Against a backdrop of significant constitutional changes in the status of the Caribbean Netherlands we led a feasibility study for the creation of an independent development fund to support the integrated and sustainable development of the islands’ economies, focused on:

• long-term solutions to some of the most prominent economic and social challenges.
• projects that support both social and economic issues with the potential to develop strategies to address a broad set of welfare issues, and strategically reduce the financial dependency on The Netherlands.
• projects in which local people take charge for their own future, supporting both personal and professional development of local inhabitants (especially youth).

Using an Appreciative Inquiry framework, we obtained participation from a broad group of stakeholders in envisioning how such a fund would be managed with the full support of the community.  An important objective of the conference was to obtain commitment and input to arrive at a proper governance model for the fund, and explore the usefulness, necessity and conditions for an effectively operating incentive fund.

The result was two powerful enactments of visions of the fund in action created by the conference participants, which are to be used in support of obtaining the funding to initiate this fund, and initiate projects aligned with the fund’s objectives.