“I think what’s happening here is the genesis of ideas, a genesis of new ways of thinking.”
[dropcap2]T[/dropcap2]he weeklong Small Island Developing States (SIDS) conference in Apia, Sāmoa, brought people together from far and wide to talk about how durable partnerships can help everyone move forward.
“Well I think the exciting thing is that it’s not actually just Polynesians; it’s Polynesians, and people from the Indian Ocean, from the Caribbean Ocean, the north Pacific, sharing together what are the things working for them. No one has all of the solutions. But I think what we believe in in our partnership is that if we start piecing that together, we’re going to get somewhere,” said Kate Brown of the Global Island Partnership (GLISPA).
[pullquote]“It’s Polynesians, and people from the Indian Ocean, from the Caribbean Ocean, the north Pacific, sharing together what are the things working for them.”[/pullquote]
Moving forward is exactly what the Island Bright Spot Exchange (sponsored by GLISPA) intends to do.
Hōkūleʻa crew members were there to talk about voyaging alongside groups on green energy, leadership, and food security. All involved were interested to see how voyaging fits into a worldview that may be useful to everyone, not just those who live on islands.
“I think what’s happening here is the genesis of ideas, a genesis of new ways of thinking, brand new worldviews from the islanders’ perspective who’ve seen it from the island and its relationship to the oceans. That is because our Earth is only one island in this immense ocean of space. But it’s the only we’ve got that has life.”
Join the movement now by taking the pledge for One Ocean: One Island Earth.