Jan Munster from Hoogeveen has been named Knight in the Order of Oranje-Nassau tonight. Munster received the award for his commitment to the Moluccan community.
According to the municipality, Munster has been committed to others all his life. He was the driving force behind many initiatives that bring people together: young and old, Moluccans and non-Moluks. Munster committed himself to the preservation of the culture of his ancestors and provided mutual support within the Moluccan community.
He also organized numerous events, committed himself to family members in Indonesia and helped with trauma processing. The latter was mainly about children of the first generation of Moluccans in the Netherlands who received traumas from their parents. But Munster also focused on children and young people. He was the initiator of a teaching package that was set up together with other organizations. Children were taught about Moluccan history.
Mayor Martijn Breukelman spoke praising about Munster. “You are an example for us all when it comes to what it means to live in the interests of others,” he said. “We have great appreciation and respect for your many years of commitment to the Moluccan community and Dutch society.”