PM: "We must show empathy toward one another, recognizing our differences as well as areas of common ground, and consistently maintain the capacity for change"
The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams recently held a dialogue session on the formation of the National Development Plan Steering Committee with the board of the St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association.
The dialogue was attended by Department Head of BAK, Mr. Marc Arnold, and Senior Policy Advisor & NDP Coordinator, Mrs. Okama Ekpe Brook. During the meeting clarity was provided on the process and the terms of reference for the Committee. The Honorable Prime Minister noted that the government is making all efforts to engage with willing individuals, organizations and institutions for the collective development of the country and was pleased that the SHTA provided constructive feedback and is willing to participate in the process that will provide guidance for the long-term development of our country.
The organizational structure for the set up of the NDP Steering Committee is informed through the project: ‘Building a Nation: Sint Maarten National Development Plan & Institutional Strengthening’. Details of the project can be found on www.sintmaartengov.org by following the link on special campaigns. Another government effort that will support the Steering Committee is the Inter Ministerial Working Group (IMWG), a coordination mechanism undertaken within government in support of the NDP process.
The Prime Minister reiterated the importance of coaching, mentoring and further capacity building of the 46 volunteer champions who graduated from the NDP organized virtual online dialogue training course and the face2face strategic training workshop. She noted that the role of these volunteers is critical in ensuring the participatory approach adopted by the project. The volunteers have co-created the National Development Plan Working Group by taking part in various roles including: conveners, communications, documenters, drafters, facilitators, logistics, research, support and leadership. The NDPWG with the guidance of Mrs. Brook is now busy preparing for the implementation of the national dialogues planned to commence in February. She concluded by noting the elements of dialogue as an inclusive process that brings together a diverse set of voices to create a microcosm of the larger society. This entails learning to listen, self reflection, spirit of inquiry, and the personal willingness to address the root causes of a crisis, not just the symptoms on the surface: "In our current particular situation, we must show empathy toward one another, recognizing our differences as well as areas of common ground, and consistently maintain the capacity for change, and the time and patience for it to take effect," stressed the Prime Minister.
More information will be forth coming on the selection of candidate to represent the business sector, employees, NGOs, community leaders and youth on the Steering Committee.