2nd National Symposium for Community-Led Initiatives Environment Sustainability
The 2nd National Symposium for Community-Led Initiatives on Environment Sustainability is set to take place from September 10 to 12, 2024 (September 10 at the Albert Park and from September 11 to 12, at Level 9, Suvavou House). This Symposium’s theme, “Share Your Story,” aims to highlight the successes and lessons learnt from community projects across Fiji.
The symposium will bring together over 40 community representatives to share their experiences and build valuable networks. Participants will have the opportunity to learn from each other, discuss challenges, and explore innovative solutions for sustainable development.
Key objectives of the symposium include:
- Sharing success stories and lessons learnt from community-led initiatives.
- Building a network of community practitioners for collaboration and support.
- Amplifying community voices to influence decision-making on local and national levels.
The event will feature sessions on food security, clean energy, and sustainable urban solutions, along with discussions on policy landscapes affecting these areas.
This event builds on the success of last year’s inaugural symposium, which hosted representatives from 30 communities. The outcomes from this year’s symposium will be presented to the Government of Fiji and will inform the country’s position for the upcoming UNFCCC COP29 in Azerbaijan.
The Kiwa Initiative will play a significant role in this event, supporting the symposium and collaboration among local project grantees. Representatives from C3 Fiji and the National Trust of Fiji, two Kiwa ongrantees, will participate and learn from the three-day event as well as share on their experiences on the roles Nature-based Solution in building community resilience to climate change.
The symposium is organised by the cChange Pacific in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme Fiji, and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Pacific, Ministry of iTaukei Affairs, and the Fiji Museum, with support from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Kiwa Initiative programme and Fiji Development Bank.