Press Release
Island Innovation Ambassadors 2022
Island Innovation, an international social enterprise, has announced this year’s Island Innovation Ambassadors, a network of islanders from across the globe, including the ambassador, Sir Chris Edeh from Nigeria. These new members empower islands by communicating and developing creative solutions to shared challenges. The program gives Ambassadors the chance to ensure that the voices of their island communities are heard on the world stage.
Sir Chris Edeh has over 20 years of experience in sustainability, innovation, and leadership strategies in Africa. Chris is a leading voice in Nigeria’s renewable energy sector. In addition, he sits on various boards including the UNEP task force on endangered species and the Director global Partnership at the Africa Sustainable Energy Association (AFSEA).
The Ambassadors will serve as bridges between their communities, connecting distant islands to ignite conversations about complex and evolving issues. These issues include food security, pollution, loss of biodiversity, and climate change adaptation. Ambassadors will serve as representatives for a diverse range of island communities across the globe, ranging from Prince Edward Island (Canada) to Ile Boulay (Côte d’Ivoire) to St. Lucia to Žirje (Croatia) to Hawai’i to Jamaica to Hainan (China). They will partner with and amplify the voices of politicians, entrepreneurs, innovators, activists and community leaders. The ambassador network allows for the global exchange of knowledge and expertise without geographic limitations and encourages collaboration.
Island Ambassadors have the potential to form a bridge between their local community and a wider audience, which will prevent a sense of isolation in relation to the global evolutions that impact our collective future. Ensuring consistent interaction with community members will catalyse the development of innovative solutions to shared challenges, and drive meaningful, long-lasting, sustainable change across various sectors. This, in turn, will craft a more resilient and sustainable future.
The Island Innovation Ambassadors will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of training programs which will be organized over the course of their tenure. These sessions will focus on topics such as climate financing, project management, public relations, sustainable tourism and building a sustainable business. The highlight of the Ambassador Program is considered to be the Virtual Island Summit, which takes place at the end of September and into the beginning of October. This is when the Ambassadors will have the chance to set up their local hubs, thus providing a platform to facilitate global conversation with members of their community.
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.”
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.
For further inquiries, please contact:
Isabel Godoy | Ambassador Coordinator
Project & Account Manager at Island Innovation
Contact email: isabel@islandinnovation.co
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