Executive director of the Kensington North Watersheds Association Barry Murray gives his presentation as one of 24 Island community-based groups that work closely with citizens in their communities on watershed issues at the Building Community Resilience Conference: Innovation, Culture, and Governance in Place at the Slemon Park Hotel on Friday afternoon.
The four-day conference began in Summerside on Sept. 16, and brought people together from multiple countries to discuss communities and learn from the experiences of others.
Jennings, a lecturer at the Centre for Nordic Studies in the University of Highlands and Islands in Shetland, gave a presentation on a campaign run by the Scottish Islands during the time of the Scottish independence referendum in 2014 for more influence and power over decision-making.
“It was a successful campaign, and now there’s an island minister in the Scottish Government, and there will be an island bill coming out soon, which will enshrine a lot of new responsibilities and powers for the islands in Scottish government.”
Friday marked the one-year anniversary of the referendum.
“We voted no to independence,” he said. “I hope people feel it is a very timely exploration of Scottish identity and island identity.”
The Institute of Island Studies invited Jennings to the 10th North Atlantic Forum and the 27th Annual Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation Conference.
“I’m here for three weeks and I’ll be giving seminars to the students (at UPEI). I’m also talking to the Vinland Society of P.E.I. on the Vikings in Shetland.”
He said it’s important for people from different island and rural communities to come together, learn from each other, and discuss networking opportunities.
“It’s been a great honour to be here, and I’m thoroughly enjoying experiencing another beautiful island,” he added.
Laurie Brinklow, chair of the Building Community Resilience Conference and co-ordinator of the Institute of Island Studies at UPEI, said the events have been going “extremely well.”
“Everybody is so excited to be talking with likeminded individuals about communities and what lessons they can bring from their own communities. They’re talking about culture, people being attached to their place, and how that feeds into building community resilience.”
The first North Atlantic Forum Conference was held in Charlottetown in 1998, and Summerside was chosen for 2015 because of the ways it demonstrates resilience from losing the shipbuilding and fox farming industries, and the Canadian Forces Base closing, she explained.
“The importance of this conference is bringing people together to share lessons. It’s an opportunity for people from all sectors of society to talk to one another. Something they’re doing in British Columbia might be applicable here or what they’re doing in Norway might be applicable to Newfoundland.”
About 170 people attended the conference.
“It’s so much fun bringing people together. We learn more about ourselves by looking through the eyes of other people.”
