St Helena and the Falkland Islands will be joining over 100 islands in the Virtual Island Summit.
The Summit (https://www.islandinnovation.co/summit/) is a free online event aimed at connecting islands across the globe to share common experiences through a digital platform. The Summit is run by Island Innovation, an advisory and media organisation which brings together the private sector, governments, NGOs and academia to advance innovation for sustainability in island communities worldwide.
The Summit covers Monday, 7, through to Sunday, 13 September 2020. It seeks to cover all 17 of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/ sustainable-development-goals/) in addition to other topics pertinent to island communities. There’s a really interesting and thought provoking agenda.
Key areas of interest are island sustainability, prosperous communities and climate change. Full details can be found at: https:// www.islandinnovation.co/summit/agenda/.
We’re delighted to confirm that there is a joint St Helena and Falkland Islands hosted panel discussion on the Summit agenda. The Falklands-based South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute (SAERI) and the St Helena Research Institute (SHRI) have been working together with the Falkland Islands’ Government and supported by Enterprise St Helena and SURE SA Ltd to host the panel discussion.
The discussion titled ‘Innovation and Sustainable Development in the South Atlantic’ will take place online on Friday, 11 September, at 12 noon GMT. The islands of the South Atlantic very rarely feature in global fora. They span vast distances and have very small population sizes, yet their isolation arguably drives innovation and there are many examples of island-led innovation in the region.
The session will focus on Innovation and Sustainable Development in our two islands: St Helena and the Falkland Islands. The panel is comprised of island-based politicians and experts, who will showcase some exciting case studies that demonstrate how, with populations of 4,000 (St Helena) and 3,000 (Falklands): knowledge economies are being developed that include the global export of technical skills; renewable energy goals are being set that have the potential to be world-leading, and new fibre optic cable projects are driving change and broadening the scope for sustainable development. Further details will be available shortly. You can participate in this panel discussion and the summit as a whole by:
- Registering via:https://www.islandinnovation.co/summit/attend/You might be able to register through your workplace or at home online. Registration is free, but spaces are limited. The timing of events is designed to reach as wide an international audience as possible. If there’s a session you’d like to listen to, but can’t engage at the published time, you can receive a replay link after the event. If attending live you can ask questions and interact with other guests.
- Attending the St Helena Community College which is registered Bookings can be made through Carley Peters via:carley.peters@sainthelena.gov.shor telephone 22607.
Whether you have a professional or personal interest in the topics being discussed and want to participate in the Summit but can’t otherwise access it, the St Helena Community College will be able to offer a space for people to participate during normal working hours.
Please get in touch to book specified sessions. Group bookings can be taken. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and interact with other guests. 3. Participating in a post-Summit session SHRI and SAERI will be hosting a post-Summit forum for discussion to reflect on the innovations, knowledge sharing and outcomes of the Summit and opportunities for capitalising on the benefits. Further details will be available shortly.
If you would like further information about the Virtual Summit please contact Summit Ambassadors: Falkland Islands, Tara Pelembe, Deputy Director Innovation, SAERI: TPelembe@saeri.ac.fk; St Helena, Rebecca Cairns-Wicks, Coordinator, SHRI: rebecca.cairns-wicks@sainthelena.gov.sh or Kirsty Joshua: kirstyajoshua@gmail.com. Notes to Editors We’d welcome your support in promoting the Summit and encouraging participation through your membership and networks. #StHelena #VirtualIslandSummit #VIS2020 https://www.facebook.com/StHelenaGovt/ https://twitter.com/StHelenaGovt SHG 26 August 2020
