HARBOR VIEW:--- The Social Economic Council (SER) will be hosting a symposium on Thursday afternoon, October 12th, 2023 at the Belair Community Center. The theme of the symposium is “Protect and Preserve Our Paradise, Sint Maarten’s Ecological Treasures Unveiled”. With this symposium, the SER has chosen to focus on the social and environmental impact and well-being of the community. The event will commence at 1 pm and conclude at 5.15 pm.
The SER is honored to present keynote speaker Professor Ellen van Bueren, a full-time professor from the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment of Delft University of Technology who is part of the Islanders at the Helm programme, international speaker Mr. Martyn Forde, founder and director of the climate-resilience regenerative design-focused consultancy - Future in Nature Synergies Inc. Guest speaker Mr. Denicio Wyatte, founder of Spaceless Gardens and guest speaker Mr. Benjamin Ortega, ESG Manager of Port Sint Maarten.
After the keynote, international, and guest speaker’s address, an interactive toolbox session will ensue, facilitated by various representatives of our community, which will conclude with an “Ask the Experts” exchange in which the experts will address the various questions and comments arising from the toolbox session.
The objective of the symposium is to bring together experts, policymakers, non-governmental organizations, other stakeholders, and the general public to deliberate on the pressing ecological concerns, that require our collective attention for the sustainable development of our nation. The symposium aims to increase awareness of sustainable urban development, biodiversity, climate change, the environmental, social, and governance (ESGs) whilst gathering potential solutions to adapt and mitigate the negative effects of the aforementioned. It is the intention that each attendee leaves the symposium equipped with knowledge and feeling empowered to take inspired action, individual or collective, towards becoming a more resilient nation.
