WILLEMSTAD - In the coming months, the Think To DO Institute will be conducting a social cohesion and well-being survey to measure the degree to which Curacao citizens have a sense of well-being. To prepare for this, a video will be playing in the media, and informational interviews will be placed in the media to prepare citizens of the survey’s importance.
Social cohesion is the ongoing process of developing well-being, sense of belonging, and voluntary social participation of the members of society, while developing communities that tolerate and promote a multiplicity of values and cultures, and grant, at the same time, equal rights and opportunities in society.
Social cohesion involves building shared values, reducing disparities in wealth and income, and generally enabling people to have a sense that they are engaged in a common enterprise, facing shared challenges, and that they are mem:bers of the same community. Its four facets are social relations, task relations, perceived unity, and emotions.
Cohesion happens at the intersection of the three levels: the community, the institutions, and the individual.
The survey will be measuring the five areas of social cohesion: (1) reciprocal loyalty and solidarity, (2) strength of social relations and shared values, (3) sense of belonging, (4) trust among individuals of society (the community), and (5) , reduction of inequalities and exclusion.
Conducting the survey will help gauge the representativeness of individual views and experiences and will provide hard numbers on people's opinions and
behaviors that can be used to make decisions about how to become more resilient, socially connected and redefine who WE are and want to be.
What will participating do for YOU? In filling out the survey you are doing your part in helping yourself, others, us and, collectively, each other to have the information needed to create better policies that fits much better with our situation. For example, your financial situation may improve because the data will show that you need better access to resources such as job opportunities and will help you have a better with income that will improve your situation and help you live a happier life.
The researchers in the Think To DO Institute greatly appreciate your support in completing and achieving this effort.