Leopold JAMES
Good evening to you, Mr. Rosario, my friends Damu and Mac, proud to be in the same panel with you.
Also good evening to you in the audience
A very special word of thanks to you Mr. Rosario for having invited me as panelist
Also, I would like to express my sincere congratulations to the organizers of the CBA and in particular to Mr. ROSARIO, for having the courage and intellect, to not only oppose the timing of the implementation of this new law, but also for having the courage to invite panelists with different views on the matter, to come together in a mature and professional manner in order to discuss this topic and its many complicated aspects.
Let me state for the record, that I am not here neither representing business-, nor that I am a member-, or supporter of the initiative of the CBA to cancel the implementation of the new Labor law.
I am here to represent native-indigenous SXM-people's interest foremost, in an effort to arrive at a balance in the overall socio-economic equation on this island, including the New Labor Law.
In the total development of this island, for us by far the most important condition is the ‘preservation of self', which is our existence as a people.
From that angle, it should be clear that this island for us, is not exactly a ‘service-station', nor a ‘tourist-product', a ‘house'-, a ‘ship'-, and certainly not just a coveted piece of real estate...
For us-, this island, is fore-most our HOME-, our NATION-, and therefore it has a history, a cultural-identity, aspirations, sentiments, dreams, and yes a spiritual ‘heartbeat' and much more...,
In this context, any development that is not focused on PRIMARILY on the progress and well being of the native-indigenous people to us is doomed, because the people should be the very foundation of any development.
As such, it is sad to say, that the so-called ‘Friendly-island' is the classical example of how a country ought NOT to be developed.
We can safely state, that SXM has betrayed its own people, left its people behind and created an enormous in balance in the overall socio-economic development.
You should certainly not believe me.
But, just get an old copy of the TODAY news-paper of Monday, April 14, 2003 and read its editorial ‘A MARSHALL PLAN IS NEEDED'.
A quote ; ‘When the economic opportunities that a country has to offer have predominantly been taken advantage of in the past by people other that the country's own indigenous people,...then it constitutes a national crisis.
These are the words of the paper owned, by Mr. GIBSON, at that time Minister of Constitutional Affairs; they are NOT the word of Leopold JAMES, the ‘hater', as the same paper oftentimes refers to my person.
Apparently at that time, NO one cared to respond to that critical message indicating that there was a ‘NATIONAL CRISIS, because the native St. Martiners had been disadvantaged, because it were ‘others'-, who in fact dominated the economic opportunities.
Certainly, there was no call to implement protective measures for the native SXM-people, although it was then already deemed a crisis-situation for the island. And certainly there was NO CBA formed to discuss the matter.
Of course not!
Who cared about native-indigenous SXM'ers ?
Meanwhile, the natives of this island continued to suffer, to become marginalized, disrespected, ridiculed, and often threatened on their own ancestral properties by others.
Although, as native-indigenous people we too, of the SNBF etc, felt very hurt, but still, we managed to focus on the bigger picture and formulated our own concept of a MP, now called Law on Equal Opportunity.
We presented this concept on Monday, February 19, 2009 to the Central- Committee of the Island-council, who said it was very interesting, but still it was never promoted, despite all the talks about constitutional changes, in which the politicians conveniently forgot about the natives of this island.
In formulating the ‘balance' in our Law on Equal Opportunity, we have focused on at least three premises
--[if !supportLists]-->1. <!--[endif]-->Native-indigenous people should come first in their ancestral home of St. Martin, and should have special privileges and protection to be preserved at all times, non-negotiable.
--[if !supportLists]-->2. <!--[endif]-->The need for immigrants and foreign workers and the need to protect their human-rights.
--[if !supportLists]-->3. <!--[endif]-->Reciprocity (same opportunities for all people, especially within the region ).
What many people never realized, in the past, was that the ‘Friendly islanders', who had been taken for granted for so long, would one day become ‘not so friendly' and even resentful of the all aspects of development, because it worked against them, made them insignificant onlookers and minority with no rights in their own land.
That is the situation where are in right now in which perhaps many SXM'ers do not even care any longer to think rationally, because of the hurt and traumatic treatments at the hand of many investors and business people in the past.
It is very unfortunate that against that backdrop, we now have to find solutions and heal deep wounds, and it will be a tall order.
The new policy might not be perfect, but for sure it gives the NATIVE SXM'ers a sense of justice and the question now is where do we go from here.
Our position is, that we are prepared to become part of the solution in finding a balance, such as our concept of the Law on Equal Opportunity.
For sure, to get SXM'ers behind you, the time has come to show humility, respect and put your money where your mouth is, to show that you really have SXM at heart.
Without the grass-roots SXM population supporting you, your efforts will be doomed, even if Government would, as usual again just cave in to your demands.
The best ‘insurance-policy' for your investments, are the native-indigenous grass-root people of this land,- and we are prepared to be their broker, guaranteeing their best interest are secured.
The choice is yours.
I rest my case for this round and thank you for your attention.
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Leopold James
President SNBF & L'Esprit de Concordia
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