By: Gerard Nass
On October 23, the Eco Flores meetings will start in Bajawa. Besides a main conference there will be a combination of workshops and programs concerning the sustainable development of Flores. The events will follow up on last year’s inaugural congress in Labuan Bajo, during which about 200 participants, from across Flores, Indonesia, and the world, all gathered to connect, discuss, strategize, and pledge commitment to the future of Flores.
Photo by: Eco Flores
This year’s events will be dedicated to develop the connections and initiatives that have already been established. Flores becomes a target of development and tourism, and the meetings will discuss aspects of agriculture, health, tourism, business and education of this evolution now and in the future. A unique feature of this conference is that the majority of participants are the direct, varied stakeholders of Flores- be they development workers, business owners, farmers and educators. Again the perspective of the meetings are to support sustainable development which benefits the local population.
The organization is still awaiting funding for this event, and have so far been unable to raise sufficient funds. Ideally, they like to cover the main conference, and where possible the travel and lodging costs for facilitators and those participants who do not have an organization to cover their expenses (such as patients joining the HIV/AIDS workshops, and patients joining the workshop on inclusion of people living with diff-abilities). It is essential for local people and organizations to be present, so that they may lead the development of their island. More info on http://www.ecoflores.org/http://www.ecoflores.org/
For an impression on last year’s conference, take a look at this video:
