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© 2025 Island Innovation. All rights reserved.

    News

    Curated stories and analysis from islands and sustainability leaders worldwide.

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    Showing 9 of 124 news items in Connectivity & Digitization
    A perilous journey to save lives
    Connectivity & DigitizationMay 10, 2024

    A perilous journey to save lives

    Photo courtesy:  UNICEF Pacific/2024/Herwig. Retrieved from reliefweb.int On a small island 180km from the capital city of Tonga lives 60-year-old Ilaisaane Fahamokioa, fondly known as sister Saane, and for her this is routine. Based at King Tupou Hospital on Ha’apai, Saane and her team are responsible for delivering lifesaving vaccines to the some of the most remote island communities of Tonga. Saane brings with her over 40 years of experience and determination to provide essential healthcare services to every person in the 13 island communities that fall under her care. The quest to reach every child requires unmatched strength and commitment, as Saane and her team embark on eight-day rotations that take them around the Ha’apai group of islands. On their usual rotation, their journey begins at the dock at the main island in Lifuka District. From Lifuka, the nurses begin the 80km sea journey to the furthest district of Nomuka. This is followed by a Ha’afeva, Uiha and Kao District.

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    From Dominica to Vogue: Big dreams on a small island
    Connectivity & DigitizationApril 25, 2024

    From Dominica to Vogue: Big dreams on a small island

    Photo: Brianna Rowe. Retrieved from news.un.org Small island developing States (SIDS) often benefit from good weather, sandy beaches and lush countryside, attracting large numbers of tourists, particularly from the United States and Europe, seeking to escape the gloomy winter months. But, growing up in these countries can be hard: opportunities are few and far between, and youth unemployment is high, with more than half of young people out of work in some countries, according to recent studies. Robert Tonge, Digital Economy Coordinator for the Government of Dominica, said that life in the country has been tough in recent years. “After [COVID-19](https://www.un.org/coronavirus), many people lost their jobs, and they had no way to support their families,” he said. “The pandemic came off the back of Hurricane Maria just a few years before, during which a large proportion of the population lost their livelihoods, but the effects of [COVID-19](https://www.un.org/coronavirus) lasted longer, especially from a business standpoint. A lot of companies closed, and many Dominicans decided to leave the country.”

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    Learning to Balance Travel Through Sustainability & Engagement | the Sustainable Hospitality Podcast
    Connectivity & DigitizationApril 24, 2024

    Learning to Balance Travel Through Sustainability & Engagement | the Sustainable Hospitality Podcast

    James is an award-winning serial entrepreneur and writer. He is both Co-Founder and Director of Solar Head of State, and CEO at Island Innovation. Recognized on the Forbes 30 under 30 list for his work on sustainable energy, James is passionate about climate change advocacy and environmental policy. James will enlighten us on the race to develop sustainably and help island nations reach self-sufficiency at a lower cost. This all comes with the reality that sustainability is a journey. He talks about the importance of waste management, education, and how to implement plastic bag bans. He will also challenge us to think about who really pays for the damage of climate change. Don’t miss this incredibly informative and impactful conversation with one of the world’s brightest and youngest leaders on these topics.

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    Young Pacific peace-builders get together
    Connectivity & DigitizationApril 11, 2024

    Young Pacific peace-builders get together

    Excerpt and Photo from samoaobserver.ws To strengthen the capabilities of young peacebuilders worldwide, Jocelynette Leilua, a dedicated youth leader from Brown Girl Woke in Samoa, recently took part in the Generation Change Fellows Program initiated by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). The programme designed to empower young leaders aged 18-35 years in conflict resolution and community leadership, gathered participants from diverse regions, including the Pacific, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia, for an intensive five-day fellowship held in Nadi, Fiji. During this transformative experience, Leilua engaged in discussions centered on self-awareness, collaboration, amplifying messages, and fostering personal and community change alongside other emerging leaders. Reflecting on her participation, Leilua emphasized the significance of connecting with peers from various backgrounds and how this interaction enriched her understanding of peacebuilding strategies. She expressed her intention to implement the knowledge gained from the program within her community in Samoa.

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    Small Island Digital States: How Digital Can Catalyse SIDS Development
    Connectivity & DigitizationApril 11, 2024

    Small Island Digital States: How Digital Can Catalyse SIDS Development

    Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are increasingly becoming Small Island Digital States. Digital is positively impacting lives and livelihoods across SIDS – improving the reach and effectiveness of government and public service delivery, providing exciting new opportunities for citizen engagement and empowerment; and shaping new products, sectors, and opportunities. This major publication serves as a roadmap for SIDS’ policymakers, decision-makers, and innovators. It advocates for an inclusive digital transformation that benefits all parts of society. From Tuvalu’s venture into the metaverse, to the recent launch of National Digital Strategies by Suriname, Niue, and the Cook Islands; and the open-source digital health leadership of Mauritius. SIDS are going digital. Small Island Digital States is grounded on extensive Digital Readiness Assessments conducted by UNDP in collaboration with over 15 SIDS governments around the world. It also draws on digital products and services, initiatives, and innovations being shaped and delivered by UNDP Country Offices across the global SIDS community. The report sets out recommendations tailored to SIDS across five critical pillars for inclusive and sustainable digital success: connectivity, government, regulation, the economy, and people. It also explores the role and potential of data in SIDS development, highlights how young people in SIDS are becoming digital leaders, and how digital can support key sectors in SIDS – from tourism, to agriculture, and how digital is enabling financial inclusion.

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    Twenty outstanding young people honoured with Legacy Award for The Diana Award’s 25th Anniversary year.
    Connectivity & DigitizationMarch 22, 2024

    Twenty outstanding young people honoured with Legacy Award for The Diana Award’s 25th Anniversary year.

    On Thursday 14 March 2024 HRH The Prince of Wales and Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex honoured and met with twenty exceptional young people, from across the world, with The Legacy Award set up in memory of Diana, the late Princess of Wales. Taking place every two years, The Legacy Award is the most prestigious accolade a young person can receive for their social action or humanitarian work. This year’s Legacy Award marks the start of The Diana Award’s 25th Anniversary year – a charity set up in memory of Diana, the late Princess of Wales and her belief that young people have the power to change the world. All the Legacy Award recipients – who come from the UK, USA, Nigeria, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia, UAE, Oman, Romania, Jamaica, Cayman Islands and Australia – have had a huge impact on society. Many of them only know Princess Diana as a historical figure but they carry the honour of The Diana Award with pride. As well as receiving The Legacy Award, recipients receive bespoke personal and professional development support to enhance their social action work with the long-term aim of inspiring and mobilising other young people to engage in social action.

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    Small Island Digital States: Charting the Course for Transformation
    Connectivity & DigitizationMarch 1, 2024

    Small Island Digital States: Charting the Course for Transformation

    Small Island Developing States, or SIDS, have long been pioneers in international development, often compelled by the challenges they face. Positioned on the frontlines of climate change, they lead efforts in mitigation, adaptation, and advocacy, and despite their geographical dispersion, they are innovating approaches to resilience and sustainability. SIDS are leveraging digital tools and technologies for real and positive impact on their countries and communities. They are leaders in internet gender parity, whilst a number perform strongly on [global indices of cybersecurity](https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Cybersecurity/Pages/global-cybersecurity-index.aspx). They are increasingly becoming Small Island Digital States. This shift is reshaping the way people in SIDS live and work, facilitating connectivity, shaping new industries and opportunities, and ensuring that public services can reach even the most remote areas. From the SIDS Global Data Hub in Antigua and Barbuda to the national digital strategies in the Cook Islands and Niue, to the Digital Pathway of Samoa, and substantial innovation efforts in countries such as Trinidad and Tobago, the Maldives, and São Tomé and Príncipe, digital is positively changing lives and livelihoods.

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    Does a link to the mainland change island life? A new book looks at The Bridge Effect
    Connectivity & DigitizationMarch 1, 2024

    Does a link to the mainland change island life? A new book looks at The Bridge Effect

    Excerpt and Photo from cbc.ca Whether by air, land or sea, what happens when an island is connected to the mainland? A new book and lecture series by UPEI professor Laurie Brinklow looks to examples around the world in a search for the answer.

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    The Two-Decade Fight for Two Letters on the Internet
    Connectivity & DigitizationFebruary 26, 2024

    The Two-Decade Fight for Two Letters on the Internet

    Photo Credit…Jill Ferry/Getty Images. Retrieved from nytimes.com The South Pacific island of Niue is one the most remote places in the world. Its closest neighbors, Tonga and American Samoa, are hundreds of miles away. The advent of the internet promised, in a small way, to make Niue and its 2,000 or so residents more connected to the rest of the world. In the late 1990s, an American businessman offered to hook up the island to the internet. All he wanted in exchange was the right to control the .nu suffix that Niue was assigned for its web addresses. The domain did not seem [as lucrative as .tv](https://nytimes.com/2000/09/04/business/tiny-tuvalu-profits-from-web-name.html) — which was slotted to Tuvalu, another South Pacific nation — and the leaders of Niue (pronounced New-ay) signed off on the deal. But the two sides were soon at odds. Now, after more than two decades of back and forth, the disagreement is finally nearing a resolution in a court of law. Disputes over domain names were not uncommon during the internet’s infancy but experts are hard pressed to recall one that has lasted this long. It turned out that .nu was, in fact, very valuable. “Nu” means now in Swedish, Danish and Dutch, and thousands of Scandinavians registered websites with that suffix, creating a steady business for Niue’s business partner, Bill Semich. Niue, an oval-shaped coral island of about 100 square miles of area, about the size of Lincoln, Neb., felt it had been cheated out of a reliable stream of cash that would have helped it reduce its reliance on tourism and foreign aid. It had turned to unorthodox sources of income before, selling stamps and coins to collectors. It had also rented out its international dialing code, until Niue’s deeply Christian residents started being awakened at midnight by wayward phone sex calls from Japan.

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