Page 25 - AHATA

A15
LOCAL Thursday 24 OcTOber 2019

Continued from Page 14 who addresses issues in an inventive way be it expresses that soft and hard infrastructures are
There are currently approximately 180 cities a social worker, a businessperson, a scientist or need. In their eyes soft infrastructure includes: a
who members of the UCCN across the world. public servant. Creativity is not only about having highly skilled and flexible labor force; dynamic
In the Caribbean there are only 3 countries ideas, but also the capacity to implement them. thinkers, creators and implementers. Hard
that are committed to the creative industries This brings me to my second point: policy writing infrastructures include adequate spaces,
as drivers of growth to their economies, which and implementation. A great weakness in my buildings, protected monuments, creative
are Jamaica, Bahamas, and Haiti. Jamaica opinion is the degree of (lack of) proper policy arenas, creative incubators etc. If we keep
and the Bahamas are the creative industries making and implementation on the island. In feeding ‘junk food’ to this sector because
leaders in the Caribbean and have been order to be part of the UCCN, countries have of convenience and just simply because
very successful in this internationally. If only to prepare adequate and relevant policy you don’t want to make an effort in cooking
Aruba could realize what they can achieve by reports as their demonstration that they are healthy and wholesome meals it so desperately
committing themselves to this development. going to be committed to the network and the wants, we will not see the productivity and we
development of creative industries around the will be very disappointed. Not because the
Moving Forward world. Effective policy making is inevitable and creative sector can’t deliver, but because of
Half of the island doesn’t even understand will be crucial if not nonnegotiable if we want our own ignorance and negligence. Culture
what a creative industry, cultural economy or to keep pursuing the creative industries as a and creativity is at the Heart of the Sustainable
orange economy is, and so moving forward viable economic pillar for Aruba. Aruba and the Development. It is not too late for the island to
one important aspect of this development is relevant stakeholders such as the government, pick up the pieces, but the willingness should
awareness within the community. In the creative private sector and NGOs need to stop devaluing be there to “in collaboration” reach the end
city it is not only artists and those involved in the this sector by treating it like a sectorial dumping goal: a thriving Aruban creative industry. Other
creative and cultural sectors who are creative, ground. Offering limited or ineffective resources, countries have recognized this and have made
although they play an important role. Creativity which weaken the cultural and creative sector tremendous steps going forward. When will
can come from any source including anyone of the island. To be a creative city the UCCN Aruba?q

Biography – Currently, Thaïs Franken is a 24-year-old Aruban student at the University of Maastricht (UM).
She is studying a Master of Science in Public Policy and Human Development in collaboration with the
Unites Nations University (UNU). Back home, on the beautiful island of Aruba she completed her Bachelor
of Arts in Organization, Governance & Management (OGM) at the University of Aruba (UA). She success-
fully graduated and defended her thesis titled “Placing Culture and Creativity at the Heart of the Aruban
Sustainable Development” on July 6th 2018. Thaïs is very passionate about topics such as sustainability,
innovation, culture and creativity. Next to her academic interests, she enjoys reading, writing, dancing
and cooking.