PHILIPSBURG — The organization of carnival will from now on be under the control of a newly established St. Maarten Carnival and Planning Committee it appears from the restructuring policy for carnival published in the National Gazette.
The policy marks the end of the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) as the entity that has been responsible for the organization of carnival for decades. The policy identifies several “pressing challenges:” Inconsistent management structures, financial instability, lack of procedural transparency, underrepresentation of local culture and concerns about the safety of residents and visitors. The document furthermore mentions lack of procedural transparency and limited accountability as reasons for establishing the Carnival and Planning Committee that will resort under the Ministry of Justice.
A supervisory board will act as the governing body responsible for the strategic oversight, and ensuring that the carnival’s objectives align with broader cultural and economic goals.
The supervisory board will be responsible for approving strategic plans and budgets as proposed by the management board. It also has to ensure that carnival activities maintain cultural integrity and community values. The board also oversees financial transactions and accountability and it serves as an advisory body on key decisions to the management board.
The management board reports directly to the supervisory board; it is responsible for the day-to-day operational management of the carnival. This board plans and organizes carnival events in line with strategic objectives; it coordinates with government agencies, participants, sponsors and vendors to ensure seamless operations. It furthermore manages financial operations including budgeting and financial reporting. The management board implements marketing and promotional strategies to enhance local and international participation. Lastly, the board will have to ensure compliance with health, safety and environmental standards.
In its conclusion, the policy document states: “The restructuring is a strategic initiative designed to enhance the event’s cultural significance, operational efficiency and economic impact.”
###
Image caption: The Theo look-a-like carnival troupe cartoon is taken from the book Cusha Cartoons. Pre-order your copy by buying a Cusha Columns subscription here online at https://stmaartennews.com/subscriptions.
###
ADVERTISEMENT
Cultural representation
By Hilbert Haar
Ai. The government is not happy with the way the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) has been organizing what has more often than not been labeled as St. Maarten’s number one cultural event: Carnival.
Justice Minister Anna Richardson has published a brand new policy in the National Gazette: the restructuring policy for St. Maarten Carnival. It mentions several reasons why the organization of carnival requires restructuring, but one of them stands out: the underrepresentation of local culture. A newly established (or to be established) Carnival and Planning Committee has to correct this.
I do not doubt that the intentions behind this restructuring initiative are good but I wonder very much how this committee is going to achieve its goals, especially where it concerns the representation of local culture.
For years participants in carnival events must have thought that showing a lot of skin and letting their bare behinds hang freely in the wind was the way to express local culture. I am not a prude but I have always wondered why carnival is, in this respect, so different in St. Maarten from other places. I don’t mind looking at barely dressed women, even if they are heavily overweight, but it is tough to associate such exposure with local culture.
I strongly suspect that Minister Richardson has had about enough of all this semi nudity; hence her initiative to bring the organization of carnival under government-control. Will it change anything? I doubt it.
Why? Because to make carnival culturally appropriate, the Committee would have to establish a carnival-outfit police, a unit authorized to ban revelers with “uncultural” outfits from taking part in a parade. That seems to me to be a mission impossible and that’s not because I would love to see the committee fail. On the contrary, carnival events that display St. Maarten’s true cultural heritage would enhance the experience for participants and spectators.
To reach that point requires more than a Carnival and Planning Committee. It requires a change in the minds of all those who wish to take part in a parade that is going to make all St. Maarteners proud.
Unfortunately, mindsets are not for sale and committees are not going to bring about a drastic change in the way carnival outfits will look like.
All we can do for now is wait and see what kind of rules the committee will put in place – and how they think they are going to enforce those rules. I wish them much success.
