Archives

The launch of the Decade 10 Challenges Youth Perspective Toolkit marks a significant milestone in the ongoing work of the U.S. Youth Action Council for the UN Ocean Decade (U.S. YAC for UNOD). This toolkit is a great example of how the YAC program is a progressive and cumulative experience, where each cohort builds upon the work of the previous one. Initially developed by the Education Committee of the 3rd Cohort in 2022, the toolkit was further enriched and finalized by members of the 4th Cohort, resulting in a comprehensive and youth-driven resource.

Made entirely by youth aged 16-24, this toolkit is designed by youth, for youth, educators, and communities at large. It offers valuable insights into the 10 Ocean Decade Challenges and serves as a tool to spark meaningful discussions and inspire action. The toolkit encourages reflection on how we, as individuals and communities, can address these challenges in ways that are tailored to our unique needs and circumstances, empowering youth to take ownership of ocean advocacy and contribute to global solutions.

“It was incredibly exciting to see the Education Toolkit come to life and be presented at the annual UN Ocean Decade Meeting this past year. Working on the toolkit opened my eyes to the interconnectedness of our one water system and encouraged me to think more critically about our interactions with the ocean and their profound impact on coastal communities worldwide. I took on a lead editing role, ensuring that all our 3rd Cohort authors’ genuine voices were heard. Through this process, I learned the importance of conducting extensive research, amplifying diverse perspectives, and translating complex topics into language that youth, educators, and diverse communities could connect with. One of my favorite parts was adding interactive activities and prompts to inspire readers to take action with their newfound knowledge. The Education Toolkit epitomized the power of youth collaboration for creating change, helping me understand the significant role we play in advancing a more sustainable and equitable ocean system.” – Nilesh Sathyanaraya, 17, 4th Cohort Member U.S. YAC UNOD

“Last year, I had the opportunity to serve as Co-Chair of the U.S. YAC, and it was an experience that proved both deeply educational and enjoyable. Collaborating with a dynamic and diverse group of passionate youth from around the world was truly eye-opening, and I made so many amazing friends on the council. One of the most important lessons I took away was the value of empathetic leadership—the ability to lead with heightened awareness and understanding of multiple perspectives.

I also enjoyed working with my YAC team on the Education Decade 10 Challenges Toolkit. This project not only deepened my understanding of the Ocean Decade Challenges but also honed my teamwork and project management skills. I was even able to apply my graphic design skills to help format the toolkit, combining creativity with purpose!

The experiences and lessons I gained from the YAC have been foundational. Whether it was from what I learned preparing to speak at a UN Ocean Decade conference satellite event in Barcelona or the knowledge I gained championing environmental policy at Hill Days, I now carry the insights and growth from this role with me into all of my future endeavors. I will never forget my time on the YAC.“ – Shaomin Kee, 16, 4th Cohort Member U.S. YAC UNOD

In March 2024, the Policy Committee of the U.S. Youth Action Council for the UN Ocean Decade organized an in-person Hill Days event in Washington, D.C., where 19 youth advocates led 71 meetings over the course of two days to push for critical ocean and water protection policies. This event brought together passionate youth from across the U.S. to engage directly with their lawmakers, advocating for five key bills that are vital to safeguarding our oceans and coastal ecosystems.

The policy topics included:

H.R. 1483: End Oil and Gas Tax Subsidies Act of 2023, which aims to eliminate subsidies for fossil fuel companies and reinvest in sustainable alternatives.

H.R. 3873 and S. 1806: Ocean Regional Opportunity and Innovation Act of 2023, designed to promote innovation and support regional ocean economies.

H.R. 2950 and S. 1381: Coastal Habitat Conservation Act of 2023, which seeks to preserve and protect vital coastal habitats from degradation.

S. 643: Farm Fresh Food for Families Act of 2023, which addresses the intersection of sustainable agriculture and healthy communities.

H.R. 1441: Offshore Pipeline Safety Act, a bill focused on enhancing safety regulations for offshore pipelines to prevent environmental disasters.

This impactful event demonstrated the power of youth voices in shaping policy decisions and highlighted the importance of direct advocacy in securing a healthier, more sustainable future for our oceans.

“Attending the Hill Days was empowering because I was able to discuss such important issues with the people responsible for making the policies that impact all of us. This experience reinforced my belief that real, tangible change can happen through policy. Now, more than ever, I want to see as many youth as possible get involved in policy work. I believe more Hill Days are needed to ensure that youth engagement with policymakers becomes a priority, helping them understand their responsibility to the youth and their communities.

Throughout this experience, I gained valuable skills such as policy analysis, advocacy, lobbying, research, and communication with Congress. I also learned how to schedule meetings with lawmakers and navigate the legislative process. The most memorable part of this experience was the time spent with fellow youth discussing the future we want and how to make it a reality. This was followed by a conversation with Senator Alex Padilla’s office about how we can collaborate with indigenous communities to rehabilitate soils in California.” – Latifah Nansubuga, 21, 3rd, 4th & 5th Cohort Member U.S. YAC UNOD

“It was incredibly meaningful to be able to speak with lawmakers on Capitol Hill in 2024 with the US YAC UNOD. While we learned a tremendous amount about how to advocate for bills with members of Congress who agree and disagree with our values, I found the experience even more valuable as I had the opportunity to meet the other youth in the YAC in-person as well. With their guidance and experience, I grew as a leader, public speaker, lobbyist, and changemaker. It was so heartening to hear directly from a staffer a couple of weeks ago that Senator Alex Padilla had decided to co-sponsor one of the bills that we advocated for. Representing youth voices is so critical; we are the future and we deserved to be heard!” – Colin Chu, 17, 4th & 5th Cohort Member U.S. YAC UNOD

“Leading the petition and participating in the Instagram Live press conference at Hill Days 2024 was both exhilarating and empowering. Standing up for eco-justice—a cause I’m deeply passionate about—in front of a large online audience was a powerful experience. I felt a strong sense of responsibility, knowing I represented the voices of many young people who share our vision for decarbonization, decolonization, and democratization. Seeing over 500 signatories come together underscored the strength of collaboration and showed that our voices resonate even more powerfully when united. I hope our advocacy demonstrated to lawmakers that youth are essential stakeholders in policy decisions, especially those shaping our future. We also developed crucial skills in public speaking, digital engagement, and strategic organizing, strengthening our approach to driving meaningful change.” – Zoë Tucker-Borrut, 25, 4th Cohort Member & 5th Cohort Support Team Intern U.S. YAC UNOD

In 2024, Heirs To Our Ocean (H2OO) equipped the next generation of ocean leaders with the skills they need to drive meaningful change. Recognizing the importance of the next generation building a diverse set of skills, H2OO led a series of transformative workshops designed to empower youth with the tools to lead, advocate, work as a team and communicate effectively.

The Empathetic Leadership Workshop focused on developing emotional intelligence and leadership skills to create empathetic, compassionate, impactful leaders who prioritize collaboration and inclusivity. The Policy Advocacy Workshop series provided youth with the knowledge and strategies from policy experts to navigate the complex world of U.S. environmental policy, teaching them how to advocate for policies that support a healthier ocean future. In the Public Speaking Workshop series, youth honed their abilities to speak confidently and persuasively, preparing them to share their inspiring and impactful messages across global platforms. Finally, the Book Writing Workshop led by experts Eleanor Kerlow, marketing consultant and journalist, as well as Markette Shepherd, an Emmy-winning storyteller, marketing executive, bestselling picture book author, encouraged creative expression that helped young people craft compelling narratives to inspire others and develop strategy to publish their own children’s book.

These workshops were a key part of H2OO’s mission to empower youth to lead with purpose and passion, ensuring they have the skills to engage, influence, and drive the ocean movement forward.

“The 4th Cohort’s Empathetic Leadership workshop helped me better understand what it truly means to be a leader. Leadership isn’t just about delegating tasks and giving orders; it involves understanding your team’s needs, addressing concerns, and creating a safe space for collaboration. Without compassion and empathy, effective leadership is difficult. After the workshop, I felt more equipped to lead with empathy, making it a core part of my actions and interactions.“ – Priyanka , 17, 4th Cohort Member & 5th Cohort Support Team Intern U.S. YAC UNOD

“The Policy Advocacy Workshop with Alison Hays in January was a pivotal experience for many youth in the 4th Cohort of the U.S. Youth Action Council for the UN Ocean Decade. This workshop provided us with the tools and strategies needed to effectively engage in advocacy, particularly on policies impacting the ocean and climate. For me, it reinforced the importance of using research-driven strategies to support our advocacy and empowered us to speak confidently about the issues we care about. I learned how to construct a clear policy agenda, communicate it to policymakers, and understand the value of collaborating with different stakeholders. This workshop didn’t just teach theory—it provided us with practical skills to become effective advocates for the ocean. It was especially eye-opening to witness firsthand the power youth have to influence legislation and policy decisions that will shape our future.” – Armon Alex, 24, 4th Cohort Member & Project Coordinator U.S. YAC UNOD

“I loved how Markette and Elli amplified many different perspectives that hadn’t been drawn upon before within the group, specifically about texts, images, and different color schemes that we could implement within the book we wanted to create. I also appreciated some aspects that we hadn’t previously thought of before, including publishing methods and other factors towards tying in the book content together since it was a compilation of books. It was also refreshing to learn from authors who are accomplished storytellers, and I think the main takeaway I could draw from the book workshop is how to effectively convey a message of environmental conservation to an audience of children ages 6 – 8.” – Emiliano Juarez, 18, 3rd & 4th Cohort Member & 5th Cohort Support Team Intern U.S. YAC UNOD

As the UN Ocean Decade continues to gather momentum, youth voices are more essential than ever in crafting sustainable solutions for our ocean.

Heirs To Our Ocean (H2OO) stepped up to co-lead a critical side-event panel & workshop with the U.S. National Committee to the UN Ocean Decade, NOAA (@noaa), Fugro (@fugro), and the University of Barcelona (@unibarcelona) at the 2024 UN Ocean Decade Conference in Barcelona. This event focused in on how to deepen youth engagement within the decade sharing H2OO’s successful model of the U.S. Youth Action Council for the UN Ocean Decade program. This workshop provided a collaborative space for youth to share perspectives, discuss barriers, and brainstorm actionable solutions to strengthen their involvement in the Decade’s work.

“In my path as an activist, Heirs to Our Ocean was the organization that taught me what meaningful youth and children engagement truly looks like. In 2024, at the UN Ocean Decade Conference, I had the privilege of experiencing another moment of meaningful youth engagement and empowerment, funded and supported by Heirs. I spent hours with other youth from around the world, ages 16 to 25, collaborating to build and plan our event: “Engaging Youth Under 25 in the Decade: A Model of Success.” In Barcelona, I was excited to share my experience in building a Youth Advisory Council in Brazil and meaningfully involving Brazilian youth in taking action on the Ocean Decade. Finally, I am deeply grateful to all the other youth who inspired me with their experiences and to Heirs to Our Ocean, which continues to set the example of what true youth engagement and leadership look like.” – Catarina Lorenzo, 17, H2OO Global Youth Leader

“In my work over the years I have noticed that excluding the perspectives of small, underrepresented groups, especially developing island nations, we risk hindering equitable progress. Because of this I sought to increase my participation in critical global leadership spaces. In doing so, I discovered Heirs To Our Ocean, particularly their U.S. Youth Action Council for the United Nations Ocean Decade, where I joined as a Movement Working Group Committee member.

Like finding a shell on the sand, this opportunity connected the shores of my island community to Barcelona! As a key participant in “Engaging Youth Under 25 Meaningfully in the Decade: A Model of Success,” I was able to highlight and discuss the urgent need for Indigenous youth leadership in the Decade’s actions. Together, we initiated dialogues to formulate a strategic, worldwide youth action council agenda that ensures all youth groups are included in the conversation for more inclusive, sustainable solutions by 2030.

In retrospect, I never imagined that this opportunity would yield such tremendous success, and I am incredibly thankful for the privilege of being part of it.

As tåotåo tasi, we are but one in the determination of our blue future.” – Henry Hofschneider San Nicolas, Jr., 20, 4th & 5th Cohort Member U.S. YAC UNOD

[insert Dakota’s share here]

Raina Ivanova, 19 year old Youth Leader and Intern of H2OO, and one of 16 Petitioners in the Children vs. Climate Crisis Petition (10 of which were identified and supported by H2OO), was a guest speaker September 20, 2023, at a side-event on Children and Climate Change at the 54th session of the Human Rights Council. The event was co-organized by Child Rights Connect’s Working Group on children’s rights and the environment, of which H2OO is a member, and the Permanent Mission of Morocco. 

The topic at issue was the General Comment on Children’s Rights and the Environment with a Special Focus on Climate Change (GC 26). GC26 is intended to be authoritative guidance on how children’s rights are impacted by the environmental crisis and what governments should do to uphold these rights to ensure that children live in a clean, healthy and sustainable world.

Raina, along with other youth leaders of H2OO, was invited to review and comment on the drafts of GC No. 26. Raina took the additional step of meeting with Committee members of the Convention of the Rights of the Child regarding GC26. Raina and her peers did not feel GC26 sufficiently required governments to take action to protect children considering the impact of the climate crisis and what they and future generations are inheriting.

Raina shared her thoughts at the side-event on Children and Climate Change at the 54th session of the Human Rights Council:

According to the UNICEF’s Climate Risk Index, half of the world’s children live in countries that are categorized as extremely endangered by climate change. This is equivalent to almost 1 billion children whose safety, education, livelihoods, and quite literally their lives themselves are severely endangered by the consequences of climate change. This is why the right to a healthy environment lays one of the most basic foundations for the realization of child rights.

The climate crisis is a child rights crisis.

The right to life is threatened by more severe natural disasters.

The right to health is threatened by faster-spreading diseases due to global warming.

The right to cultural identity is gravely at risk, especially for islanders due to sea level rise.

And the right to the best interests of the child as a primary consideration, is not met at every decision that perpetuates the climate crisis.

In order to protect these rights I joined a group of 15 other child plaintiffs in 2019 and filed the first petition through the Convention on the Rights of the Child that addressed 5 countries who violated these rights through their contribution to climate change. Our petition was dismissed in 2021; however, it became one of the reasons why General Comment 26 was dedicated to the right to a healthy environment with a special focus on climate change. Over 16,000 children contributed throughout the consultation process, including me and some of my fellow plaintiffs who shared our comments and suggestions with the Committee on the Rights of the Child including Mikiko Otani, who is also here today. Additionally, there was a Child Advisory Team set up that also supported the consultation process of the General Comment.

In many ways, General Comment 26 is a breakthrough for child rights, but in order for it to also become a milestone the work has just started. For this, we must understand the intersectional impacts of the climate crisis and how they are entwined with child rights, especially for the most affected children. To show this intersectionality I want to share the example of droughts that become more intense and long-lasting due to climate change. This not only endangers the right to food and water but can also lead to an increase of child labor and the violation of the right to education as UNICEF reports have shown. In severely impacted areas school attendance can drop drastically even leading to the entire shutdown of schools because the children are needed to help take care of livestock and to fetch water. Studies have shown that even gender-based violence can increase as a consequence of this.

These issues cannot be tackled individually from one another, and it is critical that we understand this when we work on implementing the new General comment. The effects of climate change are disproportionate and much more strongly felt in the global south but child rights and the protection of our shared environment have to be strengthened everywhere. Therefore, I invite you to join us child right and environmental defenders in making this breakthrough a milestone and in ensuring that what is written on paper in the General Comment is translated into reality for all children. I truly appreciate the inclusive effort to engage children in the making of this comment and I hope that we can build on this in the future and make sure that children can always participate safely in matters that concern them. Thank you once again, and I believe the only thing that’s left to say is let’s get to work!