Protecting Children’s Rights to Development and Culture by Re-Imagining ‘Ocean Literacies’

The International Journal of Children's Rights

36 Pages Posted: 20 Jul 2023 Last revised: 11 Dec 2023

See all articles by Mia Strand

Mia Strand

Department of Development Studies

Sophie Shields

University of Strathclyde

Elisa Morgera

Strathclyde Law School

Dylan McGarry

Rhodes University

Alana Lancaster

University of the West Indies (Cave Hill) - Faculty of Law, Cave Hill Campus

Lindy Brown

Plymouth University

Bernadette Snow

University of Strathclyde - School of Law; Nelson Mandela University, Institute for Coastal and Marine Research

Date Written: July 11, 2023

Abstract

This paper explores the relevance of existing international legal standards on children’s
human rights to a healthy ocean. In particular, we reflect on the still underestimated
importance of a healthy ocean for children’s human right to development and cultural
rights. Focusing on environmental education, we argue that the concept of ocean
literacy should rather be conceptualised as a plurality of “ocean literacies”, better to
account for multiple ocean knowledges. Ocean literacies in environmental education
should be re-imagined to emphasise a systems approach to the ocean, integrating
aspects of environmental justice and avoiding the psychological pressure on children
to be responsible for the future of the environment. The paper concludes by providing
specific recommendations for contextualising and re-imagining ocean literacies in a
time where there is an increased global focus on ocean literacy through the UN Ocean
Decade.

Keywords: children’s rights, development and cultural rights, environmental education, ocean literacies, environmental justice, UN Ocean Decade

Suggested Citation

Strand, Mia and Shields, Sophie and Morgera, Elisa and McGarry, Dylan and Lancaster, Alana and Brown, Lindy and Snow, Bernadette, Protecting Children’s Rights to Development and Culture by Re-Imagining ‘Ocean Literacies’ (July 11, 2023). The International Journal of Children's Rights , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4506603 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4506603

Mia Strand (Contact Author)

Department of Development Studies ( email )

Port Elizabeth, 6031
South Africa

Sophie Shields

University of Strathclyde

Elisa Morgera

Strathclyde Law School ( email )

Lord Hope Building
141 St James Rd
Glasgow 1XQ, Scotland
United Kingdom

HOME PAGE: http://www.strath.ac.uk/research/strathclydecentreenvironmentallawgovernance/

Dylan McGarry

Rhodes University ( email )

Alana Lancaster

University of the West Indies (Cave Hill) - Faculty of Law, Cave Hill Campus ( email )

University of the West Indies
Bridgetown
Barbados

Lindy Brown

Plymouth University ( email )

Bernadette Snow

University of Strathclyde - School of Law ( email )

Lord Hope Building
John Anderson Campus 141 St. James' Rd
Glasgow G4 0LT, Scotland G4 0LT
United Kingdom

Nelson Mandela University, Institute for Coastal and Marine Research ( email )

Port Elizabeth, 6031
South Africa

Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?

Paper statistics

Downloads
115
Abstract Views
632
Rank
486,387
PlumX Metrics