Farewell speech acting Island Governor Nolly Oleana
Last August, the 1st of August, was exactly 38 years ago that I started my professional career here on Bonaire. Now, 38 years later, I realize how quickly time passes and how short our lives really are. This beautiful island has a unique vibe and has given me many opportunities to take a more prominent role and to work on Bonaire's progress.
I am someone who has never turned away and left our island and its people to fend for themselves. Making false promises that I couldn't keep wasn't part of my daily life. Many of my dreams were always filled with beautiful images of how Bonaire should develop.
I also would like to share with you that every year on the first day of January, I would tell my wife the goals I wanted to achieve in the year that had just begun. As strange as it may seem, most of my dreams and goals have actually come true and, for this, I thank God, my family, my acquaintances and our entire community, all of whom have helped me to achieve my goals. Without such support my life would have been very different.
Every year on the 1st of January, my wife would listen to me with great attention and look at me with surprised eyes. With her support, I have achieved important results in my professional career in the fields of education, sports, culture, agriculture and governance. She was always ready to encourage me.
So what is (and was) the secret of my life?
First and foremost: love. I truly love our island and its people dearly. At the end of every holiday abroad I feel very happy to come home again.
I have always taken into account the limitations of our island and I have learned that -as the English say- “good things come in small packages”.
The song by the Aruban singer JEON entitled 'Ta mi hendenan’ – ‘Those are my people' reminds me of many Bonairean aspects of life and the melody and lyrics of the song describe our people and their real circumstances.
Secondly: hard work. Work pays off and I have learned that lazy people are always blaming others but when they get the chance to show what they can do, they run away from their responsibilities. In Dutch there is a saying that says: 'The best helmsmen are the ones on shore' and a Dutch soccer player once said in an interview: 'The best players are the spectators'. Every day I try to surpass myself, and every day I try not to disappoint anyone and to treat everyone with respect. I can share with you that hard work really does bring positive results, even if sometimes the road is long and exhausting.
Thirdly: being honest. Being honest comes at a price and all those who are NOT honest and want to do illegal things will become your enemies. I have consciously chosen to uphold our standards and values. The love for my homeland and my integrity have given me great pleasure and energy in order to continue the struggle during all these years.
Fourthly: discipline and the acceptance of responsibility. In bad times and in good times I have been right here and I have tried to make the impossible become possible. Helping Bonaire and my neighbours was the juice that flowed through my veins and being exemplary has allowed me to reach the top of many mountains.
Governance
As far as governance is concerned, I would like to go back in time. In March of 1949, the first Parliamentary elections in the Netherlands Antilles were held on our islands. Prior to 1949 many of our elders waged a fierce and persistent struggle so that we could become a democratic country. Yes, a democratic country.
Today, 75 years later, I see a less pleasant trend developing where antagonism is created, where groups are pitted against each other, where polarization takes place, where the truth is distorted and where even death threats are made. In my opinion, politicians who do not speak the truth and who threaten each other are committing a serious attack on our democracy.
I would like to warn all current and future politicians that it is NOT possible to build a prosperous country with lies and false promises. Lack of respect, discrimination, fraud, lying and incorrect behaviour can be considered to be seeds of weeds sown to create a divided society, in which there is no trust and no unity. We may differ in opinion, but there should never be room to literally kill each other.
I would like to conclude this section on governance with this thought: When light shines in your soul, there will be beauty in your heart. If there is harmony in your home, there will be peace and tranquillity among the people around you. Peace and tranquillity among the people means progress.
Finally I would like to express my sincere thanks to all who contributed to my success. Without you I could not have achieved my goals. Today I am saying goodbye to the part of governing that I enjoyed the most, namely chairing the Island Council meetings. You are the heart of our democracy. Make sure you keep the lights on in all homes and that you tackle current challenges, including the effects of climate change, demographic changes, artificial intelligence, digitalization, the safety and quality of our food, keeping our island clean and preserving our culture.
To our new Lieutenant Governor John Soliano: good luck and wisdom. Bonaire is in good hands. Ensure to keep a strong unity between the three administrative entities and Bonaire will prosper.
Thank you again for all your support and trust.
Island Governor Reynold “Nolly” Oleana