SINT MAARTEN/CURACAO - The Biblioteka Nashonal Kòrsou (BNK), National Library in Curaçao, has invited author Loekie Morales to contribute to the gift book for Siman di Ban Lesa 2026.

This collection of stories will be released as part of Children's Book Week which will take place from October 26 to 30, 2026. Children's Book Week 2026 focuses on performing arts with the theme: "Spot on!" "WAK MI BRIA!" with the subtitle: "Spòt riba mi, Spòt riba bo!" (Papiamentu).

As in previous years, the gift book will reach thousands of children on Curaçao.

This year, the BNK focuses on stories and poems centered on the performing arts. Theatre, singing, dancing, music, and performance, both on stage and behind the scenes, serve as the source of inspiration.

The gift book will feature imaginative stories and poems in which local Curaçaoan performing artists appear as characters in a magical world of imagination. These literary translations are intended as a tribute to their artistic contribution. The stories also serve as a source of inspiration for young readers.

These are emphatically not biographical accounts, but creative fiction that invites children to dream, discover, and be inspired by art and expression. The contribution must be original, contain Curaçaoan elements, and take place on Curaçao.

The story must be a fantasy/fiction story centered on the assigned character. The goal is for children to gain more insight into the person and their significance within the performing arts in an accessible and playful manner.

Author Loekie Morales was paired with Russell Soleana of the music group Issoko. In 1982, Soleana founded the group Issoco together with Ruchi Isidora and Juchi Cordoba. The name consisted of the first letters of their surnames. The group combines the mysterious sound of the benta with other traditional rhythms, poetry, and dance.

Under the leadership of Soleana, Issoco brought ‘Muzik di Zumbi’ to the world stage. The group performed in various countries. Later, the name was changed to Issoko.

Soleana received the Premio Boeli van Leeuwen 2025 in October 2025. He was awarded the distinction for his contribution to the preservation and renewal of the Curaçaoan musical heritage. For more than fifty years, Soleana has been working to preserve traditional Afro-Curaçaoan music. He is one of the masters of the traditional Benta instrument. The musician specializes in ‘Muzik di Zumbi’, a form of Afro-Curaçaoan music with roots in Africa.

The late Elis Juliana once admired Soleana’s creativity on the Benta musical instrument.

In addition to being a musician, Soleana is also a composer, teacher, and amateur anthropologist. He is recognized as a hero of Afro-Curaçaoan cultural heritage and a pioneer who inspires new generations to be proud of their spiritual and musical roots.

‘As an author with a specific assignment, the first thing you do is research the celebrity. The internet was my first portal. Yet I wanted to meet Soleana in person. I managed to do that with a few phone calls. We met in Otrabanda at the Emma Bridge. We had a meaningful conversation for nearly two hours, during which interesting similarities in our lives were discussed.

‘Thus, we discovered a striking resemblance in our mothers, both of whom were named Aura. Additionally, it turned out that our grandmothers had a significant influence on our upbringing. I immediately felt a kinship with Russel Soleana. I let his life story sink in, and a few weeks later, the story ‘When Solelé Listened to the Wind’ flowed from my pen. A short story about a boy, Solelé, who was sensitive to the sounds that nature produced around him.

‘He discovered that the wind told stories in its own way. He also discovered that the bamboo tube produced mystical sounds, depending on how he held it and blew along it… Anyway, you will be able to read the details as soon as the BNK story collection book is published. In any case, I am pleased with the approval of the story by the BNK committee and, above all, that my story has the blessing of the maestro himself, Russel Soleana,’ says Loekie Morales.

SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY, (DCOMM) – The Collective Prevention Services (CPS), a department within the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (VSA), is joining the global observance of World No Tobacco Day 2026 on Sunday, May 31, by highlighting the dangers associated with tobacco and nicotine addiction and encouraging the community to make healthier lifestyle choices.

This year’s theme, established by the World Health Organization (WHO), is “Unmask the Appeal – Countering Tobacco and Nicotine Addiction” under the campaign hashtag #TobaccoExposed.

The theme focuses on raising awareness about how tobacco and nicotine industries design products to attract and addict young people.

According to WHO, approximately 15 million adolescents between the ages of 13 and 15 already use e-cigarettes worldwide, while an estimated 40 million adolescents in the same age group use tobacco products. In countries where data is available, adolescents are reportedly nine times more likely to vape than adults. WHO warns that tobacco kills up to half of its users who do not quit.

The tobacco epidemic remains one of the world’s leading public health threats, causing more than seven million deaths annually in addition to long-term illness, disability, and suffering associated with tobacco-related diseases.

All forms of tobacco use are harmful, and there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco products. These include cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, waterpipe tobacco, heated tobacco products, roll-your-own tobacco, smokeless tobacco products, and electronic nicotine delivery systems.

WHO further notes that approximately 80 percent of the world’s 1.3 billion tobacco users live in low- and middle-income countries, where the burden of tobacco-related illnesses and deaths is greatest. Tobacco use also contributes to poverty by diverting household spending away from essential needs such as food, shelter, education, and healthcare.

To combat the global tobacco epidemic, WHO Member States adopted the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) in 2003. Today, 183 countries are Parties to the treaty and continue to work toward reducing tobacco use and protecting public health through stronger tobacco control measures and public awareness campaigns.

CPS encourages smokers and nicotine users to seek assistance if they wish to quit. Research shows that counseling, support programs, and medications can more than double a person’s chances of successfully quitting tobacco use. The department also stresses the importance of educating young people about the dangers of nicotine addiction and the long-term health consequences associated with tobacco use.

As part of CPS’ annual calendar of health observances, the department continues to profile important public health themes aimed at improving the health and well-being of the Sint Maarten community.

For more information, persons can contact CPS at 542-3003 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

SINT EUSTATIUS/SABA - On May 25 and 26, the Board of financial supervision of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (Cft) visited Sint Eustatius and Saba. The Cft discussed the current financial situation, the government owned entities and ongoing projects with the Executive Councils and the Island Councils.

On Saba, the Cft bade farewell to the outgoing Island Governor, Jonathan Johnson. On both islands, the Cft observes a stable improvement of the financial management, and it emphasizes the importance of continued caution in a changing environment. 

Sint Eustatius

The Cft observes that in recent years, the Public Entity has made considerable progress in financial management, of which the unqualified audit opinion regarding 2024 is the most tangible result.

Furthermore, Sint Eustatius shows plans to enhance executive capacity, and the island continues on the path towards being in control sustainably. Also, with STUCO and EUTEL, Sint Eustatius holds two entities that carry out important public tasks and possess an essential infrastructure.

Based on the available information, the Cft finds that the entities current functioning is relatively stable, although they do face operational challenges in the near future. During its visit, the Cft visited the port, The Cliff and the social housing project, where 36 new social rental homes are being built.

These projects are important for Sint Eustatius’ economic and social development. The Cft observes that visible progress is being made in these areas. 

Saba

The Cft reiterates its appreciation for the high quality of Saba's financial management. The budgets are in order and have been submitted timely. Furthermore, the Cft observes that Saba maintains these positive developments.

Also, with the Saba Electric Company (SEC) and Satel, Saba holds two government owned entities that carry out a public task and possess an important infrastructure.

The available information shows that the performance of these entities is also relatively stable, although they also face operational challenges. The Cft also bade farewell to Island Governor Jonathan Johnson, who is stepping down after 18 years.

Mr. Johnson has made a significant contribution to Saba’s current financial situation and administrative stability. The Cft has sincerely thanked him for his years of dedication and effort.

Lastly, both islands operate in a world that is currently in a state of flux, which requires ongoing attention for careful and resilient financial policy.

CURACAO/URUGUAY - In a region where artificial intelligence, migration and inequality are rapidly reshaping the world of work, Curaçao faces a pressing policy question: how to ensure that young people, women and workers are not left behind.

That question was at the center of the participation of the Social and Economic Council of Curaçao, the SER, in an international meeting of economic and social councils and institutions for social dialogue, held from May 19 to 21, 2026, at the Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española in Montevideo, Uruguay. The SER was represented by Raul Henriquez, director and secretary-general, and Miloushka Sboui-Racamy, senior adviser for international affairs.

The meeting brought together social dialogue institutions from Spain, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Portugal, Brazil, Peru, Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, Costa Rica, Panama and Curaçao. Discussions focused on democratic governance, migration, discrimination, inequality, women’s access to opportunity, education and the social consequences of artificial intelligence.

The meeting was officially opened by Juan Castillo, Uruguay’s minister of labor and social security. His presence underscored a central message of the gathering: social dialogue is not merely a formal consultative mechanism, but a tool for making societies more resilient in a period of rapid social, technological and economic change.

During the meeting of CESISALC, the regional network of economic and social councils and similar institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean, the SER contributed to two themes directly relevant to Curaçao’s policy agenda: women’s access to development opportunities and the future of education in the age of artificial intelligence.

According to the SER, these issues converge in one central task: building a stronger connection between education, skills, the labor market and social mobility. Formal equality is necessary, but not sufficient. Real opportunities for women require access to education, work, entrepreneurship, leadership and decision-making. Education, vocational training and lifelong learning are therefore not secondary policy concerns; they are conditions for economic independence and meaningful participation in society.

Artificial intelligence, the SER emphasized, should not be treated as a purely technological development. For a small, open and multilingual economy like Curaçao, AI is above all a policy question. The way schools, employers, workers and government respond to digital transformation will help determine whether new technologies expand opportunity or deepen existing labor-market divides.

“For Curaçao, the central question is not whether artificial intelligence will change the labor market, but whether our education and labor-market policies will adapt quickly enough to include young people, women and workers

in that transition,” said Henriquez. “Institutionalized social dialogue is not an administrative formality. It is a necessary instrument for making policy workable, balanced and broadly supported.”

The urgency for Curaçao is concrete. According to the most recent figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) of Curaçao, the general unemployment rate fell from 13.1 percent in 2022 to 7.8 percent in 2024. Youth unemployment declined over the same period from 29.8 percent to 16.3 percent. That improvement is significant, but the level of youth unemployment remains a clear warning: the connection between education, vocational training and the labor market must be strengthened further.

For Curaçao, the debate in Montevideo therefore had direct significance. A country seeking inclusive growth can no longer treat education, digital skills, women’s participation, migration policy and social protection as separate policy fields. Together, they form the basis for income security, productivity and social cohesion.

Alongside education, gender equality and technological transformation, migration and inequality featured prominently on the agenda. For Curaçao, those issues are not abstract. Labor migration, demographic change and social cohesion directly affect the structure of the labor market, the pressure on public services and the quality of policymaking. That is why the SER considers active participation in regional networks essential: they allow countries and institutions to exchange knowledge, experience and policy practices.

On May 21, the SER also attended the opening of a meeting of RICESIS, the Ibero-American network of economic and social councils and similar institutions. Since Curaçao is not an Ibero-American country, the SER’s engagement with this network is framed around observer participation. That position offers an additional route to connect Curaçao with Ibero-American networks for social dialogue, policy knowledge and institutional cooperation.

According to the SER, international participation is not an end. Its value lies in translating regional insights into better, evidence-based advice for Curaçao. The issues addressed in Montevideo — migration, inequality, women’s opportunities, education and artificial intelligence — directly affect the future of work, income and social cohesion on the island.

With its participation, the SER reaffirmed its commitment to connecting Curaçao with regional and global knowledge networks for social dialogue. At a time when social and economic challenges increasingly cross borders, that connection is essential to enrich Curaçao’s policymaking with comparative insights, practical experience and broadly supported solutions.