Symposia
Kava Bowl Ocean Summit
"How Much is the Ocean Worth to You?"
From Thursday, June 30, to Sunday, July 3, 2011, Okeanos held the first summit of its kind in Honolulu, Hawai'i. People from all over the world met at East-West-Center’s Imin International Conference Center in Honolulu to discuss and develop new approaches and strategies to stop the ongoing destruction of our oceans. The mission was to gather people of different cultures, backgrounds and expertise in one place, seated “Pacific style” around a kava bowl, drinking kava and discussing these issues at eye level. People like “Her Deepness” Sylvia Earle, Nainoa Thompson, President of the Polynesian Voyaging Society, Noe Noe Wong-Wilson, Hawaiian cultural researcher and teacher, scientists like Barbara Block, Charlie Veron, and Chris Clark, filmmaker Louie Psihoyos, NGO fellows, lawyers, social scientists, authors, journalists, businesspeople as well as representatives from the Pacific Voyagers all participated in the Kava Bowl Talks.
Kava Bowl Talk © Rui Camilo
After having listened to different presentations about the threats facing our oceans, the fellows sat together in five groups to develop strategies. At the end of three days full of vivid discussions the participants presented their ideas. Inspired by the brave, strong people who sailed the Pacific, the Pacific Voyagers crew, making a stand for the ocean and showing up at the conference as one unified Pacific family, all Kava groups agreed on one thing:
We are all in the same canoe called "The Blue Planet" or "Our Blue Canoe".
We need to bring together every bit of knowledge and wisdom to accomplish this task, to sail this canoe into a healthy and safe future. Putting all our different experiences and skills together, participants found that diversity unifies us instead of separating us, similar to how the ocean can be a bridge between islands instead of a barrier separating them. Unified we are stronger in protecting our oceans for our children and grandchildren.
A simple thought, but indeed sometimes a challenging one which requires us to overcome skepticism, learn from each other, and unite. This is one of the most important outcomes of this conference. From here, we can start to work together as one.
Carl Safina at the Kava Bowl Talk © Rui Camilo
The Kava Bowl Ocean Summit gave rise to several important projects: 1) The founding of the “Pacific Voyagers Foundation” in Hawai'i to implement the Summit projects; 2) The formation of a “Fossil Fuel-Free Island” strategic group to promote alternative energy in the Pacific; 3) The launch of the most advanced working group and project “Vaka Motu”, an energy-saving inter-island transportation canoe, solely driven by solar and wind power. This is part of a new transportation system for the entire Pacific that is both culturally meaningful and environmentally sustainable; 4) The formation of a working group to examine why we don’t change, knowing what we know about our destructive lifestyles; and 5) The inception of the "OFEC" (Organization for Fish Exporting Countries) working group to promote sustainable fishing, sovereignty, and energy independence for local fishermen and their islands.
You will find more information in our blog "Setting Sail for our Island of Hope".
Another outcome we are proud to present is a series of tutorials written by well-known author and marine conservationist, Dr. Carl Safina. This series addresses different scientific topics, including those that were raised at the Kava Bowl Ocean Summit, written in the typical Safina style--clear, comprehensive, and eloquent. You can find the series in the blog archive of our Okeanos website or here.
To learn more about the voyage and its goal, visit the Pacific Voyagers website or their Facebook page.