Abstract:
Enslaved Africans who escaped slavery in the second half of the seventeenth century established the Saamaka community in the tropical rainforest of Suriname. There, a nation was created based on the ideology of communal living, freedom for all Africans, and the principle that no one is left behind. Following the signing of a peace treaty with the Dutch colonial government in 1762, the Saamaka nation embarked on a long and complex journey, living out the legacy of their ancestors while interacting with other peoples and ideologies. Does the new generation of Saamaka fight to preserve their culture and distinctiveness, or are they embracing the ‘new’?

Bio:
Franklin Jabini is a Surinamese scholar of Saamaka descent. His academic journey began in economics but culminated in undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral studies in Biblical studies, missiology, and translation studies. His professional career includes leadership in interdenominational activities both in Suriname and abroad. He has served as a professor of intercultural studies at Emmaus University; advisor to the Minister of Home Affairs on Religious Matters; advisor to the Minister of Education on education in the interior; and advisor to the Saamaka Paramount Chief. Furthermore, he serves as the primary bridge between the Government/International Donors and the Traditional Authorities of the Indigenous, Tribal, and local peoples of Suriname (Granmans, Captains, and Chairpersons). He served as the general editor of the book: Saamaka en de Ontwikkeling (An analysis of development priorities of the Saamaka people).