Institute of Island Studies

The Island Studies Research website is a key electronic depository or research material which supports the study of islands. It is meant to facilitate international, regional, national and local scholarship in all branches of island knowledge.

INSTITUTE OF ISLAND STUDIES WORKING WITH THE NORTHUMBERLAND STRAIT ECOSYSTEM INITIATIVE WORKING GROUP

The Northumberland Strait in the Southern Gulf of St Lawrence is undergoing profound change, signaled by poor lobster catches and a general decline in the abundance of many important marine organisms. People who live near and work in and on the water know about inshore marine ecosystems and the rivers that flow into them, and share a concern for their health. All who live or work in a coastal watershed also share responsibility for these changes as we pursue economic development. It is therefore logical and necessary for people living in coastal watersheds to be involved in identifying and resolving these environmental sociological and economic problems.

In February 2006 the IIS, in collaboration with federal and provincial agencies and PEI environmental, aboriginal and fishers’ organizations, conducted public consultations in Poole’s Corner, Charlottetown, Summerside and Wellington. Participants were asked to describe the changes they have seen in the Strait and its watersheds, to share opinions on what has caused the changes, what the social and economic impacts are, and how we can work together to reverse the negative changes in the ecosystem.

Results from the consultations will be used by the DFO-led Northumberland Strait Ecosystem Initiative Working Group, which is tasked with defining and steering an 18 month research and action efforts on the Northumberland Strait. The research findings will inform improved coastal policy and management strategies.

For more information please visit the Gulf Region Web site of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) link on the Working Group on the Northumberland Strait.

The Institute of island Studies is pleased to announce the online publication of the Island Studies Journal, a scholarly journal dedicated to the pluri-disciplinary study of our "world of islands." The core of "island studies" is the construction of "islandness" and its putative influence/impact on ecology, human or species behavior, any of the areas handled by relevant disciplines (such as archaeology, geography, economics, literature or political science), and/or upon policy foci and issues (such as waste disposal, fisheries management, sustainable tourism, governance, transportation, migration, or social capital).

PACIFIC VOICES: Equality & Sustainability in Pacific Island Fisheries Book Launch

IIS Research Associate, Dr. Irene Novaczek, along with UPEI anthropologist Dr. Jean Mitchell, was in the Pacific from 2002-2005 working with indigenous researchers to develop a book of case studies exploring gender and fisheries in the Pacific. The Website for this project, arises from this work , undertaken in partnership with the University of the South Pacific and with support from CIDA's C-SPODP program in the Pacific. To view the Preface & Table of Contents of Pacific Voices click here. Pacific Voices was launched at UPEI in January 2006, a limited number of the books are now available for purchase from Island Studies Press, for $30.

The Atlantic Research Network on the Social Economy is made up of a coordinating team led by Dr. Leslie Brown at Mount Saint Vincent University, and six research groups, each focused on a different area of inquiry. They will examine the challenges faced by the region in the context of the work of the social economy: eg co-ops, non profits and community development movements. (including an aging population, youth unemployment, and aboriginal issues) The goal is to uncover the true value of the social economy and help participating organizations to share knowledge and strategies and build capacity.

The PEI section of the research network is coordinated by the Institute of Island Studies (IIS) at UPEI. "Our network will focus on research dealing with inclusion and empowerment in the social economy," says Dr. Irene Novaczek, IIS Director. "UPEI faculty in Island Studies, History, Anthropology, Nursing, Psychology and Philosophy will collaborate with PEI community organizations that work to advance the well-being of low income people, single mothers, seniors, aboriginal people and others who tend to be marginalized in society."

Cooper Institute, CUSO and Institute of Island Studies at UPEI held four symposia in early 2006 featuring Islanders who have worked in Southern Islands in recent years. These include students, workers with NGOs and academia who have worked on projects related to the environment, community development and social justice. Their presentations explored how their work on Southern Islands has affected their work here at home; what they learned and what others can learn from such experiences. For more information please visit here.

In October 2005 Cooper Institute, along with the Institute of Island Studies and CUSO, recently held a series of interactive public presentations on forestry featuring local forest stewards and a guest speaker, Santiago Elmudesi from Chiloé Model Forest in Chile. These events are designed to raise awareness concerning community-based forest management and to discuss ways of maintaining and restoring forested land. For more information please visit here

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING AND ASSOCIATION SIGNED BETWEEN THE MI'KMAQ CONFEDERACY OF PEI, IIS, AND UPEI

Tuesday, June 21st 2005, National Aboriginal Day, marked the official signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Association between the Mi'kmaq Confederacy of PEI (MCPEI), the Institute of Island Studies, and the University of Prince Edward Island.

The IIS is keen to assist the MCPEI to achieve their goals. Through doing so, we will enhance not only the information base of Prince Edward Island and the visibility of the Mi'kmaq Nation, but also the academic stature of the Institute and University. The purpose of the MOU between IIS, UPEI and MCPEI is to cement a respectful working relationship that will, in

future, result in joint research projects, workshops, conferences and public engagement activities.IIS and MCPEI already have plans to work together on issues such as climate change impacts on small islands and community based management of natural resources. The MCPEI will also, through this association, develop working relationships with other faculties on campus.

The IIS On-line Library has been updated with more than thirty newly digitized articles and reports that were previously out of print. This project was made possible by a grant from the Webster Foundation. For this we are very grateful. Take a peek!

The University of Prince Edward Island is accepting applications for the third intake of students in the Master of Arts in Island Studies programme. Download our promotional poster (in colour or black and white). REMEMBER: International students must apply as soon as possible, to allow time for accepted students' visas to be processed. For more information, contact Laura Lee Howard at lhoward@upei.ca.

The Institute of Island Architectural Studies and Conservation and the Institute of Island Studies invited the public to a lecture and visual presentation called "Towards a Smart Street: An Urban Design Approach," by Shiban Raina. Mr. Raina is with Public Works Canada and shared his experiences and his thoughts on how urban design might inform revitalization of Charlottetown's University Avenue. A question and answer session followed the lecture, moderated by Charlottetown City Counselor Kim Devine. Notes from the questions and comments portion of the evening are now available in the On-line Libary.

In celebration of CUSO's International AGM held on the UPEI campus, CUSO joined with UPEI's Institute of Island Studies to host an international panel discussion of "Coastal Communities in a Globalizing World" on June 16 2004. The international panel's discussions of identity, gender and generation, environment and resource management, and nation-building in coastal communities paid particular attention to Pacific Island issues, augmented by PEI and Caribbean perspectives. The panel featured local researchers Dr. Jean Mitchell (Anthropology, UPEI), Dr. Irene Novaczek (Research Associate, IIS), and Chris Milley (Mi'kmaq Confederacy of PEI), joined by participants in the CUSO AGM from the Pacific and the Caribbean, namely Hannington Alatoa (CUSO Board member and Ombudsman for the Republic of Vanuatu) and panel moderator Horace Bennett (Executive Director of the Credit Organization for Pre-Micro Enterprises Foundation in Kingston, Jamaica).

A database of conference papers from the international conference Islands of the World VII: New Horizons in Island Studies(which took place at the Institute from June 26 to 30, 2002) is available online. For more information, see the conference Website