During the first week of September, my colleague John Purkis and I had the privilege of leading a sustainability capacity building program in the British Virgin Islands (BVI).  This proved an excellent forum to apply the Natural Step Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (the Framework), as in a small island setting, sustainability challenges are both stark and very present; where does your waste go on a small island?  This, combined with a small country population of 27 800, makes for both a clear and compelling challenge in a society where decision-makers are active participants in the community and available to converse with citizens.  The size and scale of the islands makes change seem ‘doable,’ and while John and I were there, many people commented that ‘the BVI is a microcosm of the world.’

Over the course of the program, a diverse cross-section of leaders came together to learn about the Framework and how to apply it in the context of the BVI.  Represented were multiple sectors of society: business, government, schools, civil society and media – and the people in the room brought unique perspectives and experiences to the conversation.  The group was unified by a deep sense of the un-sustainability of the status quo, and a strong desire to care for the place they call home.  It was a pleasure to meet and work with this group of leaders as they came together to learn, collaborate, and gain new skills and knowledge to keep making positive change happen in the BVI.

Our three days together were full, inspiring, and exhausting!  We did a lot of work, and managed to have fun while doing it.  Prior to coming together in person, John and I had conducted web-based sessions with the group to help them learn about the Framework at a theoretical level. Subsequently, during the three day in-person workshop we spent the majority of our time applying the group’s prior learning to the context of the BVI.  The group identified key systems that influence the future sustainability of the BVI and crafted sustainability visions and goals for each system.  They also took an honest look at the current sustainability challenges for each system, thereby forming an articulation of the ‘sustainability gap.’  This important work was peppered with interactive exercises to re-enforce the concepts, share stories and examples from communities in other parts of the world, and allow participants to digest the material as it related to their own context.

For me, the highlights were numerous: hearing people’s stories, witnessing the heartfelt songs that participants crafted together, asking big questions about how to remove barriers to people meeting their needs and so much more.  Perhaps the most powerful outcome was the growing sense of empowerment and possibility amongst the group.  The last afternoon was spent in an open space format; strategizing about how to collaborate and engage others to move in the direction of the goals that the group had created together.  The lively conversations, ranging from how to mobilize ‘stubborn’ colleagues to how to bring in the wisdom of the elders of the community, showed the diversity and commitment of the group.

This program will continue over the coming months, as groups develop and refine sustainability strategies for each of the key systems they identified.  These strategies will inform the Department of Fisheries and Conservation’s work on an emerging sustainability policy for the BVI and will hopefully guide the community to a more sustainable future.  Kudos to our friends in the BVI for all of your fantastic work, we feel privileged to be a part of your journey and look forward to supporting you along the way.

We’d like to extend an enormous thank you to Charlotte McDevitt of Green VI along with her partners from the Department of Fisheries and Conservation and H. Lavity Stoutt Community College for making this program possible.  Financial support came from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). 

To learn more about our Service Path for Sustainable Communities and how we can help your community develop a bold sustainability vision, strategy, and action plan, please contact us.