Reviving the Blue Commons: A Plan to Repair our Ocean

Tuesday March 18th
Doors & drinks 6.30pm; Event starts 7pm

As part of our year-long series on the Commons, we're coming together to co-create a vision for the Ocean Commons and explore how we might bring it about.

The ocean is under attack. For decades it has been exploited for the benefit of the few – coastal communities are struggling to survive, fish populations are plummeting and the ocean is awash with pollutants. The demands we are placing on the ocean are increasing year on year. This “Blue Acceleration” is leading us towards disaster. But another ocean is possible.

In this participatory event, featuring a series of short presentations from oceans experts followed by small group discussion, we’ll explore how to reinstate the ocean as a Commons.

Economist Guy Standing, Professorial Research Associate at SOAS University of London and author of Plunder of the Commons and The Blue Commons, will explore the necessary laws and governing mechanisms needed to revive the Blue Commons.

Chris Armstrong, Professor of Political Theory at Southampton University, will advocate for Blue Justice: The ocean is a more than human space, so whose Commons is it?

Antje Scharenberg, social movement scholar at Southampton University, will explore Blue Activism, asking what kind of ocean democracy can we hope for?

Tobias Troll, Marine Policy Director at Seas at Risk, will explain the concept of the Blue Doughnut: How can we care for the ocean and look after ourselves?

Collectively, we'll then begin drafting a set of demands to be included in the Charter of the Commons being developed at Kairos over the course of the year, and which could initially be presented at the UN Oceans Conference 2025 taking place in June.

No previous knowledge required - either of the Commons generally or ocean issues specifically. All are welcome to contribute or just come to listen.

Reviving the Blue Commons: A Plan to Repair Our Ocean, has been organised in collaboration with Guy Standing and Ocean Rebellion. It will be the first in a series of events focused on the different areas of the Commons (land, digital, cultural, educational etc) as we develop a unified vision for how we might restore and manage our shared Common Wealth.

To hear about other events in our Commons series, please keep an eye on our events page or sign up to our email newsletter.

Kairos, 84 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4TG

Doors open at 6.30pm for drinks. Event starts at 7pm.

£8 Kairos Club Member, £15 Non-member, £10 Struggling financially, £20 Supporter. Food complimentary.

Before requesting a discounted ticket, please consider sincerely: Are you struggling to meet your basic needs? Would you have to make a genuine sacrifice to buy a full priced ticket? Do you have reduced earnings through a lifestyle choice or rather because you're dedicating your time to unpaid work relating to the climate and nature crises or as a result of structural inequality?

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