Islanders at the Helm to present research results on climate and culture Oct. 21–23

WILLEMSTAD--After five years of collaborative research on how Caribbean islanders live with climate change, Island(er)s at the Helm will present its results during a three day end conference at the University of Curaçao on October 21, 22 and 23.

The project, launched in 2021 under the leadership of Francio Guadeloupe, brought together more than twenty researchers across Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius to study adaptation in the past and present, and the roles of culture, heritage, education, and policy.

The conference program features research presentations, workshops, and an excursion, with themes that include water management, agriculture in schools, music, religion, architecture, and neurodiversity. The organization aims for broad participation, admission is free, including lunch and networking drinks. Those not in Curaçao can follow the proceedings via the KITLV Facebook and YouTube channels.

Over the last four years of the five year project, teams have examined climate adaptation through a range of perspectives from the social sciences and humanities, including climate justice, visual anthropology, ethnopaleontology, and musicology. The goal is to offer practical insights that matter for everyone living and working on the six islands, and to make both the research outcomes and the conference experience as accessible as possible.

Keynote speakers

• Oct. 21: Prof. Kathryn Yusoff, Professor of Inhuman Geography, Queen Mary University of London

• Oct. 22: Dr. Nelson Mota, Associate Professor in housing design and architectural education, Delft University of Technology

• Oct. 23: Prof. Melanie Newton, Professor of History and Caribbean Studies, University of Toronto

• Oct. 23: Dr. Keston Perry, Assistant Professor of African American Studies, Political Economy, and Geography, University of California

With this end conference, Island(er)s at the Helm concludes an intensive phase in which science and community worked together to generate new perspectives on climate and sustainability in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. Participants will present findings, reflect on lessons learned, and discuss next steps for research, policy, and education across the islands.

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