At CDF Workshop, International Experts Take Cultural Approach to Island Sustainability
2010-10-19
The Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) hosted the second in its series of international workshops on Island Sustainability held 28-30 September in Puerto Ayora on the theme of “Cultural Identity and Sustainable Lifestyles in Galápagos.” Over a dozen expert panelists from islands around the world shared socio-historical background and development experiences with local participants including numerous residents together with representatives from a range of Galápagos public and private agencies, and NGOs.
The workshop opened with commentary by four Galápagos citizens. Mr. Mathias Espinosa, a Galapagos National Park (GNP) naturalist guide from Isabela Island, stated that his close interaction with nature allowed him to better understand and preserve it. He expressed a need to broaden such awareness throughout Galapagos society. Second generation galapagueño, Mr. Max Freire, president of the Floreana Island Parish Council; and Mr. Whitman Cox, a GNP naturalist guide and Galápagos native of San Cristóbal Island, both shared childhood memories of life in these islands. Originally from Italy, Mr. Ermanno Zecchetini, a long-time Isabela resident, emphatically stated that no matter one’s place of birth or how long one has been here, Galápagos belongs to everyone who cherishes these islands.
In debates on the existence, or not, of a Galápagos Island culture, workshop participants emphasized that culture is dynamic and diverse and adapts to both internal and external forces, all clearly identified in Galápagos society, particularly as a result of the tourism boom of the past decade. Dr. Christophe Grenier, head of CDF Social Sciences, noted that due to the major geographic opening to global processes, creating an island culture in Galápagos is extremely challenging. Mr. Fabian Zapata, president of the Galápagos Governing Council, indicated that the vast majority of residents are self-described economic migrants who, although drawing from the diversity of cultures on the Ecuadoran mainland, are transplanting to this fragile island ecosystem a culture of aspiration for a better life. This population sector, combined with the smaller segment of residents from various countries around the world, led Dr. J. Gabriel López, CDF Executive Director, to note that: “It is a major challenge to develop a shared vision for the common good among such a diverse community, but it is essential if we are to achieve a sustainable Galapagos.”
From Fiji, Mr. Etika Rupeni, coordinator of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Pacific Islands Roundtable for Nature Conservation, emphasized adaptive management strategies to unify the development efforts of both traditional and contemporary government institutions as a key element for effective cultural and environmental preservation. Dr. Stefanos Dodouras, of the Mediterranean Institute for Nature and Anthropos, related experiences from the Greek island of Lemnos. He suggested that the establishment of small business enterprises provides greater benefits to island economies compared to the operations of large multinational companies.
Panelists Dr. Aroha Te Pareake Mead, dean at the Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand and IUCN Commissioner; and Dr. Kapua Sproat, law professor at the University of Hawai’i, both descendants of ancient indigenous Pacific Island cultures that were shattered by European colonization, described efforts to reclaim and restore core elements of their respective island cultural traditions while preserving the natural environment.
Dr. Francisca Massardo, of the Omora Ethno-Botanic Park in Chile’s highly-threatened Cape Horn Archipelago, presented an eco-tourism model that values local cultural and biodiversity and also couples science with education. Labeled “Tourism with a Hand Lens,” Omora visitors stroll nature trails using magnifying glasses to observe the miniscule lichens and mosses that form some of the highest concentrations and species diversity recorded for such plant life.
Hailing from Scotland’s Orkney Islands, Dr. Sandy Kerr, of Heriot-Watt University, exhorted workshop participants to focus on quality versus quantity. He stated that all islands on Earth covet the globally-recognized brand that is Galápagos. Dr. Kerr counseled that by creatively capitalizing on this cachet through the development of select high-quality goods and services rather than an abundance of commonplace offerings, Galápagos could assure its path to a sustainable future.
The initial CDF Island Sustainability workshop, entitled “Island Sustainability in a Globalized World,” was conducted in March. Future events will take up such themes as tourism, water and waste management, urban planning, energy and transport, climate change, and food security.
This information was taking from Darin Foundation website.
