Room for Diversity The Dutch Policy on Intangible Heritage

Many migrants with a completely different background have come and live in the Netherlands. The locals have become a minority e.g. in the big cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Many of these newcomers are not connected with the traditional cultural institutions. How can the cultural sector more adequately reflect this diversity in its programming as well as in its personnel?From the nineties till the beginning of the 21St century cultural diversity used to be an important theme in Dutch cultural policy: different migrants groups were traced, mapped and projects were started with the ultimate goal to create the feeling of a shared heritage and to secure memories and traditions. Museums had to revise their acquisition policies, their position in society and their categories.In the beginning, the Dutch Government was rather sceptical about the UNESCO Convention, especially regarding revitalisation, i.e. active protection. In the end, the positive advice by the National UNESCO Commission and the cultural sector led to the ratification in parliament.But in the aftermath of the murder on the politician Pim Fortuyn (2002) and documentary maker Theo van Gogh (2004) social cohesion, national identity and historical consciousness were thrown on the political agenda at the expense of cultural diversity: minorities had to integrate in the general inclusive culture policy and specific instruments or organizations were deemed no longer necessary. But the members of parliament prevailed in considering the UNESCO Convention to be an instrument for social cohesion and national / regional identity in a culturally diverse environment. The Convention may even function as a platform in the debate as regards Black Pete, an actor in the Sinterklaas festival in the Netherlands as well as a (controversial) item of intangible heritage.