In this lecture, US Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands Shefali Razdan Duggal will discuss the shared commitments of the United States and the Netherlands to democracy and human rights. Ambassador Razdan Duggal will reflect on how these shared democratic ideals, which are the cornerstone of the United States’ longest unbroken diplomatic relationship, compel the people and governments of both our countries to openly address the painful aspects of our shared history, including the transatlantic slave trade.
“Inclusive Democracy”
William J. vanden Heuvel Memorial Lecture
by Her Excellency Shefali Razdan Duggal US Ambassador to the Netherlands
Thursday, 30 May 2024 at 16:00, Middelburg
To view the full invitation, click here.
Upon registration, you will be informed of the exact location of the lecture. The venue opens at 15:30. To attend the lecture, please register by Wednesday, 15 May 2024.
Shefali Razdan Duggal was sworn in as US Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands 20 September 2022 and presented her credentials to King Willem-Alexander on 19 October 2022. A Kashmiri Pandit born in Haridwar U.P. India, Ambassador Razdan Duggal moved to the United States at age two and grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. She has a BS in Mass Communication, with a minor in Political Science, from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and an MA in Media Ecology from New York University. She also has earned an honorary doctorate from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.
Tulipa Shefali
Ambassador Razdan Duggal served on the National Finance Committee of Joe Biden for President 2020 and was a National Co-Chair of Women for Biden. She has also served as a Deputy National Finance Chair at the Democratic National Committee. She has held a variety of positions in several national-level political campaigns. On International Women’s Day, 8 March 2024, the Dutch named a fuchsia pink tulip the “Tulipa Shefali.” She is the first Ambassador to the Netherlands from any country worldwide to have a tulip named after her.
The William J. vanden Heuvel Memorial Lecture Series is named after the prominent American diplomat, human rights lawyer, and author. William J. vanden Heuvel (1930-2021) served as advisor to Robert Kennedy and was Ambassador to the UN during the Carter administration. He also played a key role in founding and supporting the RIAS over the years.
The lecture is sponsored by The William J. vanden Heuvel 2017 Revocable Trust and Provincie Zeeland.