PHILIPSBURG: --- The Committee of Justice of the Parliament of Sint Maarten will host several expert panel roundtable discussions on the rise in crime, suicide, mental health, and violence in schools. These discussions are scheduled to take place on Thursday, March 27, 2025, from 10:00 to 15:00 in the Legislative Hall at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg.
The Committee of Justice aims to address the urgent and concerning issues currently affecting our society, namely the rise in crime, the recent tragic suicides, mental health challenges, and the increasing violence within our schools. The purpose of these roundtables is to formulate a position as a Committee and Parliament, enabling further deliberation with the Government and requesting & recommending actionable steps based on the information received from participating stakeholders. Several professionals from various organizations have been invited to submit documentation, reports or position papers in relation to the themes and to form part of the round table discussions.
The professionals invited to participate will participate in the sessions as follows:
Morning Session from 10:00 hrs. – 12:00 hrs.
• Suicide and mental health
o Clinic Coordinator and Psychologist Mental Health Foundation, Ms. Tameka Lambert
o Director and Counselor at Turning Point, Dr. Tasheena Thomas-Maccow
o Representative of the Alliance of Psychologists and Allied Professionals of St. Maarten (APAP)
Afternoon Session from 13:00 hrs. – 15:00 hrs.
• The rise in crime and increasing violence in schools
o Dean of the Sint Maarten Bar Association, Ms. Zylena Bary
o Head of Stichting Justitiele Inrichtingen (SJIS), Mrs. Cynthia Filemon
o Director Scars to Stars, Ms. Ann Marlin
o Project Manager Youth Brigade, Mr. Michel Peterson
o Executive Director of Stichting Ego, Mr. Alejandro Francisco
o Youth Development Practitioner, Mr. Jacques Heemskerk
o Representative of K1 Britannia
These roundtables aim to bring together a diverse range of stakeholders, including government officials, and community leaders. By engaging in dialogue and analyzing position papers & reports from these stakeholders, the Committee of Justice intends to formulate a well-rounded position and provide informed suggestions and recommendations to the Government. In addition, youth organizations have been requested to submit short videos related to each topic & their perspectives, which will be aired during the sessions.
During the roundtable discussion, Members of Parliament will have the opportunity to discuss and debate the themes with the panelists. Participation of the public is important and therefore the public is encouraged to submit questions to the panelists via a QR code or link that will be provided the day before the panel discussions. At the end of each session, the panelists will be given the opportunity to answer the questions submitted by the public.
As is customary with Parliamentary meetings, the roundtable discussions will be broadcasted on various forms of media. The public is encouraged to tune in to the panel discussions on these very critical issues that have been affecting our community.
