Youth Leadership for Ocean and Climate Action: Sharing Inspiration for the UN Ocean Decade

This side event to the UN ECOSOC Youth Forum will highlight the Youth for SDGs program for the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. Youth leaders from around the world will share the work they are doing for ocean and climate action, with a focus on science education, and Peace Boat will highlight their recent global voyage to Patagonia and Antarctica, celebrating the International Year of Glaciers’ preservation with UNESCO. Discussions will be followed by a series of short film screenings related to youth empowerment for the UN Ocean Decade.

13:00 – Welcome

Speakers include:
MC – Emilie McGlone, Director of Peace Boat US
Mr. Rodrigo Mundaca, Regional Governor of Valparaíso, Chile
Jeremy Raguain, Senior Programme Officer, BBNJ Agreement, Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

Youth voices : Future and Present
Ilona Da Cruz Gerngross, Youth for SDGs scholar from France
Jackson Weill, Peace Boat US Youth Representative
Ahmed Elsayed, Global Kids, Youth Representative from COP 29
Jose Maidana, Peace Boat US – Youth for SDGs
Marina Testino, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Earth Partner

Ocean and Innovation
Shannen Henry, Council on Sustainable Fashion and Design of Grenada
Noemi Florea, Creatives for Our Future programme alumni
Andrea Reyes, Executive Director of the NYC Fair Trade Coalition
Meredith Morris, Senior Director of Advancement, XPRIZE

14:00 – Film Screenings for the UN Ocean Decade

Introduction by Emy Kane from Lonely Whale
Special preview of Seaweed Stories, narrated by Forest Whitaker and presented by Lonely Whale in association with Re:wild, before its global release in June for UN World Oceans Day
Film screening of “HOPE” by Luis Barreto – Peace Boat’s Youth for SDGs Arctic program
Ocean and Climate Youth Ambassador film by Ryan Carl, Peace Boat
The Story of Hawaii, a 100% Renewable Energy Future with Blue Planet Alliance
Peace Boat’s Ecoship, Sailing for Sustainability with Solar and Wind Energy
Oceanic Global film preview of “Guardians of the Mangroves” with introduction by Anna Dukar, CFO, Oceanic Global

Partnership Announcements:
Exhibition by Peace Boat US – UN Ocean Decade Programs
Exhibition by Fair Trade Fashion Coalition
Xprize – Special Youth Announcement by Meredith Morris for design thinking