Paradise islands covered in plastics? G20 Brasil, Oceans 20 and Voice of the Oceans unite to change this reality
Close your eyes and imagine yourself on a deserted island. An island that, in your dreams, would be bathed by a crystal blue sea, with shiny white sands. But what if, when you opened your eyes, you came across mountains of plastic scattered around the beach? It was exactly this scene that the Schurmann Family encountered upon arriving at West Fayu, an isolated island in the Pacific.
Perhaps you have already imagined the scenario of a deserted island. The Schurmann family, now a collaborative communication partner of G20 Brasil, experienced this reality, but with a detail that no one would dream of: a paradise island covered in plastic. When they arrived at West Fayu, a completely uninhabited island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, in 2016, the scene was desolate. Bottles and plastic debris brought from different parts of the world flooded the beach.
This striking sight ignited an alert in the family of sailors and inspired them to create the Voice of the Oceans movement, which today mobilizes people worldwide in the fight against plastic pollution. Navigating between science, education and awareness, the Voice of the Oceans joins the G20 Brasil and Oceans 20 (Ocean 20), to build bridges towards a sustainable future, in which the oceans are a bridge of connection and construction towards a world where no one is left behind.
[...] while the G20 Brasil and the O20 propose deep reflections on the preservation of the oceans for future generations, the Voice of the Oceans brings the practical experience of those who are literally navigating these waters and facing this crisis head-on.
In his speech at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly this year, President Lula warned: “we are walking in circles, among possible compromises that lead to insufficient results.” In this sense, while the G20 Brasil and the O20 propose deep reflections on the preservation of the oceans for future generations, the Voice of the Oceans brings the practical experience of those who are literally navigating these waters and facing this crisis head-on.
Thus, in our first logbook, a collaborative content that will be produced until the Social Summit, you will be able to immerse yourself in inspiring stories, such as those of communities that work in the rehabilitation of marine animals and the reuse of electronic waste. After all, the oceans are the beacon that illuminates this path toward sustainable development.
