WILLEMSTAD - Important topics highlighted on International Democracy Day stress the need to start early and educate children from a young age about these issues. 

Awareness of climate change, its impact, and the meaning of democracy should begin as early as possible, according to parliamentarian Steven Croes, who, along with colleague Ana Maria Pauletta, attended a lecture organized by Human Rights Defense Curaçao for International Democracy Day. 

Climate change and democracy are intertwined; in a democratic country, governments must be able to act on important issues affecting the nation, and the populace can also demand this. At the same time, the population also holds its future in its own hands. 

Drs. Kathleen Ferrier, an international expert on human rights, and Prof. Dr. Mark Vermeij, director of CARMABI, delivered a clear warning to the audience in the auditorium of the University of Curaçao: the preservation of our environment and the economic future of our country are at stake if the government and citizens do not act quickly and purposefully against climate change. 

The upcoming election campaign is the perfect opportunity to urge candidates to prioritize this issue and to demand concrete plans for how they will address climate change. 

Croes was deeply affected by the examples of the disastrous impacts on Curaçao, such as the effects on coral reefs, the disappearance of beaches around the island, and the impact this will have on tourism, one of our largest economic pillars. 

He proposes that children be introduced to underwater life from a young age and that schools offer free snorkeling or diving lessons. The same applies to lessons on democracy and governance. A community that is aware of important issues fosters care and appreciation for these matters. 

For Steven Croes, it is clearer than ever that immediate climate policy is needed, and he will certainly continue to emphasize this in the coming months, especially with the plans that the PAR party has for the future of Curaçao.