Pray for Suriname

In Suriname’s capital city, the Keizerstraat Mosque neighbors the Neveh Shalom Synagogue. They even share a parking lot, illustrating Suriname’s celebrated religious tolerance. This image fits a country where people take pride in racial harmony. The mamio (“patchwork quilt”) is another well-known symbol representing the many ethnicities and cultures of Suriname. Following the 1863 abolition of slavery, the Dutch colonial government brought indentured laborers from India and Java and encouraged social divisions. Though communities preserved their distinct languages and faiths, Surinamers today generally embrace this diversity rather than viewing it as a source of conflict. Surinamers are known for a laid-back, no span attitude (“stay calm and don’t worry”). This country is one of the greenest places on Earth, with more than 90 percent of its land blanketed in Amazonian rainforest.

Mining and oil are among Suriname’s most important industries, but dependence on natural resources makes the economy vulnerable to global price changes. Although Suriname is rich in natural resources, Suriname has the highest poverty rate among Caribbean nations, with nearly one in five people living in poverty. Small-scale gold mining in the Amazon provides income for many but has also caused deforestation, river damage, and mercury pollution affecting Indigenous and Maroon communities. Communities are generally divided into classes based primarily on income and sometimes ethnic background, especially in rural communities. Years of debt, inflation, and some reported political corruption have led to protests over rising costs and wages.

Suriname gives freedom of religion to all its citizens, and Christianity is the largest (50%), followed by Hinduism and Islam. Indigenous groups and other minority communities practice traditional religions. Religion often overlaps with ethnicity, though Christianity is practiced across all ethnic groups. Syncretism and nominalism have crept into the Church, and although half the population professes Christianity, many practice both spiritism and Christianity or are no longer committed to Christ. Pray that Surinamers would move beyond cultural tolerance toward a genuine search for truth and a personal relationship with Christ.