Youth Leadership Summit in Our Ocean 2018

I know it's too late to write down again about Our Ocean, which was held last week on October 29-30th 2018 in Nusa Dua, Bali. It was co-hosted by Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA) and the government of Indonesia after bringing 200 ocean youth leaders from 50 nations with one mission : finding solution to protect our ocean. The summit was presented rapid prototype of brainstorming between all the participants, as in the ideas marketplace survey everyone had to speak their commitment in front of the forum for 60 seconds duration.

Myself was spoke about how to introduce people (as tourist) about coastal and pelagic ecosystems and it's role to people through ecotourism by training of trainer for tourism guide, giving small education include how to do safe snorkeling and diving, marine policy base information, waste recycling, keep your own waste and eat-seafood program so that they will conserve the nature while guiding the tourism responsibly. What I hope from the commitment is tourist will be more aware to conserve and protect the ecosystem while they're enjoying the view of the sea. The information from the guide will educate traveler to keep the ecosystem sustainable. as the bonus from the training, they would know which part of ecosystem they could use as economic solution.

The participants also concerned about current pollution issue, plastic. Started from we bring our own tumbler every time, not use the plastic straw anymore and many things else that we can do to reduce it. From this issue many participants already planned to work together and do some projects to spread lifestyle without plastic. Uniquely, all the youth leader were from different cultures and different education backgrounds but came with the same aims : to save, conserve and protect our ocean as our legacy. 

Daniela Fernandez as CEO of SOA made the conclusion from the summit, that we need to : 

• Grow and develop the ocean innovation ecosystem, to train young people to approach these ocean challenges through an entrepreneurial lens
• Match our youth leaders to existing ocean campaigns, so they can collaborate with NGO's and deploy a vast array of ocean advocacy projects in their respective countries
• Build a pipeline of funding vehicles to help their ideas scale and provide seed funding to propel novel, early-stage ocean technology solutions

Ms. Susi Pudjiastuti as Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Indonesia, expressed her hope for the next Our Ocean Conference 2019 in Norway "I saw youth leaders, with big spirits and able to guard and care for the ocean. I requested to Daniela (SOA of SOA) to bring 100 Indonesian youth leaders next year. So that, even if I'm not there but the voice of my country  and the voice of our ocean will be heard." and a very nice quote from her that I noted for myself "It's not ocean that need us, but it's us who need the ocean that's why we have to protect it with all cost."