The loss of Institutional Memory in Curaçao

The loss of Institutional Memory in Curaçao

1 September 2025

On Friday, August 29, 2025, the Parliament of Curaçao adopted a motion instructing the Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport to prepare a decree establishing that July 2 is the national day of the Anthem and the Flag (Antilliaans Dagblad, 2025)

For years, society and politics debated whether July 2 was the Day of the Flag or the Day of the Anthem and the Flag. During these years of debate, enough evidence emerged to prove that since 1984 it has been established as the Day of the Anthem and the Flag.

Yet the way this debate unfolded shows something deeper. People made claims without any basis, often attacking each other personally. It reveals a severe weakness: we lack institutional memory. Not only individuals but also government institutions appear to suffer from this loss. Essential facts and past decisions simply disappear. How is that even possible?

One part of the explanation is that we do not document enough. This comes from a lack of skills and even interest in doing so. Another part is policy: for years, the government has encouraged senior employees to retire as early as possible. With them, their experience and institutional memory walk out the door. The policy has only intensified, leaving almost no one from the older generation inside the organization. Those who remain are often overlooked.

The result is obvious: Curaçao is losing its institutional memory. This is not theory — it is fact. And without that memory, we risk repeating the same debates, making the same mistakes, and slowing our progress as a nation.

 Miguel Goede