A global oceans advocacy effort may require individuals to form clusters of mutual interests separate from their business and professional affiliations, be they with non-profits, NGOs, governments or corporations. It may be that organizations providing support for oceans advocacy projects, programs, initiatives and campaigns are just too slow, too caught up in taking care of their donors and members, too under-financed and over whelmed to solve the problems brought upon us by global warming and the continued dislocation of entire countries because of war and violence.  As to those organizations involved in the making of problems, rather than solutions, it gives their employees, customers, and family members an opportunity to act as citizens in protecting the oceans and work with others who share their commitment.

Thinking about this leads me to propose a community of OceansAdvocacy that provides a communications infrastructure to support individuals to organize, collaborate, build databases, and use research as advocates without the need for an organizational affiliation. A virtual based, citizens action cluster with infrastructure support, available now as no cost services by Google, where people from all walks of life, citizens, are free to express their own views, knowledge, and vision on behalf of the oceans. And to do so emphasizing one-to-one and group conferencing, images over text, and images connected to place.

I’ve prepared a short 10 minute presentation on what OceansAdvocacy could look like modeled in part on the recently launched, Global Forest Watch; applying the work we have done as EarthSayers.tv advancing the voices of sustainability, of which Oceans and Plastic in Our Oceans are two special collections;  and bringing a sustainability perspective to building community that address planet, people, and prosperity.

If you see what I mean about the need to be free to express one’s own views, the power of the Google platform to support a virtual citizens-led movement on behalf of the oceans, then give a listen to my presentation (video here) and get back to me with comments, suggestions or recommendations. Thank you.

Ruth Ann Barrett, Sustainability Advocate, March 31, 2014.