Jaïr Stranders

philosopher | Theater Maker | Program Maker

Jaïr Stranders is a philosopher, theater maker, and program maker. As the artistic leader of Theater Na de Dam, he has been operating for years at the intersection of art, ethics, and society. In his lectures, he explores how moral leadership begins with self-examination: the ability to endure tension, doubt, and difference.

Employability:: Chairperson of the day, Discussion leader, Keynote speaker
Languages:: Dutch, English
Categories:: Arts Culture & Lifestyle

Day chairpersons

Diversity & Inclusion

Education & Learning

Global & International

Government and Politics

Inspiration

Leadership & Strategy

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About Jaïr Stranders

Jaïr Stranders is a philosopher, program maker, and besides being a board member of social and cultural institutions, also the artistic leader of Theater Na de Dam. From his background as a theater maker and teacher, he has developed into a specialist in the field of memory culture, social division, and moral leadership. He works with institutions such as the Municipality of Amsterdam, the National Police, the National Committee 4 and 5 May, and various leading museums.

As a sought-after speaker in media such as Buitenhof and previously Bar Laat, he reflects on the moral and societal questions of our time; in 2024, he was named Language Master of the Year at Taalstaat NPO1.

His Jewish background and Moroccan-Islamic in-laws give him insight into various perspectives from within, allowing him to address the complex issues of our time without oversimplifying them.

His presentations and training sessions are both intellectual and experiential. Drawing from his theater background, he enables participants in his training to experience what personal and moral leadership means in practice through body, space, and non-verbal communication. The focus is not on hierarchical leadership, but on observing, hesitating, opening up – and enduring moral tension.

Since October 7, 2023, he has taken a visible role in the public conversation about social division, anti-Semitism, and Islamophobia, and the limits of empathy. His work is an invitation to re-evaluate values and to seek moral depth instead of moral certainty.

Those who know everything for sure have run out of moral discourse.

Topics

1. Dare to Doubt – on the Temptation of Moral Clarity

In a time when everyone wants to be right, Jaïr advocates for the right to hesitate. He explores how moral indignation is often a way to avoid doubt – and why true leadership actually begins with enduring tension and uncertainty.
2. Commemoration as a Battleground – on the Struggle for Meaning and Identity

Our way of commemorating is more than a reflection on the past: it determines who we want to be today. Jaïr shows through examples how memory culture, identity, and social division become intertwined, and what is needed to keep the conversation about history open for the future.
3. The Difficult Conversation – Values, Truth, and Moral Compass

How do you speak with people who think differently, without losing yourself? In this interactive presentation, Jaïr explores the art of listening, speaking, and moral orientation. Philosophy and practice come together in a quest for a new language for difference.
4. Thinking with the Body – Personal and Moral Leadership in Motion

Leadership may be more than a mental exercise, primarily a physical one. From his theatre background, Jaïr lets participants experience how body, space, and non-verbal communication guide personal leadership. An active, physical group training that connects thinking and doing.
5. Against Nihilism – on the Rediscovery of Values

What remains when fixed certainties disappear? Jaïr speaks about the need for meaning in a time of cynicism and relativism. An inspiring plea for revaluing values, responsibility, and human depth.