KEVIN’S LOOK / Kevin Headley
Recently Naks presented her tenth icon calendarnow for 2027. The organization has identified twelve Surinamese who have played an important role in the development of our country, each within their own sector. Among them are Eddy Jharap, the first director of Staatsolie, writers Gerrit Baron and Astrid Roemer and artists Erwin de Vries and Paul Woei.
With this project, Naks tries to give people who have been significant to Suriname the recognition they deserve. A great initiative that I have supported for a number of years by participating in guided tours. Students in particular were included in the stories about the icons.
“We must tell our youth about the people who have worked in various sectors for the development of our beautiful country”
At the presentation of the 2027 calendar, one of the icons said that he noticed that young people nowadays can effortlessly name the names of famous singers and entertainers. But young people often have difficulty when it comes to Surinamese who have played an important role in the development of our country.
He does not blame the youth for this and points out that society as a whole has a responsibility. We still don’t talk enough about the positive developments and the people who contributed to them. Much more often it is about the negative things that are happening in our society. That sells and that’s where most of the attention goes.
When it comes to positive contributions, the messages often remain under fifty likes and hardly go viral. If we want to change that, we have to change ourselves. We must tell our youth about the people who have worked in various sectors for the development of our beautiful country. The politicians who have contributed to building our parliamentary institutions, the artists who have enriched our culture, but also the ordinary citizens who have decided to do what is right and thereby set something in motion.
Once I start calling names, I can’t stop. There are so many people who deserve to be mentioned that I probably won’t have enough space for my column. But it’s important that we realize that we need to give our children more than just the names of Bad Bunny and YouTube-influencers.
The names of people who helped shape our country should also not be missing. People who have ensured that we can enjoy the many beautiful elements that Suriname has to offer. Therefore, I welcome the initiative of Naks, who has taken it upon himself to implement such a project annually, despite the challenges of limited financial resources and time.
Perhaps I am one of the few who believes that every contribution can help bring about change. If there are no contributions, we cannot expect any change. But if more and more people do their part, that change will not be long in coming.-.
