PHILIPSBURG:--- Island Innovation, an international social enterprise, has announced this year's Island Innovation Ambassadors, a network of islanders from across the globe, including Ambassador Stuart Johnson from St.Maarten. These new members empower islands by communicating and developing creative solutions to shared challenges.
The Ambassadors will serve as bridges between their communities, connecting distant islands to ignite conversations about complex and evolving issues. Ambassadors will serve as representatives for island communities across the globe, ranging from St.Maarten to Öland (Sweden) to Fiji to Jamaica to Hawai’i to Tierra del Fuego (Chile). They will partner with and amplify the voices of politicians, entrepreneurs, innovators, activists, and community leaders. The ambassador network allows for global exchange in expertise without geographic limitation and encourages collaboration.
Johnson stated, "Island Innovation serves as a platform to foster a connection for diverse stakeholders from island communities, regardless of size, political status or location. Islands often face similar challenges to one another but are forced to tackle them separately due to barriers created by distance, language, and culture. The Island Innovation Ambassador program allows for cohesion, collaboration, and idea-sharing from our ambassadors’ unique perspective while exchanging best practices.”
The Ambassadors will collaborate towards creating a successful Virtual Island Summit, which will be held online from September 6-12, 2021, and anticipates over 10,000 island stakeholders in attendance. 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.
James Ellsmoor, Island Innovation founder, commented: "The Island Innovation ambassadors play an incredibly important role in transmitting sustainable innovations between island communities and sharing best practices. This year’s ambassador cohort is incredibly passionate about economic and environmental issues facing islands, international cooperation, and sustainable development. We are thrilled to have Stuart Johnson representing St. Maarten”
Johnson added, “It is truly an honor becoming an ambassador and presenting our country as I look forward to encouraging and supporting more ambassadors to join from St. Maarten next year.”
Island Innovation brings together the private sector, government, utilities, NGOs, and universities to advance innovation for sustainability and prosperity in islands worldwide. For more information, visit the Island Innovation Website. To find more information about Ambassadors in your community, visit Ambassador Page.
