Small Islands Voice (SIV)

Among the intersectoral projects promoted by the Coastal Regions and Small Islands (CSI) Platform is Small Islands Voice (SIV). The focus is on sustainable living and development activities at the local level through 'Communities in Action', and sharing of these experiences interregionally via exchanges and the media: print, radio, video, television and the internet. In this regard, the SIV Global Internet forum and SIV Youth Internet Forum are instrumental in providing islanders with a place to speak and act.

For example, since the Mauritius International Meeting of January 2005, a number of the correspondents of the Small Islands Voice discussion forum (some 40,000 individuals connected) have raised issues related to 'national and regional enabling environments', provoking considerable discussion.

• Communities planning their future, February-March 2005
• Freshwater supplies in small islands, April-June 2005
• Sustainable development in small islands, June-August 2005
• Renewable energy and coconut oil, August-November 2005
• Viability of very small islands, November 2005-February 2006

Providing mechanisms whereby islands from different regions can work together on related initiatives is one of the related goals of SIV. For example, islands in the Pacific, Indian Ocean and Caribbean have separately been pursuing community visioning (planning) initiatives whereby communities lead the way in determining the future development of their neighbourhoods. It is planned to share the outcomes of these visioning initiatives during a SIV-sponsored session on 'Island Communities Embracing Sustainable Development', at the IX Islands of the World Conference (University of Hawai'i/Maui Community College, 31 July-2 August 2006).