Peace Boat US is excited to be holding a new series of “Youth for the SDGs” programs,, as part of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development onboard Peace Boat’s new vessel the Pacific World. Highlighting the theme of this year’s UN World Oceans Day “Planet Ocean: Tides are Changing,” the programs seek to raise awareness about Life Below Water and encourage positive action for our blue planet. Onboard and port programs will educate youth on the issues of environmental sustainability, the impacts of climate change on our ocean, intercultural communication and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and scale up our initiatives for Ocean Literacy and citizen science, in collaboration with IOC UNESCO’s platform ODIS – Ocean Data and Information Systems.
Youth leaders from around the world who are working toward sustainability in their home communities will travel onboard Peace Boat’s ship, which sails with the SDGs logo on its hull, and engage in capacity building and citizen science programs. The educational programs developed in partnership with the United Nations, civil society organizations, academia, government partners and the local communities we visit focus on SDG14, Life Below Water, as well as connect to the broader 2030 Agenda. Participants will engage in workshops, lectures and seminars while at sea with a focus on learning about the impacts of Ocean Acidification, climate change and biodiversity, while the hands-on experiences in the ports of call will enrich their understanding of marine science and climate action on a scale from local to global.
For this inaugural voyage, two editions of the program will take place in different regions of the world on the current 114th Global Voyage. The first, the Arctic Program, starts on May 24 in London, and will sail through the Fjords of Norway before it concludes on June 14 in Iceland. In London the participants will join an Ocean Innovation networking reception, a day of action on environmental sustainability and ocean education, and a waterway plastic clean-up with UOCEAN and local partner organizations. They will visit four ports In Norway for outdoor exploration and marine science data collection. This includes a day of sailing and kelp study in Tromso, marine science data collection in Honningsvag, a study program in biomimicry and an educational visit to the University and Science Center in Longyearbyen. The final city will be Reykjavik, Iceland, where participants will take part in a study program with the UNESCO Fisheries Project, additional marine science data collection from water sample testing along the coast and at the Blue Lagoon, and a geothermal energy study program.
The second edition of the Peace Boat US Youth for the SDGs program onboard the 114th Voyage will take place in Latin America. Selected youth scholars will visit Panama City, and sail through the Panama Canal before visiting Guatemala and Mexico, where the program concludes. Highlights include a special capacity-building event with the Ministry of Energy, a nature-based solutions study program with Kuna and Embera Indigenous Communities, as well as learning about renewable energy with the Center for Sustainability and Excellence. In Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala participants will take part in a cultural exchange with a Mayan Indigenous Community as well as a mangrove reforestation program for climate action. The program will conclude in Manzanillo, Mexico with a Blue Economy Forum co-hosted by the Mexican Government’s Ministry of Environment and Aquaculture, INAPESCA, Restore Coral, Naturalia, Mares Mexico and many NGO leaders and University partners.
Arctic Voyage: May 24 – June 14, 2023
Tilbury (London) UK – Sailing through the Fjords of Norway – Iceland
May 24 – Program starts in London: Ocean and Climate Networking Reception at Selina Hotel, Camden
May 25 – Peace Boat arrives Tilbury (London) UK: Environmental sustainability and ocean education action day
May 26 – River and waterway plastic clean-up with UOCEAN and partners
May 27 – Peace Boat departs Tilbury (London) UK: Blue Economy Partnership Event
May 31 – Åndalsnes, Norway: Outdoor exploration, marine science data collection
June 2 – Tromso, Norway: Sailing and kelp study program
June 3 – Honningsvåg, Norway: Marine science data collection
June 5 – Longyearbyen, Norway: Study program in biomimicry, visit to the University and Science Center
June 9 – 10 – Akureyri, Iceland: Marine science data collection and water sample testing
June 11 – 12 – Reykjavik, Iceland: Program with UNESCO Fisheries project and wildlife observation with Sustainable Ocean Alliance
June 13 – Educational program: Visit to the Blue Lagoon, water testing and geothermal studies
June 14 – Program conclusion in Iceland
Latin American Voyage: June 20 – July 5, 2023
Panama – Sailing through the Panama Canal – Guatemala – Mexico
June 20 – Program starts in Cristobal, Panama
June 22 – Study program: Nature-based solutions with the Kuna and Embera Indigenous Communities
June 23 – Learning about renewable energy with the Center for Sustainability and Excellence
June 24 – Peace Boat arrives Cristobal, Panama & Embarkation
June 25 – Peace Boat sails through the Panama Canal
June 28 – Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala: Cultural exchange with Mayan Indigenous Community
June 29 – Mangrove reforestation for climate action
July 2 – Manzanillo, Mexico & Disembarkation
July 3 – 4 – Blue Economy Forum in Mexico
July 5 – Program Conclusion
