Apologies Must Be Accepted, and Forgiveness Granted

Apologies Must Be Accepted, and Forgiveness Granted

19 December 2025

Recently, I learned that a square near Groningen’s central railway station has been named after Tula, the leader of the 1795 slave revolt on Curaçao. It is a symbolic yet meaningful act: a public acknowledgment of courage, resistance, and the historical pain associated with the shared colonial past.

Just days earlier, Brian Hooi became world champion in one of the major combat sports during a title fight in Madrid, marking his international breakthrough. Around the same time, Kevin Osepa won the Prix de Rome, the most prestigious Dutch art prize for young artists, for work that explores ritual, memory, and identity.

Together, these moments demonstrate that the Yu di Kòrsou — people of Curaçaoan origin — continue to excel internationally through talent, resilience, and creativity, often beyond the island's formal structures.

Against this backdrop, I am reminded of the recent state visit of King Willem-Alexander to Suriname. During that visit, the apologies previously offered by the Dutch monarch for the Netherlands’ role in slavery and colonization were not only reiterated, but also accepted. Surinamese representatives explicitly granted the King forgiveness, making space for a shared future grounded in acknowledgment rather than denial (NRC, 2025; NOS, 2025).

On Curaçao, however, the conversation rarely moves to that next step: the acceptance of apologies. Yet accepting an apology does not erase history; it allows societies to move forward without being trapped by it. In a world shaped by pandemics and geopolitical instability, partnerships are not a luxury but a necessity.

Apologies only gain meaning when they are accepted. Without forgiveness, one may retain moral certainty — but at the cost of political and social stagnation.

Miguel Goede

References

Groninger Ondernemers Courant. (2025, 18 december). Plein aan zuidkant station krijgt de naam ‘Tulaplein’. https://www.groningerondernemerscourant.nl/nieuws/plein-aan-zuidkant-station-krijgt-de-naam-tulaplein Groninger Ondernemers Courant

Vechtsportinfo.nl. (2025, 14 december). ‘Nog nooit zoiets meegemaakt’ – Ronaldo ziet Nederlander Hooi titelgevecht winnen in Madrid. https://www.vechtsportinfo.nl/mma-nieuws/nog-nooit-zoiets-meegemaakt-ronaldo-ziet-nederlander-hooi-titelgevecht-winnen-in-madrid Vechtsport info

Mondriaan Fonds. (2025, 17 december). Kevin Osepa wins Prix de Rome Visual Arts 2025. https://www.mondriaanfonds.nl/en/current/news/kevin-osepa-wins-prix-de-rome-visual-arts-2025/ Mondriaan Fonds

NOS. (2025, december). Staatsbezoek aan Suriname had ‘extra dimensie’; koning blij met vergiffenis. https://nos.nl/artikel/2593108-staatsbezoek-aan-suriname-had-extra-dimensie-koning-blij-met-vergiffenis NOS