More Entrepreneurship in Suriname?
Suriname Entrepreneurs Platform established by de Baak
Something special happened at de Baak: the Suriname Entrepreneurs Platform (SEP) was officially launched. This initiative provides a powerful learning and investment platform for entrepreneurs who want to do socially responsible and durable business in an educational and multicultural Surinamese environment. Entrepreneurship and education are at the heart of the SEP's approach. The SEP helps Suriname formulate its own innovation plan and develop the country by forging transparent partnerships.
The initiators, Grace Boldewijn, Roy Silos, and Miguel Rodrigues in the Netherlands, and Chas Mijnals in Suriname, worked alone for years and invested in particular in young people, the living future of the new Republic of Suriname. The initiators worked on their own because they were not in contact with each other. The synergy of the recent collaboration, however, shows that "the whole is more than the sum of its parts:" the 1+1 = 5 effect quickly became reality. There are enough examples of countries that put themselves in the innovation driver's seat and created their own opportunities, such as Botswana, Mauritius, Barbados, Trinidad, Singapore, and Malaysia - all postcolonial societies that drastically reduced and eliminated their poverty in their own way. Postcommunist countries such as Moldavia, Lithuania, and Armenia are undergoing a similar process in terms of organizing durable prosperity.
Grace Boldewijn, one of the founders, thinks that Suriname is ready for a citizens’ initiative. The traditional government-to-government support relationship between the Netherlands and her native country did not produce any lasting achievements. "When I went to Suriname on vacation, I was shocked by the country’s poor economic state, especially when you consider the number of successful Surinamese entrepreneurs living in the Netherlands. We can help Suriname develop quickly by putting our knowledge and expertise to work there." The SEP would like to contribute to enduring prosperity in Suriname. Grace: "I spoke to young people in Suriname through Chas Mijnals. They said: 'We keep hitting the glass ceiling: the government.' Entrepreneurship should not stagnate because of government involvement. It's good that young people know that there are people in the Netherlands that support them. I see myself as an intermediary, a link that brings things together, makes sure that business opportunities are created and then moves on. We have a dream: Suriname as a multinational organization. In this dream, Suriname consists of a group of small entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized companies that together make up one company that operates internationally. We have to stop thinking small."
Roy Silos, member of the management team of Cross-border Relations at The Hague University, also believes in the power of young people. He encourages students to do internships in Suriname and other countries such as Morocco and Turkey. He teaches logistics and marketing. "I teach students the art of managing innovation from their own roots. Moroccans, Antilleans, Turks and Surinamese visit a country of their choice for six months, which doesn't have to be their country of origin. This creates new enterprises, such as sending Surinamese vegetables to Morocco. Our students organize the logistics. Network management is the subject of the day. Suriname also has to look farther: for example, we don’t sell one tomato to the cruise ships that sail through the Caribbean. That's absurd, and is nothing more than a question of good organization. The SEP says: Don't give any money to your family in Suriname, but enable the people to become more self-sufficient and more enterprising."
The entrepreneurs who attended the meeting have interesting plans for durable entrepreneurship. One of the female entrepreneurs sees opportunities in Suriname for the “green pharmacy,” which is an integral part of the vegetation in Suriname. There is a lot of knowledge of plants and herbs and everything else that grows in Suriname. Another entrepreneur is making wooden houses for ecotourism, and yet another is interested in exploiting natural stone. The SEP also works with a number of committed consultants. Arie Kraaijeveld, ex-chairman of FME: "While I was visiting Suriname last spring, I noticed that Surinamese entrepreneurs were hardly united. I like supporting good business organizations, and the SEP is one of them. Their efforts to connect entrepreneurs here and there are unique. I see the SEP as a group of entrepreneurs that represent business interests. Hong Kong has the Dutch Business Association, so it seems only logical to set up a similar organization in Suriname. I'm not going to tell the Surinamese how a Dutchman would do things - that's not what they need. I can give them advice, but they have to do the work."
Chas Mijnals is chairman of Stichting Jongeren In Opmars in Suriname. The foundation’s goal is to get young people interested in current and future activities. By the time the Republic of Suriname celebrates its 50 th anniversary, the foundation would like to see one Suriname for all run by young people. There is no student culture around the University of Paramaribo. People live at home and the family has a lot of influence. "Suriname only has half a million inhabitants. It would be better to invest in the quality of the current university than to expand it. The SEP has its own office in Suriname and a staff of two. They will develop and expand the program."
De Baak likes supporting entrepreneurial initiatives, in particular those that support durable entrepreneurship and have an international flair. Josette de Goede, director incompany and international affairs at de Baak, will be chairing the "Suriname as Multinational" event that will be held in Paramaribo in November 2006. The event lasts three days, and enables Dutch and Surinamese entrepreneurs to meet each other. Josette: "I see Suriname as an exceptionally positive country that has an affinity with the Netherlands. Children are learning Dutch in the middle of the rainfo
One of the visitors was Shirley Devaris from the Ministry of Labor in Suriname. She thinks the SEP is a good initiative. "I think it’s laudable to bring knowledge institutes and business networks together to promote entrepreneurship in Suriname. The Surinamese government is in the process of changing, and we want to stay on top of worldwide developments. Surinamese, including young people and women, can now come to us for advice or help when they want to start a company. They’re interested in working with the SEP providing it's mutually beneficial."
The initiative group in the Netherlands and Suriname
Roy Silos
Grace Boldewijn ( www.bocari.nl )
Miguel Rodrigues.( www.apura.org )
Chas Mijnals in Suriname; Stichting Jongeren in Opmars
Information: www.apura.org