Laveist receives final
draft cultural policy
PHILIPSBURG--The final draft of the Cultural Policy (DCP) for the country St. Maarten was presented to Commissioner of Culture Louie Laveist Monday morning by Head of the Socio-Cultural Department Neville York and Ruby Esmeyer, cultural policy advisor of the Department of Culture in Aruba. Laveist said he was elated about the submission.
The draft policy was amended after a weekend session of deliberations at John Larmonie Centre. Moderator and cultural policy advisor was Cultural Officer Alwin Bully, UNESCO official in Jamaica.
Laveist said the draft policy would now be discussed among the members of the Executive Council. “We have consulted and requested input from all the stakeholders, and we have constructed this policy document. Now the steps have to be taken so that the DCP actually becomes a guiding and living document/policy on what all should be done to foster cultural development in St. Maarten.”
Working on the document took about 12 months. “Representatives of groups and individuals in the community have worked together to bring about this draft policy document,” said York. “At times there were diametrically opposed points of view,” he said about the consultative sessions with the community on the Draft Integrated Cultural Policy Framework.
During the consultative session held Saturday, each group was assigned to discuss a different part of the draft policy, coming together after the group discussions for further dialogue with the entire group. Many topics were discussed, such as the correct way of spelling St. Maarten, in an oftentimes emotional way.
The draft document will now be perused by Commissioner Laveist, after which it will be debated in the Executive Council. Finally, the document will be handled in a meeting of the Island Council.
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