The Summit is a free online event aimed at connecting islands to share common experiences on development and sustainability.
Over 150 speakers including the Prime Minister of Fiji, President of Guyana, Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and numerous politicians, entrepreneurs, academics and NGO leaders.
The Dominica Association of Industry and Commerce is an official partner of the Virtual Island Summit 2020.
This year the Virtual Island Summit expects the participation of 10,000 island stakeholders from across the world with topics discussed including post-pandemic economic recovery, tourism, energy, climate change, education, democracy, transport, sustainability and much more – all in relation to the island context.
Registration is available for free: www.virtualislandsummit.com
The Virtual Island Summit aims to be an inclusive event using the opportunity to create “digital bridges” that will bring together global islands to collaborate on finding creative solutions that lean on the expertise of every global community, no matter how isolated they may be.
There are over 30 different sessions available with no limit on how many participants can join with over 150 speakers including the Prime Minister of Fiji, Prime Minister of St Vincent & the Grenadines, President of Guyana, Scotland’s Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the IslandGovernor of Guam, Malta’s Foreign Minister and the Mayor of Rapa Nui (Easter Island). Regions represented include the Caribbean, Pacific, Arctic, Indian Ocean, Patagonia, Mediterranean, North and South Atlantic, Africa and Asia.
“We started the Virtual Island Summit to encourage connections between seemingly far-flung islands that have a substantial amount in common but may be separated by vast distances. The idea was born before we were forced to use digital events this year by the pandemic, and the opportunity will extend far beyond lockdown,” says James Ellsmoor, Director, Island Innovation.
“Participants get a unique opportunity to exchange information with an extremely diverse array of people, and by keeping the event free we maximize the opportunities for participation. Especially given the specific challenges islands have faced in 2020, we aim to generate some concrete outcomes that can be actioned by participants in their own communities.”
DAIC’s Executive Director, Lizra Fabien shared that DAIC is an Official Partner of this summit and that the Chamber looks forward to the participation of its Membership, the private sector and general public to take advantage of the information presented. Fabien further expressed, “This platform is an excellent opportunity for sharing best practices and discussing important issues that impact islands around the world. This will definitely benefit us in Dominica by applying the concepts gained to improve our decisions on a local level which will lead to greater
sustainability. If we truly are to be a resilient nation, we are to learn from and contribute to the discussions at such events as well as implement the concepts learned.”
The Virtual Island Summit is held through a series of dynamic open sessions that unites some of the world’s sharpest minds and decision-makers in one place, providing a knowledge-sharing experience like no other. It will give attendees a chance to listen to experts from around the world discuss case studies, the latest breakthroughs in their field, and outline a blueprint for more sustainable and prosperous islands in a truly unique format.
