OECS climate change symposium to held in St. Lucia

Coastline of Dennery in St. Lucia
Coastline of Dennery in St. Lucia

Civil society and government representatives from OECS Member States will on Wednesday share their issues regarding climate change as well as discuss ways of strengthening support for OECS negotiators at the global climate change process in Paris 2015 later this year.

The activity to be held in Saint Lucia is a climate change symposium guided by the theme: Climate change matters to me and to you.

The one day activity at the Alliance Francais building in Castries will also hear of the level of awareness and participation by civil society on climate change and its relevance to them.

Presentations by focal points are expected to highlight the outcomes of efforts undertaken in OECS countries in support of stakeholder engagement in the Working Partnership of Climate Change (WPPC) 2015 work programme.

The climate change symposium is in collaboration with partners including fisherfolk organisations, tourism groups and youth networks.

In 2015, the OECS Commission in partnership with the Embassy of France to the OECS formed an alliance to allow for the inclusion of greater civil society voices at the upcoming global climate change negotiation (COP 21) scheduled to take place in Paris in December of this year. In the same year the Working Partnership of Climate Change was launched comprising of a nominated representative from each of the OECS Member States along with donor partners.

The general purpose of the WPPC are as follows:
1. To provide a platform for information exchange among Member States of the OECS and European partners on issues relating to climate change;
2. To support the process of engagement to allow for active participation of OECS Member States in Paris 2015; and
3. To facilitate a programme of sensitization among civil society on climate change issues with a view to supplying information and securing input in the development of national and regional negotiating positions.

As part of the work programme, feedback, input and discussion from civil society are given priority and in this regard, a symposium is seen as an excellent medium to achieve this aim which includes: bringing greater awareness of the global diplomatic process of UNFCCC AND COP 21; and to solicit views and garner feedback from the targeted group to empower the negotiators in reflecting the Caribbean and SIDS realities at COP 21.

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11 Comments

  1. sailsbury farmer
    July 14, 2015

    Why dont we have a Symposium on the bad British Education our kids are receiving at the University of the Westindes to be Civil servants working for Governments and other people instead of being the job creators. Who are the ones pushing climate change like a Religion . We should be talking about feeding our selves, and producing what we need to eat.

    • Francisco Telemaque
      July 16, 2015

      Mr. Farmer, what are you saying?

      If it is one thing we can say about the British, is that wherever they colonized, they Educated their subjects! The people of the Caribbean who are educated at the UWI are better educated academically than any of those who went to the so called University’s in Cuba, China, Morocco and Venezuela.

      First of all there were little or no medical malpractice in our country when the doctors who practice there were trained in Ireland, England and the University of the West Indies. People did not walk into the P. M. hospital, and came out foot first stiff like a steal rod! I know for a fact the State of California recognized degrees from the UWI, whereas degrees earned by Dominicans in Cuba, China Morocco, and Venezuela are only good in Dominica, and the place of their origin, they can’t work with that degree any other place except Dominica.

      More than 45% of Chines students Study abroad: England and the majority in the United States. They return to…

      • Francisco Telemaque
        July 16, 2015

        They return to China and use their knowledge gained in America, and Britain to develop all sorts of technology, they do not come here to study medicine they are into high science, and technology.

        Very often, you hear somebody in Dominica say “I want to go and further my education.” When you ask them what they want to become? Ans: ” I want to come a doctor we ” or some other medico crap! Technology, and higher science is not in the plan of those who go to Cuba to study. Their ambition is to return, and work for the government. When last have you heard anybody in Dominica say they are in college or university majoring in business? When Dominicans talk about business they are talking about a selling sugar, salt fish and rum; maybe that is why Skerrit have them doing intern in rum shop!

        Let us take Fontaine as an example, the man is an economist living in Dominica, the only way he could use his profession is if it is needed in some part of the government, I doubt he can use that…

      • Francisco Telemaque
        July 16, 2015

        The only way he could use his profession is if it is needed in some part of the government, I doubt he can use that in any Bank in the country, hence his alternative is going into politics!

        I have a nephew who is a computer engineer, trained in Cuba, instead of him utilizing that knowledge into something revolving around computer, be it in the development of software, or computer hardware, he prefers to be employed in a bank in Antigua supporting their computer system.

        He should be in business for himself, and perhaps employ a hundred or more people!

  2. %
    July 14, 2015

    By looking at the coastline of Dennery in the picture, I must state that, the planning division in the OECS need to step up.p REFUSE to grant building permission to those who want to build within a few feet from the sea. It has not happened in the Caribbean, but tsunami and tidal waves are real, and have killed and can kill people in profusion.For those who have built, money may have to be diverted from social services,agriculture, manufacturing, to secure the coastline for them.
    I see the same thing happening here on island, and I wonder if we REALLY HAVE A PLANNING DIVISION,! MADNESS!

    • NKRUMAH KWAME
      July 14, 2015

      A word of correction: the Caribbean region has been affected by tsunamis and tidal waves some 400 years ago in the second half of the 18th century. The island of Hispanolia, now Haiti and the Dominican Republic, was severely damaged. Guidance.
      HOTEP!

      • %
        July 14, 2015

        Point taken!
        THANKS!

    • Fr. Franklyn Cuffy,
      July 14, 2015

      I am delighted that this symposium is taking place in the OECS. at this time.

      Here in Dominica, plans are being made to bring together all concern about Climate Change for a similar study, as part of activities in observation of World Rivers Day carded for the last Sunday of September, (Sept. 27, 2015) This workshop will be held at the Holy Redeemer Retreat House from 22 to 25 September.

      Posted by
      Fr. Franklyn Cuffy
      River Advocate

    • LawieBawie
      July 18, 2015

      @ %. This pattern of spatial development which you see in St. Lucia, Dominica and other islands of the Caribbean is in most cases the result of topography and the associated lack of developable land in the interior of the islands. Because these islands are so mountainous, they have a feature called coastal shelves which is in most cases a very narrow band of flat land right on the coast. Often these are utilized for development because it is quite difficult to develop the more mountainous areas, and because they are so narrow, adequate setback from the high water mark is not always possible. it is very likely however that even with greater setbacks from the ocean, most coastal homes would be lucky to survive a tsunami as these waves contain very high energy and can travel over a mile inland in flat areas.

  3. Titiwi
    July 14, 2015

    Can we at least be told who will be representing Dominica if it is not a state secret? Thank you.

    • Time alone
      July 14, 2015

      I was wondering the same thing. Who will be representing DA.

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