2008 ...... 2009

Well, certainly there is always a lot to wish for, new year, new things, clear minds, new stuff, new promises. Well no need to be creative about that. The difference this year for me is that I just want 2008 to carry on in 2009. The changes that have been made to be succesful in 2009, that the good creative spirit of 2008 will even be stronger in 2009. That first steps that have been taken in 2008 can be followed up in 2009. It is like the olympic fire.. crossing the border of 2008 ... going into 2009. I wondered for several time why I felt so good about 2008, from the beginning on I really loved 2008, and as now almost saying goodbye to this year I know.. because creativity celebrated.. and creativity made changes possible, it is what i feel as close to nature as can be.

Blessed all.

The Hindu Gods

'Yes' she says, 'that is laksmi, I love lakshmi, also vishnu. I wear my sari and than we are going with the boat and we throw the god in the river and than everybody gets wet and we celebrate'.
Jeenah, 6 years old
Heritage: German, dutch, mixed creole but above all...
No boundaries for children, the world is theirs.

Identity, the suitcases.

Identity is hot. Research your heritage and find your identity! It is like suitcases coming in big amounts, full of content you yourselve didn't pack. I feel like I was totally blank, that without all this research where I come from I will be with no identity at all. And if I already had a identity I am now totally confused because suddenly I am a lot of things I didn't know of. Does it really matter? Does it say anything of what I am today because I know?

Here I am, sitting in this room talking about heritage and suddenly people are talking about how this will give me my identity, knowing who I am. Research is doen about where we all come from. Research about the hindustani, the javanese, the chinese, negros's. Research about our heritage of slavery, and I can mention more! I was not a slave, yes my great great great great grand mother and father were. I was not a contract labaror, my great great and so on.. was. Where is the 'now'? The things we do today, that make us what and who we are. Do we take responsibilities for the actions we do today, now?
Yes ofcourse i want to know about my history, there wouldn't be a me without it . But. I think sometime by myselve it is a great cover not to go with the progressive flow of all the things happening today, so bizzy constantly looking back instead of ahead. It is like legal stopping yourselve from going forward, while the whole world is moving and dynamic changes are made.
As for me , today , I suddenly got a lot of suitcases whith labels saying ' this is you'. Strange huh.. I am shaking hands with someone I don't know, the 'me' of the research.

I want to pack my own suitcases, label them with my own peace of paper as from my own work, from what I've learned when I grew up, from my own experience. Let this be my identity and leave history to identify the great great great grand mothers and fathers of all of us. Give them a place. Let my place be the one in the now, not through the window of what was, but what is. Let people look at me now, without trying to label 'Me' with history. Let me be the one I feel to be. It is what I choose from what the world offers me. It is where I feel comfortable and what makes me comfortable. It is the language in which I like to express myselve and the spirit I feel that carrieed me through history. It is the friendship I choose and the people that surround me. These, yes these things, I put in my suitcase of identity.

Yes we can!

No Boundaries!

With tears in my eyes i watched the emotion on people's face as the news of Barack Obama elected president of the United States of America came through. It was almost two o'clock in the morning, i was lying on the sofa watching figures passing by on television, 30% 40% and than the telephone ring.. OBAMA IS THE NEW PRESIDENT, he REALLY IS! I looked at the tv again, there it was... Barack Obama elelected new president of the United States of America. Than came Kenya, people dancing.

As for almost 14 years ago I also sat on my sofa with tears in my eyes. Different setting..same feeling. It was the moment when Nelson Mandela walked out of prison.. thousands and thousands of people.. Amandla!. yes it can happen.. yes we can.. we really can make a change.

Change, but change together. Change not to turn your back but change with open arms. Change not to forget but change to face and move on. Maybe it is this , Bisshop Desmond Tutu means by people who have this Ubuntu, this real human spirit.

Moments of truth. To make things happen, Yes we can. Thanks for the spirit that is given to Barack Obama. Hope this spirit can touch many others to make a change, not turning there back to love life.

LOVE !
UBUNTU

Township, column in the Dutch language

Ik zat achterin de auto, moe van het gehobbel van de weg naar het Coesewijne natuurreservaat, achter Zanderij. Ik was in slaap gedommeld, besefte dat ik inmiddels in de stad was en deed langzaam mijn ogen open. Ik zag een lange zinkplaten schutting voorbij gaan met daarachter verweerde zinkplaten daken van huisjes dicht op elkaar, heel dicht op elkaar.

Was ik nog in Kaapstad dan. 'Township' flitste het door mijn hoofd, herkenning? Ik reed voorbij de wijk Abra Broki.

Mijn gedachten maakten een sprong naar een week of twee geleden. 'We moeten naar een township'. 'Je moet het gezien hebben' was me vooraf verteld. Maar ten eerste moet ik volgens mij sowieso niets en ten tweede, vind ik zelf wel dat ik 'iets gezien moet hebben'? Heb ik mezelf nu dan tekort gedaan, helemaal in Zuid Afrika en geen township in gelopen, geen armoede en ellende bekeken, geen zwarte ellende gezien, aanschouwd, gehoord uit monden van degenen die er wonen?

Ik heb wel een ex-gevangenis gezien, Robben eiland en de cel van Nelson Mandela, mooi opgeknapt en geverfd. Ik heb ook een verhaal gehoord uit de mond van een ex-gevangene van Robben eiland. Hoe verschrikkelijk de dagen van apartheid waren, de opsluiting, hoe erg het eraan toe ging. Hij heeft me rondgeleid. We kwamen nog langs een aantal hard werkende schilders die druk bezig waren deze ex-gevangenis een mooie grijze kleur te geven...
Iets klopt niet. Townships met verweerde daken en bijna vergane muren, verroeste zinkplaten schuttingen en hier stond ik in de ex-gevangenis van Robben eiland. Ook een belangrijke bezienswaardigheid , toch, waar echter niemand meer verbleef maar die wel een mooie opknapbeurt kreeg. Ja ik heb veel bezocht, gezien, de lege frisse ruimtes van vroegere ellende en ik heb de huidige ellende overgeslagen.

Ik weet nog dat ik vroeger, in mijn Europese jaren, op bezoek in vreemde landen wel de ellende opzocht. Zielige mensen in kartonnen huisjes, armoede in Thailand, sloppenwijken in Maleisie. Nu , jaren in Suriname wonend, elke dag geconfronteerd met armoede, gebrek aan drinkwater of schoon drinkwater, onbegaanbare bauxiet wegen, wijken met huizen waar drie generaties wonen op twintig vierkante meter, hutjes zonder electriciteit, kinderen zonder school, de dagelijkse struggle van het uitkomen met minimaal budget...misschien was ik wel even heel blij om van het stuk Afrika te genieten zonder de herkenning van de ellende van mijn eigen land!

Ja ik heb genoten van het landschap, de bergen die zich oneindig ver leken uit te strekken in een onuitputtelijke schoonheid. Ik heb de intense warmte die daar vanaf straalde gekoesterd. Ja ik heb het een beetje omgedraaid, gekeken naar het leven zoals het hoort te zijn. Als ik dan toch iets vind, dan vind ik dat ik RECHT heb te voelen en te ervaren wat de natuur bedoeld heeft voor ons: Dat het leven immens mooi is en ellende onnatuurlijk.

@KL-Paramaribo-25 october 2008

Foto gallery south africa october 2008

De mamela band , friendship so warm, songs and music so beautiful, the power of words in music and music in words and the proudness of everyone's skills.
watch the pinguins, on the road from cape point to cape town.
and this is tablemoutain, feeling south africa, in my heart, my soul. 'Het is hier dat ik jou gevonden heb... table mountain poem,'mijn africa from myselve.
As die son op witgekalkte klippevan die slanghoekberge lig kom suggestiesvan die vakansie-oord in sig ...the first lines of a poem by my friend Marius Absalom.
views driving from cape point to cape town aside the indian ocean. South africa is all of the beauty one can imagine, it is a country worth fighting for, it is freedom in all its facets. Nature shows us the unhumanity of boundaries, of discrimination, of everything that happened during apartheid and before in South Africa. South Africa made me realize even more the power of life and the hope to live and love again and again. UBUNTU.

Africa and its diversity

And with all those months of preperation, of all those feelings of this 'big thing' to happen, i'm now back from Africa, back in Suriname and i should say. back home
But my home is now diverse, it is home with my children, home with thoughts and very dear friends in south africa, home with my work in Suriname; Yes home is so diverse!
It took a lot of days to ground again in Suriname as if thoughts were still in Africa, trying to unfold. As for my suitcase, it followed my thoughts and was left behind and came in after four days. The content of it was all shaken up, as it was in my head. Nature has it ways you know, to tell you things.
So about diversity. I felt how much influence non diversity has on diversity. That it is very difficult for this beautiful african country still to find the strength of diversity, to take advantage of this diversity, to live the diversity. I missed a diverse bunch of people, different colours, different languages. I know it is there, but it seems to have nog place to encounter, to share, to meet. Diverse people who do share, who do meet, therefor feel to me as very special people. I think it takes time to cross the borders of what was once a rule. There where it crossed, i felt the mixture of cultures in music and languages. As it was with the Mamela band and at the Table mountain. Table mountain not because of the mixture of people but because of the differences in views, every step you make on this mountain gives you a new vibe, a new view, a new feeling a new discovery and that all together felt so strong. Not just strong but unbelievable strong. It was there that i felt South Africa and its diversity.

Guyana's Diversity

I am in Guyana, Georgetown for a couple of days.
It looks like Suriname but it is not. What intrigues me the most is the influence of the Indian culture on the Guyana nation. The food, the music and the Indian religious tradition. I compare of course with my country and although we are promoting our country like 'many cultures who live nice and happy side by side it doesn't melt in to the nation in general. Not this extra flavor on the whole society as in Guyana or also Trinidad. We really kept our cultures apart from others. It didn't integrate nationwide. We look at it , and just pass by. We let it be, don't fight as long as it doesn't come to close. People in Guyana fight yes. And in Trinidad there is also a firm line between the people with Indian ancestors and Negro ancestors. But still they fight for one country, one nation. Here in Guyana i feel something different than Suriname. People feel Guyanese, and Guyana belongs to them. Even though you have firm lines between Negros and Indians, it is for both groups their country. It seem like we in Suriname are missing the feeling of living in a country that really belongs to us.

Diversivty Divides.

So now it's a countdown to the writers in exchange festival, diversity is power, in south africa, 22 day to go!

As for the last couple of months i'm like a hungry child reading everything i can get my hands on about South Africa. Nelson Mandela, his first autobiography and Winnie Mandela, een stuk van mijn ziel (ein stuck meiner seele ging mit ihm). I've subscribed to the thought leader, of the mail & guardian online, for getting a sense of the Africa I’m visiting, what's going on and especially, South Africa post apartheid.

The struggle of the people of South Africa who were against Apartheid and Nelson Mandela's role is for me almost beyond reality. A list of all the banning orders, and imprisonment for forty years! Both Nelson Mandela and Winni Mandela fought for something bigger because it was in fact impossible to have happy personnel live as man and woman, as a family in the South Africa of the white leaders. Diversity was used by people to divide more.. for the benefit of holding to it own ethnic group. I admire the strength of both Nelson Mandela and Winnie Mandela not to get lost in this madness but still , even with all this pain hold on to the idea of unity and a Africa for all people, whites, blacks, colored, communists, socialists.

I'm confronted with diversity daily in my country with its different ethnic groups , cultures and therefore different political parties, different ethnic groups, different religions and traditions, languages and ethnic based broadcasting companies. Bollywood channels, Indonesian TV, Chinese broadcasting, Braz TV (Brazilian TV) . In these last years instead of moving more to a united society where diversity can add to one united community with the energetic diverse vibes we are moving apart and trying to gain power out our own group. Because of our diversity it seems almost unable to develop this country in a way it benefits all the people who live in it. With the indigenous tribes on one hand who don't speak the same language as the people of the cost and the people of the coast are yet even more divided because of their ethnic and cultural background.

Reading about the anti apartheid struggles in South Africa makes me wonder. The power of the Nationalist Party became only stronger using the diversity of groups . More diversity gives parties more power, a tool to suppress, a tool to divide, a tool to gain development only for one particular group, meanwhile suppressing the other.

Diversity divides is my statement of today. And still diversity is the most powerful tool for creative development!

Diversity is Power writers festival South Africa, Capetown gets to me!

October the sixth, the date we all will leave to take part into the festival in Capetown.I'm reading my lonely planet guide... yeah i know, tourist guide. But so hungry for information about this far away continent. In my vision a continent where the word forgiveness is more meaningful than anywhere else. As if the only true meaning of forgiveness can be found in South Africa, in Nelson Mandela and Bishop Tutu. As i'm dealing ,and have dealed, with my own little struggle of forgiveness in all kinds of situations, i always see him in front of me, Nelson Mandela. His calm but firm strongness, his ability to be the soulmate of his own soul, and yet so close to the nature of people, as God made them.
Soon, soon, i will be visiting "his Capetown" and that makes me feel very very special. To freely walk the paths, his light has shined upon.
Blessed man!

Diversity is Power: the poem factory2

The gap of caring

Do you care about global warming
the loss of forest
traditional knowledge
down under fading away
in one melting pot

Do you care about eco systems
the ocean, the mountains
people fishing
in poisoned waters
water..rising and rising

Do you care and still don't act
for the body you live in
the green you breath
the people you live with
and nature, who lives you

Do you. Do you act
or just sit quiet
seeing, knowing, reading
and in the fuzz of all
nature's loss
just feel paralized to act
feeling the gap of caring.

Diversity is Power: the poem factory

Searching

You wanted just to see
Me in you
And you in me
Words sounding like yours
Trusting only
the you in me

And as i speak
I see your eyes looking away
You’re hands crossing the
Way to your heart
Me not speaking the language
you know


As my voice grows stronger
My heart is filled with tears
Looking at close doors
Here, without you
While my hands touch
The many colors
of live

FESTIVAL DATE

CAPETOWN, WRITERS IN EXCHANGE FESTIVAL SURINAME SOUTH AFRICA
OCTOBER 7TH-OCTOBER 17TH CAPETOWN- SOUTH AFRICA
MORE INFORMATION info@schrijversgroep77.com

Travel arrangements South Africa

Diversity is power: travel arrangements
So as I am in charge of the travel arrangement of the participants for the writers in exchange festival in South Africa, the diversity is really getting to me and the power is really needed. Group travel is group travel but with our Surinamese diverse links in Holland it is not. So, here I am, struggling with more than eleven different travel dates. A very diverse travel plan must I say. And so I encounter a diversity in Travel prices and so diversity in Airlines. But finally, yes! Reservations, with the help of the wonderful Mala of the travel agency! A diverse travel plan as you may say. ‘Suriname Airways to Amsterdam, British Midland to London and South African Airlines to Cape town’ And yes I feel blessed with this opportunity to cross so many borders to exchange talent from different continents with different people and different opinions on different subject with different stories.. Yes very diverse and yes very energetic...a energy flow through my body. Somehow it is the diversity of it all that gets me going! Today Diversity is power!

Diversity is Power

Diversity is power! Could be or could not. Depends on how you look at it. Seeing it as a lot of diverse people, being powerful because they are diverse is not the power of diversity. Diversity comes from the insight, when you feel the diversity in yourself it can indeed be powerful and challenges you to cross boarders. The power therefore lies not in the amount of diverse people but the quality of people to recognize diversity as a part of their life.
The writers in exchange festival will be held in South Africa october 2008 with the theme Diversity is power. Writers from Suriname, The Netherlands and South Africa will exchange their creative work with the public. The theme of the festival is Diversity is Power! As part of the Suriname group I will keep you posted on the development of ideas and writing, the creative flow...for the next months. For more information on the festival www.schrijversgroep77.com