Peace Boat, Atlas for Development and Tangier Youth Council organize a day on the SDGs and the climate crisis in Tangier

On May 28, Peace Boat stopped in the port of Tangier, Morocco, where a day focused on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was organized by local partners Atlas for Development, the winners of the SDG Action Awards last year, the Tangier Youth Council and the Mohammed VI Foundation to coincide with the visit of Peace Boat’s Ocean and Climate Youth Ambassadors and the 101st Global Voyage. 

The day's events began in the morning with a meeting with Moroccan youth from Atlas for Development and the Tangier Youth Council at the Technopark headquarters. The Ocean and Climate Youth Ambassadors used the Talanoa method to share their experiences with young local activists through storytelling in small groups. “The meeting gave the local youth a glance of what Talanoa dialogue is, especially, as civil society and young changemakers, we aren't familiar of the Talanoa concept, and it was a great opportunity for everyone to learn, discover, exchange and hopefully make an action'', said Hatim El Otmani, President of Atlas For Development.

The main event of the day was held onboard Peace Boat's vessel docked in the main port of Tangier. More than 200 people visited the ship to take part in a high-level event focused on "The Climate Crisis and the Sustainable Development Goals". This event explored synergies between the climate crisis and the SDGs and featured three discussion panels that connected the climate crisis with education (SDG4), peace (SDG16), the oceans (SDG14) and the role of young people. Panellists included Mrs. Rajaa Chafil, Director of the 4C; Mrs. Fadila Caillaud - Human Development Expert- World Bank Group; Dr. Latifa Daadaoui - National Coordinator of Erasmus+Office in Morocco; H.E Ms. Merethe Nergaard, Ambassador of Norway to Morocco; and Mr. Philippe Poinsot, UN Resident Coordinator in Morocco.

Peace Boat's Ocean and Climate Youth Ambassadors and youth from Morocco spoke in each of the panels with the panel dedicated to youth was entirely youth speakers and moderated by UN SDG Action Campaign Global Policy Director, Laura Hildebrandt. Eparama Qerewaqa, Peace Boat’s youth ambassador from Fiji, who said  “It was amazing sharing the panel with youths from Morroco and learning about the amazing projects and movements they have had over the years and connecting with them through the Talanoa dialogue”, he said.

An exhibition about the Sustainable Development Goals was held onboard the ship for those who took part in the event. It was also attended by 80 school children from three different schools in Tangier who came onboard Peace Boat's vessel as part of a visit organized by the Mohammed VI Foundation as part of their environmental education programme. The school children took part in workshops focused on the SDGs facilitated by specialists from Atlas for Development.

After the onboard event, there was still time for the local partners and youth from Morocco to show the youth ambassadors some of the main sights of Tangier including the Cap Spartel and The Caves of Hercules. After the day in Tangier, the group returned onboard to continue its way to the Azores Islands in the Atlantic Ocean.