Organised as a collaboration between PREP4BLUE and BLUEMISSIONAA, this workshop on Environmental advocacy and justice took place in Amsterdam on the the 27th of November 2024 as part of the BlueMissionBanos’ Mission Arena 3. The workshop integrated ideas of marine environmental advocacy with environmental justice, offering its youth participants a condensed yet comprehensive experience that equipped them with the skills needed to use ocean knowledge to drive change. By focusing on essential skills and practical application, the workshop aimed to create a dynamic learning environment that motivated and prepared teens and young adults to become effective advocates for both environmental and social justice issues.
To increase youth inclusion in Mission Ocean & Waters activities, the workshop was targeted to the university students in marine science, marine policy and related areas, Youth4Ocean and networks, as well as Early Career Ocean Professionals and local young people for participants. Participants in the workshop were empowered to address and advocate for local environmental justice issues. They built essential skills in campaign creation and community engagement, fostering a strong sense of agency and capability to drive change. The participants directly tackled local environmental and social justice concerns, connected advocacy efforts with social justice, and connected their campaigns with the objectives and targets of Mission Ocean and Waters. The campaigns were really creative, including messaging around cleaning up Amsterdam’s canals, writing love letters to the ocean in discarded plastic bottles, and more!
Following the workshop and in an attempt to make the participation as meaningful as possible, a group of 10 university students were supported to engage with attendees and panellists from other workshops across the Mission Arena Amsterdam. Finally, the university students reported on their general experience at the Mission Arena Amsterdam during the final plenary session in terms of inclusion and from the point of view of young people.
