SURINAME HOSPITALITY EN TOERISME

De nieuwe koers die Suriname vaart op het gebied van ontwikkeling van toerisme heeft verregaande konsekwenties voor de Surinamer. Immers de Surinamer dient zich gastvrij en vriendelijk  op te stellen om zodoende de toerist het naar de zin te maken in de hoop dat de toerist een volgende keer weer voor Suriname kiest.
Deze houding heeft te maken met wat in de toeristische wereld de hospitality component van toerisme wordt genoemd. De hospitality component heeft te maken met bewustzijn , vakkennis, beleid en persoonlijke overtuiging dat het belangrijk is om de toerist/bezoeker van je land, district, of wijk zich welkom te laten voelen gedurende het verblijf. De hospitality component staat voor gastvrijheid  en de toerist zoveel mogelijk  van dienst  zijn vanaf aankomst tot vertrek.

ChantalRijkaard
 Manager Carifesta XI Districten Festivals

De Surinaamse regering heeft, in het kader van de diversificatie van de nationale productie en de potentie van Suriname als toeristische trekpleister, besloten om te investeren in opleidingen in de toerisme branche. Op de begroting van de Dienst toerisme , welke valt onder het ministerie van TCT, is een flink deel van het budget gereserveerd voor opleiding van mensen die zich willen bekwamen in beroepen die met toerisme te maken hebben. Het spreekt voor zich dat de opleiding van vakkrachten voor de toerisme branche veronderstelt dat deze mensen na beeindiging van hun opleiding voldoende kans hebben op een baan in een van de toerisme sectoren. Dit vergt uiteraard gedegen planning en deskundige investering in de promotie van Suriname als toeristische trekpleister,  want  zonder toeristen zijn er geen banen. Hiermee is de kring rond, wie zich als toerist niet prettig of welkom voelt in een land zal niet lang blijven en geen goede verhalen vertellen bij terugkeer. Wie zich onheus of onprofessioneel benaderd voelt tijdens  verblijf in een van de toeristische oorden in ons land zal daarover niet al te best rapporteren bij terugkeer naar huis. De toerist die zich voorneemt om een vakantie in Suriname te boeken en op Facebook een waterval van negatieve berichten van Surinamers over Suriname over zich heen krijgt, zal zich twee keer bedenken om naar Suriname te komen. Kortom de keus om Suriname buitenlandse valuta te laten verdienen uit de toerisme sector, houdt meer in dan 'mek den toerist kon wi e wakti den.'

Sherida Mormon
Manager Suriname Heritage Festival 

De hospitality component werkt door op alle fronten en heeft naast bewustwording en economisch voordeel ook het element innovatie in zich. Innovatie of vernieuwing van het toeristisch product moet elke gids, hotelhouder, bareigenaar, cafehouder, taxibestuurder, bed en breakfast eigenaar, touroperator, arts en crafts producent scherp houden om de eigen producten op nivo te brengen en steeds aan te passen zodat de toeristen blijven komen.  Wie nu de hele dag in alle toonaarden roept 'weg met de regering', 'Suriname is niks, we zijn moe' en dergelijken zal voor een toerist misschien eventjes een foto op het plein opleveren of aan de bar een interessante topic zijn, maar heeft in werkelijkheid geen positieve invloed op de inspanningen van anderen om de toeristen hier binnen te krijgen en terug te laten komen.

Stanley Sidoel
Directeur Cultuur MINOW

Denki a tori, I love Su ma mi e trowe doti alla sey, of, I love Su en mi e hori en krin! Dit zijn twee varianten I love Su . Een jonge werkeloze man die in staat is om in de mooiste kleren op facebook te vragen hoe hij groenten gaat kopen voor zijn vrouw en kind moet ook in staat zijn om een foto te zetten van de groenten die hij zelf voor ze plant en verkoopt aan hotels of restaurants.  De hospitality begins at home, dat wil zegggen efu yu wani den toerist e kon baka , yu musu sorgu den e firi switi, efu yu wani a toerisme sektor e gro ini yu district yu musu denki fa yu e hori a tori krin anga switi. De regering kan nog zoveel willen maar als er niet wordt geinvesteerd in de goede producten zullen de inkomsten uitblijven.  Als de regering niet ondersteunend bijspringt om particuliere initiatieven bij te spijkeren en op internationaal nivo te brengen zal het lang duren voor Suriname daadwerkelijk als 'Gastvrije Top' lokatie bij de wereld toeristische gemeenschap te boek staat.

Bakaa Boto Sula
Suriname rivier

De tour operators, luchtvaartmaatschappijen en cruiseboot maatscappijen zijn net als hotels en andere logeergelegenheden afhankelijk van wat de klanten kiezen. Hoe ga je de toerist vertellen om van je land te genieten en in je land een leuke tijd door te maken als je niet gastvrij bent naar je eigen land toe , laat staan naar de bezoekende vreemdeling die enkele dagen hier vertoeft. De gedachte dat Surinamers niet genieten van hun eigen oerwoud klinkt vreemd maar is niet ver van de waarheid, want de meeste stadsbewoners gaan zelden of nooit het oerwoud in, anderen gaan nooit de stad uit. Toch is het oerwoud een van de plekken waar buitenlandse toeristen graag vertoeven als ze in Suriname zijn. Stel je voor de stadsbewoner ontmoet een toerist die vertelt hoe leuk het was in het binnenland en de stadsbewoner zegt ,' wie ik, ik ga nooit het binnenland in, ik ben bang voor het binnenland'. Dit is denkbeeldig maar niet ondenkbaar  in Suriname.

Moengo Magic
Tembe Arts Studio 

De nieuwe communicatie middelen, en het verbeterde wegennet in Suriname bieden mogelijkheden om met een gezonde hospitality attitude en vakkrachten een booming tourism industry te ontwikkelen die Suriname als groene , schone natie neerzet en bevoegd  toerisme personeel aan het werk zet om toeristen tevreden te stellen  zodat ze positieve verhalen vertellen bij thuiskomst en anderen inspireren om ook naar Suriname op vakantie te gaan. Gastvrijheid  wil niet zeggen dat je jezelf vergeet of doet alsof.

Pompelmoes
Misgunst Eco kamp Saramacca 

Gastvrijheid wil zeggen dat je weet waarom je de toerist geeft wat hij of zij vraagt ook al is het soms niet wat jij zou doen. Als de toerisme branche op Curacao weet dat er op dag x om vier uur een cruise schip binnen vaart met een paar duizend gasten,  komt het hele toerisme/hospitality apparaat in aktie en is het feest voor de bezoekers vanaf ze voet aan wal zetten tot vertrek. Eindstand; als de boot weg vaart met goede herinneringen is de toerisme werker goed beloond voor de inzet.
Ontevreden toeristen geven namelijk nooit iets extra. Suriname heeft zich extra ingezet in 2013 om toeristen uit de hele wereld te ontvangen tijdens CARIFESTA XI en de resultaten zijn er.  In het Fairaili  rapport over Toerisme in Saramacca staat het volgende;

'Carifestamaand augustus 2013 , in de periode tot en met september hebben maar liefst 182.402 toeristen ons land bezocht, oftewel een groei van 4.3% ten opzichte van 2012. Er werd een fikse daling bij de taditionele markten VS(5374 bezoekers, daling 10.0%), Canada (1325, -21,2%) en Europa (72.551, -7,7%) geregistreerd, maar in de overige landen was in de toestroom naar Suriname een groei van 16.4% merkbaar. 

• In de onderzochte periode arriveerden maar liefst 103.152  buitenlanders uit overige gebiedsdelen in Suriname, wellicht voornamelijk afkomstig uit de directe Regio en Azie.'

Het hospitality gehalte van de Surinamer  zal in belangrijke mate mede bepalen hoeveel toeristen terugkeren naar ons land en hoe goed wij als toeristische bestemming te boek zullen staan. 

Martha Tjoe Nij

THREE FRONTLINES ON SURINAME'S BORDERS

Suriname is a peaceful nation with a peaceful population which has had its fair share of colonial exploitation and internal dirty war in the past centuries.

The recent economic free fall of the Surinamese dollar and subsequent sharp rice in prices of basic commodities has added Suriname to the list of Latin American and Caribbean countries where a growing popular protest is demanding change of government. Current regional developments in South America do not bode well for Suriname's  relations with its neighbors French Guyana , Guyana and Brazil.

Three border areas which need to be protected by our National Army have recently become zones where a possibility of foreign enemy attack is not unimaginable.
First zone of attention is in the East. Goldmining along Suriname's  Marowijne river area has attracted fortune seekers from all over South America, particularly from Brazil who have flocked together  in what is now called Suriname's 'Wild West' in the East. In an attempt to curb illegal goldmining on the Marowijne river, French and Surinamese  law enforcement authorities have recently confiscated and destroyed goldmining equipments and gold from so called Garimperos (armed Brazilian gold miners),the latter did not shy away from attacking French Guyanese officials in search for confiscated gold and using fire arms in their attack, before fleeing to the Surinamese side of the Marowijne border.

This  breach of peaceful coexistence between Suriname and French Guyane is caused by foreign nationals who use Suriname as a hide out and disappear in a goldmining "Wild West" in the eastern border area, inhabited by  more than 4000 goldminers who work for Surinamese nationals.
The second zone is on the Western border  where Suriname  is still dealing with an old border dispute over the so called contested "Tigri Area" where both Guyana and Suriname claim ownership over a substantial piece of territory along the Corantyne river.
Although several multilateral and bilateral talks have been held concerning this territorial dispute it still has not been officially settled, which leaves Suriname no other choice that to defend its territory if Guyana should occupy or confiscate  Surinamese territory. In essence the colonial maps which the British and Dutch Kingdoms drew in the past left room for error and dispute. For decades the Suriname/Guyana border dispute  has been left unresolved and is still a potential ticking time bomb. In view of Guyana's stance towards Venezuelan claims on Guyanese territory which led to international mediation to cool down the tensions between Venezuela and Guyana , Suriname had to take defensive precautionary measures on its Eastern border.
The third zone is our Southern border with Brazil. The recent undemocratic power grab in Brazil caused the popular Dilmah Roussef presidency to be replaced by USA sponsored, all white, male Temer government, which does not even have 1% support from Brazilian voters. The new corrupt Brazilian leadership has already made its conservative policy statement and  Suriname has to be prepared for social and political unrest in Brazil. The nomadic peoples which are indigenous inhabitants of the southern border territory between Brazil and Suriname can be expected to become pawns in the major operations under USA direction aimed at confiscation and control of  natural resources in South America, including Suriname's natural resources.
It is a matter of time before the pressure on Venezuelan and Brazilian 99% is reason for escalation of armed aggression against them and Suriname had better take precautions before it is too late, like they say in a Surinamese proverb. Dringi dresi,wakti Siki which translates as drink your medicine before you get ill.

SURINAME TRAVEL & TOURISM

Misgunst Plantation in Saramacca district in  Suriname

Recent data on the republic of Suriname's tourism industry are optimistic for the longterm expectations and show  growth compared to  our Carifesta year 2013. The direct contribution of Travel & Tourism in Suriname to GDP was  SRD 227.3mn (1.2% of total GDP) in 2015, and is forecast to fall by 0.2% in 2016, and to rise by 4.2%pa, from 2016 - 2026, to SRD 342.1mn (1.1% of total GDP) in 2026.'                                                                                                                                                     'The total contribution of Travel &Tourism to GDP was SRD 557.1mn (2.9% of GDP) in 2015, and forecast to fall by 0.6% in 2016, and to rise by 4.2%pa to SRD 837.8mn (2.8%of GDP) in 2026'

Free Mason Lodge in Paramaribo, Suriname

 In spite of the forecast of decline in 2016,   tourism will gain momentum in the coming decade according to data  published by the World Travel Tourism Council in March 2016.                                                                                                                                           

In its Annual report  on Economic Impact of Travel & Tourism  the WTTC  ranks the smallest American country Suriname out of 184 countries  'nr. 174   for it relevance of Travel and Tourism for total contribution to GDP,                                                                                                                                                            nr.181,

at  for its size in 2015 in terms of Absolute impact,                                               

at nr. 170   for its relative size and contribution to GDP in 2015,and                              at nr 97   for its long term growth  forecast 2016-2026.                                     'Leisure travel spending is expected to grow by 0.3% in 2016 to SRD 371. 6mn, and rise by 5.1% pa to  SRD204.7mn in 2026.                                                                  Business travel spending is expected to grow by 05.% in 2016 to 168.4mn, and rise by 2.0% pa to SRD 204.7mn in 2026'                           

City center of Suriname's capital Paramaribo

                                                                                                 Suriname has a short distance to climb uphill to reach the 2006 level of tourism revenues and  should be able to move beyond towards sustainable expansion of the Travel and Tourism industry . In 2015  Travel and Tourism accounted for 5,500 jobs  and this figure is expected to rise in the next ten years to 6000 jobs in 2026. Forecasts predict an increasing  foreign  and local tourist spending contribution to our GNP.

Saramacca District 

Although Suriname is nowhere near the countries which systematically and substantially boost their national  income with revenues from the Travel & Tourism industry the expectations for growth are clearly indicated  for the coming decade.

 survival camp in the Jungle

Suriname's government will be investing heavily in education in tourism related professions  such as, hospitality hosts, tour guides/translators, tourism planners, tour operators, tourism managers and  also legal measures are scheduled to upgrade Suriname's  Travel & Tourism industry. It is important to note in this respect that our National carrier SLM has the European Amsterdam Schiphol and USA Miami as well as  regional Curacao, Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana, Trinidad connections and  is thriftily working at improving its destination package to open up gateways to Suriname . This is an important element of the total improvement package that is needed for  tourism branding and marketing of Suriname.

guests arriving at Misgunst plantation

Suriname's tour operators who are the first to feel  a drop  in tourist visits, are already looking for common grounds  to improve their services and are looking for investors who can help develop the tourism industry in Suriname.

  Senior Ferdi empowering youths at Misgunst plantation

The SOEKTSA foundation which started SOEKTSA Jungle Survival Camp tourism  at Misgunst Plantation in

Misgunst Jungle Path in Saramacca district.Suriname

the Saramacca district in 2014, is expecting to see more cooperation between various stakeholders  to boost the tourism industry in Suriname on all levels. District tourism which is promoted by Jaya Experience Suriname,  is a viable option which deserves  serious investment and can offer a variety of  feasible contributions to the national package of tourist destinations in Suriname. Support from the ministries of Trade, Industry,Education, Tourism and Communication  can strengthen operations of local entrepreneurial activities  in Eco tourism , Education tourism, Wellness tourism , Agro tourism and multi-cultural Arts and crafts production & sales.

team building exercise in the tropical rainforest at Misgunst plantation

Jungle survival training  in the jungle at Misgunst  

Without cooperation no substantial change will be achieved. Experts have already suggested a cooperation between Suriname and Dutch speaking Caribbean Islands, to offer tourists packages which include sun, sea, beaches as well as Suriname's tropical rainforest and multi cultural, musical diversity



Foreign Affairs is trying to find cooperation and investment contracts to boost our economy as a whole and our Travel and Tourism in particular. These efforts could expand the traditional Europe focused tourist marketing to Dutch speaking countries  Netherlands, Belgium and also to Germany , Austria and Switzerland  and should also open up new markets for Suriname in the Middle East, Africa , China and Asian nations 

The data on Suriname's tourism don't lie and planning  as well as monitoring a strategy for the coming decade is crucial, to successful branding and marketing of Suriname as a favorite tourism hub. A clearly defined and nationally supported tourism strategy  is the only way to boost our economy with revenues from the Travel & Tourism industry. It is time everyone realizes that Suriname has no other  option if it wants to earn its share  in the booming  global tourism business.

Martha Tjoe Nij

SOEKTSA Foundation

SURINAME INVITES ISLAMIC INVESTORS

  Minister of foreign affairs Nirmala Badrising. 

Suriname's history created the diversity in our population of 500.000 people, which has its roots in India, Indonesia, China,  Africa, Europe and now lives peacefully in the South American nation where  Trio, Wayana, Akoerio, Carib and Arawac  are free indigenous inhabitants of Suriname.

A multi cultural  population gave Suriname's society its multi religious character. Even though Dutch colonialism planted Christianity as dominant religion in the past and Suriname is home to the oldest Jewish community on the American continent, today  the Hindu religious community is the largest religious community in Suriname and the Muslim community is our fastest growing religious community. Many  a tourist  praise  us in Suriname for the peaceful coexistence of people from so many different cultural backgrounds and religions . In our capital Paramaribo, the Jewish synagogue and the Mosque stand peacefully side by side.

Suriname's minister of foreign affairsNirmala Badrising illustrated this diversity recently in Istanbul by attending the 13th Heads of Government summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation OIC.
In her address she urged Islamic investors to invest in Suriname. Caribbean journalist Ray Chickrie  reported that "she told the summit that Suriname "has a conducive environment for foreign direct investments in sectors such as ICT, energy, tourism, housing and infrastructure
. Suriname provides ample opportunities for trade and investment ventures in natural resources, such as gold, bauxite, oil and other minerals, and an abundance of arable farmland is available for the development of the agro-industry."

 slave planting cotton in 1807

Taking into account that Suriname recently was screened by the IMF for a substantial loan to cope with serious economic difficulties due to a  drop in commodity prices of gold, aluminum and oil  on the international markets, Badrising's call on investors to invest in Suriname comes as no surprise.
Suriname has a team of Foreign Affairs professionals roaming the world to find the resources and to attract investors to keep Suriname's economy afloat and reverse the downward spiral which has caused considerable social unrest and uncontrolled price rises of basic food supplies in Suriname.
It is however, a matter of clever and conscious management of foreign investments to make sure that the country is not handed over on a silver platter and the 1% does not squeeze all the life-juices out of the 99%. 
Foreign investors want to make profits, we must ask ourselves which  profits are in these investments for Suriname. Investor demands should never lead to  another round of 'selling out' of valuable Surinamese assets such as our water, our soil and our precious metals and timber. The newly appointed minister Badrising is a senior foreign affairs specialist who knows where the money is stashed and who is trying to get a piece of that pie for Suriname.

 Kruyaras on the Suriname river

What will the impact be on Suriname's society if a large influx of foreign investors  coming from Islamic states voice  their demands. We know that also Suriname appeared in the Wiki Leaks diplomatic messages in the past and it was Dr. Jamalludin who wrote to his Islamic brothers in Saudi Arabia  to ask for help to support his efforts to educate Surinamese people in the Muslim faith.
The truth is that  oil money and Islamic investment funding  go a long way and go hand in hand and in some cases such as Yemen, Syria , Palestine and Iraq these investments did not bring prosperity but bombs and guns .  The future will teach us what price Suriname pays for foreign investments and which impact the IMF loan and the Islamic Investments  will have on our social and economic fabric. For now all eyes are on Mecca, Washington and Istanbul  at foreign Affairs in Suriname

Martha Tjoe Nij  May 2016

SURINAME IS NOT AN ISLAND

Suriname is not an island but it is one of the members of UNASUR and CARICOM  and part of the  Latin American and Caribbean  economic and cultural heritage which is steeped in colonial slavery and indigenous resistance against colonial domination.
(picture original indigenous  inhabitants of Suriname)

What most Caribbean islanders don't know about Suriname is that it used to be isolated from the rest of the Caribbean and Latin American mainland due to its location on the South American continent and due to its  language barrier, the official language is Dutch.
Thanks to the consistent policies of the Dutch colonizers to keep Suriname focused  as servant of the "motherland" in Europe, the kingdom in the Netherlands made good use of Suriname's natural resources.
(Picture  Jewish Synagogue in colonial Paramaribo)

Suriname is not an island but most Surinamese feel no connection with the Caribbean and Latin American region as a result of our colonial history and it is only recently that the Surinamese government has been actively promoting regional integration. Since Suriname's independence on November 25th in 1975  and definitely after the February Revolution in 1980 there has been  a shifting  of the national focus on our neighbors on the Latin American continent and on the Caribbean islands.

(Picture Paramaribo Presidential Palm Gardens)

It is no surprise that what is happening at global level to the Caribbean and Latin American region is also reflected in Suriname, the smallest nation on the American continent. The recent unrest in prominent  UNASUR member states  Venezuela , Argentina and Brazil did not go unnoticed in Suriname where unions and private sector are feeling the impact of the recent economic recession just as much as their counterparts in UNASUR states. The interesting aspect of this social unrest is however its timing and its clear political support from elite right wing and fascist circles in Latin America and abroad , which seem to have enough funds to finance corrupted officials as seems to be  the case in Brazil.

(picture National Flag of Suriname)

Having been focused for centuries  on Europe, in particular on the Netherlands where more than 250.000 Surinamese Dutch live, the recent cry  'lets forget about the region and ask help from  the Dutch again', is firmly entrenched in old colonial and neocolonial networks of the  Dutch and Surinamese dominant elites. The interests of former European colonizers of Latin America and Caribbean and their local counterparts, have shifted. It went from slave trade to cheap and slave labor during colonial times,  to modern day exploitation of our natural resources which include timber, aluminum, gold, water, uranium, copper, diamonds, oil and the pristine natural beauty. Our nature and cultural diversity are main attractions for European tourists who wish to escape the harsh European cold climate.

(Picture Opposition Parliamentarian Ronny Brunswijk)

While colonial dominance has instilled a false sense of  'we cannot make it on our own' in the Surinamese psyche, the regional unrest and its economic outfall has given the traditional advocates of colonial world views new impetus to sell us out and corrupt the budding Caribbean and Latin American freedom and independence movements. Brazil is facing impeachment of the democratically elected president , Venezuela is facing foreign intervention and serious economic problems. Suriname has had to bow to the IMF to cope with the loss of foreign currency revenues from  exports of Aluminum, gold and oil, due to the dramatic drop in prices of these commodities on the global markets .

(picture Senior Surinamese Citizen)
Suriname is not an island but due to economic recession, social unrest as a result of lack of political   unity for change, and serious regional interventions of the right wing elites opting for capitalist protectionism, we might soon be facing the 'island effect' which kept us isolated from our neighbors for so many years. I am convinced that it is a fierce battle ahead in the Caribbean and Latin America in which the advocates of neocolonial submission will be prominently featured and lavishly rewarded for their efforts to satisfy the desires of 1% at the cost of 99%. No need to say that there are some in the 1% who are so filthy rich that they could afford to buy Suriname and make it their private island.
All eyes are on them and their  policies, disrupting national cultural and political growth on the islands and on the mainland. Resistance to occupation, domination and economic terrorism  needs to be developed and our history of resistance to colonialism needs to be studied to achieve maximum results in the battles ahead.

(Picture Surinamese youths celebrating Independence )


Suriname is not an island but an integral part of the region even if we don't know them as well as we should, and they don't know us as well as they could. The timing of global commodity price drops  and political unrest in the region is orchestrated and not accidental. It is time we brace ourselves and face the coming onslaught on our independence, freedom and cultural heritage. Because we are not an island I am convinced Suriname will overcome the current problems and has a bright future  ahead in which Latin America and the Caribbean will embrace us warmly.
Martha Tjoe Nij
April 26 2016

SOLIDARITY WITH PALESTINE IS A CHOICE

What does solidarity with Palestinians have to do with Suriname and how does the choice to express solidarity and actively support the Palestinian People relate to Suriname's Independence? First of all the Boycott Divestment Sanction campaign brought down Apartheid in South Africa and should be actively supported by every Surinamese who fights racism and  cherishes Independence.  It is a choice we make as individuals and as a Government to side with humanity and justice and fight with all we have against colonization, abuse of human rights and crimes against humanity such as Israeli Apartheid and Occupation of Palestine. There are many ways to express solidarity with Palestine ranging from actively joining the armed struggle against Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory, voting pro-Palestine in the United Nations to supply diplomatic and humanitarian support to the hard hit Palestinian people, or to participate in the global Boycott , Divestment and Sanction (BDS) campaign  against Israeli Apartheid and Occupation. For most people  information about what is really going on  in Palestine and  the Palestinian liberation struggle is supplied by biased pro-Israel mass media corporations who shamelessly falsify information about the Palestinian liberation struggle. The daily extrajudicial assassinations of Palestinians by Israeli military hardly make it to the news broadcasts of CNN, Fox News and the likes, which are main sources of  information for Surinamese media . It is not surprising that most Surinamese don't feel offended by the recent close collaboration of the Israeli Kaplan Planner group with Suriname's Ministry of Agriculture  even if it has every smell of Zionist recolonization of Suriname's natural resources under the flag of 'solidarity' and 'cooperation with friendly nations'.
The current global  economic crisis has everything to do with the global Zionist takeover of natural resources and training and arming of police and military corpses to protect the interests of the wealthy 1%. It  reminds me of the days when so-called 'explorers' were financed by Europe's Royal families to find  silver, gold and precious gems to fill their often empty coffers.
Today President Desiree Delano Bouterse's government  coffers  are empty, and desperate attempts are made to  steer Suriname's economy through stormy economic weather. Bouterse's National Democratic Party won last year's election  promising the people economic growth, social security and strengthening of Suriname's independence after centuries of Dutch colonization.  Under Bouterse's reign Suriname's advances towards regional integration and international recognition were recognized by regional Caribbean and latin American organizations  CARICOM  and UNASUR and his friendship with Venezuela's presidents Hugo Chavez and  Maduro did not go unnoticed. On the day Bouterse was installed as chairman of the UNASUR regional Latin American organization in 2013, the FBI arrested his son in Panama in a sting operation which led to his  conviction on charges of drug trafficking and arms deals involving Hezbollah, the Lebanese liberation Army.
Today an Israeli organization which also offers services to the Israeli Ministry of Internal Affairs  is sitting on top of Suriname's agricultural planning and development programming and will definitely serve Israeli interests in this respect. This agricultural cooperation between Israel and Suriname and Suriname's collaboration with Israeli Universities is in stark contrast with global efforts to further isolate Israel and boycott Israeli products as long as its Apartheid policy and Occupation of Palestine are not ended. Suriname has opted for Israel and is now under Israeli hooves when it comes to development of its viable economic resources and has made the choice to support Israel instead of Palestine. Internationally this choice will isolate Suriname and  further lip service to international collaboration and solidarity with Palestine  will  undermine its credibility in the international political arena.  
Suriname used to be colonized by Jewish plantation owners, who fled the European persecution of Jews and established themselves in Brazil as most cruel exploiters of African enslaved people.
When colonial Portugal conquered colonial Netherlands the Jewish planters fled to Suriname where they became plantation owners and Suriname became the  first Jewish region on the American continent where Jewish law was practiced and  condoned by the Dutch colonizers.  To my great disappointment it seems President Bouterse today is selling out Suriname for a few silver coins in his efforts to prevent collapse of Suriname's economy. The choice he made for Israel is not an option for long term credible and sustainable development of our Independent Surinamese Republic.

Female Chieftain appointed in Grankreek Saramacca,Suriname

We should continue to fight for the rights of indigenous peoples of Suriname and we should educate ourselves said Angelique Palmtak in her acceptance speech as first female Chieftain of the village council of  Grankreek  in Saramacca,Suriname on saturday March 5th 2016.

In a  historic gathering Angelique Palmtak  and her fellow village council members were joined by various Surinamese indigenous chieftains and elderly.  President Desire Bouterse and his delegation of Cabinet  Ministers, National Democratic Party officials as well as local and national government officers, came to Grankreek village  to be part of this historic celebration.

The village chieftains are chosen for live by the elderly and by the villagers. After long and serious considerations the new chieftain who is the first woman to receive this task in GranKreek, agreed to take  this huge responsibility. The young woman, who is known as a strong warrior, will be responsible for the material and immaterial well being of her villagers and is supported by a council which will help her to carry out the many tasks.

Although Grankreek is not an original indigenous village historically, the population is mainly Arawak and Carib and the ceremonies which were performed during the installation of the new village council were attended by various representatives from all Surinamese indigenous tribes.
Palmtak urged her villagers to support her to do the tasks ahead of her and called on the government to make haste to ensure the land distribution papers are finalized for the village because 'without land you are nothing' she said. The new Village council chairperson stressed the importance of education and training and called on her villagers to educate themselves and not stay behind while the world was moving on technologically and also socially.
Originally the coastal region of Surname was inhabited by Arrawac and Carib peoples who retreated to the interior rainforest of Suriname when European colonizers occupied their territory and introduced slavery and colonialism in Suriname. Today Suriname has five indigenous peoples who live freely in villages in the interior rainforest and in coastal towns like Grankreek. Angelique Palmtak spoke in dutch, the official Language in Suriname  but the songs and the prayers during the ceremonies were spoken in indigenous languages which are almost forgotten by younger generations. The local youths  were urged to learn from the elders before they were gone and to respect their own indigenous cultural values.