July 29, 2026 No comments
Minister Plenipotentiary Arrindell attends International Four Days Marches
THE NETHERLANDS (THE HAGUE) – On July 24th, 2026, Minister Plenipotentiary of Sint Maarten, Drs. Gracita R. Arrindell, attended the official festivities marking the conclusion of the 108th International Four Days Marches (Vierdaagse) in Nijmegen, one of the world's largest and most renowned multi-day walking events. Held annually in the Netherlands, the International Four Days Marches welcomes tens of thousands of participants from across the globe, promoting endurance, friendship, and international sportsmanship. Minister Plenipotentiary attended the official reception at the invitation of the organizers, where dignitaries, government representatives, and invited guests gathered to celebrate the successful completion of the four-day event. The festivities culminated in the traditional Via Gladiola, where participants were welcomed by thousands of spectators in recognition of their remarkable achievement. During...
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July 29, 2026 No comments
SMDF Invites Young People to Bring Their Ideas to Life Through Young Minds Big Ideas
SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - Young people often have ideas about what could make their community better. What they may not always have is the opportunity, support or resources to turn those ideas into something real. The St. Maarten Development Fund is inviting young adults between the ages of 18 and 30 to apply for the second cohort of its Young Minds Big Ideas programme. Through the programme, participants will work together to develop and carry out a community project of their own. They will be supported by the SMDF team and mentors, but the ideas, decisions and direction of the project will come from the young people themselves. “Young Minds Big Ideas is about giving young people the space to lead,” said...
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July 29, 2026 No comments
The Setai St. Maarten projects more than 1,350 direct and supported jobs
SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - The Setai St. Maarten is projecting the creation of more than 550 direct jobs and support for over 800 additional jobs across the island when the resort reaches full operation at Indigo Bay. The combined projection represents more than 1,350 employment opportunities linked directly and indirectly to the development, including positions within the resort and jobs supported through suppliers, contractors, service providers, partners and local businesses. The resort is scheduled to open in 2028 and has announced a local hiring target aimed at ensuring that St. Maarten residents benefit from the employment generated by the project. At least 80 percent of entry and mid-level positions are intended to be filled by residents of St. Maarten. The resort has...
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July 28, 2026 No comments
Sint Maarten Begins Preparations to Host the Third Edition of Special Olympics Kingdom Games in 2027
SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - Preparations are officially underway for the 2027 Special Olympics Kingdom Games as Special Olympics St. Maarten (SOSM), together with its Kingdom partners, concluded an intensive two-day planning mission that marks the beginning of the island's journey toward hosting one of the Kingdom of the Netherlands' premier inclusive sporting events. The Special Olympics Kingdom Games bring together athletes with intellectual disabilities from across the Kingdom to compete, build lifelong friendships, and demonstrate the transformative power of sport. Following the successful inaugural Games in Bonaire in 2023 and the second edition in Curaçao in 2025, Sint Maarten proudly accepted the responsibility of hosting the third edition after receiving the official Kingdom Games Torch during the Closing Ceremony in Curaçao. To...
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July 28, 2026 No comments
Set the Record Straight, Part II: The Colour Question on Saba
SABA (THE BOTTOM) - Colonial societies have associated lighter skin, European ancestry, and social standing with education, refinement, authority, and respectability. Those assumptions shaped all societies in the region, including Saba. These social facts can be found in any credible history book. However, focusing exclusively on this colonial inheritance cannot explain how power operated and keeps shifting in the Caribbean. In this second installment of setting the record straight we present a way of reading and experiencing Saba that is not dictated by the dominant racialized debates taking place in Europe, North America, or among Caribbean diasporic communities residing in these places. To understand Saba's past, we propose thinking in terms of what we call the colour question. Unlike approaches that reduce...
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