City of Ostend launches a participatory process on the colonial past in the public space | Ostend

Together with its inhabitants, the city of Ostend will develop a plan that creates a space to dialogue about colonial references in public space. “In this process of participation, we frame our colonial past and from Thursday, June 30, we will seek together the means to give a place to this past”, explains the alderman Silke Beirens. “We want every inhabitant of Ostend, but also every visitor, to feel at home and recognized in the public space. Dialogue and support are the key words for us to achieve this result. The intention is not to remove all possible references from the streets, as this would also make the history of colonialism forget,” says Mayor Bart Tommelein.

According to Silke Beirens ships, Ostend now wants to look the colonial past straight in the eye. “For the last decades, Leopold II was mainly in the spotlight as an urban planner in Ostend, and the dark side of his reign was never exposed. We change that with this painting. We like to do it with all the inhabitants of Ostend so that everyone has the chance to make their voices heard and to reflect on how we can represent all of this in the public space and in the minds of people.

On Thursday June 30, from 2 p.m., the different actions of the participation process will be explained after the equestrian image of Leopold II. From 6 p.m. everyone is welcome for free Congolese snacks and everyone can enjoy Congolese music from Matondo and DJ Eastendrock.