Leadership transition at VIDS, Suriname: Cylene France, 33, becomes new acting director

In FPP we were all impressed by her enthusiasm and energy, her willingness to learn about these issues, and her extraordinary analytical skills and research qualifications. We came to know Cylene as a reliable, responsible young researcher who was able to very quickly understand and analyse complex issues, and who was not shy to question and confront mainstream thinking.

In the years that followed, we saw Cylene further expand and consolidate her experience and expertise on issues related to development, sustainable use and conservation, human rights, and cultural well-being. She was selected to participate in a number of prestigious international courses such as the Training on “Indigenous Peoples in the International System” by the International Training Center for Indigenous Peoples in Greenland in 2011. She also actively participated in several international conferences. At a young age, her international experience on the intersection of cultural and biological diversity was simply unique, while she remained also very aware of, and attached to, the state of affairs in her home country of Suriname.

After finishing her Bachelor's degree in Public Administration she worked for the Community Development Section of the Foundation for the Development of the Interior where she gained more field experience and was exposed to priority issues in the interior, building a combined academic and practical skillset. She further deepened her knowledge when she was accepted for an Education and Research Master’s Programme for Sustainable Development for which she also studied abroad at the University of Brasilia.

She returned to VIDS in 2019 to coordinate the project "Strengthening the Capacity of Indigenous Organisations in the Amazon", a regional project of the American Development Organisation Pact, coordinated in Suriname by VIDS. We congratulate Cylene, and the traditional authorities united in VIDS, with this leadership transition and wish Cylene all the best, while we continue our close and long-standing partnership.

At this point we also want to say a fond goodbye to Loreen Jubitana, who has served as the director of the VIDS office for 20 years. Earlier this week, Loreen became the new director of the Directorate for Sustainable Development of Indigenous Peoples, which is part of the Ministry of Regional Development. In this role she hopes to help accelerate the progress in the process towards the full recognition of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples’ rights in Suriname, with full inclusion of the traditional governance. She has been a leading force in this process.  

Several of us at FPP have worked closely with Loreen in the past years. She has been a warm, strong and courageous director, who excelled at keeping calm, confronting difficult situations, and maintaining close personal relations with everyone in her large networks and especially the village leaders. We wish her good luck with the new challenge ahead of her, and it’s good to know Loreen will still be around.