Participants from six different countries came together on June 17, 2020, to understand and discuss the importance of the interconnectedness between the health of the ocean and human health, especially drawing implications from the current global pandemic. The workshop, organized by the POP Movement during the WAAS-UNOG e-conference on "Strategies for Transformative Global Leadership", envisioned to draw insights from youth leaders, experts and decision-makers, and to bring attention to the protection of marine biodiversity and the marine ecosystem.
Through different breakout rooms sessions, participants had the opportunity to review and exchange their ideas, building solid strategies that would allow the proper implementation of public policies for the protection of the ocean and its marine biodiversity. The workshop focused on three main topics: Youth, Coastal Communities and Blue Economy, where participants expressed their concerns and presented revolutionary solutions regarding the issue.
Key Takeaways:
1) Education is key and the youth leadership that propels action should be fearless, empathetic and collaborative.
2) Community-led initiatives (by and for community interventions) and community level leadership will propel the bottom-up construction model in the protection of coastal zones.
3) Managing disaster risks are important to mitigate, manage, and adapt to.
