2023
About the Program
Catch this fascinating talk that weaves stories, theories, and images, to connect continents and centuries using Irwin’s own Dutch family’s stories.
With the recent Dutch King’s apology for slavery on July 1, 2023, the public dialogue in the Netherlands is catching up on Canada’s efforts at reconciliation, but who can teach who? We explore how we tell our migration stories, how the history of Dutch colonialism by the VOC is presented or denied, and how Canada and the Netherlands have much in common with how national memory is constructed.
Join Irwin and TAIWANfest for a mix of lecture and stories, and a dialogue with the audience to reminisce on the Dutch, share learnings, and consider difficult questions.
Irwin Oostindie is a public scholar based in Vancouver who brings an interdisciplinary approach to decolonizing public policy, communications, and urban studies. As a Dutch settler and parent, for three decades he has led local and international media, arts and social justice projects, including journalism, public spaces, and festivals. He has worked for First Nations, municipalities, and communities, always looking to work cross-culturally at complex solutions. From 1989-1995, he coordinated the Canadian Youth Network for Asia Pacific Studies (CYNAPS) which connected the voices of youth and students in East Asia with Canada.
Irwin is an Associate with the Institute for Humanities at Simon Fraser University, and has an MA in Communications for his work on the spectacle of reconciliation and the need for place-based redress. He has a Graduate Diploma in Urban Studies for researching urban Indigenous governance and property geography, and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Media Arts for his work on western relations with North Korea. As an urban planner, his company Voor Urban Labs, connects public policy, decision makers, and communities to design multi-stakeholder solutions for complex urban challenges in several Canadian cities. He volunteers as the President of the Wild Bird Trust of BC and is a Director with the Dutch Cultural Association of BC.
From the Curating Team
How have migration, war, and conflict impacted culture and social values of today? This year at TAIWANfest, we dive into the significance of Taipei's National Palace Museum, Taiwanese diaspora during the Japansese colonial period, recovery of Indigenous culture, and other Taiwanese history. Through this, we examine identity, social values, and contemporary challenges, fostering international dialogue and respect for cultural diversity.
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TAIWANfest Toronto is grateful to be held on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples, that is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We acknowledge our privilege to be gathered here, and commit to work with and be respectful to the Indigenous peoples of this land while we engage in meaningful conversations of culture and reconciliation.