The International Organization for Migration (IOM) organizes this Festival globally, to build understanding and humanize migration through film and video. The goal of the GMFF is to entertain, inform, educate, and stimulate discussion. In Suriname, four short Caribbean films were screened - "Passage", "Over the River Chronicles: A Vincentian Cassava Story", "Doubles with Slight Pepper", and "Auntie". The films dealt with various topics such as migrant smuggling and death at sea on one hand, and Caribbean food and culture on the other.  Jan- Willem Wegdam, Project Lead at IOM Suriname said he was happy to organize the event for the first time in Suriname. “Our goal was to gather the different cultural groups in Suriname and create some awareness of the common experiences of migration through film.” He wishes that the Festival will encourage more empathy and unity among communities in Suriname and elsewhere.  The first movie "Passage" told a tragic story of irregular migration from Haiti and led to thought-provoking discussion with the Bahamian film-maker Kareem Mortimer.  Mortimer chose not to use dialogue but focused instead on potent visual storytelling to establish a deep connection with viewers.  The ensuing panel discussion reflected on a quote from the film: "In life, we do not receive what we deserve, we receive what we negotiate". Panelists shared their perspectives, shedding light on challenges faced by the Haitian community in Suriname, including stigma, discrimination, and limited opportunities, while acknowledging the generally supportive environment in Suriname towards migrants. Panelists included Norville Plet Burleson, a social worker and Anne Simon of the Haitian Consulate.   The second short film "Over the River Chronicles: A Vincentian Cassava Story", immersed viewers in the vibrant Caribbean culture, beautiful landscapes, rich traditions and customs of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The audience connected with the film's music, joining in a traditional work song associated with the processing of the cassava root “Farine oh Dampiana, Farine oh Dampiana; Scrape um, grind um, wring out the water; Scrape um, grind um, wring out the water…”   Day Two of the GMFF presented films that explored migration, identity and belonging, and the stories of those who stay behind when their family members move to another country, the sense of loss, and dreams of reuniting. "Doubles with a Slight Pepper" combined scenes of warm nostalgia with vivid portrayals of the hard realities of migration. A film highlighted the role of food “Doubles” as a source of comfort and belonging. The Director, Ian Hawthorne explained that his own story inspired the movie.  The film, “Auntie”, examined love, loss and self-discovery, through the story of a migrant mother who provides materially, while an aunt raises her daughter "back home”. The effects on the characters are complex. Suriname’s first GMFF used film, dialogue, food, and music to promote understanding across cultures and experiences.  The event used diverse Caribbean migration stories in film to create a powerful platform to bring people of different backgrounds together for dialogue, understanding, and to build empathy about migration issues, while honouring the strength of migrants and celebrating the positive impacts that they can have on culture and society.  The GMFF was hosted by IOM Suriname with generous support from the US Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.  For more information, contact Jan-Willem Wegdam jwegdam@iom.int 

Most of Suriname's population is concentrated in the coastal areas, with the interior regions still underdeveloped and suffering from poverty and unemployment. The National Policy Development Plan aims to enhance the country’s social and economic resilience identifying agriculture and agribusiness as key development areas, with pineapple being one of the key commodities of the country, especially for the inner regions. Since 2018, in response to the request of the Government of Suriname, FAO and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) have supported the pineapple sector under the Agrifood Systems Accelerator (ASTA) Suriname, a joint value chain (VC) development initiative. This included extensive analysis, upgrading design and initial implementation activities, which culminated in the development of the ‘’Sustainable Pineapple Value Chain Development Joint Programme in Suriname’’ - ASTA Suriname project - financially supported by the UN Joint SDG Fund. Supporting organic pineapple production by indigenous and rural communities across Suriname’s pineapple belt, the project aims to facilitate the country’s transformation from a marginal pineapple producer - characterized by traditional growing practices, little value-addition and no exports - to an established producer and exporter of high quality organic fresh and processed pineapples. Applying an inclusive, sustainable value chain approach, the programme will enable pineapple VC actors, notably indigenous producers, to increase their productivity, competitiveness, and access to markets.
  A recent FAO field mission enabled collaborative efforts of United Nations Resident Coordinator Ms Joanna Kazana and the team from FAO and UNIDO implementing the ASTA Suriname project. Ms Kazana was joined by Ms. Margherita Bavagnoli, International Value Chain Finance Expert from the Food Systems and Food Safety Division (ESF) of FAO HQ to supervise the implementation of the project activities primarily in the indigenous village of Redi Doti, in the Para district of Suriname. FAO's national agronomist, Ms. Hemwatie Goeptar, facilitated the visit showcasing the benefits of Surinamese pineapple varieties improvement, incorporating mechanical land preparation, staggered planting, and artificial flower induction for year-round production. The visit targeted the plot of Mr. Renaldo Mandé, an indigenous farmer supported by the FAO-UNIDO project to implement organic pineapple production practices in his farm and the whole indigenous community of Redi Doti, in central Suriname.   The project introduced climate-resilient agronomic practices that sustainably increase productivity and quality. Hands-on farmer training and an on-ground trial plot demonstrated effective techniques like soil enhancement, optimal input use, and planting pineapple in beds. This advances transitions for responsible consumption and production (SDG 12). The ASTA Suriname project trainings on good agricultural practices and organic production empowered 120 marginalized indigenous women and youth to effectively participate in and benefit from the evolving pineapple value chain. The processing facility of the Women Cooperative Redi Doti and Pierre Kondre, Asajaka Weno Verwerking U.A., located in the indigenous village Pierre Kondre, was also a pivotal stop during this field mission. Engaging with the women cooperative's chair, Ms. Claudia Maatsen, the team learned about the cooperative's operations, which involve purchasing fresh fruits from women farmers in the community and processing them into fresh and natural juice, pulp, and frozen cuts of pineapples. The emphasis on sustainable agricultural practices and engagement with indigenous communities underscores the mission's commitment to significantly contribute to the realization of SDG goals, fostering a more resilient and equitable agrifood system. Originally published by FAO: Transforming Suriname’s Pineapple Industry: UN-Led Initiative Targets Sustainable Growth Note: The Joint SDG Fund's joint programmes are under the prestige leadership of the Resident Coordinator Office and implementing United Nations Agencies. With sincere appreciation for the contributions from the European Union and Governments of Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and our private sector funding partners, for a transformative movement towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.  Learn more  

On January 24, we commemorate the International Day of Education. This year, the focus is on the crucial role of education and teachers in combating hate speech. The message from the Secretary-General of the UN for this day emphasizes the fundamental role of education as a human right, the cornerstone of societies, economies, and the potential of each individual. However, he laments the lack of adequate investments, noting that without these investments, the potential of education will wither. Across the world, we witness a growth in violent conflicts where discrimination, racism, xenophobia, and hate speech go hand in hand. These forms of hatred transcend geographical, gender, racial, religious, political, online, and offline boundaries. An active commitment to peace is now more urgent than ever, with education at its core, as emphasized by Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO: "Because if hatred starts with words, peace starts with education. What we learn changes how we view the world and influences how we treat others. Education must, therefore, be at the heart of our efforts to achieve and maintain world peace." Learning for peace must be transformative, providing students with the knowledge, values, attitudes, and skills to become peacemakers in their communities. This requires a critical examination of information on social media, the development of empathy and respect for diversity, and the teaching of conflict resolution in a peaceful manner. In Suriname, with its rich multicultural society, this message is particularly important. We must equip our children with the means to recognize and combat hate speech, and to build bridges instead of walls. This begins in the classroom, with teachers raising awareness among students about the dangers of hate speech and encouraging them to think critically and communicate respectfully. The Transforming Education Summit of 2023 brought together over 130 countries, including Suriname, committing to universal high-quality education as a central pillar of public policies and investments. The Secretary-General emphasizes the need for all countries to translate their Summit commitments into concrete actions, aiming to create supportive and inclusive learning environments for all students. Education is a human right, a public good, and a public responsibility. Let's keep the flame of transformation burning. Let's deliver education systems that can support equal societies, dynamic economies, and the boundless dreams of every learner in the world.

Like many countries, Suriname’s cooperatives sector faces many challenges such as limited capacity and coordination. As part of efforts to address these limitations and identify opportunities for strengthening the sector, ILO Caribbean hosted a meeting with government representatives and introduced a new framework aimed at creating an enabling environment for cooperatives.

Hosted on 2 November 2023, the session included several senior officials from the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Youth Affairs. It featured a case study of the ILO’s technical contribution as a participating agency of the European Union-funded Suriname Agriculture Market Access Project (SAMAP) in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

Key concepts presented were based on the cooperative ecosystems development approach (CDEA), an ILO framework that seeks to solidify and harness the role of cooperatives as drivers of employment and productivity.

Facilitation was led by John Bliek, ILO Caribbean Specialist in Sustainable Enterprise Development and Job Creation. During the meeting he presented the process and findings of the CDEA implemented under SAMAP which features an assess, train and coach process. The discussion also demonstrated how the process can serve to inform policy development that accurately meets the needs of cooperatives in Suriname.

Meeting participants learned that the CDEA began with the self-assessment of 29 cooperatives which revealed that 47 per cent are in a low development status. They also discussed the next phase which established training needs that were paired with internationally renowned ILO training materials that included Think.Coop, Start.Coop, MY.COOP and SCORE.COOP.

“The CDEA uses a “learning-by-doing” approach, through which participants carry out practical actions in the workshops, so that they can reflect and internalize the knowledge in their own way. It promotes an active participation of members of the cooperatives, which could generate reflection among them and result in specific actions included in their Cooperative Development Plan (CDP),” explained John Bliek.

The meeting continued with an overview of the final phase of the CDEA, which involves coaching to support the monitoring of implementation of the CPD designed by cooperatives that participated in the training workshops. The CDPs focus on strengthening cooperation, promoting teamwork among their members and structuring a more robust governance in the cooperatives. They centre on a market-oriented approach with an entrepreneurial profile of the cooperatives.

The Ministry team were also presented with feedback from participants of the CDEA under SAMAP, which included a testimonial from Granman Albert Aboikoni who highlighted the value of the collaborative initiative for Suriname. ‘’Without cooperatives it is impossible to produce at a high level. Each local soccer team plays for itself, but when national team plays, all players of different local teams come together and form the national team. We should not be rivals but work together as a team, as a cooperative. Now is the World Championship and Suriname could be the grainery of the Caribbean,” he said.

Based on its successful implementation under SAMAP and the receptiveness from the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Youth Affairs, the CDEA has a strong potential to be replicated across Suriname and other countries in the region as part of ILO Caribbean’s strategic technical support.

For more information about training tools for cooperatives visit the ILO's website .