After more than three decades of honoring community-minded changemakers in Rotterdam, the final presentation of the iconic Rotterdam 4 Leeuwenspeld (4 Lions Pin) took place on Tuesday evening, bringing a longstanding local tradition to a dignified close. Organized by the Rotterdam-based community group Satya Dharma, the ceremony presented the last 4 Lions Pin to Ram Ramlal, a community leader recognized for decades of dedicated service to local and cross-cultural communities.
Initiator Ramon Ramsodit, who co-founded the 4 Lions Pin award in 1993 alongside Oesha Bhikhie and Ram Rambartsingh, emphasized that the honor is far more than a symbolic gesture. He opened his remarks by celebrating Ramlal as “a great son of Suriname and his birth district of Nickerie,” underscoring the widespread public respect Ramlal has earned for his decades of contributions to public life.
The 4 Lions Pin draws its name from the four lions that appear on Rotterdam’s official coat of arms, a imagery chosen to represent the core values of the award: strength, courage, and social solidarity. For 31 years, the award has recognized individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to community development, cultural preservation, and social connection across Rotterdam, building a legacy of elevating grassroots leaders that have shaped the region’s social fabric.
Wednesday’s ceremony carried unique emotional weight, marking not only the recognition of a well-respected leader but also the end of an era. For many attendees, the event served as an opportunity to reflect on the hundreds of changemakers honored over the past three decades, and the impact the award has had in strengthening community bonds across the city.
Koemar Khargi, chair of Satya Dharma, noted that the final ceremony was about more than just recognition: it was a moment of gratitude, collective memory, and intergenerational transmission of core cultural values. The 31-year tradition closed on a high note with the selection of Ramlal, a choice that organizers say aligned perfectly with the award’s original mission.
Rather than ending the practice of honoring community leaders entirely, Satya Dharma has replaced the 4 Lions Pin with a new award: the SuRo Pin, short for the Suriname-Rotterdam Pin. The updated award retains the core mission of recognizing outstanding service to society, but narrows its focus to contributions that advance cultural exchange, knowledge development, community building, and stronger ties between Suriname and the Netherlands — with a particular focus on the Surinamese diaspora community in Rotterdam. Through the new SuRo Pin, Satya Dharma will carry forward the original 4 Lions Pin’s legacy of celebration and recognition, reoriented to prioritize the cross-border connection that has long been a core part of the organization’s work.