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
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
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