PEMSEA, through the triennial EAS Congress Youth Forum, has offered the EAS region’s youth opportunity for participation in creative activities, workshops and discussions with experts, regarding coastal and marine concerns. The forum, a side event of the EAS Congress, has served as a venue for the young people to learn more about the pressing issues in marine and coastal areas and to learn some practical skills to strengthen their roles in addressing environmental issues. Since the inception of the youth forum in 2006, more than 200 youth in the region have been able to participate in this event.
Achieving sustainability throughout East Asia’s coasts and oceans matters to all, but is particularly crucial for the region’s youth, who will not only benefit from them in the current moment, but will also ensure that they are carried on and built upon into the future. Youth involvement in sustainability initiatives is crucial for their long-term implementation and success.
PEMSEA strongly believes in the need to involve youth in the future of our shared seas. In close cooperation with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, RO Korea, PEMSEA is hosting regional competitions to generate interest, awareness, and engagement in coastal, marine and maritime actions and solutions.
See the winners of the 2021 Photo and Video competitions!
See the winners of the 2022 Photo competition!
2022 Photo competition (completed)
The photo competition aims to feature the youth’s unique perspectives and contributions to the sustainable development of the marine environment. We hope it encourages more youth to become aware of what initiatives are happening in their local area. These photos can showcase any work that serves to improve the long-term sustainability of coastal and ocean areas, be it through enhancing ecosystem resilience, increasing mitigation of and adaptation to climate change, reducing disaster risk, reducing and managing pollution, or any other effort that catches the photographers eye. Details here.
2022 Video competition (completed)
The video competition aims to showcase the understanding the youth have of their oceans, and highlight the creativity and firmness with which they can share their knowledge, understanding, plans, and dreams. These videos can highlight best practices and local marine actions of youth, and/or local issues or challenges. They should be 3 to 5-minutes in length, created entirely from material filmed/created by youth. Details here.
2022 Small grants competition (completed)
The small grants competition aims to support practical youth initiatives around the seas of East Asia. Details here.