It is all over, but for many Surinamese, Carifesta VIII has made them realise that there is not much difference between them and the rest of the Caribbean.

According to one official, many Surinamese have never been to most Caribbean destinations, but the experience has shown that they are just like other Caribbean nationals.

At the closing ceremony last night on Independence Square in central Paramaribo, Caricom’s Assistant Secretary General, Mr Colin Granderson was high in praise for the people of the Dutch-speaking Republic and organisers of the regional festival.

“Our host, apart from providing the facilities for their guests to exploit, has also provided an excellent backdrop for the activities. The Government of Suriname and the National Carifesta Committee can be justly proud of their efforts,” Granderson told the gathering.

He said, too, that the people of Suriname have fully lived up to their reputation of friendliness and hospitality, which allowed all to experience the essence of togetherness and the spirit of the Caribbean. All will, no doubt, leave Suriname with the indelible memory of the citizens’s generosity and warm welcome.

The curtains on the week of festivities were lowered following a grand display of fireworks. Prior to the closing ceremony yesterday, Leonard Robertson, Communications Consultant to Caricom’s Secretary General, told Stabroek News via a telephone interview that the delegates of the 29 countries which participated in the celebrations were expected to enter the impressive Square from four different points“in a carnival-like parade”.

Earlier in the afternoon, at a brief ceremony in the Presidential Palace opposite Independence Square, Suriname’s President, Runaldo Venetiaan presented five distinguished artists from the Caribbean with plagues. Granderson reportedly accepted the honour on behalf of Guyana’s Philip Moore who had already returned home.

“We have come to the end of another shining exhibition of Caribbean creativity. Over the past seven days, at CARIFESTA VIII here in Suriname, the artists and artistes of the Caribbean and some of its base countries, have seized the opportunity to display their talents and create any number of unforgettable experiences for those fortunate enough to be here. As was noted at the Opening Ceremony here on Sunday, the theme for CARIFESTA VIII, Cultural Diversity, could not have been chosen more aptly, for this festival here in Suriname,” Granderson said last night.

However, he warned that there is another dimension to the festivities and that is the forging of new links and the strengthening of old ties between the members of the Caribbean family.

Echoing the sentiments of Caricom’s Secretary General Edwin Carrington, Granderson reminded all that Carifesta celebrates our “Caribbeanness” in a way nothing else can.

At the various symposia held during the past week, a number of recommendations were put forward by the youth, the Indigenous peoples, the artists and artistes on the way forward for future Carifesta activities. As such, no host shall be named for the next festival until there is a chance to look at the recommendations.

As Granderson stated, for there to be any change in the region, all must grasp at opportunities offered under the CARICOM Single Market and Economy and create a change in the approach to things Caribbean. This could also include a culture that would “ingrain in us a deeper appreciation and acceptance for what we produce and what we create,” the Assistant Secretary General stated.

After the official closing ceremony last night, the festivities continued at the Anthony Nesty Indoor Sports Hall, where Trinidad and Tobago was called upon to do a repeat performance of their act.

“Trinidad was really great...maybe one of the best performances in Carifesta,” another official told this newspaper.