Invitations are currently being sent out to embassies, partners and other networks where the City of Bergen, which is leading the work with One Ocean Week, is asking for suggestions for candidates for the One Ocean Youth Panel. The purpose is to highlight young people's voices, thoughts, ideas and suggestions.

18 nations for One Ocean Week
The goal is for the One Ocean Youth Panel to be heard by decision-makers in the public sector, business, research and education during the high-level meeting One Ocean Summit in Håkonshallen on April 15. The young people will work together in working groups beforehand to find solutions to the challenges related to the ocean, listed as part of the UN Decade of Ocean Exploration.

The panel will serve as a platform for young people who want to contribute, collaborate and work on the issues across national borders towards 2030.

You can propose candidates
The young people's ocean panel is looking for young, committed, creative and unifying people in the age group 18-28 who dare to challenge and who want their voice to be heard. Potential candidates may be students, entrepreneurs, political activists, artists, journalists or others. The panel is now particularly looking for international candidates, but these are welcome to reside in Norway. 

Submit proposals by March 4 to ocean.youth@bergen.kommune.no. 

Meet the Young People's Ocean Panel at Skolten 
The young people's ocean panel will visit various stakeholders, businesses and participate in activities during Ocean Week.
 
You will have the opportunity to meet them at Skolten on Wednesday, April 17 at 17:00-19:00. the City of Bergen invites you to a debate on values, with the aim of highlighting where young people agree or disagree with today's decision-makers.

- We must dare to have the difficult debates and respect the fact that we have different starting points," says Mona Koster Johannesen, who is an advisor in the project under the City Council's Department for Business, Culture and Sport at the City of Bergen. 

She is working with colleague Thomas Bryde and internship students from the University of Bergen to set up the Young People's Ocean Panel. The idea came up during one of the working group meetings where One Ocean Week is being planned.

- What values are driving us towards a global society that lives in line with, and not at odds with, the planet's carrying capacity? We want to shed light on this and have more dialog about it, so that we succeed with a real sustainable transition," says Koster Johannesen.

- Imagine if we can create a panel that has real influence. A panel that can help to create a dialog where young people's perspectives can be brought into conversations before decisions are made. After all, it's their future," says Bryde.

- We want to give young people time and space," he adds.

Students in practice
Internship students Ylva Røyrvik (21) and Lena Øverland (20) are also working on the project. Ylva is studying Comparative Politics and Lena Politics and Administration at the University of Bergen in her second year. They are currently doing their internship in the City of Bergen.

- It is crucial to include the young people's voice in the planning of the panel in order for the result to be effective. Working together on the project is very rewarding and educational," says Røyrvik.

- The aim of the Young People's Ocean Panel is to see things from a younger perspective, mirroring our age group and point of view against an older generation. We hope to be heard and taken into account in the years to come. Our generation deserves to be listened to," says Øverland.