On August 8th 2024, Heirs To Our Ocean joined Young Sea Changers Scotland & Marine Conservation Society’s Youth Ocean Network for a dynamic and insightful online webinar titled “Navigate the UN Ocean Decade,”. The event brought together passionate advocates for ocean conservation and youth engagement from around the world.
Read on to hear more about the experience directly from the H2OO Global Youth Leaders who co-hosted the workshop:
“In August 2024, Armon Alex and I co-hosted workshop where we shared insights from the formation of the US YAC for the UNOD, its intentional programming, and the inspiring achievements across the four cohorts. This sparked genuine conversations on adapting this model to engage youth in other countries, such as the UK. I appreciated the active engagement from the webinar participants, reflecting their commitment to amplifying UK youth voices within the Decade. I found this workshop to have not only educated attendees about the Decade and YACs, but also offered me valuable perspectives when engaging in breakout room discussions and Q&A. I am hopeful this partnership will pave the way for stronger representation of youth voices from the UK when shaping the future of the UNOD.“ – Chloe McKenna, 23, H2OO Global Youth Leader
“The workshop with Young Sea Changers Scotland was a dynamic and enriching experience that provided youth leaders with the tools to understand and engage with the UN Ocean Decade on a global scale. It was an inspiring opportunity to connect with passionate young people from across Scotland, eager to learn about the intersection of ocean conservation and climate action. The most valuable takeaway from this workshop was understanding the importance of creating youth-driven advocacy tools. Together, we discussed how young people can use their voices to shape marine policy and how to advocate for systemic change. My experience as Co-Chair of the U.S. Youth Advisory Council allowed me to share what we’ve done in the U.S., like developing Decade-related resources, while brainstorming how youth in the UK could become leaders in this space as well. This workshop deepened my belief that youth involvement in the UN Ocean Decade is essential to driving impactful change. It also solidified that whether in the U.S. or the UK, young leaders are ready to take action to protect the ocean and shape the future of the planet.” – Armon Alex, 24, H2OO Global Youth Leader & Project Coordinator U.S. YAC UNOD
