About Capitol Hill Ocean Week 2021

Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW), hosted by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, gathers people together from across the U.S. and around the world to engage in a dialogue on how to sustain the health of our ocean and Great Lakes. This year, the conference will focus on building a more racially equitable and just movement for ocean and Great Lakes conservation. CHOW is open to the public and free to attendees. The Foundation relies on the generous support of sponsors to host CHOW.

Registration is now open!

Why is CHOW 2021 focusing on Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI)?

Systemic racism impacts laws, policies, and institutions, resulting in inequitable outcomes for communities across this nation which are impossible to ignore. These inequities require each of us to take action. As an organization, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation believes we need to confront these inequities and identify the steps we can take as a community to address racial equity and justice in ocean conservation, science, and policymaking.

The health, well-being and sustainability of our ocean and Great Lakes depend on the actions we take now to ensure transformative and durable effects. Achieving bold, lasting change in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes policy will require the experience, expertise, perspectives and values of the communities most affected by environmental inequities. CHOW 2021 is an opportunity to examine how exclusionary practices and systemic racism negatively impact conservation, science, and policy. And, how strengthening justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion will improve the sustainability of our ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes and the communities that depend on them.

The CHOW 2021 program will explore how people and communities vulnerable to climate change are advancing local, regional, and national resiliency efforts and identify potential strategies to address impact. It will examine the intersection of people and the environment and how we ensure that all communities have the same protection from environmental hazards; and equal access to opportunities to maintain a healthy environment to live, learn, and work. The CHOW 2021 program will also look at the intersection of social justice and ocean and Great Lakes resource management and conservation. Ultimately, we believe the conversations from CHOW 2021 will reveal a set of priorities that can emerge as the core of a policy agenda centered on justice and equity; and we believe participants in this event, led by the communities most impacted by these inequities, can lead efforts to shape and advocate for this ocean justice policy agenda in the weeks and months following CHOW 2021.

Be a part of the conversation on the future of our ocean and Great Lakes

Sponsorships for Capitol Hill Ocean Week 2021 and the Ocean Awards Gala are available now. Contact carol@marinesanctuary.org with any questions.

Click here for details

Agenda

To be announced soon! Stay tuned.

1:00pm

Eye on the Horizon: Representing Culture in Protected Waters

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Protected areas need to represent the full breadth of the American experience and honor co-design and co-management with Indigenous and local communities. This session will explore training the next generation of maritime archaeologists and cultural resource managers, and highlight efforts to make our National Marine Sanctuary System and marine monuments more inclusive of all people. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

60min

1:00pm

Strengthening Science through Traditional and Local Knowledge and Wisdom

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Indigenous knowledge and wisdom strengthens our understanding of the planet and improves decision-making. National and global discussions often fail to consider this knowledge and wisdom.. Indigenous and traditional communities need allies and funders who support their efforts to develop their own organized systems that increase their presence while developing the capacity to respond to the needs of Western science. The panel will highlight examples of how communities and scientists use indigenous and local knowledge and wisdom to address ocean and Great Lakes health and climate impacts.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

60min

11:00

Assessing Equity

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] “Equal opportunity is the bedrock of American democracy, and our diversity is one of our country’s greatest strengths” (E.O. 13985). A key feature of recent efforts to advance racial equity is data collection. This panel will focus on the importance of gathering data, the critical data to collect, and the benefits of that data collection to drive policy change to improve ocean health, support community resilience, and strengthen climate action.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

1 hr 10 min

11:00am

CHOW Opening Plenary

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW) kicks off with welcoming remarks from the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and blessings from leaders across the Nation. The health, well-being and sustainability of our ocean and Great Lakes depend on the actions we take now and require the experience, knowledge, perspectives and values of the communities most affected by environmental change. Achieving justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion requires us to expand access to the decision making and power structures, as well as increasing access to the resources, benefits, and opportunities that come from those structures. CHOW’s opening plenary will look at the historical lack of inclusion and the failure to center justice and equity in ocean and coastal conservation, and how strengthening justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in policy making, science, and management will improve the sustainability and well-being of our ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes. The plenary will discuss how the broader ocean and Great Lakes community can work together toward collective action and equitable outcomes in the future.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

1 hr 10min

4:00pm

Closing Plenary – Building Power for Ocean-Climate Action

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As our seascapes and coastal landscapes experience rapid change, communities are working to define the future of their health and livelihoods. This panel will highlight the voices of individuals on the ground reckoning with this change and consider the need to build a broader power base to sustain our ocean, coasts and Great Lakes; tackle climate change; and improve the quality of life of their communities. Participants will share their experience and perspectives on the changes they are facing and identify strategies to connect grassroots activism with national policy action.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

60min