Marevivo's ‘Il Mare a Scuola’ Campaign with the MSC Foundation kicks off in Naples
More than 7 out of 10 Italians don’t know the basic functions of our oceans, confirming the urgent need for a stronger sea culture in schools
Focus Areas: Education, Marine Conservation
Today, Naples saw the start of the educational campaign ‘Il Mare a Scuola’ (The Sea at School), organised by Marevivo in partnership with the MSC Foundation. The aim of the campaign, including an initiative aboard the motor yacht Patrizia, is to promote a ‘culture of the sea’ and knowledge of the marine environment starting from school. At its core, Marevivo is asking the Italian Ministry of Education to issue a decree implementing article 9 of the ‘Salvamare Law’, strongly supported by the MSC Foundation, ‘to promote activities in schools of all levels aimed at making pupils aware of the importance of preserving the environment, particularly the sea and inland waters’.
An SWG survey showed that 7 out of 10 Italians are not aware of the basic functions of the oceans. However, 60% say they are concerned about the health of the sea and 58% are dissatisfied with government action to protect it. After sailing from Naples, Patrizia and the ‘TheSea at School’ will make calls at Palermo (24-25 October), Livorno (28 October) and Genoa (30-31 October), with the campaign then continuing in all the relevant institutional venues until its ambitious goal has been achieved.
The campaign's champions include actress Giusy Buscemi, Miss Italia 2012, director Jan Michelini and their three children, who are all supporting Marevivo’s request to include environmental and marine education in the school lessons of future generations. Today, they too took part in the initiative on board the motor yacht Patrizia, together with a group of lively schoolchildren.
Representatives of political, institutional, scientific, cultural and media bodies gathered at the Molo Luise Marina in Naples to support the campaign and attend its environmental education activities for young people. These ranged from seminars to workshops, including one on ocean acidification and its consequences for the marine ecosystem. Expanding the experience, an immersive installation called ‘From big to small’ has been set up in a room on the yacht. Here, one can ‘listen’ to the voices of large cetaceans from the ocean depths and discover what lies behind the workings of the sea – an opportunity the children took up with great enthusiasm.
‘Our hope is that increased awareness of the importance of sea life will stimulate humans to defend rather than despoil it. This knowledge must be shared by society and schools, which are the main tool for transmitting a vision of the world from one generation to the next,’ said Marevivo President Rosalba Giugni.
“Our foundation is firmly committed to this campaign with our long-time partner Marevivo and thought leader Rosalba Giugni, whose dedication to marine conservation has inspired us for years” said MSC Foundation Executive Director Daniela Picco. “There’s an Italian saying that ‘If you know the sea, you respect it.’ Which is why we have always steadfastly supported blue education in Italy’s schools. In the course of our 10-year partnership with Marevivo, we’ve seen over 15,000 students and their families benefit from environmental education through programmes like Nauticinblu and Guardian Dolphins. We look forward to seeing blue education on school curriculums nationwide, empowering the next generation to protect our marine environments.”
At the end of the day, a concert will be held with the students and teachers of the Accademia di Canto Lirico and the orchestra of Naples’ San Carlo Theatre. To close, a spectacular drone show will light up the gulf.
‘The San Carlo Theatre Foundation supports this project enthusiastically because it firmly believes in the power of culture as a tool for social transformation and enhancement. This initiative represents a unique opportunity to strengthen the link between the theatre and the community,' said Emmanuela Spedaliere, Director General of the San Carlo Theatre in Naples.
‘Il Mare a Scuola’ is sponsored by the United Nations Decade 2021-2030 of Marine Sciences for Sustainable Development and the Dohrn Foundation, with the support of the San Carlo Theatre, Molo Luise, ”Unmanned4you’, Augustus, Navigazione Libera del Golfo (NLG) and the Molo Luise Marina.
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