Bonaire
is organizing its 4th symposium: “The
Political Future, the Right of Self-determination and Reparation in the
Caribbean IV”.
Bonaire is an island in Southern Caribbean that is lobbying the United Nations (UN) and the World to re-list
Bonaire on the Non-Self Governing Territories (NSGT) List of the United Nations’
protective list.
President of We Want Bonaire Back (NGO NKBB), Mr. James Finies –
a young professional Commercial Banker and past President of NGO Platform
Bonaire, abandoned his professional life and turn Human Rights Activist full
time where he started to lobby the Dutch Government to be transparent and
accountable in its governance of the people of Bonaire for the past 18 years. Mr.
Finies noted, what he calls “the new wave of European re-colonization of the
Caribbean and the Americas”. Bribing and blackmailing our people.
As part of his activism, he
demonstrated in the rain and sun without leaving, sleeping outside Bonaire’s Governor’s
Office in 2014 - 2015 for 8 months demanding a referendum, so that the people can choose
their own future. After the dissolution of the Netherland Antilles on 10th
October, 2010 (10-10-10), the people was forced to be part of Holland without
equal rights.
James Finies sacrificed himself for his country and the people
to get a referendum in which he succeeded. On the 18th of December 2015, the
government of Bonaire had no choice but to give in and hold a Referendum in
order for Mr. James to stop protesting and go Home. In that Referendum, the
people of Bonaire voted overwhelmingly, a 65 percent rejecting the present
illegal Constitutional Status of Bonaire. However, instead of respecting the
wishes of a nation, Holland’s parliament decided to annex and embed - anchor
Bonaire and its people into the Dutch Constitution with unequal rights whilst
the local politicians in the Netherland Antilles and the world did nothing.
Mr. Finies says the
upcoming 4 th symposium: “The Political Future, the Right of
Self-determination and Reparation in the Caribbean IV” conference is
expected to play a significant role in creating awareness and consciousness of
our inherited and acquired decolonization-rights and our Caribbean history and
the role our ancestors played over 300 years ago. Importantly, the NKBB NGO is
hoping to make moreawareness of the illegal colonial status the Bonaire people find
themselves after 10-10-10.
According to Mr. Finies, 12 Islands around the Caribbean and the
Guianas are invited, and hope more people will be aware of this conference and will
attend. It will be held in Bonaire, former Netherland Antilles, downtown
Kralendijk on December 6th, 7th and 8th December, 2019.
He is actively encouraging persons, Activist group, NGOs and organizations
to participate from throughout the Caribbean. Invitees includes Puerto Rico, Anguilla,
St. Maarten, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Curacao, Barbados, San Andres and
Providencia Islands, Aruba, St. Eustatius, US Virgin Islands, Grenada and
Jamaica.
“We want to see meaningful results coming out of these conferences. Here on
Bonaire, we were never taught in schools about our colonial history and of the
real history of our ancestors, but only the heroic stories of our colonizers
and oppressors, Holland’s history. Till today, some of our people do not know
that they were descendants of slaves, some rejected the fact. It all boils down
to, that we were not taught in the class rooms about our ancestors and the
sacrifice they endured for us, the activist noted.
The main objective, he says is that the conference will focus on areas of
mutual benefit to the peoples of the Caribbean and the Guianas; to explore the
uplifting of Bonaire and the Dutch, French and British Caribbean, Puerto Rico and
Independent Caribbean Islands and by building bridges between Caribbean and
Caribbean people in the Diaspora to aspire and realize our rightfully Caribbean
decolonization, reparations and integration” he said.
For more info please contact Organizing Committee Chair – President, Foundation We Dare
To Care: davikabissessarshaw@gmail.com
– Phone/Whatsapp: +599 786 4576
James Finies – President, Foundation Nos
Kier Boneiru Bek: jamesfinies@gmail.com Phone/Whatsapp:
+599 782 5664
