YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCILS
We Advocate for Youth Having a Meaningful “Seat at the Table”
Heirs to Our Ocean (H2OO) organizes and supports youth advisory councils in a unique way by:
Empowering youth to take a meaningful “seat at the table” with the multigenerational team it is collaborating with
Cultivating youth member’s skill building and education to ensure their success
Ensuring diversity and lifting the voices of youth who have been traditionally marginalized and are situated most vulnerably in the world
Positioning youth as drivers of change
H2OO ENGAGES YOUTH AS A DECADE IMPLEMENTATION PARTNER (DIP)
In 2020, H2OO formed the world’s first Youth Advisory Council for the UN Ocean Decade (YAC for UNOD) in the U.S., and it continues to organize and support it.
H2OO created a toolkit — Guide to Organizing a Youth Advisory Council for the UN Ocean Decade — to assist UN Member States and inspired youth in forming a YAC for UNOD.
PREVIEW the ToOLKITIf interested in receiving the full toolkit in consultation with H2OO to form a YAC for UNOD please contact us at info@H2OO.org
Contact usH2OO is an official Decade Implementation Partner (DIP) of the International Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO) due to its work in youth engagement during the Decade.
H2OO Supports Youth Voices at UN Ocean Decade Conference
UN OCEAN DECADE CONFERENCE 2024 – BARCELONA
H2OO led an official UN Ocean Decade Conference Side Event on April 9, advocating for the meaningful inclusion of youth aged 15-25 in the Decade.
As the generation transitioning from formative education to higher education and subsequently into careers, youth believe in securing an equal seat “at the table.”
Presented was our model that actively engages youth in the Decade, emphasizing the importance of all UN Member States involving youth through youth advisory councils.
WATCH THE RECORDINGCore Principles for Next Generation Engagement in the UN Ocean Decade
CONNECTION
Youth are connected in purpose as they process the greatest challenges their generation faces with ocean and water health and commit to allyship for those whose voices have traditionally been excluded.
COLLABORATION & SHARED LEARNING
Identifying the ways in which injustices that have affected frontline communities + the ocean are intertwined and taking action to address their root causes.
SKILL DEVELOPMENT
Opportunities offered to all youth in organization, leadership, presentation & public speaking, policy advocacy, and storytelling.
EMPATHETIC LEADERSHIP
Demonstrating the ability to see complex situations from another’s perspective and being open to embracing new viewpoints and processes.
COMMUNITY ACTIVATION
Engage local community and community-based solutions to further an ocean-protecting and climate-action movement in the Decade.
INTERSECTIONAL PROCESSING
Identifying the ways in which injustices that have affected frontline communities + the ocean are intertwined and taking action to address their root causes.
SEE WHAT YOUTH ARE SAYING
PARTNERS // COLLABORATORS // SUPPORTERS
COMMITTED TO CREATING A MORE JUST AND EMPATHETIC FUTURE
All our partners, collaborators and supporters join us in working toward a more just and equitable future. Want to get on the list? BECOME A PARTNER