Dear Editor,
As we all know, our island has gone through some major changes over the past years. We have had multiple changes in political power, a major change in our governing structure with the dismantling of the Netherlands Antilles, the upgrading of our harbour, the building of an important international airport, new road links, a Causeway Bridge that is about to be finished and many other changes. Without a doubt we can state that our country has been moving forward.
With these many changes we feel that certain districts were left behind economically and socially. Our immigration issues are bigger than ever, youth unemployment is higher than ever and the crime wave that our island is suffering from is far from over. Many families are having difficulties to make ends meet, resulting in a decrease of the quality of life for many. Broken homes, drug and alcohol abuse and domestic violence are affecting a large group of our youths growing up. So, even though we have moved forward as an island and now country, all the progress has not benefited all of us.
Besides the fact that Soualiga Social Movement emphasized on the individual responsibility each of us has to our community we have also emphasized on the need to diversify our economy by increasing focus on the marine industry and re-installing agriculture, not limiting this diversification by these two sectors. We are of the opinion that the economic diversification also should take place geographically. One's economic independence leads to one's empowerment.
Control of Human Affairs is achieved primarily through the control of economic factors. Economics drives politics, and economic and political realities shape the structure of our society. Along with our increasing dependence on remote and impersonal political and economic entities has come the disintegration of traditional social structures: the family, the neighbourhood, the island community. All of these have paled into economic insignificance, and lacking economic power. They have become politically and socially powerless as well. If we are to reverse the trend of ever increasing alienation, we must begin to organize ourselves into small functional social groupings that empower their members and provide a meaningful level of mutual support. Democracy needs to be economic as well as political.
Instead of centralizing all economic activity in mainly Philipsburg, Simpson Bay and the Maho/Mullet Bay area we should now focus on bringing economic activities to other parts of the island. Agri-tourism, theaters, shops and the likes should now be brought to "the hoods" accompanied with the same beautification as was done in the aforementioned areas. This will enhance the chance for starting entrepreneurs to be successful, it will create employment and it will elevate the quality of life of those living in the newly targeted areas. Then we truly can say that we are moving forward. #sxmmovement.
Soualiga Social Movement
