Action against Racism @ UM
Maastricht University stands in solidarity with People of Colour all around the globe. We stand in solidarity with People of Colour in the Netherlands, Maastricht and our own university community.
We need to talk about:
- Racist violence
- Everyday discrimination on e.g. the street, in the classroom, at work, in the supermarket
- Ethnic profiling by e.g. the police and tax authorities
- Institutional racism
because it leads to fewer chances for People of Colour to safely live their lives and follow dreams, ambitions and talents.
We are currently updating our overview with resources and inspiration.
Racism: What can I do?
- Listen to the voices speaking out
- Learn from each other
- Dare to have difficult conversations
- Learn to be an ally and address discrimination
Update: 2020 - 2021
In June 2020, the Executive Board asked the D&I Office to develop a concrete action plan to tackle racism at UM. During the summer, as you might have heard or read, we organized focus groups with staff and students of color to offer a safe space to share experiences and to brainstorm on possible actions and policy solutions.
The D&I Office collected these solutions and made an inventory. On 30 October 2020 a broader group of UM community members was invited to discuss proposed solutions in more depth and think about how to devise and implement anti-racist policies, support structures, processes and initiatives. We were a diverse group of around 60 participants consisting of students and staff of color, members of faculty boards, study advisors, confidential advisors, representatives of the University Council, HR and SSC and other community members who want to be an actively involved in tackling racism at UM. The main input for this discussion was a list of concrete action points collected through our focus groups that took place in July and other conversations we had over the past months. All proposed actions fall under three overarching themes: Education/Research, Organizational culture, and Support. This session was facilitated by the D&I Office in collaboration with ECHO (Expertise Centre for Diversity Policy).
This work resulted in the Action Against Racism Plan that has been presented to the Executive Board and faculties in spring 2021. Relevant units as e.g. faculties, Student Services are encouraged to work with this action plan (PDF) in their respective context.
If you have any questions about future sessions, please do not hesitate to get in touch: diversity@maastrichtuniversity.nl
Executive Board:
No one can win this battle alone; defeating racism and
discrimination is a challenge for our entire community.
Read the full message.
UM's statement on 'Zwarte Piet':
At UM the character of 'Zwarte Piet' is not welcome.
Read the full paragraph on Sinterklaas and Black Pete.
President Martin Paul addressed the action against racism in his Opening Academic Year 20/21 speech. (as of 5:00)
A reminder about Sinterklaas at UM has been sent to the UM community in October 2020.