Showcase your creativity, drive and passion for making a tangible impact on our oceans and climate.
A virtual ocean hackathon and symposium was launched on 12 August by the Blue Charter Ocean Youth Working Group to coincide with International Youth Day. The working group is inviting young people with innovative ideas from across the Commonwealth to compete for a chance to secure funding to assist with the implementation of their projects. The youth group, launched at COP28 in December 2023, actively engages young people across the 56 Commonwealth countries in topics on the ocean and climate change.
At the launch, Ibiso Ikiroma-Owiye, Chairperson and the partnership and public relations lead of the working group, said:
“The Ocean Youth Working Group seeks to bridge the gap between youth action and the Commonwealth Blue Charter on the topic of ocean protection and conservation, climate change, sustainable fisheries and the blue economy amongst other relevant areas referenced in the Blue Charter.”
Help to save the ocean
Under the theme, Catalysing youth solutions for our ocean and climate, the hackathon is inviting submissions of projects that offer solutions to challenges that address the ten issues identified for action. These range from innovative ways to reduce plastic pollution in our oceans to developing strategies to help coastal communities adapt to the effects of climate change.
Participate in the competition
Young people around the Commonwealth are invited to participate in the competition by submitting their own ideas or collaborating as a team to submit a project. The projects should showcase creative solutions that can be implemented in your own communities, while making a global impact on our oceans. These solutions will be shared across the Commonwealth Youth Networks, and on social media, so your positive impacts can encourage others and can be implemented in other areas.
Three submissions will be chosen as winners, and the individual or team will be named the ‘Commonwealth Ocean Champions for the Year of Youth’. They will be awarded cash prizes for their participation and supported with access to resources and other benefits. Individuals and groups are also encouraged to register as a member through the Commonwealth Youth Climate Change Networkour Commonwealth Youth Climate Change Network and join their WhatsApp community of young people from across the Commonwealth.
The criteria to participate in the Ocean Hackathon:
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Open to young people aged 15 - 29 years old from Commonwealth countries.
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Submissions, by filling the application form, can be from an individual or a team.
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A solution to at least one issue from the Commonwealth Blue Charter action areas must be developed.
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Must be a member of the Blue Charter Ocean Youth Working Group
Winners will be announced at the Ocean Symposium at the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa and COP29 in Azerbaijan. They will also be required to submit a blog post with photos at the 3rd, 6th and 9th month intervals after winning to showcase their progress.
Additional ways to get involved!
To engage their audience, Blue Charter Ocean Youth Working Group have been hosting bimonthly webinars to discuss the multiple challenges affecting our shared oceans. In a recent webinar on “Biodiversity Conservation: Bridging Science and Action” hosted by Pravena Nithiananda Jawahar, Vice-Chairperson and the administration and strategy lead, attendees and experts explored the need for nature-based solutions in protecting the oceans, how biodiversity can be monitored, and its market measured and quantified.
Other webinars centred on advocating against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, promoting creativity and innovation in blue sectors and protecting our marine ecosystems, have also been hosted. For more information, you may email the group at [email protected].
