Philipsburg:--- The members of the twin organization SNBF and Association L' Esprit de Concordia met with the President of the Collectivity Frantz Gumbs earlier this week and on Wednesday met with the island Lt. Governor Franklyn Richards.
In a press release President of the Associations Leopold James said they are now finally seeing recognition for the work the association is doing and they are now moving to the next level.
James said a 'paradigm-shift' is taking place as far as the acknowledgment of the role and importance of the twin-organization is concerned, this he said only became evident after a very high ranking Dutch official had an in-depth meeting president Drs. Leopold JAMES, in which a number of critical socio-economic and political developments taking place on Dutch St. Maarten were discussed.
In addition, possible scenarios for the future of the island were presented and analyzed.
He said a power-point presentation made on Monday, June 15, 2009, JAMES, to Mr. Frantz GUMBS and Counsel Members of the Collectivity Saint Martin on the importance of the St. Martin cultural-identity and the overall development of the island, clearly stimulated their consciousness and commitment to make use of the grass-roots connections of SNBF/L'Esprit.
Furthermore, during a meeting, Wednesday, with Mr. Franklyn RICHARDS, Lt.-Governor of St. Maarten, the delegation clearly made a tremendous impact on the governor, who pledged full cooperation with the plan to initiate a 'broad-based' socio-economic and cultural partnership between all stakeholders on the island, in a structural and integrated attempt to foster 'unity' within our island-community.
Already, this concept also has the blessing of Mr. Damo RAWTANI, vice-president of the IMA, (Indian Merchants Association) Mr. Glenn CARTY President of the Chamber of Commerce and others.
It is the intention of the two associations to work out technical and legal details with the Governments of both sides of the island in order to come to a mutually acceptable working relationship between the 'twin'-organizations and both Governments, before all stakeholders can be approached and invited to solicit their cooperation as well.
Clearly, with this blessing from the highest levels of the governments from both sides of island, this St. Martin grass-roots movement can finally take its role in community- or nation building to the 'next-level' in the interests of all native St. Martiners, St.Martiners-at-heart and other residents.