by Cdr. Bud Slabbaert

Brainstorming is one of the most effective catalysts for innovation when done right. It’s not just about tossing ideas around; it’s about creating a dynamic space where diverse minds collide, challenge assumptions, and spark breakthroughs. Brainstorming fuels innovation and unlocks creative flow by encouraging free thinking and suspending judgment, allowing unconventional ideas to surface.

Rapid idea generation helps identify multiple pathways to tackle complex challenges. One person’s spark can ignite another’s insight, leading to layered, more refined concepts; from spark to strategy. Conflicting minds can find compromise and unification in brainstorming sessions.

To a government, innovation within the country or a community is a local asset and a strategic advantage. When communities innovate, governments gain momentum, legitimacy, and resilience. It may lead to economic growth and diversification. Community-led innovation often sparks new industries and business activities. Grassroots innovation reveals real-time needs and solutions that can help governments craft policies that are timely and effective. It can dramatically reduce top-down guesswork and rather build bottom-up validity.

Innovative communities attract international attention, partnerships, and foreign investment. What is the importance of innovation related to global or regional positioning? Positioning is the strategic process of shaping how a product, service, or brand is perceived in the minds of consumers, especially in relation to competitors. It’s about carving out a distinct identity that resonates with a target audience.

 To accelerate innovation and problem-solving, ‘silos’ must be broken. A silo in group thinking is a mindset or organizational behavior in which individuals or teams operate in isolation, focusing only on their own goals rather than the collective mission. A silo mentality is the unwillingness to share information or collaborate across departments or groups within an organization, be it industrial or political. It often stems from competition between teams or leaders, lack of trust, or poor communication structures. Cross-functional collaboration reveals blind spots and opens new perspectives.

Who should join in innovative brainstorming sessions? To maximize innovation, aim for diversity in expertise, perspective, and personality. Subject matter experts, community stakeholders, and creative thinkers. Yet, just as important are a skeptic or devil’s advocate who dares to question suggested answers. The strength of compromising lies in its ability not only to create mutually acceptable solutions but also to bring them close to perfection. Mind that people of any kind, being buyers, constituents, or partners, don’t want paraphernalia but rather want benefits.

The contributing elements of innovation are pushing boundaries and introducing bold and imaginative concepts. Fresh, unfiltered perspectives have to be offered that challenge legacy thinking. Ideas must be aligned with long-term goals and feasibility, and ensure relevance and resonance with actual needs. Existing best practices should be taken into consideration.

Encouraging brainstorming for innovation is a strategic imperative for any forward-thinking leader, board, or team. Innovation demonstrates a proactive, future-focused leadership style. It drives competitive advantage and positions the innovator as a thought leader in its field, industry or region. It exposes hidden opportunities.

When citizens and residents innovate, they feel ownership over their future. This builds trust and civic pride. Youth-led initiatives, in particular, foster leadership and reduce brain drain. Start with the two questions: “What’s a challenge we’re uniquely positioned to solve?” and “What would make this island a global model for ???”

Innovation shall be our legacy. Let us not wait for ideas and solutions to arrive from abroad. Let us recognize, support, and scale the available brilliance in our communities. Innovation drives a flourishing economy that will benefit all!

PHILIPSBURG:--- In response to the ongoing rise in scooter-related traffic violations and the use of scooters in criminal activities, the Police Force of Sint Maarten (KPSM) carried out a traffic and crime control operation on Friday, October 24, 2025, and Saturday, October 25, 2025.

The operation was conducted at several strategic locations across the island and focused primarily on stopping and inspecting scooter riders. The objectives were twofold.

To improve road safety by ensuring that scooter riders possess valid documentation, and to disrupt criminal activity by identifying individuals who may be using scooters to commit offenses or evade detection.

The controls were executed between 12:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. on both days. During this period, a total of 40 scooter riders were stopped. Of these, 24 individuals failed to present the legally required documents. Additionally, one individual was arrested for possession of illegal narcotics in violation of the Opium legislation. The operations were also supported by members of the Voluntary Corps of Sint Maarten (VKS).

This action follows previous successful scooter enforcement operations, including one carried out earlier this year near the Simpson Bay Bridge. For this most recent operation, new locations were selected to anticipate shifting behavior and movement patterns among scooter riders seeking to avoid police controls.

Scooters continue to be a major factor in certain serious criminal acts and traffic safety risks. KPSM will continue to take firm measures and conduct controls to ensure safety and restore order on our roads and in our communities.

   KPSM urges all scooter owners and riders to ensure their vehicles are properly registered and insured, and to follow all traffic regulations.

KPSM Press Release.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Police Force of Sint-Maarten (KPSM) is currently investigating an armed robbery that took place on Saturday afternoon, October 25, 2025, at approximately 5:00 p.m., at a jewelry store located on Front Street.

Central Police Dispatch received multiple calls reporting that three suspects arrived in a small Grey vehicle, exited the car, and proceeded to rob the establishment. After committing the robbery, the suspects abandoned the vehicle on Front Street and fled on foot toward the Boardwalk. They then made their escape on two scooters, heading toward the Fort Willem area.

Upon confirmation of the robbery, KPSM immediately activated and executed its planned armed robbery response action, which included rapid unit deployment, road closures, and containment of the surrounding area. Several police units were dispatched, and the Fort Willem and adjoining areas were cordoned off as a large-scale search operation was launched.

During the ongoing search, officers located one of the getaway scooters. Further coordinated action led to two suspects being tracked to the Belair area. As officers moved in, the suspects fled into an abandoned building next to a nearby hotel.

After a perimeter was secured, one of the suspects managed to escape under the cover of darkness toward the Divi area. The second suspect attempted to evade police by jumping into the sea. He was successfully removed from the water by KPSM officers, placed under arrest, and transported to the Philipsburg Police Station, where he remains in custody for further questioning.

Several items believed to have been stolen during the robbery were recovered from the arrested suspect and confiscated as evidence. The abandoned vehicle and scooter used in the commission of the crime were also seized for forensic and investigation. 

KPSM strongly condemns these acts of violence that threaten community safety and stability. Let it be clearly understood that those who commit crimes of this nature will be relentlessly pursued. The long arm of the law may move with deliberate precision, but it is unwavering. If you commit a crime, you will be arrested and prosecuted.”
Anyone with information that may assist in this investigation is urged to contact police central dispatch at +1 (721) 542-2222, the anonymous tip line at 9300, or send a message to the KPSM Facebook page.

KPSM Press Release.

InterExpo Caribbean NV organizes the 36^th congress “Fifteen years after 10/10/10” on 9, 10 and 11 December 2025 in the press- and debate centre Nieuwspoort in The Hague.

10 October 2010 is a memorable day. On this day, in accordance with the policy of the fourth Balkenende cabinet, the Netherlands Antilles were dissolved and the countries of Curaçao and Sint Maarten were established. The islands of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba became part of the Netherlands as public entities on that day.

The 36^th Congress aims to be a retrospective of fifteen years since the constitutional reform of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Political officials, parliamentarians, representatives from the business community, and academia will gather for a wide-ranging debate on the development of the autonomous islands and public bodies in the Caribbean within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. A variety of current topics will be addressed during the congress. The key question is: what do the islands expect from the Netherlands, and what does the Netherlands expect from the islands?

The conference will be officially opened by State Secretary Eddie van Marum of Kingdom Relations. Keynote speakers include Minister of State Prof. Dr. Jan Peter Balkenende, the National Ombudsman Mr. Reinier van Zutphen, Prof. Dr. Edwin Bleichrodt, Attorney General at the Supreme Court of the Netherlands, Ms. Sarah Wescot-Williams, Speaker of the Parliament of Sint Maarten, Drs. Luc Mercelina, Prime Minister of Sint Maarten, Mr. Mike G. Eman, Prime Minister of Aruba, and many others.

During the conference, a joint presentation will be given by Mr. Geoffrey Wever, Minister of Finance of Aruba, and Ms. Lidewijde Ongering of the Financial Supervision Board (CFT). The core of the presentation will be how the CFT anticipates the current financial situation and what the future holds.

The conference offers space for speakers who are critical of the structure of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the roles played and still played by the Netherlands and its Caribbean constituents. It also features speakers who champion the shared values ​​within the Kingdom and the opportunities it offers.

Over the past year, elections have been held in various countries within the Kingdom, and new parliaments have been installed. It is unique that all the countries within the Kingdom are meeting in The Hague, in the Tweede Kamer building, with new members of parliament so soon after a new parliament was installed in the Netherlands. This provides an opportunity for parliamentarians from the various countries within the Kingdom to get acquainted and exchange ideas.

The conference also provides a platform for scholars to reflect on relevant aspects of the Caribbean part of the Kingdom from their own perspectives.

Several panel discussions will be chaired by Prof. Dr. Ernst Hirsch Ballin, former Minister of Justice and Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations of the Netherlands, and Ms. Suzy Camelia Römer, former Prime Minister of Curaçao, politician, and currently a research associate at the University of Curaçao. The conference chair will be Prof. Dr. Peter Diekman RA.

Curaçao, 26 October 2025