Under construction: exploring the meaning of freedom using photo cards. Photo Freedom Tours Wageningen What does “freedom” mean to you? How does that relate to others’ freedom? And what responsibilities come with freedom? An event facilitated by two students that addresses these significant questions forms the public kick-off of Wageningen Freedom Tours.
‘In Wageningen, the term “freedom” invariably leads to thoughts of the liberation from the Second World War. But Freedom Tours Wageningen is all about the full scope of freedom’, says Meghann Ormond, associate professor of Cultural Geography and one of the initiators. The tours aim to explore the many aspects of freedom by means of a guided tour through the city. These aspects are illuminated by stories and experiences from Wageningers, in which the commitment to the city trumps the length of stay. The tour will lead past Wageningen’s historical sites, but it is not a regular city tour in which a guide points out and discusses sights. Dialogues about freedom play the lead role.
Pilot tour
The pilot tour is to be completed by the end of June and will have a gender and queer perspective. ‘The focus is on how freedom related to issues such as identity, inclusion and equality’, Ormond states. If this pilot proves successful, more routes with different focuses will follow.
The actual route and content of the tour are still open. Freedom Tours Wageningen is to be the product of co-creation. This approach is similar to that of the successful Migrantour in Utrecht, which was also incepted by Ormond. Students and employees wishing to contribute are more than welcome. WUR’s Chizu Sato, Emmanuel Adu-Ampong, Alejandra Guijo Bermejo and alumn Fiona Hawes are also involved in designing Freedom Tours Wageningen.
