The Island Innovation Chief Executive Officer James Ellsmoor and community engagement manager Stacey Alvarez de la Campa officially welcomed the 2023 cohorts of the Ambassador program last Friday during the long weekend in commemoration of the 37th year of the People Power Revolution.
The meeting agenda during the first meet-up last February 24 included an introduction with the Island Innovation CEO and community engagement manager. The background of Island Innovation was given and the journey of ambassador was charted for the next three quarters. Then it was followed by the available tools and guide to online communication platforms like slack, whatsapp and zoom. Before the session ended, there was a networking with groups of 4 to 6 through breakout rooms which enable participants and new ambassador to get to know others.
According to Island Innovation CEO, “our mission is to support islands worldwide by giving global visibility and connections to shared solutions for a more sustainability and resilient futures. Moreover, Ellsmoor underscored “our vision is to be the go-to source of inspiration and guidance for organizations looking to make a positive impact in island communities.”
Based on the Island Innovation website, there are more than 400 ambassadors, 113 countries represented and 243 islands represented. The ambassador program is yearlong which has four key phases: first quarter – joining the program and creating connections; second quarter – planning island hubs and online campaigns; third quarter – getting opportunity to participate in the virtual island summit; and fourth quarter – gaining visibility and recognition for the community.
De la Campa emphasized content creation, local events and opportunities to speak. In particular, the topics covered during the whole duration of the program is not limited to the following: sustainable development in islands; becoming an impactful change maker; climate finance; communication as a tool for social transformation; climate justice; the blue economy and the orange economy; networking & community building; equity and inclusivity in sustainable development; hosting a local event as part of the virtual island summit and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 28).
