Press Statement by Hon. Minister of Education, Culture, Sports & Youth Affairs, Rhoda Arrindell during the Council of Ministers Press Briefing, held on Wednesday, June 15, 2011.
Madame Prime Minister,
Members of the Media,
Residents of our beloved St. Martin,
Good Morning.
At the last Press Briefing we held I expressed optimism that July 1, 2011 would be a National Public Holiday. As the draft law to make Emancipation Day, a National Public Holiday goes through the required legislative process, it is clear it may not be feasible for it to go into effect in time for this year’s Emancipation Day.
In view of this, I have asked the Council of Ministers to consider granting all government workers the day off on July 1st. This has been received favorably. Yesterday, I held a Tripartite meeting with representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the SHTA, and of the Chamber of Labour Unions to seek their support and urge them to grant their workers the day off also on July 1st. I applaud the candor and the cooperative spirit which made the meeting such a productive one in terms of ideas and suggestions and would like to hereby publicly thank all the participants for their input.
There was not one dissenting voice against making July 1st a Public Holiday. However, since the law is unlikely to go into effect this year, we discussed how to still observe the day solemnly and meaningfully. I tabled a tentative program for the day and called on the business sector in particular, via the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, to consider giving employees a partial or full day off on July 1st to allow these employees to participate in the celebrations. The partners in this Tripartite meeting agreed that they will take this request and suggestions back to their boards for approval and thereafter, we will convene a joint press conference to announce the final decisions taken.
We were reminded during the meeting that the Labour Unions have been at the forefront of efforts to make Emancipation Day a Public Holiday. It was also stressed that Emancipation Day cannot be tied to making money or the potential loss of business since it was the exploitation of our enslaved ancestors that led to Emancipation in the first place. "Emancipation is in each of us," one of the participants stated, echoing the tag-line for a "Come to Israel" commercial that says, "There is a little Israel in each of us."
Similarly, it was also made clear that we cannot talk of nation-building without recognizing the sacrifices of those who made it possible for us to walk around today without shackles. Emancipation Day therefore is a celebration of the victory of the human spirit over the inhumanities and injustices of Slavery. What we are celebrating is freedom and as such this is not just a day for St. Martiners alone but for everyone who resides on our island.
Furthermore, it was strongly suggested that if need be, the school calendar should be amended to allow students to participate fully in Emancipation Day activities. The suggestion met general approval but still has to be worked out with all the stakeholders in the educational sector.
Another contributor recommended that Emancipation Day should be promoted as the celebration of our national culture. In this manner, people would come to the island to celebrate our history and culture.
Our cultural workers have in fact been flying our flag high in international arenas. Their success on the regional and world stages make us all proud. In this regard, I note with pride that one of our Cultural Ambassadors, Nicole de Weever is now performing the hit Broadway musical, FELA! in Amsterdam, following a successful run in Nigeria.
Let me seize this opportunity to publicly congratulate Isidore York, "The Mighty Dow," for being inducted recently into the Hall of Fame and receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award in Trinidad. Dow, a professional to the core, has shown us all that commitment and dedication to one’s calling pays off eventually.
Likewise, I would like to congratulate 10-year old Jeremiah David, 10, and Diofanny Diaz, 14, both of the Imbali Center, for their incredible feat in winning gold and bronze in their respective categories at the recently concluded Confederation Nationale de Danse Concour National 2011 dance competition in Amiens, France. Congratulations also to the founder and creative director of Imbali Center, Clara Reyes, for continuously striving for excellence. Certainly, the future of dance on the island is well assured, as we have more Nicole de Weevers in the making.
You will recall that I had earlier indicated that the process of determining the recipients of Study Financing for this year would be finalized by June 15. Indeed, the Study Financing Committee has concluded its meetings and I should receive its report and advice today. The Committee received a total of 273 applicants for Study Financing this year. Of this number, 107 are for Holland, 90 for North America (US and Canada), 36 for Curacao and 26 for St. Martin. The results of these applications will be announced shortly.
On that note, I thank you all and look forward to whatever questions you may have for me.