SMALL ISLANDS VOICE WORKSHOP

Palau hosted an Inter-regional Workshop dubbed as the 'Small Islands Voice Workshop' on November 18-22, 2002 organized by the Office of Environmental Response and Coordination (OERC) under the Office of the President in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) National Commission.

The workshop at the Palau International Coral Reef Center (PICRC), brought together for the first time representatives from the islands involved in the inter-regional initiative, Small Islands Voice, which included Seychelles in the Indian Ocean, Cook Islands and Samoa in the South Pacific, Colombia, St. Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Puerto Rico in the Caribbean, Australia, France and Palau.

The Workshop gave the participants the opportunity to learn about the lifestyles of people in the different regions, and to exchange information both formally and informally.

Among the workshop participants were: Bruce Gray and Maarameta Murare (Cook Islands), June-Marie Mow (Colombia), Alain De Comarmond, Sabrina Marie, and Matthew Servina (Seychelles), Lornette Hanley, Samal Duggins, Dauna Manchester (St. Kitts and Nevis), Herman Belmar (St. Vincent and the Grenadines), Gillian Cambers (Puerto Rico), Karen Malone (Australia), Bronwen Marks and Dirk Troost (France), Hans Thulstrup (Samoa), Joe Aitaro, Joe Chilton, Tarita Holm and Tiare Holm (Palau).

Workshop presenter Dr. Karen Malone provided the participants some insights from the UNESCO Growing up in Cities (GUIC) project, in particular, the lessons learnt from their fieldwork with children, youth and communities. In her report, Dr. Malone touched on two important concerns: understanding participation and representation with two sub-issues - a sense of personal competence and expectations of the culture, and participatory methods.

Seychelles representatives reported on their activities undertaken in 2002 such as the work of the Steering Committee, Presentation on the Environmental Management Plan to District Administrators, Small Islands Voice Workshop with Youth Workers, Meeting with the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Youth, participation in the Islands of the World Conference, Seychelles Youth Conference 2002, National Workshop on Sustainable Development among others. Representatives from the Cook Islands likewise reported on their activities in 2002. Some of them were public meetings on Environment Bill, Cook Islands Environmental Rangers Activities, Surveys undertaken in the Outer Islands, Recycling Activities, Adopt-A-Beach/Coastal Clean-up, Commonwealth Youth Award, Preparation for Manea Games Sports Field and Model Youth Forum.

Participants from the San Andres Archipelago presented their proposals for Small Islands Voice entitled 'Small Islands Voice Activities in 2003'. Herman Belmar from Bequia presented the Bequian view on Small Islands Voice.

Palau's Tiare Holm, Joe Chilton, Tarita Holma and Joe Aitaro presented an overview of Small Islands Voice activities conducted in Palau since October 2002. Some of the activities were the SIV Youth Forum, SIV Global Forum, SIV Inter-regional workshop, and survey of 1% of Palau's population. Palau likewise suggested SIV activities for 2003 such as Youth Newsletter, Community Visioning, SIV Pacific Newsletter/Magazine, continue Global and Youth Forum, bring youth reps from SIV sites together, and SIV Regional Newsletter/Magazine.

An interactive session explored ways in which media (print, radio, television and Internet providers) can participate in Small Islands Voice. The session was divided into two panel sessions, panel one on working with the print media by Tia Belau publisher Moses Uludong with PDN, Palau Horizon, and Print Zone. Panel two on working with radio with KRFM, Alfonso Diaz and RARE Center.

The workshop participants were taken to Melekeok State to have a first-hand look at the Compact Road and the Capitol Relocation Project which are current topics of discussion among members of Small Islands Voice.

Tia Belau, November 24, 2002