Biography:

Helmut Chr. Gezius, graduated in 2000 in organizational change from the Anton de Kom University of Suriname. He has been a lecturer at the university for over 20 years. He lectures in Community Development, Culture and Development, Project Development, Biocultural Diversity Conservation and Development within the Bachelor’s Sociology program, the Master’s program in Social Development & Policy and the Master in Sustainable Development. Of both study programs he has been the coordinator since 2018.

Gezius has gained 15 years of knowledge and work experience in the field of community development in approximately 250 communities throughout Suriname; he has also conducted social impact studies on behalf of multinational organizations. The impact of the slavery past is currently his research focus. In the field of volunteering, he serves as a scientist at the Federation of Paraplantages; Chairman of the Suriname Road Safety Volunteers, Sranan Akademiya and recently the working arm of Fiti Makandra, a consultation structure where the highest indigenous and Afro-Surinamese leaders (tribal and non-tribal) are united.

Research:

• • Co-editing of a scientific publication with the involvement of 20 Surinamese scientists and academics regarding the impact of slavery. This project is a result of the Knowledge and Research agenda 2023-2033, to which Gezius also contributed.
  • PhD study in progress: The response of indigenous and Afro-Surinamese descendants of the enslaved to the official apologies offered by the Netherlands.
  • Research: the sense of security of the Surinamese citizen commissioned by the Suriname Police Force with a team of scientists within the Faculty of Social Sciences.

   

Publications:

• Assessment of the Impact of the Closure Mining Joint venture Suralco/ Billiton on Moengo (2008)
• Qualitative research in the traditional embalming of corpses within the Saramacca maroon communities in the interior of Suriname (2008 – 2009).
• Staying stewards or playing co-managers? A review of the position of the Tareno within the management plan of the Sipaliwini Nature Reserve in Suriname. April 2015 (not yet published)
• Eric Jagdew en Helmut Gezius (editors): ‘Grondenrechten in Suriname. Het vraagstuk nader bekeken’. In: the anniversary issue ‘His/her Tori, magazine for Surinamese history and culture, nr 5. Paramaribo: Institute for Social Science Research (IMWO) van de AdeKUS, May 2014.
• Helmut Gezius, Tamira Sno, Marina de Bies and Nancy Goodiing: Na So Blaka Buba Tan: an exploratory study among Afro-Surinamese in Suriname to set up a research agenda on the slavery past for the period 2023-2033, Sept. 2023.

Contact details:

helmut.gezius@uvs.edu
Tel: +597 8798901