I found myself thinking: “Waar kan ik heen?”   20 April 2026   I found myself thinking about the line “Waar kan ik heen?” from the well-known song België (Is er leven op Pluto?) by the Dutch pop group Het Goede Doel. The song was released in 1982 and grew into a classic of Dutch pop music.   I wonder whether anyone under fifty still knows this song.   The thought came to me while reflecting. I recognize something of the spirit of that time in the present. In Curaçao, livabili

Kon ta ku’bo?   April 19, 2026   Years ago, when I moved into a student flat, I stepped into the elevator on my way to class. Back home, in Curaçao, we greet everyone: “Good morning.”   Silence. Everyone looked at me as if something was wrong with me. I immediately understood: this was not normal in the Netherlands at the time.   In Curaçao, it is customary to greet everyone you encounter in public—especially if you know each other. In the past, you would also ask how things

I’m Leaving April 18, 2026 I had written this earlier and had already decided not to publish it. But this morning, I was having breakfast when my wife struck up a conversation with the new owner of the restaurant. At the end of the conversation, she said: That could easily be someone from the program Ik Vertrek. I used to watch the Dutch TV show Ik Vertrek more often than I do now. The name says it all: Dutch people leaving their country to build a new life elsewhere. What is

Finally Attention for Poverty (II)   17 April 2026   The title refers to a text from a few years ago (Goede, 2023).   Yesterday I attended the presentations of the economists’ club on poverty in Curaçao. I knew I had to write something about it, but I tried to talk myself out of it. Until this morning, when I saw that the topic was widely discussed on social media and had even made the front page of the Antilliaans Dagblad . At that point, I could no longer avoid it.   The ar

Nos ta dushi hende   April 16, 2026   This was the slogan of one of the most successful campaigns our island has ever seen. It came from the tourism sector and was intended to encourage our population to show our dushi  side—our warmth—to visitors. And I must say: I think it has been successful.   Not only because we have once again received a record number of visitors—although it is debatable whether that is a good thing, as in my view we have exceeded our carrying capacity

Communication Is the Glue of All Social Life   15 April 2026   We live in the age of social media. Many believe this leads to better communication and stronger cohesion. What I have noticed lately, however, is the opposite: we are communicating less effectively, which creates tension and can escalate into conflict. Increasingly, organizations consist of groups of people who are no longer connected through communication.   One of the most striking phenomena is the failure to a

Parking   April 14, 2026   On a quiet morning, I drove into Punda via Berg Altena, Julianaplein, and Pietermaai. As soon as I came down the hill, I was taken aback. Cars were parked everywhere, even on the sidewalks. A significant number seemed to belong to people working on the construction of a concrete monster of a hotel, one that required considerable effort and maneuvering to secure the building permit.   It does not bode well for when the hotel becomes operational. All

Curaçao Seems Dirtier Than Ever   April 13, 2026   In recent years, numerous initiatives have been undertaken to clean and keep the island clean, including the temporary free opening of the landfill. Clean Up Curaçao and Kunukuman have worked day and night, but to no avail. Refrigerators, mattresses, and plastic bags scattered in the bushes now define our streetscape. This is on an island that is breaking all records in tourism and is set to participate, as the smallest natio

The Legacy of Slavery   12 April 2026   Following the Netherlands' apologies and request for forgiveness, Suriname has since forgiven the Netherlands. Curaçao, however, has not explicitly expressed such a position. It was not a full stop, but a comma. Meanwhile, efforts have largely focused on developing museums.   In addition, a United Nations resolution declared the transatlantic slave trade to be the gravest violation of human rights. The Kingdom did not vote, arguing that

Suddenly, it is a major insight that we cannot implement   11 April 2026   Suddenly, a series of reports appears about our inability to implement. We do not lack plans; we lack execution. Reforms are “underway,” but far from complete. Oversight is under pressure due to a lack of direction and rising costs. The message is clear: the problem is not in the ideas, but in the doing.   But this is not a new insight.   Since the pandemic, others and I — often based on experience, no

Agriculture, or rather: food security   April 10, 2026   Another conference that recently took place, but which I did not attend—the one on March 30, 2026—was held in the auditorium of my former employer, the University of Curaçao. There, the Economists’ Club placed the issue of food security on the agenda. Following this, a press release was issued by the Dutch Caribbean Economists.   In itself, this is a welcome variation from the dominant theme of tourism and economic deve

Or is our organizational capacity actually very strong?   April 9, 2026   Then you read a report that a container has been intercepted in Rotterdam containing 1.4 tons of drugs originating from Curaçao. It may be mentioned as a footnote in the local media and quickly disappears from view (NOS, 2026).   It reminds me of a report from a few months ago about a court ruling stating that Curaçao functions as a link in an international money-laundering network ( Curaçao.nu , 2025).

Ego   April 8, 2026   On March 26, I attended the CINEX stakeholders meeting. At first glance, it was a very well-organized gathering, held at a new-to-me location in Scharloo.   However, I must say that I missed a clear rationale for why we are seeking foreign investors. It did become clear that we aim to diversify into sectors beyond tourism. Unfortunately, there was no reference to CHATA’s cri de cœur to maintain a sense of restraint. The director of CINEX is well acquaint

Unaffordable   April 7, 2026   The conference circuit is busy again. It seems as if there will be no real season this year. Normally, it starts after the summer. For instance, on Thursday, April 2, I attended a conference that began with a breakfast. It was organized by CINEX, but that is not particularly relevant here. During breakfast, I ran into a former student. I was forced to stop teaching in 2012. This man is now in his mid-forties. He is, among other things, a success

The Erosion of Thinking and Organizational Capacity 6 April 2026 My last piece dates back to Tuesday, 17 February 2026. On Wednesday, 18 February, the forty-day Lenten period began. It ended on Saturday, 4 April. During that time, I did not write, but reflected. My friends said I would never manage to keep it up. Yet it turned out to be easier than I had expected. My suspicion was also confirmed that only a few would notice my absence from writing. During that period, however

The Politician in Carnival   16 February 2026   Carnival as we know it today began in 1970, in the aftermath of 30 May 1969. It formed part of a broader effort to strengthen social cohesion. In that sense, it succeeded. Carnival became a space where differences temporarily faded and the community could celebrate itself.   In the early years, politics kept its distance. As far as I recall, Mrs. Lucina DaCosta Gomez was among the first to participate visibly in the mid-1970s. S

8% Poor? Or a Comfortable Figure?   14 February 2026   According to the recent report of the Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek , 7.9% of the population is multidimensionally poor. At the same time, 30.4% of households live below the income poverty line. That difference is not a detail. It is politically relevant.   The Comfortable Number A poverty rate of 8% sounds manageable. It suggests the problem is concentrated, contained, and controllable. For politicians, that is a re

And then there is this   14 February 2026   I read two news items side by side, and I cannot reconcile them.   In the Antilliaans Dagblad  it was reported that medical specialists are now officially allowed to earn more. That would make it easier to attract and retain them here. In itself, that is understandable. Good specialists are scarce. Competition with the Netherlands and the region is strong. If we want high-quality healthcare, we must be willing to pay for it. I whole

Democracy Without Opposition?; Barbados   14 February 2026   The recent election outcome in Barbados is striking. For the third consecutive time, the Barbados Labour Party led by Mia Mottley has won every seat in parliament — a 30–0 clean sweep. Historic, impressive, and unsettling at the same time.   The result reflects the high level of public trust in Mottley’s leadership. In times of economic uncertainty and broader crises, voters increasingly gravitate toward strong lead

Multidimensional Poverty Index   13 February 2026   The Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) recently reported that, according to the Multidimensional Poverty Index  (MPI), 7.9% of Curaçao’s population is classified as poor (CBS, 2026). At the same time, figures from that same CBS show that approximately 30% of the population lives below the poverty line. Those two realities are difficult to reconcile.   The MPI looks at multiple dimensions, such as access to healthcare, educat