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Description:
This session reviews the ‘development’ opportunities of (small) islands, and how innovation can work its way through each significant economic activity: from remittances and ‘rents’ to tourism and finance. Jurisdictional powers are a huge asset in this perennial challenge. Godfrey Baldacchino comes from Malta, the world’s 10th smallest country by land area, with very limited natural resources; yet despite (or, perhaps, because of?) this, it is currently the fastest growing economy in the European Union. Kate Brown is the Director of the Global Islands Partnership (GLISPA) working to help island collaborate internationally.
Session Speakers:
Kate Brown is the Executive Director of the Global Island Partnership, a platform that enables island leaders and their supporters to take action to build resilient and sustainable island communities. Kate is a passionate advocate for islands and has extensive experience in all island regions globally, and brings an extensive network of island leaders, blue sky thinkers and people dedicated to supporting islands. She brings varied experiences: working inside government, nonprofits and intergovernmental organizations as well as a keen sense of the most important elements of the international policy setting space relevant to islands as well as what is needed for implementation to happen. Kate is originally from New Zealand, lived for 8 years in Samoa and now resides in Washington D.C. with her family.Dagmara Avanindra is an accomplished engineer, technologist and sustainability expert who has dedicated her career to creating more accessible, affordable and sustainable energy solutions – particularly in the Caribbean region.
She founded DAVA Energy Solutions, based in Aruba, with a wholistic approach of delivering scalable clean energy solutions by working with utilities, IPPs, regulators, governments and knowledge centers, which ultimately results in executed utility scale energy projects.
Avanindra serves on several boards including board member of Solar Head of State, Oakland, Calif.; chairman of 360o of Innovation, Aruba; and board member of LABACA – Latvian American Business Association of California.
She gained a better understanding of the Caribbean region by first working for the former Prime Minister of Aruba, Mike Eman, in the Bureau of Innovation and Sustainability. Avanindra has a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering – Circuit Design from Stanford University where she graduated with honors.
She founded DAVA Energy Solutions, based in Aruba, with a wholistic approach of delivering scalable clean energy solutions by working with utilities, IPPs, regulators, governments and knowledge centers, which ultimately results in executed utility scale energy projects.
Avanindra serves on several boards including board member of Solar Head of State, Oakland, Calif.; chairman of 360o of Innovation, Aruba; and board member of LABACA – Latvian American Business Association of California.
She gained a better understanding of the Caribbean region by first working for the former Prime Minister of Aruba, Mike Eman, in the Bureau of Innovation and Sustainability. Avanindra has a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering – Circuit Design from Stanford University where she graduated with honors.
Kate Brown
Executive Director at Global Island Partnership
Godfrey Baldacchino is a Maltese and Canadian social scientist. He is Pro-Rector and Professor of Sociology at the University of Malta and also the UNESCO Co-Chair in Island Studies and Sustainability at the University of Prince Edward Island, Canada. He is former Director of the Centre for Labour Studies at the University of Malta and is the current chairman of its board. He has provided consultancy to the Malta Prime Minister and various other Ministers and was elected President of the International Small Islands Studies Association in 2014 and Chair of the Scientific Board of RETI, the Network of Island Universities, in 2015. He set up Island Studies Journal, which he edited from 2006 to 2017. Baldacchino has served as visiting professor to tertiary education institutions in Australia, Barbados, Fiji, Iceland, Mauritius, Seychelles and Sweden and is a prolific author on island topics.
Godfrey Baldacchino
Professor & Pro-Rector at the University of Malta
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The Global Islands Partnership (GLISPA) is led by the Presidents of Palau and Seychelles, Prime Minister of Grenada and Premier of the British Virgin Islands, with a mission to promote action to build resilient and sustainable island communities by inspiring leadership, catalyzing commitments and facilitating collaboration for all islands. Since its launch in 2006, GLISPA has engaged high-level leaders to catalyze US$150 million for island action and assisted 35+ countries to launch or strengthen major sustainable island commitments. GLISPA now has more than 30 members and 37 friends as part of its island resilience movement.
