We find ourselves in the midst of this unprecedented global event. It is clear that the impacts to our health, social, cultural and economic systems are deep and deepening. With nations closing their borders and entire industries on pause or operating at significantly reduced levels, there is little delay between cause and effect. Businesses, small, medium and large, institutions, associations, and local governments are challenged as regular patterns of exchange are disrupted or suspended.

Beyond the obvious health concerns, this will not be a recession comparable to 2008. This is a global event, the likes of which we have not seen before. Thus, the path ahead is unclear. The only thing we DO know is that ‘the only way out is through.’

Ideas for how we are to weather this storm are needed.

VIEA believes that gathering the thoughts of Island stakeholders might help facilitate generation of solutions towards mitigating the challenges ahead. Perhaps:

• We can help develop concepts for helping businesses and organizations that we can then advocate with local, Indigenous, provincial and federal governments;
• We can generate ideas to encourage consumer support of local enterprise;
• We can invent ideas to help financial institutions and landlords to ease payment schedules on mortgages and leases;
• We can find emergency interest-free funding for organizations that are experiencing major revenue disruption that threatens their existence;
• We can identify other pressing issues that are affecting our members and our communities and require collective responses and solutions.

VIEA will host a series of short video conferences featuring brief, informed presentations supported with opportunity for on-line dialogue intended to share information and generate ideas. It is our hope to engage thought leaders during this stressful time to agree on actions to help solve the problems confronting us.
In this way, with your participation, we can work together to find solutions to the difficulties we all share and to present a single, regional voice to all levels of government regarding how we and they can best work to increase potential for success.

We expect to begin this video conference series next week. Watch for details coming to you via e-news.

If you have ideas for content, please send to George Hanson.