I’ve asked my good friend Drs. Joceline Clemencia to be my guest blogger.
She agreed. Here is her post .
Enjoy.
Deana
PA INDEPENDISÁ I HUMANISÁ PUEBLO I PAIS
BRIEF REFLECTIONS ON
THE CHANGING OF THE COLONIAL GUARD
As off October 10th, 2010 the country Netherlands Antilles ceased to exist and the countries Curaçao and St. Maarten came into being. At the same moment the three other islands that used to form the Netherlands Antilles along with Curaçao and St. Maarten, i.e. Bonaire, Saba, St. Eustatius became a municipality of the Netherlands.
The question pops up is there any reason to celebrate the so called new countries? Are these countries new? The colonial ties with the Kingdom of the Netherlands will not only remain, but will furthermore be controlled by the Netherlands through the consensus laws the last government of the Antilles passed. In this era where countries, entities, regions seek to unite and strengthen their position in a globalized world, 5 small islands in the Caribbean are forced by a European colonial power to disintegrate and thus weaken their chances to create strong new countries.
Colonialism by consent, a policy used by France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands to force upon ‘their’ colonies and legitimized through referenda, measures that will return to the colonial powers the control over vital national areas, such as public finances, good governance, education, security and others. So anacronically, instead of advancing the decolonization process, as the United Nations prescribed in its Resolution 1614 of 1960, we are witnessing a harsh recolonization of the Caribbean area, as well as other regions, by former colonial powers. Already in 1986 the disintegration process of the Netherlands Antilles started when the island Aruba separated from the 5 other islands. After almost 25 years Aruba still remains a Dutch colony, although the separation was celebrated at the time as a liberation process of Aruba.
The countries and islands of the Caribbean and Latin America have every reason to join forces to ensure the wellbeing of their people by putting their resources under their own control in stead of the control of imperial and colonial powers. Caricom, ALBA are but some evidence of this consciousness.
The colonial interventions are not surprising however considering the fact that the Caribbean, strategically of vital importance for the super powers that control the world and economically for its wealthy resources as the oil in its soil and waters, will continue to be the scene for interventions from the industrial and financial capital based in Europe and executed by their governments. Failing public finances, good governance, security, democracy have all been used as arguments for the above mentioned colonial interventions.
It is important to observe that the changes that come into being beginning October 10th will not change the colonial domination of the Netherlands on the islands of Curaçao, St. Maarten, Bonaire, Saba, St. Eustatius. To achieve the benefits form the multiple resources these islands have, the people of the island will have to continue their struggle to obtain their political independence as a step to real independence.
Long live the people of Curaçao, Bonaire, St. Maarten, Saba, St. Eustatius.
Joceline Clemencia
Chair Independence Party of Curaçao
10-10-2010
I would like to see something more about this. You captured my attention and hope I will see more from you here.
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This is a very informative and enlightening post about the implications of the death of the Netherlands Antilles and the perceived birth of a “new independent” set of nations. As I understand Dr C’s post, When all is said and done, the colonial arrangements will remain but under the guise of independence for these countries. Is that correct?
If that is the case then, quite frankly, as you aptly suggested, “the people of the island will have to continue their struggle to obtain their political independence as a step to real independence.”
Thanks for taking the time to elaborate on such a complex situation!
Eliz
Can’t do nothing but nod my head plus I would almost forget about this important observation that Joceline Clemencia makes: “Already in 1986 the disintegration process of the Netherlands Antilles started when the island Aruba separated from the 5 other islands. After almost 25 years Aruba still remains a Dutch colony, although the separation was celebrated at the time as a liberation process of Aruba.”
What happened to that Aruban fighting spirit?
Super stuff! This was a really helpful post.
Just want to say what a fantastic blog you got here! I’ve been around for quite plenty of time, but now decided to show my appreciation of your work! Well done, and all the best!
That’s correct Eliz OF: the colonial arrangements will remain but under the guise of autonomous countries within the Dutch Kingdom. Now under colonial domination where one country controls the economy of the dominated country; determines whether the the dominated one will have or will not have finances, whether the education of the dominated will be in the language of the colonial power, thus victiming annualy thousands of young people who cannot comply with a system thougt in a language they hardly know and poorly master; thus causing a never ending spiral of unemployment, poverty, illiteracy, crime, youth pregnancy and other social illnesses, there is no justification to speak neither of a ‘new’ country, nor of independence.
Sablikatriumph: There are no revolutionary parties in Aruba who want to make a fundamental change in the situation of the people. Most politicians of the past 25 years rejoiced (!) at the fact that they were able to convince Holland not to speak anymore of independence. It is really tragic that depending on others that will submit your interests to theirs is presented as a glorious thing. Now in our Caribbean region there are countries smaller than Curaçao (for example Barbados, St. Lucia. Grenada etc.) who have been independent form the 60, 70 etc. and were determined to make all the necessary efforts to be a nation and a country, no matter what adversities they would meet. In Curaçao, Aruba and the other islands occupied by Dutch colonialism we still have to win that battle.
Hola, ЎUf, me gustу! Tan clara y positiva.
Socco
This is one of the most honest blogs I have ever read. Nothing overcomes good first hand experience on topics. Thank you for being sincere about this.
Surprised there are not more comments! Anyway, I like the post and the blog too. Will subsribe to your RSS feed.
Definitely a very good article in relation to the subject, keep up the good work also I wish to learn even more from you in the near future.
“Long live the people of Curaçao, Bonaire, St. Maarten, Saba, St. Eustatius.” This is a most important statement. It is the people who must ensure the continuation of customs, language and beliefs, regardless of what happens to each country in the future. Most of Greece gradually became part of the Ottoman Empire from the 15th century until its declaration of independence in 1821. The Greeks have kept their customs and religion under centuries of occupation and great adversity. If the people’s will is strong, so will be their legacy. To be determined and strong, regardless of the road ahead, will eventually lead to victory from your oppressors!
Good thorough ideas here.I’d like to recommend checking out a lot around the idea of graphic bomb. What do you think?
@ Elizabeth, Thank you for visiting my blog and take the time to leave your thought. I appreciate it.
@ Joceline, thank you the answers . And of course you’re welcome again to be a guestwriter on the blog again.
@Sablikatriumph, thanks for visiting my virtual home. Feel free to come back.
@Dora, thank you for the best wishes and for leaving your thoughts. I appreciate your visit.
You’re welcome to come back.
In my next post I want to write about a very interesting project on Curaçao Joceline is working on in the form of a new school.
Hi this post is not really good. Can you comment me any related articles?
I hope the country does continue to work towards total independence. It is crazy that even in 2010 other countries still feel they have the right to govern. Of course with independence comes a new set of challenges that a country has to deal with and it will take many, many years to rid the country of its colonial past.
For now it is the preservation of old traditions that definitely need to be held on to so they don’t disappear. My parents are from Dominica and I never learnt about our traditions but I am now because it is important it keeps going – otherwise we will disappear for good.
Hi Diane, I agree with you. I used to think that if I manage to change to course of my life and give my kids a better chance in life and live a better life myself, the way I wanted to, not the way it was expected me to, that was it.
But I’m now aware of my responsibility we all have to help others who are raising awareness in one way or an other. People need to know who they are, what their real roots are to be able to figure out a future for themselves that suits them.
Thank you for leaving your comment, I appreciate your visit.
This is such an informative post! I agree wholeheartedly with your comment Deana…”People need to know who they are, what their real roots are to be able to figure out a future for themselves that suits them.” This is exactly my thought. I feel that in order to be our full selves in this world, we have to come from a place of truly knowing ourselves and seeking out our roots. Great post by Dr Joceline Clemencia!
Thanks for your comment Dori, maybe my guestwriter Joceline will leave her thought too regarding your comment.
I appreciate your visit. I just left you a note on FB about the great video “The Power of Believe” by Anthony Robbins on Youtube. I hope you enjoy it.
ЎHola!
Interesante, no va a continuar con este artнculo?
Socco
Hello,nice article. Informations are very exciting and saves me huge amount of time which I spend on something else instead of googling 🙂 Thanks a lot!
Definitely a superb post in relation to the topic, continue the great work and I hope to learn a lot more from you in the future.
Its funny how everybody is always discussing if this works or not!
I just signed up to your blogs rss feed. Will you post more on this subject?
Thank you all for visiting my blog, and leaving your thoughts.
Hopefully my guestwriter Drs. Clemencia will answer questions asked regarding her post.
I hope she ‘ll be willling to write more about this topic, as some of you requested in your comment.Maybe she can point you to the right direction to get more information about this topic.
Trusting that you don’t mind that I’m not answering all of you seperately and hoping you will come back to see if my guestwriter left you a reaction or answer on your comment.
Enjoy a great weekend and visit again.
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A group of us want to go to Netherlands in the summer, I really enjoy reading about it, I am seeking more information about the people and places in Netherlands
Hi Jerilyn,
I don’t know what kind of information you are seeking about the people and places in the Netherlands. Can you be more specific? This article is about a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (in the Caribbean). I’m living in the Netherlands in Europe right now.
Yes, It is complicated. There is quite some history involved here.
If you can be more specific I can help you with more info. You can put it (your question) in a comment here on the blog.
Deana
Hi Stefan, I wonder if it is possible that I could open a blog/site with an identical web address as yours so I suppose it was virtually identical but not completely. How nice is it to have people offer To be a guestblogger for your blog. This latest post here was from a good friend who is not with us anymore since a few weeks. I can not ask her to guestblog for me anymore. Maybe you would like to be more clear, what it is you really liked on my blog.