Breathing new life into the Blue Economy

A recently launched 10-week course by Pinelands Creative Workshop is expected to breathe new life into the Blue Economy.

The course — Social Entrepreneurship for Caribbean Transformation — is a collaborative project between the GEF Small Grants Programme implemented by the United Nations Development Programme,  the UWI Open Campus and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy.

Speaking during Wednesday’s launch, Minister of Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy Kirk Humphrey said the course is a historical collaboration, which must be taught outside of the traditional academic space.

“We need to teach this course outside of the UWI Open Campus as we need to start to talk to people about how to live differently. Because unless we do this, all that we are doing is in vain,” Humphrey said. 

“For me, we need to empower as many persons as we can empower with this course, we can change the world.  If we do not change the world and take up that which is incumbent on our generation to take up to change the world, then we do ourselves and our children  a disservice.”

Humphrey said he hopes the course develops some innovative social entrepreneurs by the end of the programme.

Deputy Director of the UWI Open Campus Ryan Byer said they decided to become involved as they understand that resource mobilization has been a bit challenging for non-governmental institutions, especially with the onset of COVID-19.

“The programme is one which is done under our continuing professional education, which is competency based,” Byer said. 

“The concept of social entrepreneurship is one that is useful, particularly for the non-governmental sector as a part of their development and transition, as the whole issue of resource mobilization becomes a bit challenging as you seek to solve social problems whilst earning revenue at the end of the day. This is one that the open campus wanted to play a part of.”

Social Entrepreneurship for Caribbean Transformation is set to begin in 2022. (LG)