Blog

  • Featured

    Housing on small Danish Islands – A Helping Hand

    May 24, 2020 by

    by Lise Thillemann Sørensen The Danish minister for housing has this May devoted approximately 4 million Euros to encourage the building of rental housing on the Danish small islands. There is at the moment a lack of affordable, rental housing and at the same time a rising demand: People are looking towards the islands for… Read more

  • Featured

    Covid 19 Impact on Small Islands

    May 17, 2020 by

     by Máirtín Ó Méalóid, Cape Clear Island Development Cooperative Cape Clear Island, Ireland There is a strong case to be made for the protection of the smaller islands of Europe as they are literally on the edge of the Union and are vulnerable communities that are already under pressure to maintain viability. Some steps have… Read more

  • Featured

    Covid-19 across the ESIN Islands: A Snapshot

    May 17, 2020 by

    by Rhoda Twombly, Secretary ESIN While it is true that there are differences in how European countries are handling the Covid-19 emergency, there are commonalities. All agree that, at least one day in the future, life will follow a “new normal” and will be forever changed both positively and negatively. European Islands do have their… Read more

  • Featured

    Islanders protest emergency situation restrictions in Saaremaa

    April 28, 2020 by

    from ERR News 26/4/2020 A protest took place in Saaremaa on Sunday against the restrictions in place on the island to mitigate the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). Islanders do not think it is fair to loosen restrictions on the mainland but not on the islands. As public gatherings are banned during the emergency situation people… Read more

  • Featured

    “Corona Island”

    April 28, 2020 by

    from Christian Pleijel Saaremaa is the biggest island of Estonia, with some 33,000 inhabitants on 2,900 sq km. It makes them very comparable to the Åland Islands (1,600 sq km, 29,000 inhabitants) to which my island Kökar belongs. Saaremaa, just 80 nm southeast of me, is terribly plagues by Covid-19 with about 1,000 ill out… Read more

  • Featured

    IIMRO’s (Irish Islands Marine Resource Org) proposals to support fishing communities

    April 22, 2020 by

    by Seamus Bonner, Secretary, IIMRO LIFE Platform News covid19, islands, support Covid 19: Irish Islands’ Call for Tailored Emergency Measures for Small Scale Fishers 9th of April 2020 The Irish Islands Marine Organization (IIMRO http://www.iimro.org/index.html), representing islanders from Counties Donegal, Mayo, Galway and Cork, report that practically all of their members are tied up at… Read more

  • Featured

    Islands and Covid-19: Important questionnaire

    April 11, 2020 by

    The following is from Dr Francesco Sindico, Co-Director of the Strathclyde Centre for Environmental Law and Governance in Glasgow, Scotland. He and his colleagues in addition to the group Island Innovation devised and distributed the questions below widely through the world’s Islands. It is a work in progress and they would very much appreciate any… Read more

  • Featured

    Easter Greetings

    April 10, 2020 by

    This will be a very different Easter for us all. The Islands of Europe will no doubt be very quiet but hopefully we will all find our own way to celebrate the new life and growth that comes with Spring. Hopefully you have family with you to make the occasion happier but we must try… Read more

  • Featured

    Ireland’s Islands: Isolation is a good thing – for now

    April 6, 2020 by

    By Rhoda Twombly, Secretary of ESIN Inishlyre, Co Mayo, Ireland is as perfect a place as you’d get for self-isolation. Small and perfectly formed, we’ve a natural harbour and stunning views of Clew Bay and Croagh Patrick. As we now have a population of only three, you could say we are isolated all the time… Read more

  • Featured

    COVID-19 Cripples Small Fishers: Is there help on the way?

    April 3, 2020 by

    From Brian O’Riordan, Executive Secretary of LIFE, Brussels, introduction by Rhoda Twombly, ESIN Brian O’Riordan, Executive Secretary of the LIFE (Low Impact Fishers of Europe) Platform, has sent us this piece to alert the wider population on Islands of the financially disastrous situation faced by smaller fishers due to the COVID-19 virus crisis. He asks… Read more

  • Featured

    Passengers heed government advice as CalMac traffic drops by 95%

    April 2, 2020 by

    From Craig Cowbrough Cowbrough Communications ltd CalMac has seen passenger numbers drop by 95% since new rules on essential ferry travel were put in place. The west coast ferry operator introduced an essential lifeline timetable last week aimed at keeping essential goods, services and people going to and from the islands. Since then the company… Read more

  • Featured

    Irish Tánaiste (Deputy PM) and Islands Minister Kyne kick start public consultation process for new national policy on Irish offshore islands

    December 28, 2019 by

    Press release from the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht on the consultation process to help in the first formation of an Islands action plan in 23 years At a special event 23rd November, on Sherkin Island, An Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Coveney T.D., in conjunction with the Government… Read more

  • Featured

    Christmas on Omø, Denmark

    December 27, 2019 by

    I have to confess that I know very little about the Christmas and Yuletide traditions of the European Islands (shame on me!).  So I was really pleased when in response to my request for winter and Christmas pictures from ESIN members, Lise Sørensen, Head of Sekretariat of the Association of Danish Small Islands sent me… Read more

  • Featured

    Rural Peoples Declaration

    December 16, 2019 by

    Rural People’s Declaration of Candás Asturias 9th November 2019 We, 335 participants from 38 European countries, met during the 4th European Rural Parliament at the village of Candás Asturias, Spain, from 6 to 9 November 2019. Participants included rural people, representatives of civil society organisations, researchers, national governments and European Union institutions. We see the… Read more

  • Featured

    The European Rural Parliament Demands a real Rural Agenda for Europe

    November 28, 2019 by

    The 4th European Rural Parliament was held in Candás, Asturias, Spain from November 6-9, 2019. 335 delegates representing 38 European countries participated, included rural people, representatives of civil society organisations, researchers, national governments and European Union institutions. This was preceded on November 4-6 by the 2nd European Rural Youth Parliament ERYP, in which 70 young… Read more

  • Featured

    Six EU islands publish clean energy transition agenda

    November 20, 2019 by

    European Islands working towards cleaner energy     Six European islands have today published their clean energy transition agendas, making a firm step towards decarbonising their energy systems with a strong focus on citizen engagement. Selected by the Clean Energy for EU Islands Initiative of the European Commission in February 2019, the Aran Islands (Ireland),… Read more

  • Featured

    AGM 2019: Thoughts on the Future

    September 28, 2019 by

    Report from ESIN’s 2019 AGM on Hven, Sweden by Camille Dressler, Vice-Chair ESIN 19th AGM took place on the lovely island Hven, Sweden, gathering Small islands delegates from Sweden, Ireland, Scotland, Finland, Denmark and Estonia.  The distillery and accommodation Spirit of Hven, which showcases the enterprising island spirit was the perfect venue for the islanders’… Read more

  • Featured

    Sunday Stroll

    August 4, 2019 by

    I was not alone as up to a 130 of us were forced to leave the island to further our education sometimes for 3 weeks to a month at a time, the lads and some of the girls went to Falcarragh

  • Featured

    A Visit to Zero Island

    June 16, 2019 by

    by Christian Pleijel 1    Lidö Lidö[1] is an island north of Stockholm, five minutes by boat from Räfsnäs harbour. The island measures 2,5 km2. Since 2000, it is a Nature Reserve owned by Skärgårdsstiftelsen[2]. Once there was a castle here but it was burned down in 1719. A man from a neighbouring island – Mathias… Read more

  • Featured

    ISLAND CHAMPION PLEDGE

    May 14, 2019 by

    EU Parliament ELECTIONS 2019 The European Small Isles Federation ESIN – represents 11 Small Islands Federations from the North, West, and South of Europe, and reaches out to a combined population of 450 000 on 150 000 islands. ESIN and its members are urging MEP CANDIDATES to show their support for the islands of Europe, and… Read more

  • Featured

    Arranmore is all hooked up!

    April 29, 2019 by

    by Rhoda Twombly “Connectivity” is all-important in these days of working towards sustainability and indeed survival, especially for those of us living in rural Ireland and particularly for Islanders. I like to consider the importance of human connectivity as well – of reaching out, of meitheal (working together for the common good), of supporting and… Read more

  • Featured

    Åland – the sole Nordic winners of the European Sustainability Award 2019

    April 9, 2019 by

    Press release  8 April 2019: by Julia Lindholm The European Sustainability Award 2019 goes to the Development and sustainability agenda for Åland – the sole Nordic winners Today, the European Commission presented the winners of the European Sustainability Award 2019. The Åland Islands and the Development and sustainability agenda for Åland were the winners of… Read more

  • Featured

    26 European islands launch clean energy transition

    March 11, 2019 by

    This February, 26 European islands have officially launched their clean energy transition with the support of the European Commission’s Clean Energy for EU Islands Secretariat.  ESIN is delighted that islands in 5 of its member federations – Croatia, Finland, Ireland, Italy and Scotland have been selected to take part in this transition to a fossil fuel… Read more

  • Featured

    The Circular Water Challenge

    January 23, 2019 by

    Today, in the small corner of the world called the Baltic Sea, the Water Saving project #2 named ”Circular Water Challenge” was granted funds from the Region of Stockholm. The project is now ready to fly. It will examine the water situation on six quite different islands in the Baltic Sea, and propose at least one object… Read more

  • World Water Day

    March 22, 2020 by

    from Christian Pleijel, Director Leadership and Change KTH Royal Institute of Technology Executive School Today is World Water Day, an annual observance day established by the United Nations in 1992, during the Rio conference. It shall remind us to use freshwater in a sustainable way. We in Värmdö, Södertälje, Brändö, Pargas and Kökar island municipalities,… Read more

View all posts