Local media to attend special UNESCO meeting

By Bert David, Photojournalist

Local media houses here in St. Kitts will attend a special meeting today February 6, with United Nation Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) representatives as part of a unique project undertaken by the St. Kitts and Nevis National Commission for UNECSO entitled "Small Islands'Voice 2004" (SIV'04).

Representatives from the St. Kitts-Nevis Observer, Labour Spokesman, The Democrat, The Daily Herald, ZIZ Radio and Television, Sugar City Rock Radio, Goodwill Radio, Choice FM Radio, Radio One St. Kitts and Liamuiga Television will be informed on the initiative that seeks to overcome the isolation of small islands by building capacity and strengthening modes of internal, regional and inter-regional communication.

A team of two (2) UNESCO consultants made up of Ms. Gillian Chambers and Ms. Claire Green, will address the media officials at the Ministry of Education, Conference Room, Cayon Street, Basseterre, where they will explain and listen to ideas about the initiative which was launched from three (3) small islands in the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and Pacific regions; namely, St. Kitts and Nevis; the Seychelles (Indian Ocean) and an Island to be identified in the Pacific region.

The project directive is to compile islanders' views and opinions on environment-development issues at the local level through community-initiated activities such as questionnaire surveys supported by radio, television and print media. These views will be synthesised, prioritised and further discussed among a larger audience through internet-based national discussion.

The initiative started in January 2002 and will conclude in December 2003 and will ensure islanders that their views are included in the 10-year review of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS), adopted in Barbados in 1994. Continued dialogue will be initiated at the grassroots level, and supported by existing media and disseminated nationally and regionally by internet-based discussion fora.

Meetings were held with persons chosen to conduct the questionnaire survey yesterday Tuesday, February 5, and further meetings will be held in Nevis tomorrow (Thursday). Persons involved will conduct a trial exercise with the questionnaires resulting in a debriefing meeting on Friday to review the results and assess the workability of survey.

Further meetings will also be held with the St. Kitts-Nevis Government Press and Public Relations Department, SKNIS, St. Kitts Environment Department and Nevis Historical and Conservation Society.

SOURCE: The Labour Spokesman, 6 February 2002