Shared experiences and partnerships explored at international forum

Delegates attending North Atlantic Forum 2000 began day one of their international gathering by reflecting on the changes taking place in the global economy and how partnerships, education and training will help further develop knowledge-based opportunities for North Atlantic countries.

Delegates and presenters from more than a dozen jurisdictions have gathered at Marble Mountain in western Newfoundland for a three-day forum. The forum�s theme, Opportunities and Action in a Knowledge-driven Economy: New Lessons from the Edge, will see presentations and discussions focusing on local governance, organized labour and education and training.

Deputy Premier Beaton Tulk, Minister of Development and Rural Renewal, opened Monday�s sessions with observations on Newfoundland and Labrador�s re-emergence as a player in the North Atlantic community. He noted the province is eager "to share ideas, do business and contribute to strong economic and cultural links between our peoples."

"There are three key factors that will help us continue the momentum our knowledge-based industries have enjoyed: a supportive business environment based on a partnership approach; excellent education and training programs that respond to the needs of industry; and innovative entrepreneurs who see and capture global opportunities," said the minister. "The forum highlights the importance of true partnership approaches to solutions - working with key stakeholders in education, labour, business and local government to make a better society and economy for our people."

The theme of partnership and collaboration was reiterated in the panel discussion which included: Dr. Bruce Sheppard, director of education/chief executive officer, Avalon West School District; Carl Tessier, vice-president, Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Municipalities (NLFM); and Elaine Price, president, Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour.

Dr. Sheppard noted that partnerships "contribute to a culture that values education, a culture that is required in the new economy." He stressed the need for educational organizations to reinvent themselves, placing emphasis on the need to develop skills and the way of thinking valued and required in the knowledge-based economy.

Mr. Tessier used the example of a partnership with the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency to bring municipalities into the province�s regional economic development process. He said the NLFM recognized the need to help forge relationships between municipalities and the Regional Economic Development Boards. By conducting a series of workshops and training seminars, the NLFM challenged its members to better understand the role of entrepreneurship in their regions and the importance of building a culture of self-reliance.

Ms. Price stressed the need to include and involve organized labour in the development of economic policy that addresses the social as well as economic needs of our society. "Appropriate mechanisms are needed for equitable distribution of wealth... The Federation of Labour recognizes that a strong private sector is required, but we also need to remember the purpose of economic development is to improve the lives of people," she said. "Measures need to be taken and they require political will, foresight and increased dialogue for a better approach."

Panel moderator, Dr. Axel Meisen, president and vice-chancellor of Memorial University, concluded with the following: "Organized labour, education and training and local governance are part of the solution and much remains to be done for the benefits of economic development to be distributed."

North Atlantic Forum 2000 - an initiative of the North Atlantic Islands Programme - is the second in a series of international forums examining innovative approaches to economic development at the community, regional and national levels around the North Atlantic rim. It will bring together government, labour, business, and educational stakeholders from: the Aland Islands, Bermuda, Canada, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Malta, Scotland and Sweden.

Co-hosted by the College of the North Atlantic and Memorial University of Newfoundland, in partnership with the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Municipalities and the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour, and the federal and provincial governments, the event provides countries with similar challenges an opportunity to share ideas and successes.

North Atlantic Forum 2000 is being broadcast live on the web; to access webcast or for more information about the forum, check out the website at www.naf2000.org or contact:

North Atlantic Forum 2000 Office Telephone (709) 639-1062 Fax: (709) 639-1092
College of the North Atlantic Electronic mail: inquiries@naf2000.org
141 O�Connell Drive 
World Wide Web: www.naf2000.org
Corner Brook, NF
Canada A2H 6H6

Media contact:

Ivan Muzychka
Chair, Communications Committee
North Atlantic Forum 2000
(709) 687-9433

2000 09 25 4:35 p.m.