The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) and the Pacific Centre for Flexible and Open Learning for Development (PACFOLD) recently held a three-day regional workshop on Women, Skills and Resilient Livelihoods in the Small States of the Pacific in Nadi, Fiji. The event brought together 25 participants from nine countries – Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
This workshop was a collaboration between COL and the Partnership for Open, Distance, and Flexible Learning in the Pacific project (funded by New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade) and aimed at strengthening the capacities of both government and NGOs concerning conceptualisation and execution of training using open and distance learning related to various aspects such as human rights, financial literacy, e-commerce and leadership. The workshop also introduced the participants to certain design and creative thinking concepts.
Ms Annabelle Scotty, Director of Youth Affairs, Nauru, said, “The ideas emanating from the workshop are very interesting from both government and NGO sectors’ perspectives; we can use these for youth empowerment back home. I am thankful for the opportunity and looking forward to future collaborations.”
A key highlight of the workshop was a keynote lecture by Dr Sandeep Mysore from the University of New South Wales, Australia, on ‘Digital Social Innovations (DSI) for facilitating women and youth’s participation in the digital economy of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS)’. In addition to introducing the notion of digital social innovation, he shared case studies of impact sourcing and mentoring networks as illustrations of successful DSIs, especially in opening opportunities for women and youth residing in remote locations and facing multiple marginalisations.
Dr. Rajni Chand, Director PACFOLD, echoed the sentiment when she commented, “The workshop was a timely and worthwhile workshop. It was heartening to see representatives from all Commonwealth countries in the South Pacific representing governmental departments, NGOs, and persons with disabilities (PWD) in the same space. The opportunity to idealise the country needs, identifying the strategies to combat the problems, and working on project proposals in collaboration with COL that can improve the lives and livelihood of girls, women and PWD is one of the first of its kind in the region.”
COL’s Director: Skills, Dr Jyotsna Jha, said, “With the active and engaged participation of representatives from a cross-section of government, universities, and civil society, the workshop has contributed towards opening up potentials for collaborative approaches and creative skills development learning solutions for women and youth in the region sharing common concerns around gender and climate change.”