time of slavery. At the beginning and at the end of the dialogue table, a few Afro-Surinamese ritual ceremonies are performed.  
 

Kon Na Leti

The Kon Na Leti [Surinamese for ‘bring to the light’] is a personal disclosure through which a participant brings their story to the light. It is an essential and courageous part of the evening. This also breaks the ice for the other participants, encouraging them to openly share their story with their conversation partner and dare to be vulnerable.

During a Keti Koti Dialogue Table, there are two Kon Na Leti's: one by a Black participant/participant of colour/participant with non-white migration background and one by a white participant. 

Are you interested to bring your story to the light?
The Keti Koti Table Foundation has guidelines and can help write these personal stories. You can indicate your interest by answering the question about the Kon Na Leti in the registration form. Please do so before 16 September to have sufficient time to discuss things together and put you in touch with the foundation.

You are invited!

It is with great pleasure that we invite you to the Keti Koti Dialogue Table at Maastricht University on Tuesday 1 October 2024 from 17:30-21:00. This special event will take place in the Mensa of the School of Business and Economics,  Tongersestraat 53 in Maastricht. 

This event is for members of the UM community and for relations. About one hundred people participate in a Keti Koti Dialogue Table consisting of preferably an equal number of white and non-white people.

Although the meeting is designed with elements from the slavery history, its aim is to have attendees exchange personal experiences and insights with each other around the chosen theme Speaking Out & Remaining Silent. You do not need to have a direct link to the slavery past in order to participate. 

The main language of the evening and plenary moments will be English. During the one-to-one discussions, you may express yourself in the language you feel most comfortable with (Dutch or English). The organisation will ensure that you get a conversation partner with the same language preference as you. You can indicate this on the application form. 

The Keti Koti Dialogue Table at UM is organised by the Diversity & Inclusivity Office in collaboration with the Keti Koti Table Foundation and OmniUM Maastricht.

Registration

You can sign up until Monday 23 September 2024 11:00 am via the application form. Please note that signing up is required and that partial attendance is not possible due to the format and nature of the dialogue table.

As we will engage in conversation in diverse couples, we encourage you to share this event with someone of a different colour or background than yourself so they can also sign up.