The Brand Extends Its Ocean Preservation Efforts With the SEA BEYOND Partnership’s First Global Conference
On the eve of World Oceans Day, Venice hosted the inaugural “Ocean Literacy World Conference,” organized by the Prada Group in collaboration with UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. The conference marked a significant moment in the ongoing partnership between Prada and UNESCO, which began in 2019 with the launch of the SEA BEYOND educational program aimed at educating young people about ocean conservation.
The event gathered 131 delegates from UNESCO member states and experts in ocean literacy to craft the “Venice Declaration for Ocean Literacy.” This document, which outlines ten points with concrete recommendations to improve the human-ocean relationship, will be presented to UN member states on July 2nd in New York. This presentation aims to influence the agenda for the upcoming UN Ocean Conference scheduled for June 2025 in Nice.
A highlight of the conference was the unveiling of the first SEA BEYOND Ideas Box, a project in collaboration with the international NGO Bibliothèques Sans Frontières. The Ideas Box, designed by Philippe Starck in 2014, is a mobile multimedia center that provides access to education through an internet connection, tablets, laptops, and a collection of over 250 books and games. During a special session, Starck and Patrick Weil, Founder and President of Bibliothèques Sans Frontières, recounted the genesis of the Ideas Box, which this year celebrates its tenth anniversary.
The media center’s content was specially curated by UNESCO’s ocean literacy team and Bibliothèques Sans Frontières. A selection of these materials will also be integrated into existing Ideas Boxes located in metropolitan France, Burundi, and Ivory Coast. Additionally, teams managing these boxes will receive training from UNESCO’s ocean literacy experts.
Following the conference, the SEA BEYOND Ideas Box will be donated to the Fondazione Quartieri Spagnoli in Naples. The box will be featured in various locations across the Metropolitan City of Naples, including the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn and the Fondazione Terzoluogo Cultural Space of Sant’Anna a Capuana, as well as the East Naples area in collaboration with Maestri di Strada Onlus – Centro Polifunzionale Ciro Colonna. It will also visit the islands of Ischia and Procida in collaboration with the Area Marina Protetta Regno di Nettuno.
During the conference, notable figures such as Maya Gabeira, a Big Wave Surfer and UNESCO Champion for Ocean and Youth, read excerpts from her forthcoming book “Maya Makes Waves.” Other guests included Titouan Bernicot, Founder of Coral Gardeners and National Geographic Explorer, who introduced the children to the coral gardens he cultivates in Tahiti; Giovanni Chimienti, a Marine Biologist and National Geographic Explorer, who showcased deep-sea ecosystems; Valentina Gottlieb, an environmental advocate and actress, who led a meditation class; and Carmelo Isgrò, biologist and founder of the MuMa Milazzo Sea Museum, who engaged children in ocean-themed charades.
