Last month I wrote a piece called Aruba’s Growing Pains, which was pretty well received. As a follow-up on that post I would like to elaborate a bit more on the subject.

I’m not the only person in Aruba thinking about the future of this island. Recently an official committee was launched with a project called ‘Nos Aruba 2025′, meaning ‘Our Aruba in 2025′. The goal of this project is to start a national debate on where we would like the direction of this island to be headed in the coming decades.

This kind of project is unprecedented in the history of this island. All the major achievements that occurred during modern history happened due to great men standing up and share their vision to the people. These great men where all well educated and understood the importance to exercise the right of self determination by the population. Especially on an island once colonized.

In the modern times and due to lack of men standing up with ideas, the best way to look ahead is to organize these debates. In all fairness, in this day and age with the individual being able to create a forum such as this one, it is difficult for any new visionary to stand up. We’re so critical to any so-called great individual, that we dismiss them all before given them a fair chance.

Aruba beaches will be there by 2025. The trick is to make sure the beaches remain clean and accessible, the island affordable for visitors everywhere.