“Building Community Resilience” conference: early bird deadline extended to June 30

The Steering Committee for the 10th North Atlantic Forum conference, 'Building Community Resilience: Innovation, Culture, and Governance in Place,' to be held from 16 to 19 September 2015 in Summerside, is extending the early bird registration deadline until June 30. The early bird rate is $275, which includes conference materials, meals during the conference, conference banquet on September 18, shuttle from Charlottetown Airport, return transportation to Charlottetown, one field trip excursion, and local transportation events in Summerside.
The North Atlantic Forum is a network of researchers, policy-makers, and development practitioners focused on best practices in social and economic development and governance. The members believe in and celebrate the power of small, and the innovations that come out of unlikely places.

'Our Government is pleased to support UPEI through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency's (ACOA) Business Development Program, with a contribution of $30,000,' said the Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, on behalf of the Honourable Rob Moore, Minister of State (ACOA). 'This conference will strengthen the local economy and explore how to sustain long-term prosperity in rural areas.'

Conference organizers have created a program of more than 70 presentations, workshops, panel discussions, and keynote addresses from community organizations, community leaders, nonprofit organizations, government, students, researchers, and businesses from across Canada and internationally, on the topic of building resilient communities or regions. The conference invites explorations of how various 'dark horses' in Canada and the broad North Atlantic-including minorities, small towns, peripheries, aboriginal communities, those with little money, status, voice, or political leverage-can rise to the occasion and chart livable futures. The conference will examine opportunities for sustainable living that are more likely to emerge from small and peripheral communities-rural, coastal, or island.

We invite participants from academia, government, NGOs, and communities to join us as we not only learn from other jurisdictions, but as we explore rural and small-town Prince Edward Island through a lively and community-engaged program. For more information, visit www.pei2015.crrf.ca or contact us at naf2015@upei.ca. The conference is hosted by the Institute of Island Studies at UPEI, in partnership with the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation (CRRF), and with funding from ACOA.