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LOCAL Thursday 2 May 2019

Using Music to Shift the Narrative in our Community

“A best practice case of the Leerorkest in the Netherlands”

Continued from Page 14 these rewards throughout their
whole life. In addition to this, more
Another positive effect of the Leer- children making music is good for
orkest at school is that in the end the whole country. It could encour-
it connects. Not just connecting age more participation in song fes-
students with each other at school tivals such as; the Dande festival,
but also on a much wider scale Un canto pa nos Himno y Bandera
with the musical traditions (cultural festival, Caiso festival and the Vozi-
heritage) of the country. For Aruba, landia festival. Overall, I hope to
this could be a tremendous initia- see this program become a real-
tive for cultural education with the ity in Aruba. Our children deserve
aim of preserving Aruba’s cultural to grow equally in a society that
heritage. Imagine national com- provides them the capacity and
petitions or yearly performances support to be creative and to in-
by all schools in Aruba. novate for the future. With a good
Imagine the community based patory players instead of being development for all, leaving no policy in place and with the allo-
support this could offer our chil- excluded of a personal enriching one behind. cated funding, Aruba could reap
dren. The Leerorkest intends to give experience. Like the government the fruits of a generation capable
children the chance to be partici- has been preaching; sustainable These children will eventually reap of thriving and not declining. q

Biography – Currently, Thaïs Franken is a 23-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 successfully gradu-
ated 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, cul-
ture and creativity. Next to her academic interests, she enjoys reading, writing, dancing and cooking.