Dear Editor,
Reuben George Essed: a man of faith, a cornerstone of Moravian Church Immanuel, St. Maarten has passed away, on Sunday, August 26, 2018, in the churchyard of Moravian Immanuel, St. Maarten, just before he reached the building to fellowship with his Lord and Savior and his fellow members.
Until his last breath, he kept his composure: his character, which he wore as a royal robe throughout his life. A man of stature, justice, respect, order, calmness but most of all peace, warmth and love. He touched everyone around him with his good-natured approach. Reuben did not only coordinate projects, but actively worked on them with team players to successful completion, not only at church, home, work, but also on the tennis court and the soccer field. We have not only lost a beacon and role model in the society of Sint Maarten, but a warm and hardworking man who was an example of excellence, order, good justice and fairness.
Even before the Moravian church was established on St. Maarten, the Essed family occasionally hosted services at home in Dutch. After the Christmas service, December 26, 1992, which was held in the Catholic Parish Hall on Back Street, regular services started in the Anglican and Methodist churches.
When the need for services in Dutch was urgently felt, brother Reuben was one of the members to answer to the call of the then Moravian Pastor Ronald Berggraaf from Curaçao.
He was very instrumental in making sure that today the Moravians have their own building on Sint Maarten. Contacts with the pertinent authorities were taken, place allocated and in 2009 the Immanuel kerk van de Evangelische Broeder Gemeente (English: Moravian church Immanuel), Madame Estate, Dominica Road10, became a reality.
Whether board member, treasurer, advisor and “wise man,” member of the verification committee, he was always approachable and ready to do the job, requested of him.
Remarks received from friends and pastors about brother Essed: God fearing, co-founder, cornerstone (stonfutu) of the Immanuel congregation St. Maarten. He has been rightfully compared to Moses and Joshua, who in obedience to their Lord and God, have been valuable channels of blessing in God's hand.
His passing has been expressed as a big loss.
It is always very difficult when a farewell comes so suddenly for those who are left behind, but the way our dear brother separated from the earthly life on the final steps to a church service is actually a beautiful symbol which fits the life of our dear brother.
He leaves behind a legacy which sets the tone of respect, punctuality, consistency and love – qualities we so desperately need to pass on the next generation.
We extend our deepest sympathy, not only to family and friends, but to anyone who had the privilege of knowing our dear Reuben Essed, a man of honour.

Moravian Church Immanuel, St. Maarten

Dear Editor,

Freedom of expression in our Constitution is for everyone, so automatically I do not dare mention to anyone that they do not have anything to say. But, when I read Haitian community (or for that matter any other ethnic organization or group) which is not implicated in the case, calls decision to prosecute Heyliger a “witch hunt”, I have a different opinion.

I do not agree with any ethnic group or organization calling on the population to join with them in a protest against the government (in this case the Justice department). Yes, I would always appreciate support and solidarity, but there is a right way to conduct the people’s business and there are sanctions in case the people’s business is not conducted in the right way.

Accountability is one of the main conditions. Theo Heyliger is not the first person with executive position in government to be prosecuted and, yes, this has been going on for years even in among the Dutch who I consider the ringleaders because it started with them and is still happening in Holland up to today.

I just read a list of names in a letter to you, of persons in high governmental positions from many years ago up to quite recently who have been prosecuted over those years. Some I had even forgotten. No matter who the prosecutors are, this practice has continued for years, even though we knew and still know that the Dutchman is out to get us for wrongdoing.

What I do not understand is why do not we single out those Dutch people who we suspect of also being involved in wrongdoing in return. Now, because it is the Haitian community (I am sure not all Haitians) who dare involve themselves, permit me to ask them why do not they organize themselves in their country to straighten out things in Haiti.

Where are we going, people. Is this going to become the trend, starting with peaceful demonstration and after that feeling empowered to be demonstrating anytime no matter which member of government, whether getting or buying the most votes or not, is being prosecuted?

I do not know who is behind this witch hunt stunt, but, I know that time and time again we have seen so many things come back to haunt us. I doubt if the members of the Haitian community know the details of the accusations against MP Theo Heyliger.

Since 10-10-’10 and years before that we have seen rows of people lined up during election campaign in specific places to collect bonds. Many of them telling and inviting their friends to join them and telling them the reason for being at that place. When we look at the ranks of that list which I would not have used to prove my point, a light should go up and enlightening whether those people on that list were prosecuted for trying to improve life for the people on Sint Maarten over the years.

The toppling of our governments is already a potential for instability, are we now going to use ethnic groups of which we know how they go about demonstrating in their country, to add another potential for instability?

What are they going to do during that demonstration, let the Justice department know that they have to permit our people in government to continue to commit fraud, make shady deals, use illegal ways to influence people to vote for them, or not to interfere with vote buying because that is our culture?

Are we so desperate that we need to use the Haitian community to be able to fight our battle? How low can we go?

In fairness to many Haitians who I know, many of them have refused to join the Haitian Community, because they are naturalized Dutch and refuse to go against anything that will harm Sint Maarten. On the other hand, there are others who remain loyal to those who according to them helped them to acquire their Dutch passport.

Some time ago the bus drivers association with a Haitian as president wanted special privileges for buses in Philipsburg.

When I read about this demonstration I thought “Hmmm. Okay.” So I am still asking myself, who is behind this? Let stability prevail.

Russell A. Simmons

Dear Editor,
My proposal to amend the General Police Ordinance and prohibit the use of single-use plastic bags has been submitted to Parliament for its consideration. Long in the making, the proposal is a significant step towards effective waste management on St. Maarten. Single-use plastic bags have significant effects on ecosystems and a variety of species and have contributed significantly to the solid waste problems we experience on St. Maarten.
In my research, it became evident that there are different approaches possible to ban the use of single-use plastic bags. I chose the approach that Aruba has used with the amendment to the General Police Ordinance. Such bans on the use of plastic bags and other harmful plastic materials are widely in effect, both regionally and internationally. St. Maarten now joins in these efforts to reduce the harmful imprints these items leave on our environment.
The advocacy against plastic bags and other harmful materials has been waged for a long time by the St. Maarten Nature Foundation, who with supporting evidence, has made it clear that “garbage on land is the biggest source of maritime and coastal pollution.”
Maritime litter from plastics, Styrofoam, metal, glass and other material from land-based sources has been found in oceans around the world, also in the coastal waters of St. Maarten. The top 10 items found during coastal clean-ups around the world are: cigarettes and cigarette butts; food wrappers and food packaging; bottles made of plastic, glass and aluminium; plastic bags; paper bags; caps and lids; plastic stirrers and straws and utensils such as cups, forks and spoons.
For our own health and that of future generations, the preservation of our environment and the safeguarding of our economic viability, it is urgent to tackle the issue of waste management and mitigate the consequences for the population and the environment.
The initiative draft law has been formulated in such a way that it affords the government the space to carefully consider the implementation date to allow for stakeholders’ consultations and an effective awareness campaign.
In addition, once in place, the ban will be the precursor for the ban of other harmful material, such as Styrofoam, plastic straws and the like.
As I state in the elucidation to the draft law, we have to start somewhere.
The success of this initiative will require the input and cooperation of all stakeholders, not only environmental organisations, but also suppliers, supermarkets, restaurants, etc. There is also an individual and community responsibility we can all uphold, and in whatever way, small or big, do our part to sort, reduce, and reuse.
I applaud all initiatives to reduce the amount of waste we produce as an island. The more harmful the waste, the more urgently we should tackle its reduction and or removal.

Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams

The creation of a circular economy leads to an increasing demand for more application-oriented knowledge-intensive workers (know-how). In an industrial society, it was mainly workers with little education who did physical and technical work. As a result of an acute shortage of workers that arose immediately after WWII, workers were trained at a rapid rate. The knowledge provided through educational institutions had a theoretical basis (“knowledge”) as opposed to the practical knowledge gathering of workers in factories. The introduction of the digital age by “Smart Nation” also means that a lot of people's work is automated and/or robotized.
For fewer specialized jobs, fewer employees are needed. This development is now clearly visible at United Telecommunication Services (UTS) in Curaçao, where the dismissal of 220 employees is one of the effects of this transition. International companies that dominate the branch of innovation wear very technological glasses, but with too little attention for the social effects of these transitions. Examples include companies such as Uber, AirBnB, Task Rabbit, Elance-Upwork, Lyft, Zaarly, Etsy, Washio and Postmates. Many of these companies originated in the San Francisco Bay Area and are thought to be “avatars” of the new entrepreneurship. Global demand for raw materials will continue to fall in the future.
But the demand for recycled products as a result of the circular economy will continue to increase, because these can be produced much cheaper in the future. In order to constantly develop new reusable products, new, innovative, practical and specialized knowledge is therefore always required. Curaçao can respond to this need by, for example, creating innovation zones.
By applying Smart Growth, new insights into the planning and the effective use of legal-planning instruments, Curaçao can set up such innovation zones that simultaneously function as “living labs” at the service of the circular economy. Setting up innovation zones creates the conditions for realizing new forms of construction for its spatial development and the creation of products that are necessary to facilitate economic growth. The innovation zones act as a catalyst for a new flow of socio-economic and product developments. This way the way can be made free to realize a transition, from an industrial to a circular economy instead of the current stagnating economy.
These developments and transitions require different forms of leadership. This does not necessarily mean looking at politics but at active citizens and entrepreneurs, who develop bottom-up initiatives themselves, also as volunteers (including CuraDOET). Examples are DIY (“do-it-yourself” economy) entrepreneurs, new networks and the group of self-employed entrepreneurs/freelancers. There lies a great source of creativity, innovation capacity and the urge for social change. The current labor market in Curaçao is dominated by monopolists and/or oligopolies in the form of governmental companies and bureaucratized ministries that considerably disrupt the flexibility in production and free market forces.
In order to allow free-lance professional groups (self-employed people/freelancers) to compete and survive, traditional labor regulations and social laws must be adapted. The government has a facilitating role and should give priority to these groups through the new policy. They should receive a “red carpet” treatment. In other words, the government should empower startups, small and medium-sized local entrepreneurs. Continuous development and strengthening of local know-how should take place through “continuous learning.” The provision of high-quality educational and training facilities is of great importance as an incentive for entrepreneurship.
Inseparable from empowerment is the development and promotion of e-commerce through the introduction of new legislation, allowing the online economy to develop flexibly and quickly. Think, for example, of allowing cheap electronic online payment systems, facilitating start-ups of small and medium-sized local entrepreneurs. Local legislation must also be adapted so that alternative international loan options without establishment permit requirements from the Central Bank can quickly come within reach for start-ups. Consider stimulating “crowd funding” without requiring a local business license to a potential (international) lender.

By Sharnon Isenia