Virgin Islanders will be offered training in sustainable development.

Green VI would be conducting the training on sustainable tourism.

The training sessions are scheduled to take place from June to November 2012.
Green VI has a vision of a green, clean, healthy, and prosperous VI, in which a balance is maintained between development and conservation of the natural environment.

In an interview with Green VI’s Executive Director, Charlotte McDevitt she stated that projects like these are to help promote sustainable development in the VI, to let Virgin Islanders know what it’s exactly about, its importance and how it relates to them.

She stated that the seminar can only accommodate 30 persons, so it is a first come first serve situation.

“Thirty Virgin Islanders will be trained essentially on what sustainable development is and how to promote sustainable development within organisations.”

The trainees of the seminar would then be equipped with the proper tools that would enable them to go out and train others, where the principles of social development through practical projects would be provided.

Ms. McDevitt stated that persons attending the sessions will not be paid, but they will gain the knowledge that will enhance what they already do in their everyday lives.

Acceptance into the courses would cost $500.

“For people who already have a job as well as the time and motivation to wanting to develop sustainable development within their organisation, whether it’s at home, work, church or school, this training will help them do that. I want to invite the people who realise that social development is important and would like to do something about it.”

Green VI was able to assist with funding of the event due to a recent donation of 250,000 received from UNESCO last month.

“We’ve been working for two years to get this funding and we finally got it last month and are now working on the details of the project,” said Ms. McDevitt.

Other institutions that have partnered with Green VI on this event are the Conservation and Fisheries Department, the H. Lavity Stoutt community College (HLSCC), the BVI National Commission for UNESCO and the Natural Step.