At the Island Games, what unites nations?

 

The Island Games in 2025 will take place in Orkney. Why islanders feel the need to compete with one another is unclear. But they do.

 The 20th Island Games being held in Orkney brings people together from the smaller isles around Britain and some distant seagirt lands, mostly with links to Britain or Denmark.

 Why?  What have they got in common?  There is a response from the Island Games Federation. Its website declares, "There's just something about islanders." "We acquire an independent spirit, a fierce pride in our culture and heritage, and perhaps even a touch of stubbornness from growing up in small communities shaped by the sea. "It's what gives Games competitors the will and determination to train hard, defy the odds and reach for gold".

 At the start of Island Games, athletes meet Princess Anne. Island Games: Everything you need to know about Orkney 2025

 There's certainly truth to the argument that they share cultures long protected by the sea from outside influences.

 A lack of interest in the outside world has been dubbed "insularity," which literally translates to "an island mindset." However, the numbers of people who leave, bringing their collective voice to the centers of power and frequently sending their earnings and investments back to their home countries, define many island stories. The common heritage also has to do with looking to the oceans for a living from seafood, seafaring and tourism.

 Among the Island Games competitors, they can also claim to be treated distantly by governments in London, Edinburgh and Copenhagen.

The University of St Andrews is exploring island stories from around the world

 A project to connect Scottish islands and the Caribbean is being led by the history of art department at St. Andrews University. The goal is to hear such island stories across oceans. Last year, it brought a group of young people from Barbados to the Isle of Harris.

 "Traditional ecological knowledge, especially about local plants and wildlife, language and place names, and living off the land and sea" was the primary focus, according to St. Andrews researcher Jamie Allan Brown. There is a master's degree program in island studies at the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), where you can learn about the complex social, cultural, economic, and environmental issues that affect Scottish islands. Additionally, it is compared to other locations in the Baltic, the Faroe Islands, and the Atlantic coast of Canada. More tales from the Scottish and Irish islands BBC Sounds features news from the Highlands and Islands. The United Kingdom and Ireland, among others, make up about half of the independent members of the United Nations. Some of them belong to the UN's "small and developing" block, which includes 39 nations mostly located in the Caribbean, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. So, what are their similarities? It might appear to be easier to see the differences between tropical and polar countries, volcanic or sandy, sovereign or dependent, valued or neglected, wealthy or poor, and frequently complicated interactions between migrants and indigenous people. However, there are increasingly more reasons for islanders to get together to celebrate their island identity and work together for common causes.