Dear Friend,
As you may be aware, I will be contesting the August 29 Parliamentary elections as candidate number 14 on the United People's (UP) party list. I made this decision after much consideration and with the pledge to serve my people to the best of my ability and in the most dignified manner.
As someone who has worked in different levels of education for about 25 years and actively involved in sports and culture for most of my life, I believe that I have accumulated a wealth of experience that I can use to carry out my vision as an integral part of the UP vision for a better St. Martin in these areas.
I, Rhoda Arrindell, therefore humbly ask for your help on August 29 to represent you and be your voice in the Parliament of St. Martin.
I hope my track record will make you feel comfortable that your trust will not be misplaced if you choose me to represent you. While I was Minister of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs, I successfully championed the establishment of the Charlotte Brookson Academy of the Performing Arts, a model school with expanded school hours which incorporates the arts into its curriculum. Given the opportunity again, I will relentlessly pursue getting this institution to have its own physical facilities. Quality education, with access for all, which is relevant to the needs of our people, will continue to remain a high priority for me.
During my term in office, I got St. Martin to be admitted as an Associate Member of UNESCO and laid the groundwork for the establishment of a UNESCO Secretariat here. I also succeeded in finalizing legislation that made July 1, Emancipation Day, a public holiday. St. Martin is the first territory in the Dutch Kingdom where this important date is a public holiday. Arts and Culture are the bedrock of every nation's development. You can rest assured that I will work hard so that this will be the case also for St. Martin.
In the area of Sports, I had already established a National Sports Institute to coordinate activities in this area in a professional manner. I strongly believe that we must focus on our schools and create programs that will produce world-class athletes with well-trained coaches and regular interschool and inter-regional competitions.
Where it concerns our youth, the focus should change from ad-hoc programs to address the challenges posed by at-risk young men and women and center our efforts on offering a better perspective to all of them, beginning with engaging them in their own neighborhoods to take more responsibility for their own future. I created the GB3 (Get off the Block, Get on the Bus, Get Busy) program precisely to do this. I pledge to expand and update the program to include youth entrepreneurship and scholarships for those of our youth with talents in areas other than academics.
It is for all these reasons that I need your help and would appreciate very much if you could support my candidacy and vote for me in the August 29 Parliamentary Elections.
Thanks for your patience and your assistance.
Dr. Rhoda Arrindell
UP #14, Your Candidate for Parliament
