Members are invited to an evening on the ship, including sunset cocktails with the Officers, followed by a talk then a guided tour of the ship, concluding with a canape buffet with wines.
The Silver Shadow entered service in 2000, accommodating 382 guests on cruises around the world, and having more space per passenger than any other major cruise ship in the world. It features amenities such as a casino, library, spa and outdoor golfing range and more. The tour takes members to a variety of these interesting areas of the ship.
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The visit also features a talk by Dr Roger Harris on “Indigenous Peoples and Climate Change”. Dr Harris presents his experiences working with indigenous communities in Borneo as well as visiting others on expedition cruises to Greenland and the Melanesian nations of Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.
His talk describes encounters with the residents of the world’s three largest islands. First Greenland, the world’s largest island, but with a population of only around that of Hong Kong’s outlying islands. Largely Inuit, they live in small coastal settlements in the only areas that are free of ice with no roads connecting them. Secondly, New Guinea and the other island nations of Melanesia, which are legendary among anthropologists with their highly distinctive cultures and extraordinarily varied peoples. Thirdly, Borneo, which holds Asia’s last great rainforest and, with less than 1% of the world's land, holds 6% of global biodiversity and is replete with remote indigenous tribes.
The impacts of climate change on environmental degradation and bio-diversity loss are most severe in the vulnerable environments occupied by indigenous peoples, the rainforests, the Arctic, low-lying islands and glacial mountain regions. Whilst indigenous peoples contribute the least to the causes of global warming, they are the most affected by its impact. Dr Harris argues that indigenous people are most effective in protecting them, provided they can retain their sustainable lifestyles and cultures within the context of the 21st century.
Dr Roger Harris is a researcher, activist and consultant promoting human development for indigenous and ethnic minority communities in Asia by helping them gain access to Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs). With a PhD in Information Systems from City University of Hong Kong, he established an ICT action-research project in a remote and isolated indigenous community in the highlands of Sarawak, Borneo. The project has grown into a research institute whose work encompasses many other indigenous Malaysian communities. Roger has since consulted for the major aid agencies on similar projects throughout Asia. He is also the co-owner, with his wife Jackie, of Charlotte Travel Ltd., a family-run boutique travel agency that helps independent travellers experience remote locations with ease and in comfort. As Fellow of the RGS, in 1995, he assisted in the formation of the Royal Geographical Society - Hong Kong.
The Royal Geographical Society expresses its thanks to Silversea for its generous support and sponsorship of this event.
The Royal Geographical Society also expresses its thanks to Charlotte Travel Ltd. for its support of this event.
