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Island Innovation, an international social enterprise, has announced this year’s 140 Virtual Island Summit Ambassadors, a network of islanders from across the globe, including an Ambassador from Dominica- Ms. Sapphire Vital.<\/p>\n
These are the new members of its international network that empowers islands by collaborating on creative solutions to shared challenges. The Ambassadors will collaborate towards creating a successful Virtual Island Summit, which will be held online from September 7-13th and anticipates 10,000 island stakeholders in attendance.<\/p>\n
The Ambassadors will serve as bridges between their communities, connecting distant islands to ignite conversations about these complex and evolving issues throughout the event.<\/p>\n
Ambassadors will serve as representatives for island communities across the globe, ranging from Dominica to \u00d6land (Sweden) to Fiji to Jamaica to Hawai\u2019i to Tierra del Fuego (Chile).<\/p>\n
They will partner with and amplify the voices of politicians, entrepreneurs, innovators, activists and community leaders.<\/p>\n
The ambassador network allows for global exchange in expertise without geographic limitation, and look for opportunities to collaborate with each other.<\/p>\n
Sapphire Vital will be working with this global team to create a successful Virtual Island Summit, which will be held online, September 7-13th and anticipates 10,000 island stakeholders participating from all over the world.<\/p>\n
In the face of emerging worldwide crises such as climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, the spirit of international problem-solving fostered by the Virtual Island Summit is more critical than ever.<\/p>\n
Sapphire Vital is passionate about climate action to safeguard Small Island Developing States- particularly through renewable energy deployment and resilient infrastructure development.<\/p>\n
As a young professional, she aspires to influence climate compatible development policy in the Caribbean.<\/p>\n
Working towards this goal, she is a recent graduate from the University of Oxford with an MSc in Environmental Change and Management. During her time at Oxford, she was engaged as a researcher with a United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)- University of Oxford consortium to conduct research on sustainable infrastructure development in St. Lucia.<\/p>\n
She served as part of the development team for an infrastrucure modelling program and devised low-carbon development strategies which contributed to UNOPS\u2019 national infrastructure assessment for the Government of St. Lucia.<\/p>\n
She hopes to extend her expertise to advance sustainable development in Dominica.<\/p>\n
Sapphire Vital commented: “Connectivity and knowledge sharing often create perfect breeding grounds for the solutions we need to drive development forward environmentally, economically, and socially.<\/p>\n
While we are often regarded as vulnerable islands in constant need of aid, I believe that islands have immense potential to shine in the global community as incubators of innovation and models of best practices.<\/p>\n
I am honored to be a part of this movement through Island Innovation representing Dominica alongside such a diverse and inspiring group of Ambassadors.\u201d<\/p>\n
James Ellsmoor, Island Innovation founder, commented: “The Virtual Island Summit seeks to build digital bridges between island communities around the world, regardless of size, political status, or location.<\/p>\n
Islands often face similar challenges to one another but are forced to tackle them separately due to barriers created by distance, language, and culture.<\/p>\n
This is all possible due to the hard work and dedication of our ambassadors, who provide a unique perspective into their communities.<\/p>\n
We are extremely happy that Dominica is represented by Sapphire Vital.\u201d Island Innovation brings together the private sector, government, utilities, NGOs and universities to advance innovation for sustainability and prosperity in islands worldwide.<\/p>\n