Cooperation ODI New Delhi and Sarnamihuis

The Organisation of Diaspora Initiatives (ODI)is an institute that studies the status and role of diasporic communities across the globe– both in domestic and international context. It maps the emerging roles, networks and operations of different Diasporic communities as a resource in the international civil society space as well as in the host and the home countries. ODI attempts to understand Diasporas by comparing and contrasting their experiences. Head  office of ODI  is located in New Delhi, India.

Sarnámihuis Foundation is an online community of Surinamese Hindustani in the Netherlands that promotes research into the history of Indian indentured labour in Suriname and organizes events to promote the heritage and culture of the Indo-Surinamese community.

Both organizations have explored different possible areas of cooperation, notable:

  • Community Connect. How can we connect India and the Surinamese Hindustani community? Surinamese Hindustani families have been searching for the family roots in India. How can both organizations develop an infrastructure to support them? How can we connect artists and cultural organizations from the Surinamese Hindustani community with their colleagues in India?
  • Diaspora Connect: how can we build digital tools to connect the Surinamese Hindustani community with India (historical databases, digital museums, mobile apps)?
  • How can we encourage and connect researchers in the Surinamese Hindustani community with researchers in the Indian Diaspora and India?

Now ODI and Sarnámihuis are launching their initiative to connect India with the Surinamese Hindustani community in the Netherlands. The cooperation has two goals:

  1. To establish a durable connection between the Surinamese Hindustani community in the Netherlands and India and the connection with other Indian Diaspora communities.
  2. To promote research and education on the history of Indian indenture ship and its legacy in relation to India and the Surinamese Hindustani community.

The cooperation was ratified on December 5 2021 via een Zoom meeting where the Memorandum of Understaning was signed.

The MOU can be downloaded as follows:

  • Click here for the MOU in English.
  • Click here for the appendix of the MOU in English.
  • Click here for the MOU in Bhojpuri.
  • Click here for the PowerPoint presentation of Sandew Hira on the MOU.

At the Zoom meeting different important persons and organisations pledged their support for the work that Sarnámihuis and ODI are going to undertake on the basis of the MOU.