Acting Kingdom Representative Jan Helmond delivering his speech on Sunday
KRALENDIJK--Acting Kingdom Representative Jan Helmond delivered a deeply personal and reflective speech, connecting the history of World War II on Bonaire with today’s calls for unity and understanding, during the annual Remembrance Day ceremony held at Wilhelminaplein in Kralendijk on May 4.
“Less than a kilometre from here, during the war, people were imprisoned at Camp Playa Pariba,” Helmond reminded the audience. “It was a colourful collection of prisoners: Dutch members of the NSB, German, Austrian and Italian residents of Aruba and Curaçao, German sailors, communists, and people who opposed the colonial power of the Netherlands. Even Jewish refugees were housed there. All together, in one camp.”
Helmond noted the irony of how history has transformed the site: “There is nothing left of the camp. The wood from the barracks was used to build the seaside hotel on the same spot, now the Divi Flamingo Hotel, a place where diving tourists and sunseekers enjoy breakfast, the pool, or the view of the sea. It is now a symbol of freedom, while Playa Pariba was once a symbol of captivity in an unsafe world.”
He emphasised that while much has changed in 80 years, the challenges of human coexistence remain. “The small island community of 6,000 people has become a melting pot of 25,000 Bonairians of various backgrounds,” he said. “People born and raised here like their ancestors, and people for whom Bonaire has become a beloved home later in life. People like me.”
Helmond spoke candidly about the uncertainties of the present global climate: “Just like 80 years ago, you might feel the world is on fire. You may feel uncertain and unsafe. But I am sure that none of us longs for a world of war and conflict.”
He called on residents to take responsibility for building peace: “How can we safeguard peace, freedom, and safety on Bonaire? I believe it starts with ourselves. The way we treat our neighbours, colleagues, and acquaintances. No matter where they were born – on Bonaire, in the Netherlands, in Venezuela, or somewhere else. No matter their skin colour, their native language, their religion or belief, or who they love.”
“Peace, freedom, and safety begin with an open attitude toward everyone around you,” he stressed, “because the other person simply has the right to be here. The same right to a place in the sun. The same right to be seen and heard. To live and to love on Bonaire.”
Speaking directly to the recent tensions felt on the island, Helmond said: “I say this explicitly here on this square, because not long ago, very different words echoed in this place – words that violated the freedom of fellow Bonairians.”
He acknowledged the difficulty of empathy and understanding: “Where people differ, there can be conflict. So we must keep trying to understand and sense one another, to make more of an effort to understand someone else’s pain or longing. And I’ll be honest – I find that difficult sometimes too.”
Reflecting on his own identity, Helmond said, “When I’m in the Netherlands, I’m seen as someone ‘from the islands.’ Here, I’m often seen as ‘one of them,’ from the Netherlands. I understand that very well. But at the same time, it sometimes makes me feel displaced. And I believe many others will recognise that feeling. It is precisely for that reason that it’s important we keep recognising the most important thing in each other: that we are all human.”
He noted the island’s multilingual character and the growing presence of world languages: “Many of us speak either Papiamentu or Dutch – languages spoken by few around the world. More and more fellow Bonairians speak English or Spanish – two global languages. So perhaps it’s important, in a rapidly changing world, to give English and Spanish more room.”
Helmond concluded with a call for mutual learning and love for the island. “We are all people who can and should learn from each other. We all want our beloved Bonaire to remain an island of peace and freedom.
