St. Martin News Network

To his great surprise, Leopold JAMES was honored along with Frits PANTOPHLET and the Philipsburg Community and Culture Centre with a donation by the president, Dayal ALWANI of the local St. Maarten Indian Merchants Association (IMA) on Tuesday, January 26, 2010 on the occasion of India Republic Day
Although Mr. JAMES had been invited to attend this very important functions, due to other engagements he was not able to attend.
Nevertheless, after learning via the Daily Herald of Thursday, January 28, 2010 that he had been one of three recipients of a donation by the IMA, Mr. JAMES this morning contacted Mr. ALWANI, president of the IMA.
While expressing his thanks and appreciation to Mr. ALWANI for the donation, Mr. JAMES also asked the reason why he merited this public donation.
The answer was clear.
For doing the work under very difficult circumstances of promoting integration within the St. Martin community in general.
Although there have been those in the media, including the well knows 'Free adviser', who have done everything possible over the years, to belittle the work Mr. JAMES has been doing for decades, there is an undeniable and growing awareness within the entire community for his message.
Native-indigenous St. Martin people are absolutely essential in assuming the critical and bonding role as the most appropriate foundation for all sustainable developments on the island.
These include besides all socio-economical developments also constitutional development, nation building and the eventually unification of the island.
As such there is more movement more suited to play this liaison role on the entire island than that grass root nation building movement, initiated and led by Mr. JAMES.
Mr. JAMES also thanked the IMA for having the courage, wisdom and vision to see through all the negative rhetoric about the intentions of Mr. JAMES and to realize that he might be the most unique person to be given the opportunity by Governments, NGO's and others to lead the process of nation building.
That process can result in a balance being reached and maintained between preserving the native-indigenous St. Martin heritage and people in dynamic harmony with all the cultural diverse communities on the island.
In ending his telephone call to Mr. ALWANI, this morning, Mr.Leopold JAMES pledged his continued support as a bridge between the Indian Community and others on the one hand and the native St. Martin community on the island on the other hand.
This obviously is an opportunity that should not be lost, nor taken for granted.
meanwhile, in a separate mail to Council lady,Sarah WESCOTT-WILLIAMS, this morning, Mr. JAMES also thanked her for accepting the donation on his behlaf during the ceremony of the India Republic Day 2010.

Leopold JAMES