In a landmark electoral meeting held Saturday evening, the Suriname Association of Journalists (SVJ) has installed a new governing board, co-founder Nita Ramcharan taking the helm as the organization’s new president. The full seven-member leadership slate also includes Ivan Cairo as vice president, Wilfred Leeuwin as general secretary, Vishmohanie Thomas as treasurer, Amanda Palis as second secretary, Raeyen La Rose as second treasurer, and Harvey Panka as commissioner.
Following the formal ceremonial handover of the gavel from outgoing president Naomi Hoever, the new board publicly outlined its ambitious strategic roadmap to transition SVJ from a traditional professional interest group into a respected, authoritative national industry institute. The leadership has identified three core priority areas: advancing the professionalization of Suriname’s journalism sector, strengthening the association’s standing in national public life, and driving improvements in reporting quality, professional ethics, and press freedom across the country.
Over the coming months, the board will first launch a comprehensive review of SVJ’s founding statutes and internal operational bylaws, to align the organization’s governance framework with its new strategic goals. It will also establish a network of issue-specific working committees, designed to expand grassroots member participation in shaping organizational policy and planning public activities.
Skills training and professional development will be a top budget and policy priority for the new term. The association plans to roll out targeted training initiatives covering high-demand areas including investigative and electoral journalism, media law, professional ethical practice, digital safety for reporters, artificial intelligence applications for news work, fact-checking, and press freedom advocacy.
In a statement following the election, the new board emphasized that independent, professional journalism is more critical than ever in an era defined by the rise of social media, widespread disinformation, and rapid technological change. To address these new challenges, SVJ will also push for strengthened industry self-regulation, formal professional accreditation for journalists, and updated national professional standards for the field.
Beyond internal organizational reform, the new leadership has committed to opening structured dialogue with Suriname’s government branches, public institutions, and civil society organizations. The goal of these engagements is to strengthen the legal and social standing of journalists and defend press freedom across the nation.
The board’s full policy direction is formalized in its recently published election manifesto, and all initiatives will be further refined through ongoing consultation with SVJ’s membership base. Observers frame this leadership transition and new strategic agenda as a pivotal step for Suriname’s journalism sector, aimed at unifying the professional community, raising reporting standards, and rebuilding public trust in independent media.