Protection of Papiamento*

Commitment of SPLIKA

Since our foundation in 1990, the SPLIKA Foundation has been actively involved in the protection and promotion of Papiamento*. In recent years, we have been closely involved in various initiatives, including the protection of Papiamento* under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, and we serve as a dialogue partner for local and national authorities.

We collaborate with various organizations advocating for Papiamento* in the ABC islands and in the Netherlands. Together we are strong!

Governance agreement for Papiamento* on Bonaire

The SPLIKA Foundation and the Akademia Papiamento Foundation have been strong advocates for Papiamento* in the past decades.

Papiamento*, as the original language in Bonaire, is increasingly under pressure from other languages, which could eventually lead to an undesirable weakening of the language. An explicit protection of Papiamento* aims to express that the government of Bonaire intends to protect the language and further safeguard and promote its position for current and future generations of users. This governance agreement complements existing laws and regulations regarding the use of Papiamento* in Bonaire. Ministers and the state secretary recognize the importance of Papiamento* as an expression of the identity and culture of its speakers and users.

In addition to this governance agreement, with the aim of recognizing Papiamento* under the European Charter, a possible route for extending the scope of the European Charter to Bonaire is being explored.

Read more about our contribution to the protection of Papiamento* in the following articles.