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¡Hasta Pronto Suriname!

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My fellowship in Suriname can be summarized in one word: eye-opening. Suriname opened my eyes to a diversity I neglected in my own region. It broadened my perspective about multiculturality and how different ethnicities can co-exist  harmoniously. As a Colombian, it was a surprise to me to find such a small country in the region with such diversity: 5 cultures (Maroon, Creole, Indonesian, Indigenous and Indian) living p eacefully in a vast rainforest).  Despite being in South America, its cultural richness makes one feel far away from home. Every ethnicity speaks their own language: Javanese, Surinamese Hindi ( Surinamese Hi ndi, a dialect of Bhojpuri) , S aamáka , Nduyaka, etc., but they all unite through a common language:  Dutch or Sranan Tongo. Cultural differences also come together through a very diverse cuisine. You can choose from multiple cuisines (Indonesian, Indian and Creole) that have syncretized through the use of some common ingredients. Ever...
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Visiting the Pamaka Community

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As I mentioned in my previous post, I am working for UNDP in the Suriname country office. UNDP streamlines its projects in Suriname through three main portfolios: (i) governance; (ii) social protection; (iii) environment. I have been mainly working in the governance portfolio, engaging actively with the government, who is the main partner.  However, when I first landed in Suriname, I knew that I wanted to make the most out of my internship. I wanted to take these 12 weeks to learn as much as possible and to understand the different work the UN does in the field. For this reason, I was very active trying to gain exposure with my other colleagues and convincing them to take me to field missions. Thanks to their kindness and their support, I was able to go with the environment and social protection officers to a field mission in Langatabiki to meet with the traditional authority of the Pamaka Community.  Short Overview of the Pamaka People  The Pamaka people are from the Auk...
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My first weeks in Suriname

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This summer I will be working for the Democratic Governance team in the UNDP Office in Suriname. I started working on May 13th remotely and will arrive to Paramaribo on Tuesday June 4th.  Scope of Work: UNDP Suriname Governance Unit The governance portfolio is focusing on two main projects to provide support to the Surinamese government: (i) a Human Rights Institute; (ii) capacity building and implementation of a new electoral legislation.  (i) Human Rights Institute In 2022, UNDP provided support in drafting the legislation to create and implement the Human Rights Institute ("HRI LAW"). The HRI Law was submitted to parliament in 2023 and is expected to be approved this year. The government has requested UNDP to operationalize the Human Rights Institute upon the legislation's approval.  (ii) Capacity building and implementation of a new electoral legislation. The Surinamese government has amended its electoral law after the constitutional court declared that the electora...
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