A human journey to “Suriname” .. the homeland of tolerance and diversity
The “lung of the earth” breathes in “Expo 2020”
Jermaine Ostwick: "The composition of Surinamese society is very rich, and yet every race retains its own customs and traditions."
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A journey to magic and imagination, wrapped in a lot of warmth and humanity, provided by Expo 2020 Dubai, by visiting the pavilion of a country that is small in size and population, and may not be known to many, but it is great in its value and what it offers to the world.
It is Suriname, that submerged country in South America, it is the smallest sovereign country, in terms of area and population in South America, but despite that it is classified as the "lung of the earth", because of the oxygen it generates, thanks to the forests that represent about 93% of the world's population. Its area, and its pavilion contains very interesting details, including the "tree of life", which shelters hundreds of species of birds and animals, living together in rare intimacy and harmony, in addition to amazing stories about a country classified as one of the most tolerant and ethnically, religiously and culturally diverse in the world. A visitor to Expo 2020 has a different feeling when entering the Suriname pavilion. There is an unusual warmth and positive energy that dominates the place, caused by the pavilion's cultural guide, Jermaine Ostwick, the nature of the people of Surinamese, which consists of several ethnicities.
She told Al-Emarat Al-Youm that her family itself, like the United Nations, is a father of African-Indian origin, and a mother of diverse Asian roots, and that family members embrace a number of religions, without one of them disturbing the other, because this is the nature of Suriname. The mosque is adjacent to the Jewish temple and the church without barriers, and everyone celebrates the holidays of all religions, stressing that this tolerance is not imposed by an authority or law like most countries of the world, but it is at the heart of the convictions of the people of Suriname, so there are no obstacles in marriage between people of one religion and another, or sweat and another.
Ostwick added, “The composition of the Surinamese society is very rich. Until now, each race retains its authentic customs and traditions that have not undergone any development or change. The African Maroon tribes live in their villages according to origins that extend back to tens of centuries, as well as the Japanese, Chinese, Indians and other races brought by Dutch colonialism. ».
The Suriname pavilion is not without funny details, including the historical dress of women, during the colonial era, which was an emotional and human language of communication, as slaves at that time were not allowed to have normal relations, so the woman wore the hat in a certain way to set a date with the man.
The pavilion contains a model of a rare rainforest that is a branch of the famous Amazon forest, and contains wonderfully beautiful animals and birds, including "coco rocks", which visitors spend tens of thousands of dollars to watch only, in addition to the poisonous "blue frog", which is endangered, and the "tree of life". Which represents a unique rich environment, inhabited by hundreds of species of birds and animals that live together in harmony and harmony.