Training Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean on Ocean Governance, Ocean Sciences and GeoEthics

Training Course on Ocean Governance,

Ocean Sciences and Geoethics

Offered by IOI Brazil with the support of IOI Costa Rica, 

Online delivery December 2021 - February 2022

From December 2021 to February 2022, IOI Brazil and IOI Costa Rica offered online the IOI Training Course on Ocean Governance, Ocean Sciences and Geoethics, consisting of a total of 120-course hours spread over a period of three months. 21 participants were selected from more than 50 candidates. The course was offered as 10 hours a week, with live (synchronous) lectures and presentations, and self-paced sessions including reading and group activities in asynchronous mode. Most participants are practitioners with strong academic backgrounds and mid-career positions while some hail from the academia, with backgrounds ranging from international law and relations, ocean science, coastal management, etc. The participants' geographical distribution include Israel, Portugal (continental and Azores), Cabo Verde, USA, Mexico, Costa Rica, Perú, Ecuador, Brazil to Argentina. Over 15 lecturers from Europe, North, Central and South America, presented synchronous and asynchronous lectures throughout the entire course. All the presentations are recorded and the course material is available at the Archives section at https://www.ioitclac.org/archives/ and the detailed activities at the corresponding TC links (Training Programmes link). 

“You cannot govern the oceans without ethics and science”

 

Training Programme information:

  • Offered by IOI Brazil, and IOI Costa Rica, in Latin America & the Caribbean countries. The Training Programme is offered each year in a different country in these regions as a full time programme
  • Two- to three-week  programme offered annually since 2016
  • The training programme includes coverage of global and regional ocean governance issues concerning Latin America & the Caribbean (IOI TC LAC) with specific emphasis on three main themes:

o    Ocean Governance

o    Ocean Sciences

o    Geoethics

 

Although each of the three core issues are designed as stand-alone modules and can be presented separately, the IOI LAC TC integrates and interlinks these issues within a common learning process in order to show how governance is linked with geoethics and underpinned by the scientific knowledge of the oceans.

  • For each of these core themes, the training programme incorporates and mainstreams several ideas within the following support issues/programmes/conventions/initiatives:

o    UNCLOS;

o    Millennium Assessment & Follow Up;

o    Millennium Goals for the Oceans;

o    International and Regional Organizations;

o    Global Ocean Observing System;

o    Socio-Environmental concerns;

o    Regional issues as conflicts and threats.

 

Each core issue is under the responsibility of a Training Leader (TL) and a Support Leader (SL), with the contribution of high level invited speakers (IS). Another aspect of the TC is the use of the “learning by doing“ pedagogic process, which implies the extensive use of practical activities such as case studies, round table discussions, conflict resolution RPG (Role Playing Games), field visits, interviews with local stakeholders, OCZ RPG (out of comfort zone RPG), etc.

  • The training programme targets young practitioners in ocean governance issues, as well as scientists and educators with a proven background in their chosen field of studies. The course material offered by the expert faculty will be supported through the provision of appropriate tools and references to sources of additional information but the participants are expected to read around the subjects to supplement the class material offered. Selected candidates should be in a position to be able to successfully transmit and apply the acquired knowledge on return to their institutions, serving as educators in their homeland.