Young generations take part in the future of World Ocean
The young people of today are the consumers, decision-makers and managers of tomorrow. They have a crucial role to play. It is therefore important to involve them now in the work being done for the future of the ocean: in the work to protect endangered species, in the work to reduce atmospheric pollution and in the work to encourage responsible behaviour.
It will be by educating young people about the threats facing the ocean, by involving them in discussions underway, and by helping them understand their own key role, that it will be possible to move towards a sustainable stewardship of the ocean.
In 2007, the European Commission held consultations on a Green Paper for a Future Maritime Policy. The World Ocean Network and its partners therefore organised the first Youth Parliament meetings in a number of countries across the world. The aim of these meetings was to involve young people in ocean management issues and to help them formulate recommendations for the Commission’s Green Paper on the future of maritime policy. Young people from the Aquarium de Gênes in Italy, from the Science Centre de la Vila do Conde in Portugal, from the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth in the United Kingdom and schoolchildren from organisations involved in the European cooperation project MARTINS (Maritime Training In Safety) all contributed to this consultation exercise and made a number of recommendations.
The World Ocean Network is seeking both to make Youth Parliaments an annual event and to organise consultation exercises for young people at – and in order to involve them in - international conferences.
You can consult the contributions of previous Youth meetings below :
• World Ocean Network's letter and contribution (contribution number 409)
• Contribution of the Youth Forum organized by the Science Centre of Vila do Conde , Portugal (contribution number 392)
• Contribution of the Youth Forum held in the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth, UK (contribution number 407)
• Contribution of the Youth Forum held in the Acquario di Genova, Italy (contribution number 407)
• Contribution of the Youth Forum held in NAUSICAÄ (France) in partnership with the
MARTINS project partners (contribution number 407)
• MARTINS Project's contribution (contribution number 376)