LOGOS St' Martin Nation Building Foundation SNBF

1
LOGOSSt. Martin Nation Building Foundation
(SNBF) Association L Esprit de
ConcordiaBuilding the St. Martin nation, based
on heritage preservation, diversity inclusion
2
1. INVITATION TO LEOPOLD JAMES BY PRESIDENT
FRANTZ GUMBS TO PREPARE EXPOSE TO TERRITORIAL
COUNSELORS RELEVANT CIVIL SERVANTS ON DATE
MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2009 _at_ 5.00 P.M.
3

• 2. ASSIGNMENT OF EXPOSE
• PREPARE A 10 MINUTES EXPOSE ON CULTURAL
  IDENTITY, TRADITIONS
• Role of cultural-identity in constitutional
  development/nation building

4

• 3. WORKING-DEFINITIONS
• Meant for the purpose of common understanding,
  not necessarily universal and therefore arbitrary
• Many definitions are not necessarily
  universal/un-ambiguous, therefore critical for
  every people to define their own identity-related
  terms, before OTHERS do that for them.

5

• 3A. CULTURAL IDENTITY
• Sum of all social relationships, traditions etc.
  collectively defining the norms and values which
  captures the essence of a specific group of
  people sharing a common history and geographical
  area

6

• 3B. NATION BUILDING
• Collective processes aimed at binding/molding
  citizens with various (ethnic) backgrounds into
  one distinct national identity, with/without a
  distinct constitutional reality/government.
• (Examples article 74/separate-status/independence
  etc.)

7

• 3C. CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
• Legal-constitutional/technical processes aimed at
  establishing a new legal constitutional reality
  or processes aimed at amending an existing
  constitutional status

8

• 3D. RELATIONSHIP NATION BUILDING / CONSTITUTIONAL
  DEVELOPMENT
• Constitutional development can be an aspect, or
  an /objective of nation building
• Nation building more a grass-roots movement,
  (based on a bottom-up approach, and is a
  pre-condition for) constitutional development
  more conducted by technocrats

9

• 3E. EMANCIPATION
• Becoming free (from slavery) and obtaining equal
  rights and opportunities

10

• 3F. RIGHT OF SELF-DETERMINATION
• Described in the Charter of the UN. The rights of
  all indigenous peoples to rule themselves in a
  sovereign/independent state, to be recognized by
  the UN..

11

• 3G. FIRST SXM NATION BUILDING PERIOD
• See also 1963 a Landmark Year by Daniella JEFFRY
• 1848-1963
• Motive During this period, for the first time,
  the citizens were part of a free society and
  therefore able to freely socialize, gather,
  integrate, establish families etc this formed
  the beginning of the St. Martin nation (building
  process), since the first known indigenous
  Amerindians no longer existed as a PEOPLE on the
  island.

12

• 3H. NATIVE-INDIGENOUS SXMER
• All those who can trace their ancestral paternal
  and/or maternal roots to St. Martin/St .Maarten
  to 1963 or before.
• Not where one was born, but to whom one is born
  is determining for being a native-indigenous St.
  Martiner.
• In other words the identity is established by
  blood-link/ roots/heritage to the island and
  NOT necessarily by birth.

13

• 4. ELABORATION ASSIGNMENT
• Role of cultural-identity, tradition in
  constitutional development/nation building ?
• St. Maarten/St. Martin at mother of all
  cross-roads (existence is at stake)
• Threatened by many cultures-syndrome, where
  everyone is free to do what they want and who are
  changing face of the island, including replacing
  the natives (genocide by substitution).
• Consequences Either final extinction of St.
  Martin People or an ethnic war.
• Unique and attractive alternative Initiate the
  second phase St. Martin nation building process.
• Who best suited for this initiative ?...those
  with ancestral relationship to island, who lived
  as one people (Concordia Treaty)the
  native-indigenous SXM people.
• Where does cultural identity/traditions fit in
  ?...A perfect base or foundation or mold on
  which all other ethnic groups, who came later,
  can build on and interact and develop into a
  new nation with a distinct national-identity,
  which provides a strong basis for any sustainable
  development, including any successful and stable
  constitutional change, which now is lacking
  Unique opportunity for native-indigenous
  St.Martiners to take their responsibility as host
  to the next level in developing a new ORDER for
  the island, much like what is happening in
  Europe.
• Important to document role cultural identity in
  constitution since it offers us that historical
  and moral unique opportunity to bring all people
  together and to work towards an eventual
  unification of the island, as a major
  multi-functional hub making creative and
  effective use of its Euro-Caribbean LINK.

14

• 5. IN CONCLUSION
• Without making full use of its cultural-identity
  and all its related aspects, our island-people
  will never be able to reach the islands full
  internal potential, necessary to become a major
  player and hub within the Caribbean and to give a
  full meaning to the concept of constitutional
  autonomy.
• Therefore defining, recognizing, protecting and
  giving full priority to our native-indigenous St.
  Martin cultural-identity is moral responsibility
  and unique opportunity of us collectively as a
  people, especially as we are in the process of
  constitutional changes.

15

• FOR MORE INFORMATION/ASSIGMENTS
• Contact St. Martin Nation Building Foundation /
  Association L Esprit de Concordia
• Diane HODGE, secretary, 05 90 520958,
  philothea24_at_yahoo.com
• Albert ADAMS, (Jesse), member, 06 90 885223,
  albert.adams_at_wanadoo.fr
• Larissa HODGE, treasurer,05 90 520958,
  aissa33142_at_yahoo.com
• Drs. Leopold JAMES, president 06 90 485855 /
  5260065
• Email info_at_stmartinnation.org
• Website www.stmartinnation.org (Under upgrading)

16

• THANK YOU TO.
• Mr. Frantz GUMBS, President C.O.M. St. Martin,
• All territorial members,
• Civil servants,
• And all others,
• For the privilege of making this presentation and
  thanks for your kind attention.
• It is highly appreciated.
• May God Bless you in your very challenging
  assignment in governing this Collectivity.
• On behalf of the SNBF Association L Esprit de
  Concordia, Leopold JAMES, proud,
  native-indigenous St. Martiner, without apologies.