The Ocean and Climate Youth Ambassador Programme brings youth from small islands on the frontline of the climate crisis to travel onboard Peace Boat’s its ship to raise awareness of the impacts of the climate crisis and ocean degradation. This programme highlights the stories and experiences of young people at the forefront of injustices brought about by climate change, amplifying their voices calling for action. Press conferences, public events and meetings with government representatives are organized in the different countries that the youth visit with Peace Boat. The ambassadors have the opportunity to present their experiences to local and national media to amplify their message. They also use their own social media channels to outline the programme and conclusions. Participants engage in capacity development training programmes onboard and in ports and after the voyage, use the experience and knowledge gained to contribute to their communities and internationally, organizing events with young people to pass the message and keep raising awareness on the urgent need for action for our ocean and climate.

The programme focuses on Sustainable Development Goal 13, “Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts” (Climate Action) and Sustainable Development Goal 14, “Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development” (Life Below Water), and explores the relationship between these goals and the other goals of Agenda 2030. In particular, Education, Peace and Justice, Partnerships and Gender equality. Through seminars , study programmes and discussions particip[ants and those they meet engage with the SDGs and understand their importance as well as solutions and challenges and challenges to implementation.

Having organized three separate editions of the Ocean and Climate Youth Ambassador Programme over three years, Peace Boat has provided capacity development for a total of twenty-six youth leaders from Small Island Developing States. The countries represented to date are: Fiji, Palau, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Seychelles, Maldives, Mauritius, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, St Lucia and Belize.



To scale up the programme going in its fourth year, Peace Boat plans to:

- Provide an online platform for an alumni network which will allow participants of the programmes to continue to work on projects together once returning to their home communities. Having built the foundations of the network through personal interaction and shared experiences onboard, the work can be continued and scaled up with youth from the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean and Caribbean through the online platform. The alumni network will also encourage and facilitate cooperation amongst graduates of different editions of the programme who may or may not have the opportunity to meet in person providing further amplification and acceleration.

- Increase the number of youth engaged in the programme and engage youth representatives from Small Island Developing States not yet represented in the programme.

- Provide support for youth from the same country and/or region to work together to organize events and training programmes in their home countries including providing media tools and documentary videos related to the programme and the SDGs covered.

- Provide opportunities for OCYAP alumni youth to participate in international conferences related to the Sustainable Development Agenda at side events and collaborations with partners and through Peace Boat’s position as an NGO with consultative status to UN ECOSOC and with Observer Status to UNFCCC

- Provide opportunities for alumni youth to scale up their own community projects through Peace Boat visits to Small Island States as part of the Global Voyages.

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