SINGI NETI IN THALIA WAS EEN FEEST

 De viering van 180 jaar Thalia werd Zondag 7 Mei een waar feest met Surinaamse artiesten die de Singi Neti  tot een onvergetelijke voorstelling maakten waar wij trots op kunnen zijn. 
Het programma werd gepresenteerd door Alida Neslo die het publiek attendeerde  op de herkenning die wij voelen bij het horen van rouwliederen en het onderscheid maakte  tussen Bari wan Singi en Singi wan Singi. Neslo inspireerde Marcha Reumel om een 'Dede Oso suite ' te maken, wat resulteerde in een voorstelling die verschillende processen tussen leven en dood muzikaal aan de orde stelt. In een feest van herkenning zongen en speelden  Surinaamse  close harmony vocalisten, bazuinkoor blazers en een jeugdige ritme sektie een aantal door Reumel geselecteerde  klassieke treur-,  rouw - en feest liederen . De kwaliteit en professionaliteit van de vocalisten en   instrumentalisten  was hoog  hoewel volgens Reumel nog veel meer uit de  groep te halen valt als men langer kan samenwerken. Dankzij oude muzikale rotten in het vak  zoals Guno Gemerts, Roy Lieuw On, Marlon Vakkers en Edward Morgenstond ,die menig  Dede oso met koraal muziek opluisterden, en  jonge toppers zoals tenor Luciano Pregers, skratyi speler Dino Brasdorp , drummer Biko Zeewijk en trompettist Stephan Apianai van het Conservatorium, kreeg het publiek  een verrassende selectie van talent voorgeschoteld. Onder hoog tempo werd een  goodie bag aan liederen gepresenteerd die uit volle borst werden meegezongen en varieerden van  gospel tot jazz  naar kawina klassiekers , Gado na wan bun Gado, When the Saints go marching in, Wi de begi Aisa, Mi na wan watra Ingi en nog veel meer  werden door het speciaal voor deze gelegenheid  bijeengebracht ensemble voortreffelijk vertolkt.  De stemmen  van sopraan Patricia Pocornie ,bekend van 'Glori fu Kresneti',  Dwight Seedorf, bas, Humprhry Koulen ,tenor, Jose Parami  bariton ,bekend van de formatie Humphry and friends  en tenor Patrick Nieveld klonken als één stem in close harmony op top nivo. De non stop muzikale show duurde ruim een uur en Alida Neslo daagde het publiek tenslotte uit om mee te dansen op het podium . Het publiek in het half gevulde Thalia nam de uitdaging aan en zong en danste mee, luid hoereeeh roepend  om Thalia te feliciteren. De Singi Neti voorstelling etaleerde een multiculturele schat aan waardevolle liederen die wij bewust of onbewust herkennen als ons cultureel erfgoed . De artiesten hebben in een strak minimalistiche decor en heldere belichting de kans gehad van de regie om te schitteren. Hun close harmonies werden tot in de puntjes uitgevoerd  met  Surinaamse  koperblazers aan hun zij  die ons land op elk international podium waardig kunnen vertegenwoordigen. Terwijl het publiek ben Bari den Singi puru werd op het podium zangkunst van hoogstaand nivo geleverd dat soms tot tranen toe roerde en op andere momenten voor kippevel zorgde omdat de herinnering aan de dood en het afscheid van geliefden op de gezichten de lezen was bij het horen van Odi Kownu.  Bij het zien van de dansiman futu van de zangers kwam de herinnering aan de modo futu van de drageman die de doodskist dansend wegdroegen terug. Voorzangeres Pocornie die 'Wi de begi Aisa' bij de start zong kwam aan het eind in een prachtig rood kostuum terug om  de kawina klassieker 'Mi na wan Watra Ingi' te zingen. De solisten Stephan Apiani op trompet en drummer Biko Zeewijk van het Conservatorium oogstten gejuich  en applaus van het publiek met hun indrukwekkende moderne  interpretaties van de oude liederen. De voorstelling verdient uit te groeien tot een breed gedragen requiem van  troost en rouw liederen met alle etnische  nuances die de Surinaamse cultuur rijk is. Alida Neslo en Marcha Reumel hebben met dit team een gouden troef in handen  waarmee op Nationale en Internationale podia gescored zal worden. Het oudste theater van het Caribisch gebied heeft met deze voorstelling weer eens bewezen dat Thalia nog steeds aan oud en jong de kans biedt om te schitteren en dat is zeker een felicitatie waard.

Martha Tjoe Nij 

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SOEKTSA BOSKOPU REVISITED

This edition of SOEKTSA BOSKOPU  has more information  about the Republic of Suriname and invites the readers to learn more about one of the greenest countries in the world and the smallest on the Latin American continent.

The National Assembley has picked up the debates about Suriname's new anti corruption law and the Governor of the Surinaamse Bank has stepped up his efforts to de-dollarize the Surinamese economy. Several initiatives were taken last year to raise awareness about climate change and the conscious use of water, electricity and other natural resources. 

Our national telecommunications company Telesur has promised it will incorporate green thinking in its operations in the interior rainforest of Suriname.

The stubborn refusal of some members of the opposition to cooperate and join forces in the political arena to help Suriname solve its economic problems, does not stop the ruling Bouterse/Adhin government to implement fundamental restructuring of government  institutions.  

In the field of  education an attempt to get teachers to strike and consequently disrupt the educational proces more or less failed in 2016. In the police forces  and  at the ministry of finance serious re-evaluation of goals and operations  is monitored by government officials and international experts. 

Suriname was not spared its share of trouble in the  economic field with bauxite and oil prices dropping globally. Even efforts to earn from gold ore initially did not supply the foreign currency needed to keep the economy growing but are fortunately starting to yield results. 

In every country where government loans are accompanied by austerity measures,  low income groups and poor suffer. This also goes for Suriname where the rich are getting richer. 

In reality Suriname is a very rich and green country, rich in natural resources with 80% of its territory covered by rainforest. However, the sharing of wealth and distribution of resources is still not organized  on the basis of equal sharing. In a courageous and conscious effort to boost the national morale and inspire next generation Surinamese, the government and private enterprises have spread their wings into the Caribbean and Latin America  where new forms of cooperation and export opportunities are prospected and developed. Suriname is on the right track in 2017 and seems to have overcome the worst  economic and political crises  on its way to growth after gaining independence in 1975. 

Contrary to mostly European based anti propaganda , the promotion of a positive image of Suriname and development of a growing tourism industry are high on the national agenda.
To improve its services and have a clear view of what tourists need and find in Suriname the National Tourism operators have joined forces with the Statistics bureau to systematically  gather and analyze data which are relevant for the Tourism industry.  More and more regional guests are discovering Suriname as a tourist destination and Dutch, German, Belgian tour operators have continued to serve their customers who not only want sun and sea but also culture and rainforest experiences. Suriname is transforming from a Europe oriented nation to a Caribbean Nation with Latin America ties.
 The biggest change however takes place in the field of diversification efforts on all economic levels. Suriname used to be the producer of sugar, coffee and cocoa at the time of slavery and has to modernize its agriculture and trade endeavors to increase production and exports. SOEKTSABOSKOPU is a platform where the reader can learn bit by bit about Suriname and its development.

Martha Tjoe Nij

Misgunst in Saramacca

Hoe zal het geweest zijn in 1811 voor de tot slaaf gemaakten, en hun   slavenhouders om te wonen op de Plantage Misgunst aan de Saramacca Rivier ? De namen van de 11 tot slaaf gemaakte mensen die in 1811 op Misgunst woonden en werkten zijn nog verborgen in het verleden. 

Johanna Muntz, de dochter van een hoge koloniale politie ambtenaar, wordt in de Surinaamse Almanac van 1811 vermeld als eigenaar van Plantage Misgunst. Wijert Beeldsnijder  en zijn uit Friesland afkomstige echtgenote Johanna Muntz hadden  goede banden met gouverneur Juriaan François  Friderici die in de periode 1797 -1801, 260 gronden aan de linker-  en rechter oever van de Saramacca Rivier liet verkavelen . Wijert kwam uit Curaçao waar de familie Beeldsnijder fortuin maakte met de distributie van tot slaaf gemaakte mensen naar plantages in het Caraibisch Gebied. Hij was in Suriname  directeur van Plantage Friderici's Gift aan de rechter oever van de Saramacca Rivier en bezat ook percelen in de Georgestraat in  wat nu bekend staat als het inheems dorp Columbia aan de Misgunstweg in Saramacca.  In Nederland waren leden van de familie  Beeldsnijder hoge ambtenaren in dienst van de Verenigde Oost Indische Compagnie en de West Indische Compagnie en als zodanig nauw  verbonden met de TransAtlantische slavenhandel en slavernij. Wijert's neef was gouverneur  Wolphert Beeldsnijder Matroos  die in Suriname bij de tot slaaf gemaakte Betje van Beeldsnijder een tweeling verwekt die de bron is van de familie Matroos in Suriname. Een van de nazaten van de tweeling is mijn overgrootvader Johan François Matroos. Hij was de zoon van  Helena Petronella Matroos, en de vader van mijn grootmoeder Antoinette Francoise Johanna Matroos.  Antoinette huwde met Hendrik Jan Tjoe Nij die in 1940 eigenaar wordt van 1/8 deel van de Plantage Misgunst in Saramacca. Wie anno 2016 richting Groningen rijdt vanaf Uitkijk komt links van de weg de Hendrik Jan Tjoe Nijweg tegen op Plantage Misgunst. Tijdens een kleine ceremonie in de 70-er jaren  van de vorige eeuw waarbij  zelfs een traan viel, onthulde mijn vader  Ferdinand Tjoe Nij   het eerste houten naambord van de weg die naar zijn vader Hendrik Jan Tjoe Nij is genoemd.   De weg geeft niet alleen  toegang tot bewoonde percelen maar ook  tot het Misgunst Jungle Pad dat speciaal is opengekapt  door de Stichting SOEKTSA om Eco toerisme te ontwikkelen op Misgunst. De avontuurlijke bezoeker van Plantage Misgunst kan nu onder begeleiding van een gids een wandeling maken op het Misgunst Jungle Pad en oog in oog komen met het regenwoud van Saramacca. De wandeling vertrekt vanaf Plantage Misgunst en duurt anderhalf tot twee uur. Het is intensief, glibberen, klimmen en kruipen over of onder takken als er omgevallen bomen liggen en je gaat in onbewoond gebied dus geen winkels on the road. Het is een wandeling voor fitte en gezonde mensen die van avontuur houden en niet bang zijn voor muskieten, slangen, spinnen en mieren en met een beetje geluk oog in oog komen te staan met apen, bosvarkens, tijger , miereneter en luiaard.. Sighting van loslopend wild is niet gegarandeerd. Door het hoge pure zuurstof gehalte kan je 'high' licht in het hoofd worden en een dag na de wandeling nog slaperig zijn. Het Misgunst Jungle Pad biedt bezoekers de kans het oerwoud van Saramacca van dichtbij te ervaren op nog geen uur rijden van Paramaribo. Afhankelijk van de wens van de bezoekers kan de wandeling korter zijn en gecombineerd worden met een bezoek aan een inheems dorp en Fort Groningen. Het SOEKTSA jungle Survival Camp pakket geeft de bezoekers de kans ook een nacht in de jungle te overnachten in een hangmat. Close encounter with nature in its rainforest purity is nog mogelijk in Saramacca op Misgunst. De bezoekers worden begeleid door een gids of survival trainer tijdens hun jungle walks. Van het pad dwalen kan ernstige verdwaling tot gevolg hebben voor toeristen die niet bekend zijn met het terrein. It ain't an ordinary walk in the park, it is an encounter with the rainforest. Ik vraag mij af of de witte eigenaren ooit gedurfd hebben om het regenwoud op Misgunst van dichtbij mee te maken. 
De inheemse Arowakken en Kalinya  die oorspronkelijk in Saramacca woonden kennen  het oerwoud goed en kunnen hun weg zonder hulp vinden. De moderne toerist zal onherroepelijk verdwalen zonder de hulp van lokale gidsen. 

Martha Tjoe Nij

Suriname adjusting to austerity measures

Suriname is adjusting to the new austerity measures which are part of the deal the Surinamese government made with the  International Monetary Fund to cope with the economic crisis which mainly affects the middle class families and the poor .

In a climate of uncertainty and daily price hikes in stores the population is confronted with newly imposed education fees for all levels of education on top of increased prices of electricity and water.

In an attempt to accommodate the lower income groups and the sick and elderly the government has implemented a distribution system to supply registered families or individuals with basic food packages.

Meanwhile  in increased criticism from opposition both in the ruling National Democratic Party and in oppositional political parties  in the National Assembly, the government  is asked to step up its efforts to curb corruption and criminality. 

Furthermore the recent  government decision to order the cessation of the legal proceedings against President Bouterse, fueled the  debate about he role of the judiciary in the context of an  independent  State,  Church and Judiciary and  has prompted the coalition party DOE to end its cooperation with the ruling National Democratic Party, It is unclear if  the minister of Natural resources  and energy who is affiliated to DOE  will step down too, since he was not ordered to step down by President Bouterse.  In a positive turn of events the austerity measures have triggered a sharp decline of energy usage and have made people more aware of their energy bills and their control over how much energy they use . This is not only positive for their electricity bills but also for the environment.

It can not be denied that efforts to diversify Suriname's  economic output are hampered by the austerity measures but  on the other hand    creativity  of  especially young Surinamese  has  not only increased regional cooperation but has also opened up new avenues for Suriname's creative industries. Also  tourism in Suriname is receiving more attention as economic source for recovery of our economy. Efforts are stepped up to upgrade the Surinamese tourism industry , especially for tourists who are looking for nature and  culture, which are both in abundance in Suriname. Meanwhile times are relatively hard for some and the rich are still getting richer , also in Suriname.

Martha Tjoe Nij

2016

Caribbean cultural cooperation

Suriname was center stage in terms of Caribbean integration when it hosted the 11th edition of the Caribbean Arts and Culture festival CARIFESTA in 2013.

These pictures are highlighting some of the special moments and people who made it all possible . Three years later the question remains how did our participation then,bcontribute to Suriname's regional integration and which cultural development did our hosting activities bring to Suriname?

Our financial weakness and lack of consistent cultural policy has unfortunately left Suriname with a mini personal representation in  last year's Haiti edition of the largest cultural event in the Caribbean. Positive impact of Carifesta in Suriname was the influx of tourists to our country of whom many had never heard of Suriname and were surprised by our cultural diversity and natural beauty.

The sad truth is that many Surinamese artists who had high hopes of selling their work and linking to regional networks have been left in the lurch and are facing the same routine at the ministry of Education where the same cultural elite is ruling the waves.

                           

Untroubled by any form of professional knowledge many cultural workers in the Caribbean adopt Eurocentric views of what cultural output should be, while lacking the skills to educate the budding artists and artisans on decolonization of the mind, to raise their professional level and contribute to an innovative trend which could also help artists profit from their work.
In this respect the recent cooperation between Surinamese and Guyanese young ICT specialists has opened up doors for creative talent
to show their skills and educate themselves
in such a way that the information and communication branche could be selfsupporting.
Regional cooperation can create
jobs for surinamese artists who are developing
a Surinamese style and want a piece of the pie
when it comes to animation and application production.
There must be a positive note in this respect because on the eve of the Caricom Heads of State gathering Suriname's president has  economic reform  and regional cooperation high on the agenda.  The question remains how the Surinamese arts and cultural wealth will be put to good use to the benefit of the artists who gave so much during Carifesta XI but seem to have been forgotten once the final ceremony ended on Independence square in Paramaribo.

Caribbean cultural cooperation

Suriname was center stage in terms of Caribbean integration when it hosted the 11th edition of the Caribbean Arts and Culture festival CARIFESTA in 2013.

These pictures are highlighting some of the special moments and people who made it all possible . Three years later the question remains how did our participation then,bcontribute to Suriname's regional integration and which cultural development did our hosting activities bring to Suriname?  Our financial weakness and lack of consistent cultural policy has unfortunately left Suriname with a mini personal representation in  last year's Haiti edition of the largest cultural event in the Caribbean. Positive impact of Carifesta in Suriname was the influx of tourists to our country of whom many had never heard of Suriname and were surprised by our cultural diversity and natural beauty. The sad truth is that many Surinamese artists who had high hopes of selling their work and linking to regional networks have been left in the lurch and are facing the same routine at the ministry of Education where the same cultural elite is ruling the waves.

Untroubled by any form of professional knowledge many cultural workers in the Caribbean adopt Eurocentric views of what cultural output should be, while lacking the skills to educate the budding artists and artisans on decolonization of the mind, to raise their professional level and contribute to an innovative trend which could also help artists profit from their work. In this respect the recent cooperation between Surinamese and Guyanese young ICT specialists has opened up doors for creative talent to show their skills and educate themselves in such a way that the information and communication branche could be selfsupporting. Regional cooperation can create  jobs for surinamese artists who are developing a Surinamese style and want a piece of the pie when it comes to animation and application production.

There must be a positive note in this respect because on the eve of the Caricom Heads of State gathering Suriname's president has  economic reform  and regional cooperation high on the agenda.  The question remains how the Surinamese arts and cultural wealth will be put to good use to the benefit of the artists who gave so much during Carifesta XI but seem to have been forgotten once the final ceremony ended on Independence square in Paramaribo.

FORKED TONGUE DIPLOMACY

Suriname can be considered one of the safest countries on the South American continent, working hard to maintain its independence, while International Monetary Fund specialists are reporting on our progress to restructure our economy amidst ongoing global economic crises. International isolation of Suriname has traditionally been the result of Dutch colonial policies which aimed at exploiting Surinamese natural and human resources and  at keeping the Surinamese people  unaware of  international developments towards ending slave trade, abolishing slavery, and National Independence. Unfortunately more recently  national and international efforts seem to have isolation of Suriname on top of their agenda, if not intentionally then certainly as a byproduct of political machinations.  Just as Suriname's government is stepping up efforts to widen the international scope of its activities, searching new  partners for cooperation and diversifying production and  export in the fields of agriculture,fisheries, mining, tourism and  trade, the Canadian government surprised friend and foe with a warning for Canadian nationals not to visit Suriname for 'safety' reasons. The immediate response of the Surinamese government illustrated the negative impact such a statement of a so-called 'friendly nation' can have on Suriname. A quick look at international charts and statistics concerning safe countries in the world puts Suriname close to Canada when it comes to safety, so what could have triggered this unexpected warning from Canada?

A keen observer of international political and economic developments in the world at large and South America in particular, must have noticed the impact of the devaluation of oil and gold prices on  the economies of Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela  Guyana and Suriname. The manipulation of oil and gold prices on the global markets  has heavily cut the economic revenues of these developing nations, causing Suriname to accept financial help from the International Monetary Fund under strict conditions. The loss of financial revenues and continued pressure from abroad on progressive political parties and policies has resulted in unprecedented food shortages in Venezuela, toppling of governments in Brazil and Argentina and now Canada wants the world to believe that Suriname and its neighbor Guyana are not safe to travel to.

In Suriname the opposition in parliament has repeatedly called for Desiree Bouterse's government  to step down and categorically refuses to  accept President Bouterse's invitation to step up efforts to unitedly tackle the economic problems the nation faces. In spite of Bouterse's clear cut victory during 2015 democratic elections, the so-called  "We Are Tired" activists in Suriname also echo the opposition's  demand  for the end of Bouterse's reign. The small group of activists seems to have ample foreign financial support (mainly from the Netherlands and USA) to carry out street protests and continued media attacks on  every effort the government undertakes to mobilize the  population towards  austerity and economic recovery programs.

The most recent legal developments have added fuel to the flames in Suriname's legal and judiciary circles because Suriname's military court decided to ignore the legal Amnesty  provisions for President Bouterse. The Military Court's decision to honor the demands of a select group of relatives of Bouterse's opponents  who died  during the December 8th,1982 events in Fort Zeelandia in Paramaribo, has paved the way to prosecute president Bouterse for his involvement in these events and has created a constitutional dilemma for the residing government. Can judges of the military court decide to sidestep the Amnesty law which was legalized by Suriname's national assembly? Will the government of Suriname deny the right of independent judges to interpret our national laws as they see fit? These questions  need answers  which  are part of Suriname's post independence, post revolution, legal , political and social climate in a  democracy which is searching for   innovation  after centuries of colonial domination and exploitation. 

Old map of Dutch plantations on the  Saramacca river. 

The continued flow of negative and subversive messages from a select group of  Surinamese about their own country and from foreigners about Suriname does not contribute in any way to improving Suriname's situation nationally and internationally. I am inclined to say that the negative output and continued pressure on the people of Suriname  is organized from abroad and has a definite anti-progressive agenda, geared at deliberately breaking the development policies in Suriname. The regional and national political and social unrest is part of a conscious policy to deprive  the peoples in this region of all programs of social equality and change. This aggressive policy is moving towards reinstalling traditional conservative pro western political puppets in former colonies with the typical fascist and racist characteristics we know too well in South America. One thing is definitely true, Canada is unsafe for its indigenous peoples who are murdered on a daily basis and whose lands are
confiscated by the State. The Dutch royalty used to hide in the 'safe haven' Canada during World War II till it was 'safe enough' for them to return to the people they had left to fight Nazi Germany. Today Canada has shoved Suriname on its own heap of unsafe nations but has not stopped the Canadian firm I AM GOLD which is mining the precious  gold ore in Suriname, from profiting from our natural resources. The double standards which the so called 'enlightened' western 'axis of power' applies when it comes to Suriname and Latin America, are illustrated by Canada's forked tongue diplomacy; Suriname is suposedly 'unsafe' but  Canada's I Am Gold multi national  can carry on extracting gold from Suriname. Eldorado is revisited in the 21st century  and Suriname is one of the nations in the famous Guyana basin whose gold  is coveted by Canadians this time. At the end of the day it is up to the people of Surname  to create a safe environment to live and thrive as a nation.    We can be sure that a country that is safe enough for a Canadian gold digger, must be safe enough for the rest of the world.

Any tourist should remember Suriname will always be safer than any Canadian metropole. I live in Suriname without fear and invite tourists to come and visit our peaceful country and enjoy the unspoilt natural beauty of Suriname.

Martha Tjoe Nij  June 20 - 2016