PHILIPSBURG--“Protect and Preserve Our Paradise, St. Maarten’s Ecological Treasures Unveiled” is the theme of a symposium hosted by the Social Economic Council (SER) at the Belair Community Center on Thursday, October 12. SER has chosen to focus on the social and environmental impact and well-being of the community.
The event will commence at 1:00pm and is scheduled to end around 5:15pm. In this time-frame, SER will present various expert speakers on the subject matters. The keynote address will be delivered by Professor Ellen van Bueren, a full-time professor at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment of TU Delft, a prestigious University of Technology in the Netherlands which ranks second worldwide in architectural education.
The governance and management of urban development in support of a sustainable built environment is at the core of professor Van Bueren’s work. She is involved in research on policy, planning and decision-making for climate adaptation, urban resilience and circular built environments, calling for collaborative action from public and private stakeholders, including individual people.
Professor van Bueren participates in the Islanders at the Helm programme, aimed at co-creating research on sustainable and inclusive solutions for social adaptation to climate challenges in the (Dutch) Caribbean. The programme established a Trans-Atlantic Academic Platform (TAP) fostering research-based education on climate challenges for the six Dutch Caribbean islands.
International speaker Martyn Forde is the founder and director of the climate-resilience and regenerative design-focused consultancy Future in Nature Synergies Inc. The firm supports clients in the design of comprehensive strategies for capacity strengthening and workforce development.
Currently, Forde is aligned with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the Caribbean Electric Utilities Services Corporation (Carilec) in the creation of a learning and development strategy and Community of Practice for electric power industry professionals to enhance 1) organisational leadership, 2) resilient infrastructure and disaster recovery and 3) low-carbon energy transition.
Local guest speaker Denicio Wyatte is the founder of Spaceless Gardens. Wyatte holds a bachelor’s degree in multimedia technology and has an avid love and passion for culinary arts. He is the creator of Cultural Xpression Newsmagazine and founder of St. Maarten Agricultural Research and Development Center, currently exploring, researching and executing projects in the field of Agricultural Science aimed at the sustainability of Eco-Tourism and Food Security for country St Maarten.
Wyatte aspires to create community-oriented projects that will help build awareness and encourage change in the areas of extreme hunger, poverty alleviation, food security, sustainability, ECO-Tourism, entrepreneurship, self-employment and community resilience. His core belief is that individually we can make a significant change in the world if we adjust our life qualities and perspectives, one person at a time, while focusing on what is most important for the survival and longevity of mankind.
Guest speaker Benjamin Ortega is Environment Social and Governance Manager at Port St. Maarten Group. Ortega oversees and aids projects ensuring environmental, social, and governance standards within national and international standards. His leadership has also been recognized in various business and non-governmental organisation (NGO) roles, such as serving as the president of the St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce and Industry and serving on the board of the Social Economic Council of St. Maarten as a substitute member.
After the keynote, international and guest speaker’s addresses, an interactive toolbox session will ensue, led by members of Foresee Foundation’s NPOwer and facilitated by various NGO representatives of the community. The session will conclude with an “Ask the Experts” exchange in which the experts will address the various questions and comments arising from the toolbox session. Members of the creative content agency “Digital Island” will also be present to offer information regarding
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The objective of the symposium is to bring together experts, policy makers, NGOs, other stakeholders and the general public to deliberate on the pressing ecological concerns that require collective attention for the sustainable development of the nation.
The symposium aims to increase awareness of sustainable urban development, biodiversity, climate change, the environmental, social and governance (ESGs) whilst gathering potential solutions to adapt and mitigate the negative effects of the aforementioned. It is the intention that each attendee leaves the symposium equipped with knowledge and feeling empowered to take inspired action, individual or collective, towards becoming a more resilient nation.
SER hereby extends an invitation to persons who are interested in attending the event. RSVP at
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