Curacao Precious first edition

Curaçao Precious1

Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary of Curaçao Volume 1 - Issue 1 - June 2014

Herbert Michael Pinedo:Collaboration is essential in everything we do

Felix René de Rooy:It´s not about color or race, it´s about consciousness

Jurenne Deonisia Hooi:I possess a flamboyant and healthy dosage of enthusiasm

Izaline Calister Award winning singer

from Curaçao.

Milouska Meulens: One should possess the impulse to supply information for beneficial purposes

Curaçao Precious2 3

ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES

A WORD FROM THE MINISTER PLENIPOTENTIARY

The government of Curaçao is delighted and justifiably proud to present the first edition of Curaçao Precious to you.By means of this magazine we strive to highlight the absolute gem called Curaçao!

What better way to give you a proper introduction of our beloved island than by focusing on its people?In this edition we present seven exemplary Curaçaoans to you that excell in the field of medicine, diplomacy, literature, social work, art, music, television and politics.

I hope you enjoy reading this issue of Curaçao Precious and all those to come!

Marvelyne WielsMinister Plenipotentiary of Curaçao

to the Netherlands

Content:Colophon:Cabinet Minister Plenipotentiary of CuraçaoWagenaar 132597 LM The Hague+31 (0)70 [email protected]

Editorial: Communication and Information Department | Cabinet of the Minister Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary of Curaçao.

Design: Ben CoëlhoProduction: Bemaco Design

Photography: Paco Núñez Caïnva Isenia Brett Russel Eric van Nieuwland

Picture cover: Brett Russel

Herbert Michael Pinedo: Collaboration is essential in everything we do 5

Jurenne Deonisia Hooi: I possess a flamboyant and healthy dosage of enthusiasm 7

Felix René de Rooy: It´s not about color or race, it´s about consciousness 9

Izaline Calister: Feelings are a universal matter 11

Robert Vornis: Curaçao should embrace its Caribbean and Latin American distinctiveness 13

60 years Dutch Caribbean art 14

Carnival in Curaçao 16

Ann Philipps, new Chief of Staff 17

Florimon & Igma van Putte-de Windt: Papiamentu is the foremost determining factor in the cultural identity of any Curaçaoan 18

Milouska Meulens: One should possess the impulse to supply information for beneficial purposes 20

Gilbert Isabella: There is always something crossing my path connecting me with Curaçao 22

There are multiple reasons why the sapphire has been chosen as the

gem to embody the preciousness, the uniqueness and the invaluable

personification of our cherished island nation. Although there are

many colour variations of this gemstone, the most valued and

best-known hue of the sapphire is blue. It is an acknowledged fact

that the sapphire has become synonymous with the colour blue.

Throughout the ages the characteristics of this coveted gem have

been both recognized and admired. The sapphire is rare, indescribably

beautiful and more expensive than the clear diamond and the other

big two coloured gemstones, the ruby and the emerald. This could

explain why the sapphire reigns supreme.

The colour blue is also omnipresent in the clear daytime sky of

Curaçao and the Caribbean. The different variations of blue that

characterize the azure and pristine water of our sea are legendary

since they provide a colourful background for photographs and movie

clips by both amateurs and professionals.

In addition, blue is also the principal colour in the flag of Curaçao, a

blue, much like the vibrant and lively blue of a fine sapphire. By the

way, the other two colours featured in the flag of Curaçao are yellow

and white – the flag was officially introduced on July 2nd 1984.

Considering the abovementioned, it is easy to conclude why sapphires

were selected to exemplify Curaçao Precious...

Blue Sapphires

All rights reserved. The magazine may not be published, broadcasted etc.,in whole or part, without the express written consent of the Cabinet of theMinister Plenipotentiary of Curaçao.

Curaçao Precious Curaçao Precious4 5

MEDICAL SCIENCE

head at the (then) VU University Medical Center”. In this context, Pinedo also led the Pharmacology Laboratory of the Netherlands Cancer Institute for four years.Indeed, Pinedo is recognized internationally as one of the founding fathers of modern oncology and admired for his pioneering efforts to bridge the gap between laboratory and clinical research – many unique partnerships have come into existence on his initiative.

In 2008 Bob Pinedo retired after a long and successful career reflected in many (international) honorary memberships, publications and awards. One of the most recent honors bestowed on Pinedo is the David A. Karnofsky Memorial Award, an award that he will accept by the end of May 2014 in Chicago by opening the annual congress of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the guild that awards this prestigious prize.

“I am indeed the first Dutchman and native of Curaçao to receive this prize”, says a humble Pinedo. “As a matter of fact, over the 40 years, it has only been given on three occasions to a non-American.” Pinedo has been granted this prize based on the quality of his superior scientific research and his first-rate level of diagnostics and patient care. Especially the latter is very meaningful to Pinedo: “Back then my team and I strove to dedicate at least 20 minutes to every outpatient admitted to the respective clinic. Nowadays, when I offer second opinion services, I invest at least 60 minutes in every individual” ...

After his retirement from academia, Pinedo starting devoting his energies to cancer care in Curaçao, through the Fundashon Prevenshon (´Foundation for Prevention´) focusing mainly on breast and cervical cancer. “I had reached a stage where I was eager to use my know-how forthe benefit of public health on my island”. Population screening and proper information is according to Pinedo essential in his current efforts on the Caribbean island.Besides oncology Pinedo also uses his notable bridge-building skills to benefit his homeland in other medical

fields. Through his intermediary, the St. Elisabeth Hospital in Curaçao has recently opened a new cardiac unit in close cooperation with the Catharina Hospital in Eindhoven. “I truly believe that collaboration is essential in everything we do. In this day and age cooperation should be inseparably linked to our daily activities – no country is able to solve all matters within its own borders”.

“I truly believe that collaboration is essential in everything we do. In

this day and age cooperation should be inseparably linked to our daily

activities – no country is able to solve all matters within its own borders”.

Collaboration is essential in everything we do

In Curaçao the Sephardic Jewish surname Pinedo can be found in records dating back to 1715. Little did emeritus professor dr. Herbert Michael “Bob” Pinedo (1943) know, when he selected

medicine as a field of study back in 1960, that he would play a groundbreaking role in oncology. While it is his ultimate wish to see a new hospital being built on the island where he was born and raised, presently he is playing a crucial role in cancer care in Curaçao.

“Oncology was an area largely unexplored back in 1972 when I received my doctorate in Nephrology and started working as a chief medical registrar in the University Medical Center Utrecht. There were neither oncological trainings in the Netherlands nor any academician specialized in this area of study back then”, says Pinedo. Faced with many cancer patients literally left to their fate in his department, Pinedo decided to start focusing on this perplexity. “In 1979, after two years of research at the National Cancer Institute in the U.S.A., I was appointed the first professor of Medical Oncology in the Netherlands and departmental

Picture: Paco Núñez



SOCIAL CARE

After having acquired a PhD in Health Sciences back in 1998, many expected Jurenne Deonisia Hooi (1965) to

eventually end up occupying a position in the healthcare system of her native island of Curaçao. Nevertheless, she has been, for almost 10 years, the driving force behind the MaDi Foundation, an institution set up to support inhabitants of Amsterdam Zuidoost and Diemen to resolve bottlenecks in their lives – the encouragement of self sufficiency is the key behind this noble attempt. As health services remain her true passion, she is convinced that there is a factual correlation between healthcare and social care.

“I have acquired this sense of self-determination and self sufficiency from my parents”, says Hooi. While working for the former Shell refinery in Curaçao, Hooi’s father faced racial segregation – as a result, he enrolled in the local police academy and hereafter always encouraged his 7 children to study as he believed that knowledge opens many doors. Hooi claims that even today when she calls her father for advice, whilst facing a difficulty, first of all he always questions her about her own role in the particular situation.

Hooi believes that in her daily activities at MaDi, her scientific background comes in handy. In 2005 she stated publicly that plunging oneself into debt has a behavioral component. “Consequently I was flooded with criticism – yet, it has been proven today that there are indeed behavioral elements associated with the fact that some people constantly keeps getting themselves into debt”.Hooi expresses her deep concern about the actual social issues in the Dutch society. “Debt services have increased with another 10% in the last months. In addition to this, many elderly people are truly

struggling to make ends meet”. Hooi dispels the claims that only minority groups are subject to social problems. “Adversities are faced on all levels of society. The difference is that native-born citizens know better which paths to follow in case of trouble, and are less embarrassed to sound the alarm and display their problems when necessary”.When it comes to her native island it deeply saddens Hooi that Curaçao is moving from a being a collectivistic society towards an individualistic one. “Change is inevitable – the fact, however, that Curaçao as a society is losing its civic values, worries me. We have always been able to survive with few resources by using our creativity to move forward – however selfishness, at the cost of everything, is not a positive development!”.

Hooi believes that if the Netherlands and the Overseas Territories combine their strengths, that this will lead to a win-win situation for both parties in different areas. “If, for example, we combine the Dutch mentality of working by means of setting processes in place and the Curaçaoan sense of creativity to solve problems, this will lead to synergy”. According to Hooi there is no perfect system and therefore one system does not surpass the other. “Whenever people tell me that I’m too emotional as compared to other Dutch-born female scholars, I always respond that I just possess a

I possess a flamboyant and healthy dosage of enthusiasm

“Adversities are faced on all levels of society”.




ARTS & CULTURE

audience with a passion for theater. Hereafter, his career took off like a train. “I went on to get a MFA in Film-making from the University of New York in 1983. I actually studied with Spike Lee and Ernest Dickerson”. Throughout his very broad career as a multifaceted artist, de Rooy has never made any apologies to publicly acknowledge his sexual-ity and denounce ambivalences in the society – to the discomfort of some. For example, in 1990, de Rooy and his then artistic partner, Norman de Palm, were awarded with a Golden Calf for their film Ava & Gabriel. At the time he was the curator of a controversial exhibition in Amsterdam named Wit over Zwart. “As a result, the press in the Netherlands reacted in an indiffer-

ent way with regard to the award I had just received”, explains de Rooy.

All in all, de Rooy considers him-self to be a fulfilled artist and very involved in the cultural evolvement of his native island. Many intriguing international exhibitions dealing with slavery, the transatlantic slave trade and the African Diaspora have been his brainchildren. At his instigation the plantation house Savonet was recently inaugu-rated as a museum in Curaçao.

“The intention is to provide visitors with a glimpse of the history of the manor house and the chance to experience the adjacent Christof-fel National Park”, explains de Rooy. In addition to this, his recent contribution to the exhibition and respective art book ‘Ante pasado di Futuro’, offers the reader a compre-hensive view of the development of fine arts in Curaçao in the last two centuries.Very aware of his African, Carib bean and European roots, the artist is at the same time very cautious to classify himself as being part of one particular culture. “My slogan in life is: honor all cultures within you, as life it is not about color or race, but about consciousness”.

It´s not about color or race, it s about consciousness

Even though he originates from an artistic family, it was only after having watched the original lithograph The Scream (Edvard Munch) in the national museum of Curaçao in the early 60s, that

Felix René de Rooy (1952) truly decided to become an artist. Delin-eated as an artist, filmmaker, theater-maker, curator, opinion maker and poet, he often describes himself as the ‘heir of a colonial orgasm’. Distinguished several times, both nationally and internationally, in the Kingdom of the Netherlands he is commonly known as the one, and to this day only, Curaçaoan to have been awarded with the prestigious Golden Calf, the highest film award in the Netherlands.

“We live in a pre-apocalyptic time”, says de Rooy, “creation is destroying itself – just look for an example to global warming, the economic crisis and the fact that there seems to be enough nuclear power on the face of the earth to destroy this globe several times”. Accor ding to de Rooy, the arts can play a vital role in these ominous

times by helping individuals to channel their emotions – however, one should be open to this. “One could be limited by means of the place one was born”. In this light, de Rooy believes that family plays a fundamental role in instilling young-sters with the awareness for the arts. In this sense, de Rooy believes that he is greatly indebted to his

late father. René A. de Rooy was a Surinamese-born writer, poet and artist, that also worked as an English and Spanish teacher in Curaçao. A progressive man and champion of the Papiamentu language, René de Rooy’s inquisitiveness brought him and his family all over the world. As a result, his son Felix finished his international secondary education in Mexico before heading to the

Netherlands to study painting and graphic design at the Vrije Aca-demie Psycholpolis in The Hague.

After his return from the Nether-lands in the late 70s, de Rooy started working as an art instructor and founded Ilushon Kósmiko (Cosmic Illusion) – through this action, de Rooy strove to instill the Curaçaoan

“One could be limited by means of the place

one was born”.




MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT

had to prepare myself vocally and emotionally whilst still working on my dissertation”, Calister admits. At the entrance exam Calister was administered by no-one else than the director of the music school. “His

feedback was that my singing still needed a lot of polishing, but that it was noticeable that I had the potential of becoming a singer – I passed!”. Calister also admits that if this particular opportunity was not given to her, she had most certainly not gone for other auditions and would have ended up working as an economist. She stresses that studying to obtain a degree in music, writing a dissertation to complete her former studies and performing, was sometimes an insane task but that perseverance is her middle name. “I complete everything I start”, she emphasizes.

On completion of her degrees Calister established the Izaline Calister Band and hereafter her music career started growing by leaps and bounds. As of 1995 she has built an impressive track record performing all over Europe, South East Asia, the USA and South America. Her name is affiliated with

many international festivals such as the Cape Town Jazz Festival, the Rome Jazz Festival and the North Sea Jazz Festival. She is furthermore an esteemed guest when it comes to performances for the Dutch Royal House.Calister reveals three highlights in her career: In 2006, while on a three-week tour in Mexico, the BBC World News approached her to do a mini-documentary on her and her music. “It was an amazing experience – I had just given a performance for over 7000 people and the chance of exposing my country and language by means of such a documentary appeared as a godsend from heaven”. In 2009, in the late stages of her pregnancy and on the eve of receiving an Edison Music Award for her album Speransa in the city of Eindhoven, Calister’s membranes ruptured and she eventually gave birth to a baby girl, Victoria. “When recording this album in Paris, I went through a lot of adversities”, says Calister, “but the outcome was a double treat!”. In 2010, 3 years before the official commemorations in the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the light of the abolition of slavery, Calister was asked by the United Nations to perform a song at their headquarters in New York in memory of the transatlantic slave trade. “I am very proud of my roots, however I belong to

that specific group that cherishes the past while living the future”.When asked whether singing in her native language might limit her, Calister answers in the negative. She is proud to be an international ambassador of her language.

“Wherever I go people are always impressed by the sounds of my mother tongue. Despite the fact that they might be unable to understand the words as such, they are always highly moved by the resonance. In that respect feelings are a universal matter…”.

Feelings are a universal matter

When growing up in Curaçao, Izaline Francisca Juanita Calister (1969) always dreamed of becoming a schoolteacher and later on a medical doctor. Regardless of the fact that she was born in a musical family, becoming a singer never crossed her mind. It wasn’t until she was

invited to join a student choir in the early 90s that she started taking her first tentative steps towards becoming a vocalist. Almost two decades later, her music which is a unique blend of Afro-Caribbean influences with a touch of Jazz, is internationally acclaimed. In addition to this, she is the recipient of an Edison Music Award, the oldest music prize in the Netherlands.

“I was brought up with an immense love for the Papiamentu language but also for all Curaçaoan traditional music: waltz, tumba (musical form native to Curaçao) and tambú (drum) – both my parents were fervent music lovers”. Calister’s biological mother passed away when she was 3 years old, but she claims that her stepmom, a Papiamentu teacher, instilled the love for music in her as well.In 1990 Calister moved to the Netherlands in order to pursue a MSc. in Business Economics in the city of Groningen. During her studies she was convinced to joined a student choir – at this particular point she discovered that she had a profound wish to deepen her singing skills. While following an internship, on the culmination of her studies, she dared to take the plunge and called the Prince Claus Conservatory in order to do an entrance examination. “I realized that it was now or never…”. To her surprise she was given the chance to do an entrance test the very next week. “I never informed my parents and in one week time I

“I complete everything I start”.

Picture: Brett Russel

Picture: Eric van Nieuwland


DIPLOMATIC SERVICES

advisory body in the Netherlands, established in 1531 by Charles V. The Statute of the Kingdom of the Netherlands stipulates that the Curaçaoan government may propose a candidate for appointment to the Council. Vornis point out that: “When discussing

affairs of the Kingdom, it is my role to ensure that the interests of Curaçao are weighed in the deliberations by the Council in a balanced fashion”. Vornis, who was

appointed in 2011, goes on to stress the fact that the Council and its members are independent. Even though the role of protagonist for the interests of Curaçao was bestowed on him in the final years of his career, this certainly does not imply that in earlier years he might have taken distance from his native island. “I have never lost any physical or mental touch with my island”, says Vornis. His utmost dream for Curaçao is for the island to seriously consider its national identity.

Whilst in no way relinquishing the current relationship with the Netherlands, Vornis’ personal point of view on this particular matter is clear: “I believe that Curaçao should embrace its Caribbean and Latin American distinctiveness – this would indeed require a reappraisal of our current relationship with the Netherlands”

Curaçao should embrace its Caribbean and Latin American distinctiveness

Born, on the culmination of the Second World War, in the idyllic district of Otrabanda, Robert Vornis (1945) had one childhood dream: becoming a physician. The amount of scholarships in this particular field were, however, scarce and much in demand. Consequently, he ended up studying

International Law & Economics in the 60s and eventually attended the foreign service course of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The latter has led him to become a pioneer in Curaçao in the area of international diplomacy, over the course of a career spanning more than 40 years.

“Geographically I have worked on 5 continents and in 10 countries”, says Vornis. “I started in the diplomatic service in South America and ended in Asia”. Indeed the career of Vornis extends itself over the following countries: Chile, Venezuela, Mexico, the U.S.A., Kenya, Mozambique, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Malaysia and a stop-over-position in Norway. Vornis mentions three highlights in his career: foremost, his start in Chile, in 1973, amidst of the coup against the then president Salvador Allende. This was literally a baptism of fire for the young diplomat, who had to face gunfire whilst trying to help Chilean refugees. “Our embassy also served as an imperative link in helping Dutch citizens that were facing inconsistencies in Chile”, says Vornis. His next peak was his appointment in Mozambique, which also happened to be his first period as an ambassador. “Many people are not aware of the crucial role that Mozambique has played in support of the struggle of the African National Congress (ANC) for the abolition of apartheid. “To pay tribute, the first state visit of Nelson Mandela was to Mozambique”. Finally, Vornis considers his period of employment in Venezuela a climax as well. “This was in the period that Shell ended its operations in Curaçao. Our embassy played a pivotal role in the negotiations that led to the current Venezuelan refinery taking up residence in Curaçao”.

According to Vornis there has been serious and sustained efforts made in the last decades by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure that its employees reflect the diversity of the population within the Netherlands. In certain areas some benefits are

already being reaped. “The attempt made in the 80s to balance the male/female representation in Dutch diplomacy, were very successful. While stationed in Manila, 95% of my staff happened to be female….”.The proposed budget cuts affecting Foreign Affairs in the Netherlands are according to Vornis a ‘cyclical movement’ arising every decade. “Eventually governments shall understand that, in the long run, shutting down an embassy will only cost the taxpayers more money”. In the present day Vornis is a member of the Council of State of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the highest

“Eventually governments shall understand that, in the long term, shutting down an

embassy will only cost the taxpayer more money”.

Picture: Caïnva Isenia



INSIDE CURAÇAO

In the unofficial diplomatic quarter of The Hague, adjacent to the famous beach

resort of Scheveningen, the government of Curaçao owns three premises. In two of these buildings the offices of the Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary of Curaçao are located. The third building, an early 20th century mansion, is the official residence of the minister.

Within these quarters a veritable magnificent art collection, acquired through more than half a century, traces the development of art in the former colony which for many years bore the name of Curaçao en onderhorige eilanden (‘Curacao and the subordinate islands’).

How did this collection come to be? In December 1954 the six islands became autonomous and the Netherlands Antilles became a fact. The very first Minister Plenipoten tiary, Nicolaas (Colá) Debrot, was a very artistic person. He possessed several valuable works and acquired some artworks for the Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary. At that time, the Foundation for Cultural Cooperation between Surinam (till 1975 part of the Dutch Kingdom) and the Netherlands Antilles (STICUSA) came into being.

The foundation was fully funded by the Dutch government. STICUSA immediately started out with a program to buy artworks made by Surinamese, Antillean and Dutch artists as long as there was a verifiable link with the overseas territories. This policy lasted until the discontinuation of STICUSA in 1989. While the artworks were duly retur ned to the islands of origin, the then Antillean government opted to

keep the collection in the Netherlands.

Recently, the current Minister Plenipotentiary, Marvelyne Wiels, mandated for the works to be listed and catalogued. The collection comprises a total of 360 visual art artefacts. In this edition we bring you a selection of some of the exquisite pieces pertaining to the “Kas di Kòrsou” collection.

A compendium of 60 years Dutch Caribbean art

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“Den kurá di Soraya” A.E. Bennebroek-Gravenhorst.

“Van Dijksteeg” H.A. Isenia.

“Rifwaterstraat” M. Cats.

“Antilliaans Landschap” R. Schotborg.

“Floating Fruit Market” V. Marchena.

“Knip” D. Fentmart.

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➅

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➁

➂

➀


INSIDE CURAÇAOINSIDE CURAÇAO

Ann Philipps was born in

Curaçao on March 13th 1962.

At the tender age of nine she

already knew that she wanted

to be a historian. After

completing her A-levels in

1980 in Curaçao she travelled

to the Netherlands to study

history at the State University

of Leiden.

After obtaining her Master’s

Degree in 1988 Philipps

returned to her native island.

She held numerous posts,

amongst some Chief Analyst

at the Intelligence Agency,

Policy Advisor on Youth and

Women’s Affairs and Minister

Plenipotentiary of the now

dissolved Netherlands Antilles

in Washington, DC.

Prior to assuming the position

of Chief of Staff of the Cabinet

of the Minister Plenipotentiary

of Curaçao in the Hague,

Philipps was Deputy Director

at the Directorate of Foreign

Affairs of Curaçao. She is

married to Herman Groot –

the couple has two sons. In

her spare time, Ann Philipps is

an avid reader on history, law,

spirituality and diplomatic

relations.

New director Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary of Curaçao

Carnival!

In the early days the wealthy plantation owners, traders and business people of the Car-

ibbean region held fancy balls after the example of the high society in their motherlands. They would dress up stately, wear wigs and put on masks.The slaves and their descend-ants would hold their own little carnivals in their back-yards using their own rituals, costumes and folklore.

In Curaçao there was a very unique development of Carnival for the Dutch colonists who had their own characteristic way of cele-brating carnival. The immigrants of Asiatic lands had theirs, the Creole middle class in the city held private balls within their social societies and the people from the Eastern Carib-bean islands, who had immigrated here to work in the oil refinery, brought with them their form of Carnival parties and street parades.

In the late 20th century all these influences started to merge togeth-er and melted down into one huge national cultural expression on an island that features people from almost fifty different nationalities.With the insertion of Tumba (the island’s typical music style) as the official music for almost every important related event, Carni-val has undoubtedly become the biggest and most important

cultural manifestation of Curaçao.Curaçao Carnival is a celebration that takes full possession of the whole community through sev-eral competitions: Tumba music, Calypso festivals, beauty pag-eants, private and public parties and also street parades. These

events take place during the first weeks of the year climaxing on the weekend and Tuesday preceding the Ash Wednesday.

More information: http://www.curacaocarnival.info


On March 1st 2014, the Government of Curaçao appointed Mrs. Ann Elizabeth Philipps as Chief of Staff of the Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary of Curaçao in the Hague.



LANGUAGE & LITERATURE

Papiamentu is the foremost determining factor in the cultural identity of any Curaçaoan

A vernacular that was born long after the discovery of the New World, has become a full-fledged language. A quarter of a million people living on the islands of Curaçao, Aruba (where the variant Papiamento is spoken) and Bonaire call it their mother tongue. Another 100.000 souls,

the vast majority residing in the Netherlands, use Papiamentu as a bonding agent to communicate and to express kinship with their roots.Two individuals who spent a great part of their professional lives studying, researching, disseminating and above all loving this unique Portuguese-based creole language are undoubtedly drs. Igma van Putte-de Windt and her husband, dr. Florimon van Putte. As a matter of fact, one of the most comprehensive dictionaries of the Papiamentu language was compiled almost a decade ago by this couple.

Igma van Putte-de Windt (1938) was born in Curaçao. She studied Spanish, French and Norwegian Language and Literature at the University of Amsterdam. She worked during many years as a teacher in secondary and higher education and as interpreter and translator. Dr. Florimon van Putte (1934) was born in the Netherlands. He studied Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch at the University of Amsterdam and obtained a PhD in linguistics at the University of Leiden where he specialized in Caribbean Spanish Linguistics.The couple did never realize that one day they would play such a pivotal role in the usage of Papiamentu. “At the outset we only aimed at fulfilling a need we were confronted with. We started by writing a textbook for Dutch people who wanted to learn Papiamentu. In the late eighties, there was no communicative Papiamentu course, so we decided to write one ourselves. It was rather fun and it took us a year and a half to write”. As people started to see them as experts on the language, they decided to start studying and researching texts in Papiamentu.

The Van Puttes are convinced that Papiamentu is the foremost determining factor in the cultural identity of any Curaçaoan. “Contrary to colour, religion or social class, language unites and makes people feel they form part of a community”. According to them there are four factors influencing the good

use of language in all segments of society. “To begin with, politicians and anchormen should realise that they are the ones people look up to and imitate. Consequently they should be careful about how they use Papiamentu”. Secondly, the role of the written press should not be underestimated. “On the island there are many newspapers in Papiamentu but, unfortunately, the quality of the language used is often to be criticised”. The couple is also of the opinion that the work of Curaçaoan writers should be discussed more frequently in school. Finally, they believe that extensive research of the language, carried out by native speakers of Papiamentu, is also absolutely necessary in order to produce good textbooks.

The couple finds it difficult to predict what the future will bring for the language as such – largely because this has a political connotation. “If Curaçao remains a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Papiamentu might well continue being one of the official languages. But in the event of the island obtaining its independence, Papiamentu will become

the most important language on the island because, as a relatively isolated entity, the Papiamentu speaking community is not in direct contact with other linguistic communities”.Even though having Papiamentu as the official main language would probably result in a morale booster for the speakers of the language, the outcome will all depend on the importance attached to language education. “It is a question of language policy. To begin with, a permanent, active and official standardization committee of the language should be installed to inform the language users about the official standard. The present situation of the language with many variants is not beneficial to good education”.

With the publication of the Walburg Pers’ Large Papiamentu Dictionary back in 2005 and 2006, Igma and Florimon van Putte have most certainly earned a position amongst the influential ‘men of letters’ in the field of Papiamentu. In 2014 they intend to publish a grammar book of modern Papiamentu, provided they receive the required subsidy. This textbook describes the forms and their communicative usage of spoken and written Papiamentu. With examples taken from star writers, their book shows how these authors use Papiamentu consistently. “We think that in the end the most important thing for us is that society considers our contribution to the study and usage of Papiamentu to be of relevance and value”...


“Contrary to colour, religion or social class, language unites and makes people

feel they form part of a community”.


One should possess the impulse to supply information for beneficial purposes

Between the age of 5 and 10, Milouska Meulens (1973) attended a total of 14 primary schools in her native Curaçao and in the Netherlands. Her parents could not

decide where to get settled – her father missed his native island whilst her mother wanted to be in Europe for health reasons. As a child she was an avid reader – more than once she bumped into street-lamps while reading books. She familiarized herself with the Dutch language by recording and imitating news bulletins of the General Netherlands Press Office (ANP). Her passion for diction and languages and her sense of perseverance have contributed to her becoming the first and, to date, only Curaçaoan news anchor of the Youth News (‘Jeugdjournaal’) on Dutch television.

While finalizing her primary school at the tender age of 12, Meulens found herself faced with a dilemma. From the result of the Dutch national primary school assessment test (Cito) it was apparent that she belonged in a school for domestic science. “My father was not amused to say the least and went to my school to seek redress”. Meulens says that even though she was embarrassed by this action she agreed with her father. “I was a good pupil, and the national assessment test was a reflection of 6 years of traveling up and down and navigating between two different educational systems”. Since back in those days the results of the national assessment test were even more binding than today, the management of Meulens’ primary school indicated that they did not want to get involved in this dispute. As a result, Meulens and her father started approaching

secondary schools on their own initiative. At the Rietlanden school in the city of Lelystad fortune smiled on them and Meulens came into contact with a teacher she is greatly indebted to: Geert Slot. “He listened carefully to my father but looked and spoke to me”…. Eventually Geert Slot decided to give Milouska a chance to start in the first year of the grammar school on the condition that if she didn’t perform well within a year’s time,

she would still be asked to leave the institution. The latter was never necessary as Meulens passed her first year with flying colors. Says Meulens: “If I was never allowed this chance, I would have still reached my goal via an indirect route. I truly believe that I am a go-getter, a perseverant person…”. In 1992, on the eve of graduating from high school, Meulens experienced test anxiety. As a result, she applied for an exemption of the schooling obligation and after a year of hard work and persistent saving, traveled for three months through Thailand and Turkey. “Once back in the Netherlands I returned to my part-time job and attended evening school to acquired my high school diploma”.Once awarded with her diploma, Meulens decided to exploit her flair for languages and the fact that she was still devouring books to pursue a degree in journalism at

the University of Applied Sciences in Utrecht. “Throughout my studies I was already working as an editor for different networks such as VARA and I was also presenting at Kindernet”. Freshly graduated in 1997, Meulens returned to her native Curaçao to work for the now dissolved newspaper ‘Beurs en Nieuwsberichten’. In 2000 she started working for the Netherlands Broadcasting Foundation (NOS), specifically for the Youth News editorial. She started as an editor

but soon after a new challenge presented itself. “I told my boss that it wasn’t fair that commentators of the regular news division were often asked to stand in for our commentators – after all colleagues of the Youth News are strictly selected to appeal to a young target group. My boss agreed with me and offered me the chance to become a stand-in myself”…

Meulens accepted this proposal and started performing as a steady reserve – in 2004 she became a fixed commentator. She claims that in the very beginning she coped with insecurity not only because of the sudden media attention

she started receiving but also because she wasn’t convinced of her presentation skills – for a moment she even considered to stop presenting at all. “I’m very meticulous and don’t like to make mistakes”. Her boss realized the she clearly needed more practice and started scheduling Meulens more often to present the news. Shortly afterwards when approached again by her boss, she had entirely fallen in love with anchoring – a task that she has been fulfilling successfully ever since.Meulens recognizes that she sometimes gets irritated when asked if her next career step is to start presenting ‘more serious’ daytime or evening news. “The Youth News is a form of idealism

and a goal in itself. It’s a way to inform and shape children and to give them a platform”, she points out. “Commentators of the Youth News personally assemble and edit their news items. This proves that we are actively involved in every aspect of the job”.Meulens acknowledges the fact that her studies in journalism have come in handy in her actual job but dispels the myth that good reporters should have studied journalism. “In order to be a good journalist, one should possess the impulse to supply information for beneficial purposes. Love for the business and respect for the well-being one operates in, work hand in hand”.

Curaçao Precious



MEDIA & TELEVISION

“I’m very meticulous and don’t like to make mistakes”.


POLITICS

There is always something crossing my path connecting me with Curaçao

His parents met in the late 50s in the city of Zeist, the birthplace of his mother. At the time, his Curaçaoan father was pursuing an

automotive degree in the adjacent city of Driebergen. Gilbert Isabella (1961) came into the world in the district of Mundu Nobo in Curaçao. After a failed marriage, his mother migrated back in 1963 to the Netherlands with her four children. He grew up in a poor environment where discrimination and exclusion were the order of the day. According to him his sense of social conscience and his affinity with the Dutch Labour Party find their roots in the hardships he endured in his younger years. At the same time, these adversities also fueled a strong sense of perseverance within him – this feeling of determination has undeniably contributed to him becoming the second alderman of Curaçaoan origin in the Netherlands.

Isabella claims that his life has unfolded positively based on a display of events in which, at particular

points in his life, he was lucky to meet people who believed in him. “Everyone deserves a chance and my first opportunity was awarded to me when I was very young”. Isabella thereby makes a reference to his foster parents. Growing up as mixed-raced child in an impoverished neighborhood in Zeist wasn’t easy until he met with the Van Dijk* family that housed him in a safe and loving environment. “They gave me a sense of belonging – even though people regularly questioned me on my skin color, I was positively encouraged by my foster parents during a crucial time in my life”, Isabella says. Without incurring the upbringing he received from his biological mother, Isabella attributes the fact of obtaining a higher general secondary school degree, as the only one in his immediate surroundings, as the result of the constant support he received from the Van Dijk’s.

Brought up in an environment where social values were instilled in him, it was a rational choice for Isabella choosing social work as a discipline in 1978. “Understanding the needs of my fellow man was instilled into me at a very young age”, the former alderman says. Freshly graduated in 1982, Isabella decided to pursue a master degree in Pedagogy at the University of Utrecht. Despite the fact that he did not graduate, his master thesis entitled: “The protective factors in the upbringing of Moroccan youngsters”, addresses a social issue in the Netherlands which is still very actual to this date.

Hereafter commenced a professional pathway where the ‘social imprint’ is traced back everywhere. Isabella mentions three highlights in his career: firstly, his start as a social worker affiliated with the Police Department of Utrecht in 1989. “In this function I acquired the tricks of the trade. It was a broad social function – in this capacity I worked with addicts, homeless people but also many youngsters. I am still in contact with some of these youngsters and it is heart-

warming indeed to establish that they are still doing well…”Secondly, Isabella mentions his career move to the private sector in 2001. “Curiosity made me apply for the post of Manager & Consul-tant Social Welfare and Reinte-gration at KPMG”. Soon enough Isabella found out the handsome salary and the additional benefits did not cater his to his social needs. Finally, Isabella discuses his job as a Programme Manager Antillean Policy at the municipality of Dordrecht – a function he held between 2002 and 2006. “This was

perhaps one of the most rewarding jobs I have ever had and a pleasant opportunity to get back to my roots”. As the municipality of Dordrecht served as a landmark in the Netherlands when it came Antillean policy, Isabella was constantly in contact with the national government. He specifically points out the many times he was called upon to mediate in challenges involving Curaçaoan people. “The key is to always approach people with respect. I have never experience problems because I’m clear, but I always accept people the way they

are”. As one of the highlights in this occupation, Isabella mentions the first Kingdom Concert organized in 2005 -in part by him- at the request of Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, who acted as Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in those days.

In 2006 Isabella was considering to take up his graduate studies in Pedagogy. Nevertheless, a new professional challenge was just around the corner: local politics…“Politics did always have my attention but I never expected it to go this fast”. In March of that year Isabella was appointed councilor and chairman of the Labour Party in the municipality of Utrecht. In representation of the same political party, he was also simultaneously elected as spokesperson assigned to the cultural portfolio in the municipal council of Utrecht.

5 Years later, in November 2011, Isabella was appointed alderman accountable for the following portfolios: Spatial Planning, Real Estate, Leidsche Rijn (the largest building site in the Netherlands), Renewal of Utrecht, Neighborhoods and Living. The former alderman has never lost his touch with Curaçao. “Having been raised in the Netherlands has made me an

authentic Dutch person, but I never repudiate my origins”. He claims furthermore that in the event of his death he would like his ashes to be disseminated in Curaçao. “This is what Curaçao does to me”.

He refrains of making com-ments on the political situation of Curaçao. “The island is faced with major and difficult tasks as many other nations – however I do not believe that it is fair to make judgments at a distance”.At the age of 53 he has put discrimination into perspective: “Discrimination is of all times and all places and it will probably always exist. However, life remains an interplay of how people look at you and how you respond to this”…

*) Name altered due to privacy reasons



“I do not believe that it is fair to make judgments

at a distance”.

Cabinet Minister Plenipotentiary of CuraçaoWagenaar 13 • 2597 LM The Hague • Tel. +31 (0)70 3066111 • Mail: [email protected]

The most precious jewels are

not made of stone, but of flesh.

- Robert Ludlum -

Curacao Precious first edition

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