On Monday, July 28, the Department of Community Development, Family and Humanitarian Affairs (CDFHA) hosted a Community Council Information Session at the University of St. Martin. The session marked the second phase of the Community Council Empowerment Project, an initiative designed to
enhance community-based governance, increase social cohesion, and foster grassroots leadership across neighborhoods on Sint Maarten.
The information session brought together existing and prospective community council members, along with community-minded individuals, to learn more about the goals and structure of the program. Set to run on Mondays and Thursdays from August 28 until September 18, the program provides essential training and capacity-building support for community councils and their executive boards.
The facilitators of the training were also present to introduce themselves and provide a brief synopsis of what their sessions would entail. Among the facilitators were members of the Dutch Quarter Community Council, one of the first councils to complete the program during its pilot phase, who came on board to share their experiences with the participants.
The pilot phase of the project was completed in 2024 with two of the four councils in the first cohort completing the program. The councils that were not able to complete the program due to unforeseen
circumstances have registered to join the new cohort.
