Our Mission Goals
Check out the plans we are going to realize.
Nomination of Surinamese Maroon Culture for Unesco World Heritage
As proclaimed by the General Assembly, the theme for the International Decade 2015-2024 is “People of African descent: recognition, justice and development.”
In the Afro-American Diaspora, the Surinamese Maroon people play a unique role, by maintaining their African way of life, as they never accepted slavery, after being transported to the Americas.
They were welcomed in peace by the indigenous people, and build their settlements deep in the rain forest of Suriname. The Maroon heritage deserves to be recognized internationally.
Program by the United Nations: Learn & participate (click on picture for link to website UN)
Decade for People of African Descent 2015-2024
As proclaimed by the General Assembly, the theme for the International Decade is:
“People of African descent:
recognition, justice and development.”
Setting up a Wellness Experience
...based on traditional knowledge of the use of products of nature.
The new Wellness Resort is planned to be situated in a symbolic area for the Sarramaccan Maroon tribe. Part of their settlements was set under water, by the design of a hydroelectric power station in the interior of Suriname.
With the water literally rising to their toes, many inhabitants of the settlements, that were affected by the flooding, had to move to higher grounds.
Our wellness Experience will be build on one of the hill tops that now has become an island in this huge water reservoir.
Raising awareness to increase the involvement of the Maroon community
A modern problem and serious threat to the conservation of Maroon Heritage, is the involvement of next generations of Maroons. Many do not see a future in maintaining the traditional way of life, and therefor sadly seek their luck in the capital Paramaribo.
To turn the cards, it is mandatory to raise awareness of the value of the Maroon way of live, and educate youngsters about their importance as caretakers and conservators of their culture,
To realize this, it is important to raise funds to support educational purposes, to stimulate entrepreneurship within the Maroon community, and to make the Surinam government acknowledge the importance of Maroon Cultural Heritage, as a means to establish sustainable cultural & historical tourism.
Organizing ourselves
in an NGO
We are creating an official body as a representation to the outside world. Through the NGO (Non Governmental Organization) we will present ourselves in a legal juridical way to our stakeholders.
In this picture we see Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands visiting the Granman (chief) of the Saramaccan. The Maroon tribes of Suriname never were enslaved, and fought a guerilla war with the Dutch authority, until the Dutch colonizers offered the Maroon tribes a treaty, to protect their plantations.
Find ambassadors with strong roots in the Afro American Diaspora
To make mainstream Afro American people focus on the beauty and uniqueness of the Surinamese Maroon Culture, we need representatives with strong roots in the Afro American Diaspora, to draw attention to our project.
Her or his task is to make Americans with African ancestors that were enslaved, aware of interesting answers that the Suriname Maroon Heritage might provide, regarding the question how first generations of Africans managed to survive in freedom deep in the jungle of Suriname.
It is our goal to make our Ambassadors job easier, by first acquiring a nomination for the UNESCO World Heritage list, and consecutively to make the Suriname Maroon Heritage be recognized as official World Heritage.
Wowh how we would welcome Whoopie!