From Samoa to across the Pacific islands region, over 50 students for the first time participated in the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme’s (SPREP) virtual Open Day on 16 June this year at the SPREP Campus in Samoa to celebrate the 28th Anniversary of the signing of the SPREP Treaty in 1993.
College level and university students from American Samoa, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu took part in the SPREP Open Day virtual event joining SPREP staff and university and school students from Samoa.
“It was great to see so many students and participants tuning into the virtual station and participate in the virtual tour of SPREP from their home countries,” said Mr Christian Slaven, Information Technology Manager at SPREP.
“We’ve always wanted to host a virtual event for our Member countries in our biennial Open Days, however the internet challenges we face in the Pacific islands have always made it difficult. Adjusting to a COVID-19 work mode has seen vast progress in this area.”
SPREP Open Days are a tradition for the environmental organisation. Over the years it has opened its doors to students, teachers, the diplomatic community, and the general public in Samoa. Through this, visitors learn more about the work of SPREP and our Pacific environment issues.
The virtual event provided the opportunity for students from across the Pacific to be part of this event. An invitation was sent out to Pacific Members, institutions, and networks to join in on the open day virtually, and over 50 participants answered the call.
This online event launched the Virtual Library of SPREP and presentations on the various online knowledge portals that are hosted by SPREP specifically the Pacific Climate Change Portal, Protected Areas Portal, the Pacific Environment Portal, and the Pacific State of Environment and Conservation webpage which contain important key information useful for students’ tertiary studies and research work. The virtual event also included a tour of the SPREP Campus viewing series of different activities showcasing the work of SPREP.
“In adapting to the impacts of COVID-19, SPREP Secretariat and Members have had to rapidly upgrade our technology and find ways to secure good internet through local network providers,” said Mr Slaven.
“The SPREP Open Day virtual event is definitely a demonstration of how much we have progressed in terms of technology use in our region to be able to work remotely and be more inclusive of participants virtually due to national borders being closed.” Usually in the past, the Open Day is open to local schools in Samoa, but this year, with technology and internet connectivity, it has made it possible for students from other Members of SPREP to join virtually and be part of the SPREP Open Day.
For 28 years, SPREP continues to be the leading regional organisation charged with the protection of the Pacific environment, working to realise a resilient Pacific environment which sustains Pacific people’s livelihoods in harmony with their cultures and natural heritage.
Mr Slaven also acknowledged his SPREP colleagues from other Pacific islands who helped make the virtual station a success: “We’d like to thank our colleagues based at our regional SPREP offices in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu for coordinating the virtual event within their respective countries and in ensuring the participation of tertiary students from their countries, and also acknowledging the participants from American Samoa. This is the first of many more similar events in the future as we continue to grow our virtual capacity at SPREP and look forward to many more participants from Pacific Members in the next SPREP Open Day.”
The SPREP Open Day took place on 16 June bringing together over 150 visitors to the SPREP Campus in Samoa, with an additional 50 joining the event virtually to bring the total participants to over 200. The virtual event was one of the main features of the SRPEP Open Day activities.
For more information on SPREP and its 28th anniversary celebration Open Day, or other queries, please contact our team at [email protected].