Simpson Bay:--- Professor Dannabang Kuwabong, and kaisonian Eric “Pink Panther” Taylor, received the Presidents’ Award at the 22^nd edition of the St. Martin Book Fair on June 7, 2025.

“The Presidents’ Award is the final highlight of the annual three-day St. Martin Book Fair,” said book fair coordinator Shujah Reiph.

Kuwabong and Panther were on hand to accept their award at the Simpson Bay Resort ballroom, where the Closing Ceremony of the literary festival was held in conjunction with the closing ceremony of the Caribbean Studies Association (CSA) Conference 2025, said Reiph.

“The Presidents’ Award is presented to individuals and institutions whose work is noted for its excellence and for combining literary, cultural, and liberation components in the service of progress, of their people or nation, and of humanity,” said Lasana M. Sekou, from House of Nehesi Publishers (HNP).

Dannabang Kuwabong is a Ghanaian author and professor based in the Caribbean. He teaches and publishes on African Diaspora, Caribbean and Women’s Literatures, Postcolonial Theory, Literature and the Environment, and Trauma Narrative at the University of Puerto Rico.

Dr. Kuwabong is also the author of the “main book” launched at the book fair—Rhetoric of Resistance, Labor of Love: The Ecopoetics of Nationhood in the Poetry and Prose of Lasana M. Sekou—published by HNP.

Pink Panther’s calypso music legacy spans more than 50 years. In 2013, he won his country’s National Calypso Monarch title with the song “Travel Woes / Crying in the Chapel,” composed by the legendary Chalkdust. In 2019, a bandstand was named in his honor in Sangre Grande, Trinidad.

Panther was a guest artist at the St. Martin Book Fair, where he conducted a kaiso workshop and performed extempo alongside noted St. Martin singer Clement “Kaiso Brat” Richards during the Literary Evening and Main Book Launch.

Previous winners of the Presidents Award, which the Daily Herald has called a “prestigious award,” include Edwidge Danticat (USA/Haiti), Benny Wenda (West Papua), Norman Girvan (Jamaica), George Lamming (Barbados), Quince Duncan (Costa Rica), Nicole Cage (Martinique), Casa de las Americas (Cuba), Rhoda Arrindell (St. Martin), Kamau Brathwaite (Barbados), Will Johnson (Saba), Dorbrene O’Marde (Antigua and Barbuda), and Derek Walcott (St. Lucia).

The Presidents’ Award is named after the presidents of the book fair’s founding organizations—Conscious Lyrics Foundation (CLF) and House of Nehesi Publishers (HNP)—and the president of the University of St. Martin (USM), which hosts the lit fest’s main day of book exhibitions, workshops, and its symposium.

According to Reiph, the St. Martin Book Fair also paid tribute to individuals at its opening ceremony by dedicating this year’s festival to the memory of Barry Sample (USA), a long-time supporter of the event, and Dr. Velma Pollard (Jamaica), a well-known educator, linguist, fiction writer, and poet—both of whom passed away earlier this year.

CLF and the St. Martin Book Fair Committee organized the St. Martin Book Fair, June 5 – 7, 2025, in collaboration with Computech, USM, SOS Radio 95.9 FM, and in consultation with HNP.

Emancipation Day! Know your reparatory justice emancipation status. To this end, during the Caribbean Studies Association (CSA) 49^th Annual Conference, held in Sint Maarten from June 1 – 7^th, 2025, the Sint Maarten Institute for Public Policy Studies (SIPPS) presented a paper entitle: On Reparation: Sint Maarten and Reparatory Justice for Dutch Colonial Slavery Past.

The paper examines the issue of the rights of Sint Maarten to reparatory justice for Dutch colonial enslavement, while not only focusing on the Dutch involvement but also grappling with the realities of participating slave trade facilitators. Citing the legal base, established by the International Law Commission Report (document A/56/10), Sint Maarten is provided with the right to reparatory justice for the injustices caused as a result of 215 years of chattel enslavement and 306 years of colonialism. On the other hand, the Report further contends that “States who participated or benefitted from colonial slavery they may bear legal and moral responsibility for doing so”. Equally, this was recognized during the Durban Conference Against Racism (WCAR) in 2001. However, “no legally enforceable mechanism that required States which participated in or benefited from enslavement to engage in reparatory justice or to pay reparation, was set up.”

Section III discusses the forms/ measures of reparatory justice to include financial compensation in redressing the Dutch colonial slavery past, facilitated an optimum process for Sint Maarten, and reckoned with the notion that reparatory justice also ought to be sought from slave trade facilitators. Thereto, the United Nations identified five (5) basic principles: restitution, financial compensation, satisfaction, rehabilitation and non-repetitions in addressing reparatory justice. Using this framework, I suggested restitution, financial compensation, and satisfaction to include institutional reform to facilitate Sint Maarten reparatory justice process. And based on the international law commission, which states that “a State which aids or assists another State in the commission of an internationally wrongful act of the latter is internationally responsible for doing so.” Thus, it could be reckoned that reparatory justice ought also to be sought from slave trade facilitators.  

With financial compensation being the forefront reparative justice measure for Sint Maarten Section IV addresses concerns related to financial compensation that could be challenging to move Sint Maarten beyond the injustices and repercussions of past enslavement and colonialism. One of the biggest challenges is the Netherlands’ reluctance and resistance to directly engage in conversations about extending reparative justice financial compensation. Another is determining the amount of this financial compensation. In addition, there is the challenge of eligibility. Determining who is eligible and qualifies for reparatory justice compensation, which can be contentious. Of greater concern should be - can financial compensation truly cure the systemic post-slavery and neo-colonialism problems Sint Maarten faced as a result of slavery past and colonialism. This inaction creates the need for a transformative reparatory pathway that affords Sint Maarten away from compensation needs and into the pathway of a self-reliant constituent state of the Kingdom.

Section V ascertains how this self-reliant state could be achieved as opposed to aspiring for reparative justice financial compensation. Through collaborative efforts with the Netherlands/ the Kingdom prioritize resilience, empowerment, and long-term sustainability. Resilience is the ability to adapt and thrive despite adversity; empowerment ensures that the Island [Sint Maarten] has the tools and confidence to take control of its autonomy and shape its future, and sustainability ensures that this progress/ self-sufficiency is maintained over generations.

Sectio VI, concludes

To receive a full copy of the paper/ article send your request to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., call (721) 526 – 1061, or by WhatsApp text using the same phone number.

Cul de Sac:--- The Management, teachers, and students of St. Maarten Academy are celebrating a strong finish to this school year as 94 percent of more than 400 first to fourth formers are being promoted.

For the first time in years, all 101 (100 percent) students of Form 2 will be promoted, with no one repeating or being transferred to the vocational section of the school. At the first form level, 95 out of 110 (86%) students will begin Second Form in the new academic year. Only 10 students, the lowest in years, have to repeat the level, and five will be transferred to the vocational section.

At the Form three level, where students are streamed into Business, Science and General in preparation for the regional Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) examinations that they take at Form 5, 102 (95%) of the 107 students were promoted; while at Form 4, 92 (96%) out of 96 students were promoted to their final year of compulsory education. The school’s senior students (Form 5 and both levels of Form 6 or CAPE) just completed the CXC examinations and are awaiting results, which will be released in August.

The school’s principal, Mrs. Kim Lucas-Felix, who has been on medical leave since January, attributed the success of the students to the hardworking teachers and counsellors in the Department of Student Care (DSC), who cooperated with the Management Team, which included Vice Principal, Ms. Joanna Trim; CAPE Coordinator, Mrs. Doreen Edwards-Mac Intosh; Discipline Coach, Madame Souad Meskini; and Head of Mathematics Department, Mr. Alberick Arrendell.

“The ladies of the DSC (Mrs. Amanda President-Joe. Mrs. Shameda Delaney-Weekes and Ms. Amy Arrindell), were especially instrumental in ensuring that our students were emotionally secured while navigating the often rigorous course of studies,” the principal stated.

For the most part, it was the level of commitment from the teachers in the classrooms, supported by the Management Team that caused these results to be the way they are, because the Management Team, by itself, cannot get such results if the teachers themselves are not committed to the philosophy, projects or the ideas that the Management is advancing.

“We do not endorse micromanaging our teachers. We let them teach as we respect that they are capable and competent in their subject area(s). They will make mistakes, and those mistakes will be corrected. In every institution, there will always be areas for improvement, but our main focus is on the success of our students. This success also has to do with having involved parents, some of whom keep us on our toes, but we respect the feedback that we receive from them, as it helps us to grow,” Mrs. Lucas-Felix said.

This was echoed by the Discipline Coach, who called on parents to be more open and trust  Management’s decisions and the school policy makers. “Be a proactive member in enhancing our valued school culture. Our culture is built on open communication, mutual relationships with parents and students, and structured planning, in addition to high organizational skills that strengthen our students' academic skills. Building character and  strong self-discipline is our way to academic excellence.”

St. Maarten Academy continues to excel under this relatively new leadership, not only in academics, but in sports, the arts, and leadership among students, to name a few. These accomplishments were highlighted just recently with the first annual ‘Evening of Excellence’, where more than 250 young scholars of the school were recognised for their various achievements. Vice Principal, Ms. Trim, had reminded attendees that “our students are their [parents and the St. Maarten community at large] investment, and an investment in education of young minds is a profitable one which will pay huge dividends in the near future.”

~Radulphus College takes home both wins~

WILLEMSTAD/PHILIPSBURG:--- On June 26, 2025, the Centrale Bank van Curaçao en Sint Maarten (CBCS) presented the Best Economic Research Award to the winners of the 2025 edition. This competition was open for students from Curaçao and Sint Maarten at HAVO and VWO level. For the second time, both the HAVO and VWO level winners are from Radulphus College. The winners of this year’s competition are Girvey Gosepa and Zia-Marie Martel at HAVO level and Fabian Sicking and Ricardo Winkel at VWO level. The CBCS holds this annual competition to stimulate economic research among students on particularly the economies of Curaçao and Sint Maarten. At the start of the competition, the CBCS visited several schools in Sint Maarten and Curaçao, to provide valuable information as well as guidelines for the submission. The CBCS received a total of 8 entries, 4 at HAVO level and 4 at VWO level, on topics including the risks of shadow banks, international banking, local investments, consumer protection and the Caribbean guilder. Just like previous years, the submissions were evaluated by an expert panel of judges with a wide range of knowledge on economic, fiscal, and monetary issues. Submissions were evaluated on research methodology, originality and creativity, writing skills, layout, and relevance, according to the academic level of each category. During the ceremony on June 26, the winners gave a short presentation on their research and received questions as well as valuable feedback from the judges, after which they received their trophy. The winners at HAVO and VWO level received a prize of 2,500 Cg, and the winners' school received a 5,000 Cg cash prize per winner. Girvey Gosepa and Zia-Marie Martel (HAVO) received the Best Economic Research Award for their research paper titled "De macht van sociale media op bedrijven." Fabian Sicking and Ricardo Winkel submitted their paper titled "International banking en online gaming”. The CBCS extends its best wishes to all participants for continued success in their future studies and careers. The competition for Bachelor and Master level is still ongoing. Although the deadline for submission has passed, the winner for these levels is planned to be revealed in July, with a similar ceremony following shortly after. The prize for Bachelor level is set at 5000 Cg, while the master level winner will be granted 7500 Cg.

Willemstad, June 27, 2025

CENTRALE BANK VAN CURAÇAO EN SINT MAARTEN