Prevention is better than Cure – this is an old adage that we’ve grown up hearing, yet it is a lesson we seem not to have learned very well throughout the world.
While it is most governments’ aim to be proactive and innovative to prevent unnecessary ills to permeate our society, in reality it does not work out that way.
The latest incident of assault of a school child on her way to school by someone with an alleged history of assault and possible mental issues brings the reality of our budget cuts and lack of planning to light.
As government, while promoting tourism and economic development, we must keep an eye on our social development and the negative effects of rapid development on our various systems: education, health, social services, housing etc. and invest in these areas to avoid the pitfalls that have occurred in big countries.
The reality of the latest budget cuts, which hampers government’s ability to hire new personnel, implement new programs or improve already existing services, without any view in sight of increased revenue, even though we are one of the top destinations in the Caribbean with the best International Airport and the Cruise Facilities, leaves a very bitter taste in the mouth of the people of St. Maarten.
The National Alliance stands with the community in speaking out against the violent act of assault, as well as other atrocities which continue to plague our community, such as acts of armed robbery and murder which lately have claimed the lives of several young men and women on the island. We acknowledge that though serious crimes and murders are on the decline, that any act of murder is considered one too much in our society. However, to abhor these acts and do nothing is an even bigger crime. We must go beyond the expected lip service which is granted, and then quickly forgotten by the people and representatives alike.
We must look beyond the act of apparent senseless violence to the acts which preceded it; to the breakdown in the moral fiber of our society which includes insufficient parental involvement, increased school dropouts, too many schools ill equipped to keep up with the 21st century student, many demotivated educators, a fast growing drug trade, the availability of guns on our streets, the glorification of the gangsta lifestyle in music, styles of dress and actions in our culture, the disenfranchised young persons who feel that society has neglected them and left them without compassion or love for others.
When we are looking at our budgets, do we look at the effect the programs we are cutting has on the society? It is a known fact that the Mental Health Foundation lost some funding, when it is a growing foundation and should have increased to be better equipped to serve the population of St. Maarten instead of shipping our mental patients abroad. The Youth, Sports and Recreation as well as Culture programs lost funding which directly relates to keeping our youth positively active…and we could go on and on.
Each and every person on St. Maarten has a role to play in the solutions to the myriad challenges facing us as a country:
· Government must set priorities and find innovative ways to increase its income including compliance by our businesses in paying taxes on time, or changing the way we tax businesses to the benefit of all involved;
· Government must set a dividend policy to collect dividends from all government owned companies, rather than having these companies dispose of huge profits made in a manner that they see fit. Government would then have more money at its disposal to fund much needed programs and services which are directly beneficial to the communities;
· NGOs must be transparent in the execution of their tasks relating to the needs of the community;
· Volunteerism must become a mainstay of our culture, the Economic Affairs and Labour Ministries and the Education/Culture/Youth & Sports Ministry must collectively come up with a system that allows working adults the opportunity to give back an hour or two per week to minimize the costs of after school programs;
· Volunteerism will play an even bigger role when we each find an hour or more of our free time to give back to our communities;
· Labour Department/Chamber of Commerce can formally cooperate to facilitate more Internship opportunities for youth studying in our schools and abroad;
· Afterschool programs in each community
· Each St. Maartener must see it as their responsibility to be their brother’s keeper. Report abuse and violence to keep it out of our homes, schools, sports facilities and streets. Stand as a village for our youngsters by breaking the silence.
Submitted on behalf of the Board and members of the National Alliance by Silveria Jacobs.