Curaçao:--- Het Cultuurfonds Caribisch Gebied (CCG) successfully launched its 2025 initiatives with a dynamic kick-off year plan meeting held in Curaçao. The meeting brought the board members from across the six islands of the Dutch Kingdom. This annual event serves as a cornerstone in fostering collaboration, addressing shared challenges and reinforcing the organization’s commitment to promoting and preserving the cultural heritage of the Dutch Caribbean region.
The 2025 meeting focused on outlining the unique needs of each island, ensuring that the specific cultural and historical priorities of Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, St. Maarten, St. Eustatius, and Saba are represented. Participants engaged in productive discussions that highlighted the importance of preserving key pillars such as culture, history, monuments, and cultural identity. These discussions also addressed the ongoing challenges and bottlenecks faced by stakeholders, particularly in the areas of grant applications, cultural promotion, and organizational capacity-building.
Lionel Janga and Raffy Kock, President and Vice President of Het Cultuurfonds Caribisch Gebied, emphasized the importance of these collaborative meetings in their opening remarks. “These gatherings allow us to ensure that the diverse voices of our islands are heard and that our collective goals are met. It is vital that we remain steadfast in our mission to preserve and promote the richness of our cultural identity, and we will continue to encourage these exchanges within the six islands of the Dutch Kingdom,” said both Lionel & Raffy.
A key component of the meeting was a series of brainstorming sessions aimed at developing practical strategies to address identified challenges. Participants shared insights and solutions, focusing on simplifying the grant application process, enhancing outreach efforts, and creating new avenues for cultural preservation and storytelling. These conversations paved the way for actionable steps that CCG will implement in the coming year to support cultural stakeholders more effectively.
As Het Cultuurfonds Caribisch Gebied continues to champion the preservation and promotion of the region’s unique heritage, the outcomes of this meeting serve as a powerful reminder of the importance of collaboration and innovation in cultural development. The organization remains committed to supporting initiatives that strengthen the region’s identity while fostering growth and sustainability for future generations.
From January 22 till 31, the Caribbean Djokja training takes place on the island of Curaçao. More than 120 soldiers and 30 means of transportation from Defense will be in this training all over the island. The participating soldiers are part of the ‘Compagnie in de West’, a troop unit from Defense in the Caribbean Region, which rotates every four months. This troop unit, the so-called ‘13 Delta Compagnie’, has been stationed in Curaçao since November 2024.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Ife Badejo, Founder and CEO of Islandpreneur International, is one of the speakers at Fintech Islands, the largest conference focused on financial technology (fintech) in the Caribbean region. Fintech Islands, which takes place at the Wyndham Grand Barbados from January 22-24, 2025, is focused on three key pillars: policy, entrepreneurship, and talent. The vision is twofold: to bring together a community of leaders that are redefining financial services and to serve as a catalyst for a more inclusive financial system in the Caribbean and around the world.
